Ember Days of Lent

Today is Ember Wednesday of Lent.  Ember Days are days of prayer and fasting, and of giving thanks to God for the bounty of His creation.  On Ember Days the faithful brought portions of the harvest as an offering, which supported the church, and were at times distributed to the poor. (Parsch, Pious, The Church’s Year of Grace, vol. 1 [Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1962],  104).  The name “Ember” is thought to be derived from the Latin Quattuor Tempora (four seasons), as they are observed four times a year:  the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after the Commemoration of St. Lucy (December 13), after Ash Wednesday, after Whitsunday, and after Holy Cross (September 14). 

“Originally the Ember Days were an occasion of thanksgiving for the three great harvests of wheat, grapes, and olives – all very meaningful nature symbols employed by the liturgy.” (Parsch, 104).  Parsch notes that the observance of Ember Days predates the observance of Advent.  The Pentecost Ember Days may be a remnant of the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles.  Lev. 23:34,  (The Saint Andrew Daily Missal (Lefebvre, Dom Gaspar [Great Falls, Montana: St. Bonaventure Publications, 1999], 887). 

Fasting has long been an integral part of the observance of Ember Days, “for fasting has ever been the nourishment of virtue.” (St. Leo, 461 A.+ D.)  Since the sixth century Ember Saturdays have been recognized as appropriate for ordination, which was always preceded by fasting. (The New Westminster Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship, Bradshaw, P. editor [Louisville: John Knox Press, 2002], 165).

The rubrics for the Holy Mass on Ember Days vary significantly between the liturgical seasons and between the days themselves, so a rubrical manual should be consulted for their proper observance.  Generally, as outlined in The Celebration of the Mass (O’Connell, J.B., The Celebration of Mass, 4th ed. [Milwaukee: Bruce Publishing Co., 1964], 235-6), on Wednesdays and Saturdays the Salutation before the Collect is omitted (although the Sarum use retains it; The Sarum Missal in English, Pearson, A.H., trans. [Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock, 2004], 7).  The Celebrant calls all to kneel (flectamus genua) for silent prayer, and then to stand before the Collect.  The Handbook of Ceremonies for Priests and Seminarians designates the server as the one who speaks the Levate. the command to rise from the kneeling position. (Mueller, John Baptist, 10th ed. [St. Louis: B. Herder Book Co., 1940], 80).

During Mass on Ember Days at least one additional Scripture reading is heard, and a second Collect follows the Gradual, this time preceded by the Salutation.  The Gloria in Excelsis, if used (the Gloria in Excelsis may be omitted, and is typically omitted, for ferial Masses, as may be the Creed), is spoken by the Celebrant before the Salutation preceding the reading of the Holy Gospel. 

Ember Saturday in Pentecost is quite different.  The Flectamus genua is not said, the Gradual is replaced by an additional Alleluia verse, and the Sequence is used. (O’Connell 235-6).  Six readings are paired with their own unique Collects.  Historically, ordinations followed the readings in this order:  Door-keepers, Lectors, Exorcists, Acolytes, Subdeacons, Deacons, and “before the last verse of the Tract, the Priests.” (The St. Andrew Missal, 887). 

The liturgical color for the Ember Days in Pentecost is red, for the Ember Days of the other seasons the liturgical color is violet.

(This article is a revision of an article published in Gottesdienst in the “Taking Pains” column in 2014)