Did you know that one of Mary’s titles is “Our Lady of the Herbs”? This title is specifically associated with the Assumption of the Blessed Mother into heaven, which we celebrate on August 15th each year. Traditionally, bouquets of herbs would be brought to Mass to be blessed by the priest. And though grapes have historically been blessed on August 6th for the Transfiguration of Our Lord and wheat was blessed on August 1st for Lammas Day (Loaf Mass Day), these items and others can also be blessed on the feast of the Assumption. Each of these days remind us to offer the first fruits to God, but Mary is the first fruit of the resurrection, with her bodily assumption into heaven.

“First fruit” is a term used numerous times throughout sacred scripture and refers to the best of the harvest, offered to God. But if you garden, you know how it feels to pick the first fruit of the harvest and anxiously longed to eat it… What a sacrifice it can be to give it to God instead of consuming it ourselves! What if, instead of eating it ourselves, we pass it along to a neighbor or a friend or our parish priest? It is not required, but it can be a wonderful way to bless others with what God has blessed us with. If we think of the story of Cain and Abel, one might be tempted to think that the sacrifices of the ground were not pleasing to God, that what Cain offered (vegetables) were sub-par to the animal of the flock that Abel offered. But that isn’t true. It wasn’t what was sacrificed so much as how it was sacrificed. An article from Catholic Answers states it well. “If Abel is giving God the equivalent of filet mignon, Cain is giving him ground beef. ” We aren’t giving God our leftovers, but our best, just like we shouldn’t give God our leftover time.

Any fruit (or vegetables) can be blessed on the Assumption. The first fruits are blessed for multiple reasons. First, it is “truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks.” The first part of the blessing isn’t even about the blessing about to be received but about thanking God for the blessing we’ve already received, in this case, the bounty of the harvest. Second, when we seek God’s blessing, we are inviting Him into ever facet of our lives, and that includes the blessing of herbs. In fact, as Catholics, this is so important for us that there are blessings for eggs, cheese, salt, and many other specific foods. The Church truly has a blessing for nearly everything!

But let’s go back to the custom of blessing herbs. Why herbs, and why the Assumption? Part of the reason is that herbs, in addition to flavoring our favorite culinary dishes, have historically served as medicinal remedies for all kinds of ailments. In fact, monasteries had “physic gardens” (think of physician… healer, heath, body, physical), medicinal herbal gardens to serve that corporal mercy of visiting (and caring for) the sick. I love that though sickness entered the world through The Fall of Creation, God provided healing remedies through the herb of the field. Again, we can see here that God has already given us blessings, even when we are so undeserving, and that is something to give thanks for! We ask God in this blessing to “bless + these various herbs and fruits, thus increasing their natural powers with the newly given grace of your blessing. May they keep away disease and adversity from men and beasts who use them in your name…”

Herbs are also mentioned quite frequently throughout scripture and bear great importance. Hyssop is one of the more notable herbs mentioned, as it is used in the first Passover, and subsequent memorial celebrations, to spread the blood of the lamb on the doorpost of the home.

But there are other reasons. Mary is associated with heavenly smells (as well as many of the saints who “died in the odor of sanctity”). One of the stories of Mary is that she was laid to rest in a tomb, but she rose bodily into heaven, and the tomb was covered in flowers and smelled wonderful. Herbs bear some of the most potent, and I would argue, heavenly smells. Fresh cut rosemary is my particular favorite. “This tradition is associated with Our Lady because she is seen in biblical imagery as a vine; flowers represent her virtue; and Our Lord is her fruit.” (Quote from Tridentine Community News)

To participate in the blessing of the herbs, you will want to print out the prayers for your priest and bring along some holy water. Make a bouquet of some of your herbs to bring to Mass with you. Ideally, you would give the priest some warning, as the full blessing is a longer one, and it is typically said before Mass. This bouquet can be used however you wish after the fact. You are free to cook with these herbs (or use them for medicinal purposes), but there are other ways which these bouquets have been used.

