Ember Week/Ember Days

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I just found out about Ember Weeks, an old tradition that was relaxed in the 60s. This was previously done 4 times a year. This week is an Ember Week (the week after the Exaltation of the Cross),

Specifically the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday would be days of fasting and abstinence.

I would support this being revived, personally. Especially in light of what’s going on now not just with scandals in the Church but just how rife we are with consumerism in the west. Their original purpose was “to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy.”

Naturally it’s not required but I just thought I’d share this. Even just making some sacrifice and extra prayer on these days would be beneficial.

ETA: just read in the news the bishop in Pittsburgh is reviving it this year. 🙌


http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05399b.htm
 
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Our Lady of Fatima counselled fasting at least
two days a week for the conversion of sinners
and for Peace. That is why I have the habit of
fasting Tues. and Sat., (a partial fast, two meals
during the day that does not add up to a full
meal and a full meal for supper).
 
A lot of people are doing Ember Days again themselves lately, or other fasting days.
I’m fine with doing three this week because I normally do two days a week lately (the second day is specifically in response to the “Crisis in the Church”) but during Labor Day Week I wasn’t able to do any because of holidays and travel, and last week I could only do one rather than 2 because of travel. So I owe extra days.

I wish that assisting the needy was as easy as it used to be back when this custom was originated. You went without dinner and gave your dinner food to the poor, who were usually close by and weren’t going to reject the food for any reason. I’m reminded of “Little Women” where the girls give their Christmas breakfast away to the poor immigrant mom and her kids. Nowadays, not so simple.
 
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On the “consumerism in the West” point, I’m not sure that fasting from food really addresses that question.
Perhaps fasting from other purchases, like electronics or luxury goods or whatever a person tends to buy too much of, would address it better.
Most of us who are not foodies are not spending that much on food or eating large quantities of food. I know people talk about fat Americans and super-size but in reality most people don’t eat that much, and the fatness and such are more due to high sugar and refined flour and perhaps fat (though I tend to think sugar and flour are the bigger culprits) in the stuff we do eat.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
On the “consumerism in the West” point, I’m not sure that fasting from food really addresses that question.
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I wasn’t intending to propose it to actually directly solve the issue of consumerism, certainly not a “fatness” issue. I just find fasting or sacrifice can help develop different mindset about restraint and learning to appreciate what we do have and differentiate need from want and constant self-comfort.
 
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I just remembered that I have chicken on our meal plan this week. Maybe I’ll fast from the internet instead. :-[
 
The Ordinariate still retains the Ember Days. They are in our Office book and Missal.
 
Ardent_Fire said:
I just remembered that I have chicken on our meal plan this week. Maybe I’ll fast from the internet instead. :-[
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Why can’t you fast from the chicken? Given the crisis in the Church, giving up chicken for a few days isn’t asking too much. Put fish in this week’s meal plan instead.
 
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I will try to fast from chicken but as I cook for two I don’t think I’ll be able to get my husband on board. He’s…complicated.
 
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Your husband doesn’t have to give up chicken. Make enough for two meals and give him one serving one day and the other one later.

You do the fish for your meals on those days instead of the chicken. Or you can fast from those meals entirely. (If you were Jewish, you wouldn’t be eating or drinking at all from sunset today to sundown tomorrow.)
 
I’ll work it out. I just wished I’d heard of this sooner. Like… at least 35 years sooner? Cradle Catholic born in 1976, never ever heard of this at all until today. Sad.
 
With it being Ember Days, I haven’t decided what to fast from yet. But prayers I am always happy to do more of.
 
It looks like the Wikipedia article says these are days of fasting only, not abstinence, so meat would be ok. The only mention I found about abstinence in the article is for Fridays, since when Ember Days were required, all Fridays were days of abstinence. This sounds like a wonderful tradition that I will be trying out this week 🙂
 
I just figured it out – yes, meat is allowed in the primary meal on the Wednesday and Saturday but none of the other meals. So now I see what “partial abstinence” means. Yet another thing I never learned about. Friday is total abstinence (no meat at all), as it already currently is in England and Wales.
 
Of course if we were Eastern Catholics / Orthodox fish would be a no go too… and that every Wednesday and Friday of the year! Even the Ember days of pre-VII are extremely lenient compared to Eastern praxis. Puts things in perspective.
 
Don’t feel bad. I’m cradle Catholic older than you, and while I heard about a lot of old school Church things from my old school mother and her family, I never heard of “Ember Days”, “Rogation Days”, or marking the door on New Years until the last few months.

We lost a lot of the old Church customs when Vatican II came in.
 
The Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox fasts vary a lot church to church and sometimes, person to person.

I agree that they generally have more fasting than Western Catholics.
 
I remember Ember Days and Rogation Days when I was a kid growing up in the Church of England. That is, I remember the names – I don’t think I ever had the curiosity to find out what they were.

Marking the door on New Year’s? That’s a new one to me. What is it?
 
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