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this day greater solemnity, and decreed that supplica
tion should also be made for the deliverance of Rome
from all calamities.
In Rome the OBSERVANCES of the Rogation days in
clude that of the Stations. Thus during the procession,
a halt is made at a church called the Church of the Sta
tion, where Mass is said, the singing of the Litanies being
meanwhile interrupted. On the April 25, for the reason
just given, the Station is in the basilica of Saint Peter.
On the first Rogation day, it is in the church of Saint
Mary Major, on the second at Saint John Lateran, and
on the third day at Saint Peter.
The Epistle for the Mass on the Rogation days is taken
from Saint James, in which the Apostle strongly im
presses on us that penance should be joined with per
severing prayer. The Gospel, taken from Saint Luke,
gives us a touching comparison made use of by our Lord
to teach us that persistance in prayer may be carried to
the point of importunity, and that the divine good
ness can be more easily moved than men, however favor
ably disposed they may be. The Introit, taken from
the Psalms, tells us that mercy follows closely upon
prayer. The Alleluia and the Offertory praise the
divine Goodness which is ever ready to assist and pro
tect the unfortunate. The Communion reminds us of
the pledge given by our Lord in the Gospel, as to the
efficacy of prayer. The Prayers of the Mass for these
days are an expression of the confidence inspired by the
teaching of our Lord. O Lord, we say in the Collect, to
Thee we have recourse in the time of affliction that
through Thy goodness we may be protected from all
misfortunes. In the Secret we pray to the eternal Father
that the oblation of His divine Son may free us from the
bonds of our iniquities and may win for us the gifts of
il The Liturgy of the Roman Missal.