Lammas Day - A harvest of grain and mercy

Aug 1, 20233 min read

August 1st marks the midway point between the first day of summer and first day of fall. Even though unrelenting heat still rules in many places around the world, you may begin to feel an ever-so-slight shifting towards autumn: perhaps you notice a stirring of new energy rising within you, an unexpected wisp of crisp breeze in the morning air, or a tint of autumn color highlighting the tallest tree branches.

August 1st also celebrates the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Lammas Day (meaning "loaf mass"), which begins a three month harvest season, and in particular, the earliest harvest of smaller grains (corn, wheat, etc). Lammas Day is sometimes called "little harvest."

August begins with Lammas Day, Loaf Mass Day, the day in the Book of Common Prayer calendar when a loaf baked with flour from newly harvested corn would be brought into church and blessed. It's one of the oldest points of contact between the agricultural world and the Church.

Ann Lewin "Seasons of Grace"

At Lammas, I often reflect upon what is just beginning to be ripe and ready to harvest in my life, even if it is small and just a glimmer of what will come later. Lammas always feels like a sweet promise of bigger and better future things. (Jan Blencowe)

O GLEANER OF GARDENS AND FIELDS,

Come, Come gather what is most precious in us.

Urge us to embrace our cornucopia of goodness.

Stir up gratitude and a sense of wonder,

Move us to give freely of our abundant harvest,

O Come!

~Joyce Rupp (Prayer Seeds)

A Harvest of Mercy

Musician and author Carrie Newcomer writes: The 'news of the world” would have us believe we are small and without power in a time of climate crisis, economic and racial injustice, daily mass shootings and the politics of fear. But the “news of the heart” reminds us that hope emerges from daily action for good. I choose to believe that how we live our daily lives matters... This is at the heart of A Great Wild Mercy. There is an ever present goodness threading through the natural world, evident in every act of kindness and love made visible.

Carrie Newcomer continues:: "Mercy is an old-fashioned word, but it is full of grace and goodness. A Great Wild Mercy is untamable and cannot be placed in the small containers we often use when talking about what is Sacred. A Great Wild Mercy keeps showing up, like the creek that rambles through a valley, shining in the sun and moving quietly over the rocks. There is something good we can tap into, the true nature of love is sturdy enough to lean my back against when storms brew around me...

Suggested practice for Lammas Day:

As we lean into this Great Wild Mercy, and pray for its harvest in us and in the world, perhaps we could make (or buy) a Lammas Day loaf of our own. With our loaf, we can take a moment to name the harvest we wish to see in the world. Then as we bless our bread, and as we eat, we receive within us the promise "full of grace and goodness," remembering the words of Jesus, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever." (John 6:51, NRSV)

Make (or buy) a loaf of bread. You can choose from the "first fruits" available now in your own garden, the grocery store or nearby farmer's market to add to your loaf: corn, blueberries, peaches, herbs, zucchini etc. You might like to try this not-too-sweet blueberry lemon bread below from Joanna Gaines of Magnolia.