Feast of the Assumption

HT: Fisheaters

Today is the beautiful feast of the Assumption - when Our Lady was assumed into heaven, body and soul.

In Australia it is one of two Holy Days of Obligation remaining (the other Christmas Day) and I think it is a very special feast as there is a connection to Our Lady's Immaculate Conception in the belief of the Assumption - it is the reason why Our Lady was assumed, because her Divine Son chose to save her in the most complete way possible - without Original Sin.

Many may try to say there is no bibilical basis for such doctrines, but at the Annunciation in Luke there is a firm understanding of her sinlessness - here is a very interesting discussion in affirming this point.

In the life of the Church the blessing of herbs is connected to the feast.

Since we LOVE herbs here, we decided to gather all the useable herbs in the home and take them to Father for the special blessing of the day.

Actually, a dear friend of mine, (her family and ours) made the visit to Isabell Shiphard's farm on the Eve of the Assumption, where I stocked up on some of my favourite dried herbs, it was perfect timing for the blessing today.

We started our morning with sweet, spiced sourdough bread we had been saving for the feast.

And brewed our normal, morning pot of mixed herbs...(dried stinging nettle, herb robert, hawthorn, small willow flower, gota kola) and buttered the toasted bread, it was a delicious breakfast!

We decided to visit our city's permaculture gardens as they grow herbs of all sorts, it is always such a beautiful day out there.

I think the gardens have felt the affects of a few year's drought (despite better rain in the last few months) and so I've seen the gardens looking better but it always is such a pleasant stroll through herbs, veges and nature..

They had a lovely herb spiral, the children were delighted to see comfrey at it's base and of course the usual rosemary at the top (a nice, marian herb.)

We had a herb spiral ourselves a few years ago but we planted it a few months before the drought and so it didn't last long with tough restrictions. They managed to maintain one here of course, that is the focus of these gardens, wise water management and natural plant raising and maintanence.

I loved this cheery, informative sign!

Just having a bit of fun along the way.....

They have a 'typical Aussie backyard' set up, showing visitors all the great ways to grow an edible garden that conserves water, using natural composting techniques, making swales etc. Oh yeah, got to have the old Aussie clothes line!

A BEAUTIFUL clump of one of my all time favourite herbs - comfrey! With a bit of aloe peaking out here and there.

This little blossom had a simply wonderful time!

Ok, don't swipe us with that stinging nettle! He wasn't popular with the other children...no, we rather have our's dried and in a nicely brewing tea pot...or soup...or casserole...mashed potato, scrambled eggs....oh yes, we love our herbs!

Happy Feast Day!