Ember Days, a set of Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday fasts, occur four times in the pre-conciliar calendar: after the first Sunday of Lent, after Pentecost, after Feast of the Holy Cross, and after the Feast of St. Lucy on December 13. These periods reflected agricultural cycles related to the four seasons. The word “ember” seems to be derived from Anglo-Saxon for “cycle”, rather than anything to do with ashes. The current calendar no longer enforces the observance; however, their observance is encouraged for growing in personal piety.
During Ember Days the adult faithful are called to penitence through fasting, allowing one meal per day (and meatless on Friday). While the body abstains, the mind and heart are called to give thanks for the gift of nature, which produces seedtime and harvest and sustains our lives. Saturday is set aside to pray for the priesthood, which plants and harvests sacramental goods for the Church. We are also urged to give alms, sharing our bounty with those in need.
The Ember Day fasts, practiced joyfully in the family, are an opportunity to dial back festivities before the glory of Christmas arrives. If Advent hasn’t been particularly penitential, this is a good time to join with brothers and sisters in Christ in emptying ourselves, as did the Lord in his Incarnation. We can meditate along with St. Paul:
For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
On a larger scale, Ember Days reveal that all peace and provision ultimately come from God—which can bring great comfort during this time of suffering from unemployment, food insecurity, homelessness, and restrictions on communal worship. The family can come closer together in these days to pray for God’s mercy on the sick and suffering, releasing us from pestilence both natural and spiritual.
Here are some practical suggestions for family observance of the Ember Days:
Attend daily mass.
Go to Confession.
Donate food or money to a food bank or ministry to the poor; involve the children as much as possible with their own pocket change or ideas.
Simplify dinner; snack on fruit and nuts instead of sweets.
Turn off TV and tablets.
Play outdoors.
Hike.
Use the Nativity Set to incorporate nature study into religious home education. Make clay animals from your local region for your creche; or construct a creche from nature treasures the children find. See the link for more instructions.
Pray a spiritual bouquet for your parish priests and bishop. Come up with a plan as family—will you offer a rosary? Adoration? Daily mass? Etc. The artists in the family can make a card to send.