![]() In the current General Roman Calendar, Ember Days are optional, and usually only celebrated by rural communities. Ember Days became days of prayer, fasting and abstinence, stressing personal spiritual renewal. As the observances were added to the Liturgical Year, the themes expanded to asking for blessings on mankind and prayer for priests, especially for those being ordained. In the Extraordinary Form there are certain Propers and Readings for the Mass and Divine Office for each set of Ember Days.Įmber Days are a quarterly observance of three days (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday), with the original focus on gratitude to God for various harvests, fixed near the beginning of each season of the solar cycle (winter, spring, summer and autumn). Ember Days have the distinction of being a feria (a day without a certain feast attached or not within a liturgical season) with special privileges. I did not realize until recently that these little mnenomic devices were really necessary, because Ember Days do not show up on the General Roman Calendar list of feasts, either before of after Vatican II. John XXIII), which usually is the week following September 14, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, but not always. The September Ember Days or Fall Ember Days are after the third Sunday in September (changed by St.Summer or Pentecost Ember Days are the week after Pentecost, during the traditional octave of Pentecost, near the summer solstice.Spring or Lent Ember Days are after the First Sunday of Lent, the week after Ash Wednesday, which is near the spring equinox.Lucy’s feast day, December 13, falling near the Winter Solstice. Advent Ember Days are observed after St.Which means (taking liberty of the Ignes/Flames):Įach one is a reminder that around the four main seasons of the solar cycle, the Ember days follow certain feast days: Post Lucem, post Crucem, post Cineres, post Ignes. My favorite is this one in Latin, short and to the point: There is also an old English rhyme: Fasting days and Emberings be Holy Cross, Lucy, Ash Wednesday, Pentecost, Sant Crux, Lucia, Cineres, Charismata Dia I’ve seen various versions of this Latin one: There are numerous mnemonic devices or rhymes in both Latin and English that reminded people of the quarterly days. ![]() It is easier to see the connection through other languages, such as Dutch ( Quatertemper), German ( Quatember) and Danish ( Kvatember). The English word “Ember”could be a corruption of the Latin Tempora or of the Anglo-Saxon ymbren, which means circle or revolution. In Latin, Ember Days are Quatuor Tempora (four times). ![]() What does a piece of hot glowing coal or wood have to do with the Catholic faith? Since we receive ashes on Ash Wednesday, I did wonder if there might be a connection, or maybe it had something to do with the prophet Isaiah, but there is no connection to either. ![]() I recall coming across the term “Ember Days” in older Catholic books and missals and being very perplexed. Ember Days are no longer universally observed, so they may not be a familiar term to most Catholics. ![]()
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