A reader writes:

What are Rogation days? Are they the same as Ember Days? How did they get started?

What an interesting question, and an appropriate one, too, since today--April 25--is known as the Major Rogation day. In addition, there are three Minor Rogation days, which fall on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Thursday. In 2008, that means that they will occur next week, on April 28-30.

While there is no direct connection between Rogation Days and Ember Days, both signal a change in the seasons. In the case of Rogation Days, they were timed to coincide with the spring planting. You can read more about them in The Tradition of Rogation Days in the Catholic Church, but, in brief, Rogation Days are an ancient Christian tradition that has pagan roots. While the Romans directed their prayers for good weather and an abundant harvest to a variety of gods, the Christians took the good parts and replaced Roman polytheism with monotheism.

With the reform of the Catholic Church's liturgical calendar in 1969, the celebration of Rogation Days has become optional, and very few parishes in the United States take note of them. If you would like to mark them on your own, however, you can find some suggestions on how to do so at the end of my article on Rogation Days.

If you have a question that you would like to have featured in our Friday "Reader Questions" series, send me an e-mail at catholicism.guide@about.com. Be sure to put "QUESTION" in the subject line, and please note whether you'd like me to address it privately or on the Catholicism blog.