There are a few Saints who are connected in one way or another to apple trees, and any of their feast days would be fitting days to bless your trees. St. Dorothy is known for a miracle relating to golden apples, and St. Teilo and his companion, St. Samson, are credited with having planted a 3-mile long orchard of apple trees during the plague. Though Dorothy’s story is beautiful, I have been particularly drawn to St. Teilo. Our family has a special love for apple orchards, and St. Teilo is responsible for planting one to provide food and hope for people during a devastating period of time in history.

Apples have such an iconic role in the world. Many people think of the apple tree when they think of the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. After all, apple trees are the most common type of fruit tree. (According to some Jewish tradition, it is believed that a fruit called the citron was actually the forbidden fruit. Truth be known, we don’t know what kind of fruit it was.) The “Adam’s apple” on the neck of men was so named for the bit Adam took of the forbidden fruit. We quip “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” and we associate the apple with teachers and education, as apples would sometimes be gifts for teachers (though I wonder how often they actually receive apples these days).

But apples are more than just a symbol. The apple is versatile. It can be eaten fresh, pressed into cider, cooked or baked. They are a delicious addition to our diet. When we found our homestead, one of the most exciting aspects that there was already a small orchard established on the property, consisting mostly of apple trees. Today, we’re attempting to build up a fruit tree nursery, consisting mainly of a wide variety of apple trees that are not typically found in garden centers. Since the fruit trees are one of the favorite aspects of our homestead, finding a saint for the intercession of our fruit-laden endeavors was high on the priority list.

Blessings of trees are often done on the feast of St. Dorothy, but can also be done at any time. The feast of any other saint associated with this fruit would be fitting. St. Dorothy’s feast day is February 6th, and St. Teilo’s feast day is February 9th, which makes the second week of February a suitable time to bless our trees. There is also an old tradition called Apple Wassailing or Orchard Wassailing where people in England would travel through orchards on Twelfth Night, singing and blessing the trees for the year to come. Wassail (a drink named for the custom of drinking to the health of others) was sometimes poured on the roots of the trees.

Blessing the trees during the winter months is made all the more fitting since many people prune their trees during the winter months to help control the shape of the tree. (Summer pruning focuses on fruit production and limiting growth.) My husband does the bulk of the pruning, and he typically begins the job in February, and wraps up before the end of March. Apple wood can be saved for smoking meats, and apparently, lovespoons are often carved of applewood. Lovespoons are wooden spoons that are beautifully carved, typically with a heart and possibly other symbols, and were (and still sometimes are) gifted as signs of love. So, if you have any larger branches removed from your tree and you enjoy woodcarving, this might be a nice gift for a loved one!

No matter the day or the custom, the primary goal is to ask for God’s blessing on the trees that bring us nourishment by way of their fruit. In seeking God’s blessings, we recognize that all that we receive comes from Him. We assist God by working with our hands to plant, tend, harvest, and preserve, but it is the God of the Universe who makes the tree grow, the sun shine, the rain fall, who protects and gives life.

Blessing of Fruit Trees and Vines

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who has made heaven and earth.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.

Let us pray.

We beg You in Your goodness, almighty God, to pour the showers of Your blessing upon these newly budding trees and vines which You have made, and which You have been so kind as to nourish with temperate weather and sufficient rain. Bring the fruits of Your earth to full ripeness. Grant, too, that Your people may always give You thanks for Your gifts, so that You may fill them that are hungry with the fruits of a fertile land and that the poor and the needy may praise the glory of Your name, through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

(And they are sprinkled with holy water.)
Prayer Source: Rural Life Prayerbook by Alban J. Dachauer, S.J., National Catholic Rural Life Conference, 4625 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50310 ncrlc.com, 1956

St. Dorothy and St. Teilo, pray for us!

I hope you’ll spend a little time this week exploring the lives of St. Teilo and St. Dorothy. May they be beautiful examples of how we can better love God and others.

In Christ,
Danielle