Comments on: Ember Days

By: E. Gormley

E. Gormley — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:25:14 +0000

Zodiac signs are the constellations the sun passes through during the year. So they have an Astronomical significance. It just tells you the what part of the year it is.

By: average joe

average joe — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:18:01 +0000

I have seen this picture many times on other good catholic webistes, such as Fisheaters dot com, and I cant really say that any of them were contrary to the faith.

I think the picture shows the four different times of the year one have the ember days.

Also, I was wondering a bit on rogation days, what are those? I dont think they are well known either.

By: Alex Gibbs

Alex Gibbs — Wed, 14 May 2008 02:25:07 +0000

What is the meaning of the artwork with the zodiac signs? Astrology is contradictory to the faith.

By: Extra Frate

Extra Frate — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:31:45 +0000

Hi Jennifer, Ember Days are traditional only. They are Wednesday, Friday and Saturday four weeks during the year (see original post). Observing them is purely optional. I don’t know when they were specifically abrogated.

By: Jennifer A.

Jennifer A. — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:22:33 +0000

I NEVER heard of Ember days before in my life. So are we to fast all week this week? Or, just Wednesday and Friday? Is this something that still gets observed and something intended to be continued but somehow got lost after Vatican II? Just curious.
Thanks for your wonderful tidbits … the older I get, the more I learn, the more I realize that I know so very precious little. sigh.

By: Extra Frate

Extra Frate — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:55:11 +0000

Feria is “feast” and “…is the name given in the ecclesiastical calendar to all days of the week except Sunday (“Dies dominica”) and Saturday (“Sabbatum”).”

A somewhat insufficient explanation as to why every day except Saturday and Sunday are “feast” days can be found in the breviary (Feast of St. Silvester, lect. vi.). It is that clerics are to be free from worldly cares and keep a perpetual feast to God.

My Catholic dictionary (c. 1883) suggests the true explanation may be found thus, “The Jews were accustomed to name the days of the week from the Sabbath, and thus we find in the Gospels such expressions as “unam sabbati,”…in other words, the first day of the week. The early Christians reckoned the days in Easter week in the same fashion: only as all the days in that week were holy days, they called Easter Monday, not the first day after Easter Sunday, but the second feria or feast-day; and as every Sunday is a lesser Easter, the practice prevailed of calling each Monday “feria secunda,” each Tuesday, “feria teria,” and so on.”

Hope this helps.

By: Ave Maria

Ave Maria — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:04:23 +0000

I sure could not have told you what an ‘ember day’ was. Thanks for the report.

Now I am still wondering what a ‘feria day’ is.

Returning to tradition will take some educating!