One way they are used is that the herbs would be put in a field to impart their blessing on the rest of the harvest. (This is not necessary, by the way. We call on God to bless the whole harvest, and the bundle brought forth receives that blessing as a representative.) In some homes, they would be hung over a doorway as a sacramental, or in another location, much like we might do with palm branches. The herbs could be gifted to somebody else. They can be burned to incense, bless, and fumigate a barn. One particular tradition that I would partake in if we had a cow is “First Spring Grazing.”

This is a custom in Poland and parts of Europe where the herbs that are blessed on the Assumption are used to incense and bless the cows before they go onto pasture for the first time in the spring. This might seem superstitious to modern Americans, but there are several things to keep in mind when we hear stories like this. First, Poland, though a staunchly Catholic country, has some very pagan corners. Grab a cup of coffee and sit down with our good friend whose father emigrated from Poland. He’ll share some truly fascinating stories. But the blessing was done to protect the cows from any curses that witches may have put on pastures or on the cows themselves. True or not, or whether what they thought were curses were health issues the cows developed from grazing at the wrong time, praying for God’s protection of the cows and their general health is always a good idea. (For the record, I’ve heard it said many times “Witches aren’t real!” Witches are real. They aren’t out there flying on broomsticks, but they are very real. I know multiple people who do or have practiced witchcraft and profess themselves as witches or Wickens. It is a religion, and one greatly at odds with our own faith.)

Regardless of cows or witches, there is the legitimate question of how we dispose of a sacramental if necessary. The Church teaches that if we need to dispose of them, we are either to burn them or bury them. Herbs are known to be good for keeping certain types of insects away so burning them to fumigate in addition to offering prayers of protection in order to dispose of them actually makes a lot of sense. Sage, when burned, is good for keeping mosquitoes away. Some people put herbs in their chickens’ nesting boxes, because they help keep mites and other bugs out of the coop. You don’t have to incense buildings or animals to dispose of these herbs if you aren’t already using them in your cooking or medicinal tinctures. They can also be buried in the garden or burned in the garden when you are ready to get rid of them. Ash is great for the garden, so this is not a bad way to dispose of them!

This year, I wasn’t properly prepared as we had a hectic week leading up to the Assumption, so I didn’t give our priest much warning. He and I spoke beforehand, and we agreed to do the blessing after the Mass instead of before. Because he was not prepared, we only did one part of the prayers, the one that focuses on herbs and their medicinal powers. I provided the prayers, holy water, and bouquet, and he provided his priestly blessing.

If you have a copy of the book “Cooking for Christ” by Florence Berger, she shares a story of how their family prepared for the Assumption, and how one year, they weren’t able to get the priest’s blessing for the herbs, so her husband prayed for them instead. (I believe the prayer he said is in the book.) So, even if you aren’t able to prepare enough to get a priestly blessing, you can still thank God for the gifts He has given and ask for his blessing!

I’ve already gathered a few of the herbs that were getting overgrown, but today, I’ll be harvesting more. I love hanging bundles of herbs around the kitchen to dry! The best time of day to harvest them is in the morning, after any dew has dried up. You can get the most out of your herbs by harvesting right above leaf nodes, as these will send out two new shoots, making the plant bushier as it continues to grow. Harvest repeatedly for the most production. Some plants (herbs included) will produce more when harvest. This is true of plants like tomatoes, peas, and beans. The longer they go without being harvested, the less they produce, so don’t be afraid to trim back those herbs!

Turn those eyes heavenward as you smell your lovely bouquets today, and I pray you have a wonderful Assumption! Holy Mary, pray for us.

In Christ,
Danielle

P.S. The Assumption was also a day for processions throughout the countryside to bless all of nature. If you so desire, you might be able to break out the things you used for a Rogation Day procession and use them again now to process around your property. Invite your priest to join you!