Ember Days are of apostolic origin, having been part of the life of the Roman Catholic Church from the time of the Apostles down to the early 1960s. Every Roman Catholic, for nearly 2,000 years, would have been familiar with the Ember Days devotions. However, in just the past 50 years, we have almost completely lost the very notion of "Ember Days" - indeed, scarcely anyone even knows what "Ember Days" are. Nevertheless, the official Vatican documents since the Second Vatican Council instruct the local bishops the ensure that the Ember Days are marked by the faithful by appropriate acts of devotion.
In this sermon, we consider the meaning of the Ember Days and some ideas on devotions and penances fitting for the Ember Days.
The Ember Days are the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of:
1) The 3rd Week of Advent (Winter)
2) The 1st Week of Lent (Spring)
3) The week after Pentecost (Summer)
4) The third week of September (Fall)
Learn more about the Ember Days in general [here], and about the Advent Ember Days [here]!
Listen online [here]!
