Saturday, August 15th, was the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and there is a tradition of blessing of the ocean and sea on this day. Catholic World Report explains it:
For hundreds of years,
Catholic parishes in coastal cities have participated in the tradition of
blessing the sea and praying for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on
the Feast of the Assumption.
While believers in
landlocked areas may be unfamiliar with the practice, it is a longstanding
tradition that provides an opportunity not only to pray for safe travel at sea
during the coming year, but also to profess one’s faith outside of church
walls, one priest told CNA.
This
happens to be a traditions some five hundred years old.
The tradition of blessing
of the sea dates back to 15th century Italy and has since become a custom in
coastal cities throughout Europe and the United States.
According to the Trenton
Monitor, the custom is believed to have begun when a bishop traveled by sea
during a storm on the Feast of the Assumption. The bishop then threw his
pastoral ring into the ocean and calmed the waters.
So I decided to take Matthew and we headed to the beach on Staten Island. I snapped a picture from the sand bank—perhaps it’s called a “seawall”—that was built as protection from hurricanes.
Matthew
took his skateboard, which he didn’t use and I wound up carrying. But we had a nice couple of hours, and I gave
the ocean a blessing. ;)
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