![]() ![]() The older Missal contains special Mass prayers and readings for each Ember Day of the Year. While Ember Days are not part of the whole community worship, personal observance at home or small communities is not discouraged. In the USA most bishops have chosen to not officially observe Ember Days, but in other countries they are observed. In the 1969 Calendar reform (see General Instruction on the Roman Missal ), the observance of Ember Days was left to the discretion of the conference of bishops, and can be adjusted and expanded. The Ember Days also are no longer universally marked on the General Roman Calendar. There is no longer this liturgical connection in the United States, but Ember Saturdays still are a day to pray for priests. The Code of Canon Law of 1983 no longer requires the observance of these fasting and abstinence rules for Ember Days.įormerly, priestly ordinations were performed on many of the Saturday Ember Days. These were days of fasting and abstinence, allowing one full meal, with meat at the principal meal only, except on Fridays where complete abstinence was required. (See New Liturgical Movement for further explanation.) All other Ember weeks were fixed to a certain week this change fixed the September Ember breviary readings and prayers to a particular week. Usually this coincides with the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, but this year is an example of the Ember Days falling the next week. John XXIII, the Ember Days in September were adjusted to fall after the 3rd Sunday in September. After the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, September 14.After Pentecost (Whitsunday) (this would be during the traditional octave of Pentecost).The traditional dates for the Ember days are the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: While not universally practiced, Ember Days are still a vital part of the Church’s tradition.Īn old English rhyme pointed to the Ember Days during the year: Fasting days and Emberings be ![]() (See the Fathers of the Church Collection, sermons on fasting by St. Leo the Great in the 5th century mentioned the Ember Day Fasts, pointing to these fasts as stemming from Old Testament and Apostolic tradition. This is an ancient tradition of the Church. It may be from the Anglo-Saxon ymbren, a circle or revolution or it may be a corruption of quatuor tempora for in Dutch the name is “Quatertemper,” in German “Quatember,” and in Danish “Kvatember”–whence the transition to Ember Days is easy (Sullivan, The Externals of the Catholic Church). Why are they called “Ember Days”? The words has nothing to do with embers or ashes. The word “Ember” actually comes from the Latin phrase, Quatuor Tempora, meaning four times. No, Ember Days are not related to Ash Wednesday. These days are marked with prayer, fasting and abstinence and stress spiritual renewal Ember Days could be regarded as quarterly spiritual check-ups. This is also a time set apart to thank God for the sacraments and pray for priests, particularly those who were being ordained. ( Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, 45).įour times a year, approximately three months apart, near the beginning of each season of the solar cycle (winter, spring, summer and autumn), the Church set aside three days (a total of twelve days in a year) to ask for blessings upon mankind, and to pray in gratitude for the blessings of nature, particularly those used by the Church in her Liturgy, such as olives, grapes, and wheat. What Are Ember Days? On Rogation and Ember Days the Church is accustomed to entreat the Lord for the various needs of humanity, especially for the fruits of the earth and for human labor, and to give thanks to him publicly. What and when are the Ember Days? What are the connections to the seasons and the Liturgy? Do they have any meaning to us today? What ways can we or should we observe Ember Days? This Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mark the Autumn or September Ember days (a mouthful!), which seems a fine time to unpack this Catholic tradition. ![]()
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