EMBER DAYS

The September Ember Days (Wed, Fri, Sat) traditionally follow the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (14 September).

These days were penitential in spirit.  They were also traditional times for ordinations.

If nothing else, pray during these Ember Days in a special way for an increase in vocations to the priesthood.  If you cannot attend Ember Day Masses in the older form of the Roman Rite perhaps you would, in your goodness, make a donation to a diocesan or other sound vocation program.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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12 Comments

  1. Edprocoat says:

    Ember days, I am 52 years old and have never heard that term before ! That is another thing I love about the Church, its traditions and practises are so numerous it never ceases to surprise me. Thanks for this information, now I have another thing to read up on. It is so good to be catholic ! I praise You dear God, and I bless You. For You have done great things for me.

    ed

  2. acardnal says:

    I have donated this year to the FSSP seminary and plan to send a donation to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest next month for their seminary.

  3. friarpark says:

    I have a copy of Divine Intimacy which uses the older Liturgical Calendar since it was written in the 40’s (if I recall correctly). Anyone know where I can get one so while using the book I can be in the proper week? Thanks.

  4. acardnal says:

    friarpark,
    here is a Kindle version of volume 4 of “Divine Intimacy” arranged to correspond to the current Church liturgical calendar.

    http://www.amazon.com/Divine-Intimacy-Vol-4-ebook/dp/B0069DSQ2G/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2QS3YRQMUELFW&coliid=IAVW6CQNRLOZD

  5. friarpark says:

    I was under the impression that the Kindle versions had been somewhat rewritten to their detriment. I will check it out. Thanks!!

  6. acardnal says:

    friarpark, I do not know if they have been rewritten or not. They are on my ‘wish list’ now and I do not own any of the volumes. Sorry.

    You could email Ignatius press and inquire.

  7. wmeyer says:

    In my experience, the usual faults with volumes on Kindle are poor formatting and entirely absent proofreading. Much content is scanned with OCR, and once you’ve done a bit of that, you recognize OCR confusions, when you see them. One common error in cheap volumes on Kindle, though, is that a verse quoted in the middle of the page is removed. I believe Amazon commissioned some not very well designed conversion software to prep works from Gutenberg.org for Kindle. Disappointing.

  8. friarpark says:

    This is one reader’s review from Amazon: ” “Updating” Divine Intimacy is like updating Dickens or Hawthorne. The original was in no need of revision and is worth five stars. This version feels like a heavy hand has been through it, and it is comparatively hollow.

    It is still better than a lot of works out there, but why get the knock-off when you can get the original? The one in the black cover published by TAN Books is the real Divine Intimacy. ”

    http://www.amazon.com/Divine-Intimacy-Vol-001-ebook/dp/B005R9HFGQ/ref=pd_sim_kstore_3

    There was another review that highlighted some differences, but ended with the idea that the version you should get is the one you’ll read.

  9. friarpark says:

    Going to give Vol. 4 a try. Thanks!!

  10. Supertradmum says:

    I remember Ember Days as a child as we lived in a rural area and these were big days. These were connected to the harvest times to remind people to be grateful but also moderate in eating and drinking. Harvest festivals and embers days were like the waxing and waning of our relationship with the good things of the earth. I distinctly remember fasting and abstaining as all us kids did as our parents did. Growing up with such practices was merely part of the rhythm of life. Friday fast, ember day fasts, days of festivals, formed our lives and added to our Catholic identity.

    I, for one, was sad when so many of these things passed away in the new calendar.

    As to ordinations, in many places, these now occur in home parishes, but I wish the group ordinations in cathedrals were brought back as a witness to the entire diocese.

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  12. AnnAsher says:

    Woohoo ! Since 2009 I have been trying to observe the Ember Days. Always I fail, either I forget Wednesday or I forget Saturday. Or I forget all together. Really Our Lord is supremely patient with me. But these past Ember Days I did not forget! I offered them for Priests, present and future.

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