And only a month ago, I was talking about
Snow Panic. Sigh.
At least in my parish, a prayer for snow was added to the Prayers of the Faithful this Sunday. We need to pray that God would send abundant rain to the valleys of California and Nevada and snow to the Sierras, where there hasn't been a decent seasonal snowfall in three years.
California's bishops are praying for rain, as are
Californian Muslims.
Fr. Z says, why stop there? How about a public procession to pray for rain or snow?
In the Rituale Romanum under the section for processions for Rogation Days, there are directions for a procession to implore rain, including:
God, in whom we live and move and have our being, grant us rain in plenty, so that as we amply experience your gifts of the present time we may all the more confidently desire those of eternity.
Grant, we beg you, almighty God, that we who put our trust in you in this affliction may ever be shielded from all adversities.
Lord, give us, we pray, a plentiful rainfall, and graciously pour out on the parched earth moisture from the heavenly vaults; through Christ our Lord.
When we have great need, let’s take it to the streets.
ETA: Yes, we live in the driest state in the nation, but this could be cyclical. Throughout the 90s and the 2000s, one of Baltimore's primary reservoirs was reduced in sections to a trickle of a stream. When I was back in Maryland for Christmas with my family, I noticed not only had the reservoir filled back to capacity, but the water had engulfed trees that had sprouted up on the then-dry ground. Maryland's record snowfall of 2010 probably helped take care of that. May God bless us similarly!
