Intercession of the Virgin Mary for the Crops

Intercession of the Virgin Mary for the Crops

May 15th is the Feast of the Virgin Mary for the Crops (Hido d'Yoldath Aloho Hal S'heble) according to the Liturgical Calendar of the Syriac Orthodox Church. St. Mary is venerated with great devotion in the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch. In addition to Feasts of the Virgin associated with the Lord & the Feast of her Nativity, there are three other Feasts that are celebrated by the faithful with much fervor. Syriac poets called the 'Potters' (Quroyo) attribute setting these feasts of the Virgin Mary to St. John the Evangelist. Those poets are quoted saying: “With dew & drizzle the land of Ephesus was sprinkled when St. John brought to it the messages of the Virgin Mary commanding that the blessed Feasts of the Virgin be celebrated three times a year. The Feast of the Virgin Mary of the sowing is in January. In May is the Feast of the Virgin Mary for blessing the crops & in August is her Feast of the blessing of the vineyards, which are the symbol of the mystery of life”.These three Feasts are on the fifteenth day of the three aforementioned months:1) January 15: Sowing (zar'he, ܙܪ̈ܥܐ)2) May 15: Crops (s'heble, ܫܒ̈ܠܐ), from which the wheat is processed into bread. This bread is used for the celebration of the Holy Qurbono (the lahmo). 3) August 15: Grapevine (sate, ܣ̈ܬܐ), from which comes the wine. This wine is used for the Divine Eucharistic celebration. This feast was replaced by the Dormition (shunoyo).The Feast of the Virgin Mary for the Crops originated as an agricultural feast. It arose from the needs of the farmers to seek God's help for a fruitful harvest. The farmers were at the mercy of the elements and depended upon sufficient rain and good weather. As a result they sought God's assistance and begged the intercession of Mary for their crops. Christ our Lord, gives life to the world. Through the harvest we receive the gifts of bread and wine which become for us the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist. St. Ephrem the Syrian says, "Mary became the field who received the grain of wheat in her womb. This grain of wheat is Jesus Christ our Lord, who gives life to the world."The Holy Bible readings from the Church Lectionary:Evening:St. Mark 4:26-29Morning:St. Matthew 23:10-13Holy Qurbono:Acts 18:12-27II Corinthians 9:1-15St. Luke 6:1-5Tone of the Day: 1Arabic article about Hido d'Yoldath Aloho Hal S'heble by late His Holiness Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka Iwas I of blessed memory: https://tinyurl.com/5y5r8uckEnglish Article about the intercession of St Mary by late HH Mor Ignatius Zakka I of blessed memory: https://tinyurl.com/jvmt3f8k Article about the tradition of Malankara Nasrani agriculturalists and the harvest feast: https://tinyurl.com/2p9hmxt5 Fixed Feast