The Ember Days
A devotional invitation to fasting and abstinence, encouraging moderation in our use of the goods of creation.
One of the ancient traditional devotions of the church that isn't
observed much anymore are the
"Ember Days." In the fifth century AD, this observance was well
known
and was described as
being of "apostolic origin". Ember Days
were observed with prayer and fasting, according to the
online edition of the 1908 Catholic Encyclopedia, on
"the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
after13 December (S. Lucia), after Ash Wednesday, after
Whitsunday, and after 14 September
(Exaltation of the Cross). The purpose of these
days of fasting and abstinence, besides the general
one intended by all prayer and fasting, was to thank God for the
gifts of nature, to teach men to
make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy."
We received these observances as gifts from the ancient Romans,
who held celebrations each year at the turning of the
seasons. As Christianity became the predominant religion,
these pagan feasts were "baptized" as Christian festivals.
It has been unfortunate for the Church that the celebration of
the Ember Days were abandoned. In the rush to simplify and
modernize, the liturgical reform of the 1960s
at times removed practices that were important for our on-going
spiritual development without making other provisions for those
purposes.
Consider how important it is that we learn to make use of the
gifts of nature in moderation. Shouldn't the Church support
that aspect of the common good with liturgical observances?
Let us revive the celebration of the Ember Days devotion at the
grassroots of the Church. We need regular reminders of the
importance of moderation in the use of material goods.
Good ways to
observe these days are fasting, abstinence from meat, and works of
reparation, mercy, justice, and peace.
There is an "anything goes" attitude these days, and that is as
true in economics and business as it
is in media and entertainment. We say we "need" something, when in
reality
we only "want" it,
and we are disposed to think that our "wants" are mandates. Over
consumption of material goods
is a manifestation of the cardinal sins of greed and gluttony.
It indicates a problem with disordered
priorities. It is also fundamental to our economy, and that is one
of our big problems. "In (this)
God (money) We Trust."
We don't want to think about the costs, so we don't, often we try
to ignore them until we are
forced by our circumstances to do so. Even then, we will still try
to stand
apart from our own
actions, denying our responsibility, and attempting to evade the
consequences (or shift them over
on someone else). There is an ever present and
very noisy propaganda crusade preaching that we should "spend,
consume, waste", but God is not the author of that confusion, that
comes from the demonic spirits
that
prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. If you buy that
agenda, you're not building
the Kingdom of God here on Earth "as it is in heaven."
Perhaps this is one reason why Mother Teresa advised the rich to
"Live simply, so that others may
simply live." Maybe that's also a clue as to what the Ember days
can
mean for us in these early
days of the 21st century. The more abundance of "stuff"
we have, the more we need reminders of
the importance of moderation in the use of material things.