Traditional Fasting periods

[Harpazo]

Glory to Jesus Christ!

In reading about the early Church, I have seen that in the Didache the faithful generally fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays to begin with and then developed more fasting periods, specifically for Lent and others. In the undivided Church, both East and West had fasting periods (which are still kept today by Eastern Christians, both Catholic and Orthodox) such as before the Nativity of Christ, Great Lent, the Apostles’ Fast and the Dormition Fast.

My question is, do traditional Latin Catholics keep the other fasting periods besides Lent and Fridays throughout the year? Would you like to see your Church return to these periods of fasting? Why or why not?

In Christ,
Andrew

 

[ML561]

Grace and Peace. I have a missal from 1950 which refers to “Ember Days.” I gather that these were traditional days of fasting. When were they observed, and why? I attended my first Latin Mass just weeks ago.

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

Grace and Peace. I have a missal from 1950 which refers to “Ember Days.” I gather that these were traditional days of fasting. When were they observed, and why? I attended my first Latin Mass just weeks ago.

Ember days are celbrated 4 times a year. On Wendays friday and saturday. I think it the first week after ash wensday, the and the first week after the first sunday of advent I am not sure when the other 2 start. Also It is my understanding that they are for prayer and fasting for our clergy. Adn I think that the Church in america was/is exempt form saturdays. I have them marked on my calender and have been obsering the fast on those days for about to years now ans i direct my prayer intention on those day for vocations.

heres a good website to check out concerning them

fisheaters.com/emberdays.html

 

[bpbasilphx]

Actually, the fasting periods in the different Churches were never the same.

In the Assyrian tradition, for example, there is the Fast of the Ninevites, which occurs in the same week that is fast-free in the Byzantine tradition.

In the West, the 3 days before Ascension (the Rogation Days) were fasting, but again, not in the East.

The only ones that seem to be universal were the Stational Days (most Wednesdays and Fridays), Lent, and later Advent (which was originally 6 weeks in the West, and still is in the Ambrosian Rite).

 

[Harpazo]

Actually, the fasting periods in the different Churches were never the same.

In the Assyrian tradition, for example, there is the Fast of the Ninevites, which occurs in the same week that is fast-free in the Byzantine tradition.

In the West, the 3 days before Ascension (the Rogation Days) were fasting, but again, not in the East.

The only ones that seem to be universal were the Stational Days (most Wednesdays and Fridays), Lent, and later Advent (which was originally 6 weeks in the West, and still is in the Ambrosian Rite).

Very interesting. I thought that might have been the case. When did the Latin Church drop its fasting periods and why?

In Christ,
Andrew

 

[malphono]

Very interesting. I thought that might have been the case. When did the Latin Church drop its fasting periods and why?

I don’t recall the precise year that it came about, but it was part of the post-conciliar “spirit of Vatican II” syndrome.

 

[RoryMcKenzie56]

Glory to Jesus Christ!

In reading about the early Church, I have seen that in the Didache the faithful generally fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays to begin with and then developed more fasting periods, specifically for Lent and others. In the undivided Church, both East and West had fasting periods (which are still kept today by Eastern Christians, both Catholic and Orthodox) such as before the Nativity of Christ, Great Lent, the Apostles’ Fast and the Dormition Fast.

My question is, do traditional Latin Catholics keep the other fasting periods besides Lent and Fridays throughout the year? Would you like to see your Church return to these periods of fasting? Why or why not?

In Christ,
Andrew

I am under the impression that the Ember Day fasts are primarily associated with the four different seasons of the year, and are prayers for good planting, growing, and harvesting seasons. Considering the way most of us now get our food, it is not in my opinion, completely unreasonable to dispense with these. But it would need to entail a change to the Church calendar for the traditional liturgy which still of course retains all of the old readings and prayers. In our chapel of the Society of St. Pius X, it is ordinarily announced as a reminder the Sunday before any fast that is no longer binding church law. It has to be understood that it is not binding (you can’t confess failing to keep the Ember Days or Lenten fasts) but I suspect a good half of us observe them voluntarily.

I am satisfied with the situation as it is. I mean where there are a few fasts that are church law, and many more, including vigils and the Ember Days which are voluntary. Our Lady at Fatima did seem to recommend penance with our Rosaries if I recollect.

Rory

 

[Bluegoat]

I am under the impression that the Ember Day fasts are primarily associated with the four different seasons of the year, and are prayers for good planting, growing, and harvesting seasons. Considering the way most of us now get our food, it is not in my opinion, completely unreasonable to dispense with these.

Rory

Or, we could take the opposite point of view, and say since most of us are disconnected from our food source, we should especially take time to think about this.

But I was also always told that it was related specifically to clergy and vocations. I’m Anglican, and in our diocese, clergy do observe Ember Days with an emphasis on vocations.

 

[RoryMcKenzie56]

Or, we could take the opposite point of view, and say since most of us are disconnected from our food source, we should especially take time to think about this.

But I was also always told that it was related specifically to clergy and vocations. I’m Anglican, and in our diocese, clergy do observe Ember Days with an emphasis on vocations.

Good point Bluegoat about needing to think about our daily bread even more on purpose than when we were agrarian. It would seem that we are both right about some of the purposes. According to the Catholic Enyclopedia they are probably adopted from pagan practice asking the deities for agricultural benefits: newadvent.org/cathen/05399b.htm

You will see there that the original three Ember Days coincided with seasons of planting, growing, and harvest, but by the time of Pope Gelasius (492-496) the conferring of Holy Orders were done on Saturdays of the ember week and they were expanded to include all four seasons. I am not sure if it means all four of the ember weeks were available for ordinations or not. In any event, the tradition of an association with priestly vocations is very old.

Thanks,

Rory