The Church recognized the pattern of change of seasons and bringing in the harvest man needs to give thanks and renew our hearts.Īn old English rhyme pointed to the Ember Days during the year: The Ember Days in September are outside the main liturgical seasons (Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter) and are closest to the Fall Equinox. …The September Ember Days were one of the first Ember Days established, and they are the most prominent of the quarterly days. Although not required, the traditional fasting and abstaining of these days are an external expression of turning our hearts and focusing back to God.

But naturally the change of seasons seem to tug and encourage us for renewal and change (spring and fall cleaning, anyone?). Both seasons are a time for change of heart and renewal. In addition, the Church provides us two seasons of preparation, Advent and Lent. Ember Days are a quarterly observance the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of one week of each season that “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.” ( Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, 45). Once again, I turn to the Church’s Ember Days as an aid to looking at nature and the change of seasons and recognizing them all as a gift from God. She’d be my go-to for a quick and easy introduction, as here: Jennifer Gregory Miller has written quite a bit about Ember Days at Catholic Culture. Today (September 19) is the first of the autumn Ember Days, observances of fasting that come four times a year in traditional Catholicism up to the Second Vatican Council, but recently brought back into focus by a couple of bishops who have called for their observance in light of recently clergy abuse scandal revelations.

September ember days 2019