Ember Days This Week

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CF_Mathews

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The 2nd week of Ember Days is always in the Octave of Pentecost (there are 4 per year). They are always on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. It is a bit confusing because during this Octave, we are called to be joyful, yet the Ember Days call for penance. I might normally suggest a lighter penance and prayer. Also, getting into nature and doing some nice things that way, as a family, in a prayerful way-since the Ember Days invoke the seasons. This year though, we may want to do heavier penance due to the situation in the Church and the world.

Any other ideas or suggestions?
 
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CF_Mathews said:
The 2nd week of Ember Days is always in the Octave of Pentecost (there are 4 per year). They are always on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. It is a bit confusing because during this Octave, we are called to be joyful, yet the Ember Days call for penance. I might normally suggest a lighter penance and prayer. Also, getting into nature and doing some nice things that way, as a family, in a prayerful way-since the Ember Days invoke the seasons. This year though, we may want to do heavier penance due to the situation in the Church and the world.

Any other ideas or suggestions?
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It is such a contrast with the Byzantine Catholic practice for the week after Pentecost, which is free of fasting. Also instead of the Sunday after Pentecost being Trinity Sunday it is Sunday of All Saints.
 
Forgot to mention reading the wonderful Ember Day masses from the missal if you can’t actually attend the masses, which most of us can’t, even in normal times.
 
Some books and missals recommend “half abstinence” (which is what you describe, meat at one meal) for Rogation Days and Ember Days.

At this point it is a private devotion, so each person can plan their fast as they see fit. For Ember Days and also for the three-day period of Rogation Days, I need to be cognizant of the fact that it is three days of fasting and when coupled with another private devotion I do on Mondays, four days of fasting total. I have health issues and sometimes other commitments that can affect my ability to fast for that many days per week, so I work out my own plan to manage it. The abstinence I can usually do easily as there are many alternative foods to meat.
 
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