Blessing of Fruit for Transfiguration Liturgy

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I might be attending the Divine Liturgy tonight for the vigil of the Transfiguration. I’ve never been to the DL for that specific day, but I understand there is a blessing of fruit normally associated with it. However, I don’t recall that being mentioned on Sunday’s DL and it isn’t mentioned in the bulletin. Should I bring some fruit? If the blessing is being done, do you bring the fruit with you into the Church for DL or should I leave it in the car and then go get it?
 
BusterMartin said:
I might be attending the Divine Liturgy tonight for the vigil of the Transfiguration. I’ve never been to the DL for that specific day, but I understand there is a blessing of fruit normally associated with it. However, I don’t recall that being mentioned on Sunday’s DL and it isn’t mentioned in the bulletin. Should I bring some fruit? If the blessing is being done, do you bring the fruit with you into the Church for DL or should I leave it in the car and then go get it?
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Grapes are the traditional fruit for this blessing on the Feast of the Transfiguration. You can bring any fruit .

It makes sense to bring something that has grown locally, if possible in your yard or a friend’s, or gotten at a farmers’ market so you know it is local, so in season locally, 🙂

The blessing is after Divine Liturgy on the Feast so they won’t bless at the Vigil tonight. The Festal Vigil I am going to is Vespers and Matins. Liturgy will be tomorrow. You know the parish you are speaking of. If they are having Transfiguration Divine Liturgy tonight, not tomorrow I wouldn’t know what to say about that…

(At the Feast of the Dormition we have the Blessing of herbs and flowers. :))
 
5Loaves said:
You know the parish you are speaking of. If they are having Transfiguration Divine Liturgy tonight, not tomorrow I wouldn’t know what to say about that…

(At the Feast of the Dormition we have the Blessing of herbs and flowers. :))
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Yeah, the Church I go to is just having DL tonight and nothing tomorrow.

As for the Dormition, they are saying the rosary and then having Vespers with Divine Liturgy. I guess I have the same questions for that…is there a specific type of flower(s) to bring, how many, bring them in or leave them in the car, etc.?
 
There are actually three “feasts of the Saviour” in August and the Transfiguration is the second one.

Fruit is blessed at the Transfiguration (I follow the True … er, JU-lian calendar . . .)😉 so we will do ours on the 19th.

On August 1/14 is the feast of the procession of the Cross and the Maccabees so we bless honey (the “Honey Saviour”) and also poppy-seeds (“Mak” in “Maccabees” also means “Poppy-seeds”) for the Kutya for Christmas Eve. On August 29 is the third Saviour or the “Bread Saviour” where bread is blessed (the feast of the Image not made by hands).

Alex
 
BusterMartin said:
Yeah, the Church I go to is just having DL tonight and nothing tomorrow.

As for the Dormition, they are saying the rosary and then having Vespers with Divine Liturgy. I guess I have the same questions for that…is there a specific type of flower(s) to bring, how many, bring them in or leave them in the car, etc.?
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The tradition is that we bring from our own “harvest”, so again you would bring flowers that are in season from your garden. It’s not about some fancy floral arrangement. We bring from our own lives something to be blest which returns to our homes. If you grow herbs you can bring some of those as well. Herbs can be consumed, normally we don’t consume flowers. 🙂

There should be a place set aside in the temple where people will put these for blessing. These are wonderful traditions so I hope many in this parish will take part.

You should ask the deacon or priest or their wives or find someone in the parish who you can comfortably ask these questions, also. 🙂

If there is a Rosary involved are you speaking of a UGCC? We have several Ukrainian Greek Catholics here who might be more familiar with any difference in that tradition from what I’ve said. Our traditions should match those of our Orthodox mother churches.
 
In my parish, “Rosarium” refers to a rose-garden . . . 😉
 
BusterMartin said:
I might be attending the Divine Liturgy tonight for the vigil of the Transfiguration. I’ve never been to the DL for that specific day, but I understand there is a blessing of fruit normally associated with it. However, I don’t recall that being mentioned on Sunday’s DL and it isn’t mentioned in the bulletin. Should I bring some fruit? If the blessing is being done, do you bring the fruit with you into the Church for DL or should I leave it in the car and then go get it?
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So what happened?

The Russian Orthodox where I was tonight already had a number of baskets of local fruits on the floor around the Analogion of the Transfiguration Icon ready for their DL tomorrow. In addition to Artos we had freshly pressed apple juice. 👍
 
5Loaves said:
If there is a Rosary involved are you speaking of a UGCC?
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No, not Ukranian. I’m terrible with what to call Eastern Churches…but it’s a Byzantine Church from the Ruthenian tradition.
5Loaves said:
So what happened?
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Unfortunately, I ended up not going after all. I wasn’t sure if I would actually make it there - there was a chance but I didn’t get there. I’m hopeful that I’ll make it to the rosary, Vespers, and DL for the Dormition though. It’s right after a trip and I can’t think of a better way to start the week back to reality. Thanks so much for your answers though!
 
BusterMartin said:
I might be attending the Divine Liturgy tonight for the vigil of the Transfiguration. I’ve never been to the DL for that specific day, but I understand there is a blessing of fruit normally associated with it. However, I don’t recall that being mentioned on Sunday’s DL and it isn’t mentioned in the bulletin. Should I bring some fruit? If the blessing is being done, do you bring the fruit with you into the Church for DL or should I leave it in the car and then go get it?
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I forgot to bring fruit, but we had both fruit being blessed, and a confirmation of a convert.

Many years to Anna!
 
Aramis said:
I forgot to bring fruit, but we had both fruit being blessed, and a confirmation of a convert.

Many years to Anna!
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S Prazdnikom!

Wonderful.
Many years!

I’ve only been present at a convert Chrismation once that wasn’t in the Latin Church. It was at the Russian Orthodox parish. There were two men being received- one young adult and one middle age or older, I felt so blest to happen to be there that day.
 
Last night was the first vespers and feast of Transfiguration for me at the local Byzantine church. (I normally attend Latin mass.) Fruit baskets were blessed and there was a large bowl of grapes and cubes of blessed bread for us to take. And we got holy oil on our foreheads! I am starting to love the Byzantine liturgy and traditions. 🙂 Could anyone tell me where to learn more about them?
 
sskelly said:
Last night was the first vespers and feast of Transfiguration for me at the local Byzantine church. (I normally attend Latin mass.) Fruit baskets were blessed and there was a large bowl of grapes and cubes of blessed bread for us to take. And we got holy oil on our foreheads! I am starting to love the Byzantine liturgy and traditions. 🙂 Could anyone tell me where to learn more about them?
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👍

For someone without an EC Church available consider going to an Orthodox parish. There will be a festal vigil Sunday Aug 14 for the Dormition. The anointing at these festal vespers/vigils is a sacramental. Perhaps there are some Orthodox who would not offer this blessing to a non Orthodox, but many would. I received it last night in the Orthodox church along with a warm “S Prazdnikom!” and my name from the priest blessing me. I’ve received this anointing from their bishop during their altar feast day. I think these are one of the ideal times for Catholics to go to an Orthodox parish and experience these services, which should be identical in an Eastern Catholic parish if you had access to one. I believe at any given time at such services, and at standard Sat. evening Vespers, there are in fact both Latin and EC Catholics present in many Orthodox parishes, at least I’ve had Orthodox clergy say so and I know parishioners from my parish are often at an Orthodox church for these including our deacon.
 
We had a vary nice blessing of the first fruits, with prayers, candles, incense, holy water, two priests, etc. I left my fruit that I bought for it at home by mistake, but there were lots of grapes brought by others to share.
 
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