Obsculta
Volume 7 | Issue 1
Article 13
June 2014
Retrieving Ember Days
Roger Pieper
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University, [email protected]
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Pieper, Roger. 2014. Retrieving Ember Days. Obsculta 7, (1) : 163-182. http://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/obsculta/vol7/iss1/13.
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Retrieving Ember Days
R o ger Piep er
Questio n almost any Catholic on what Ember Days are
and one is most likely to receive one of three responses: a
puzzled look, a slight recognition of the word, or, if the person is of a certain age, a memory of ‘doing’ them but uncertain
as to what they were, much less what he or she ‘did.’ To say the
very least, Ember Days have fallen into disuse for most of the
Church. However, at one time, Ember Days were considered an
important part of the liturgical life of the Church, often being
celebrated on the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of a particular week in each of the quarters of the year. Though their
origins are uncertain, they do have a rich tradition as moments
of renewal throughout the year. As such, the Church, especially one that is looking for ways to engage the world in the
faith, should lo ok to its liturgical past and see the potential
that Ember Days has to aid the Church in fulfilling its mission.
History of Ember Days
Ember Days have a certain mystique which begins even
with their name. Unlike most of the other days of the liturgical
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year, the name ‘Ember Days’ does not directly reveal anything
related to its practice, at least in the English-speaking
world. This confusion is actually due to the English abbreviation
of the German die Quatember, which is from the
Latin quatuor tempora meaning ‘four seasons.’ 1 In older
English, Ember Days were called Quarter Tense, which has
a closer relationship to the Latin quatuor tempora. 2
Nonetheless the confusing term ‘Ember Days’ is what survived.
Regardless of their name, all Ember Days generally
had a common format prior to the reforms that followed the
Second Vatican Council. First, the Ember Days were celebrated
on a Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of a given week,
whichcollectively were called an Embertide. On each day of the
Embertide, Mass was celebrated at a different church in Rome. As
such, Ember Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday were celebrated
at Saint Mary Major, Holy Apostle, and Saint Peter’s, respectively.
Each day had its own Mass prayers and readings, a tradition
present even in the earliest of Roman liturgical books. 3
In the lectionary present before the Second Vatican Council,
each Ember Day had a Gospel but the number of other lessons
varied. Ember Wednesday had two Old Testament lessons,
Friday had just one, but Ember Saturday, which was a vigil
Mass, had five Old Testament 4 lessons as well as an epistle. 5
By the sixth century, an Embertide was celebrated
during each o f the four seasons of the year. Prior to
this, there were most likely just three Embertides in a
year. Originally the exact dates were set annually by the
Roman bishop. However, in 1078 A.D., Pope Gregory VII set
them in the week following the first Sunday of Lent, Pentecost
Sunday, Sunday after the Exaltation of the Cross on September
14th, and the third Sunday of Advent. This positioning
of the Ember Days in the year remained in effect until the
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revised liturgical year and calendar was published in the 1960’s.
Origins of Ember Days
Though Ember Days have a longstanding tradition in
the Roman Rite, evidence of their exact origins are unknown.
They are, however, definitely a development of the Church of
Rome. Evidence of this is seen in their omission in non-Roman
rites unless the y were significantly influenced at some point
in history by the Church of Rome. Ember Days are most likely
one of the earliest Roman liturgical practices, with roots going
back to the second century, if not earlier. 6 If true, Ember
Days would actually predate many of the cur rent liturgical seasons. This significance is highlighted all the more by the
fact that until the 7th century, the Ember Saturday Vigil served
as the weekly Eucharistic celebration. As such, the Sunday
after Ember Saturday did not have a Mass and was considered
a vacant Sunday. 7
Despite the unknown origin of Ember Days, there are
a few theories that suggest they developed from the liturgical
practices of Judaism. One theory suggests that this connection
goes all the way back to Moses and Jeremiah, though
evidence of such is minimal at best. 8 The second of the
Jewish-origin theories suggests that Ember Days correspond
to the prophet Zechariah where he speaks of the fast days
that occurred in the first, fourth, seventh, and tenth month .9
Si nce the Romans and the early Christians used March as
the beginning o f the calendar year, the four Embertides being
in March, June, September, and December would seem to
correspond to Zechariah’s fast days. This connection is possible
since it appears as though the writers of the Dead Sea
Scrolls had prayers that were used three or four times a year. 10
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This theory, proposed even in the fourth century by Pontius
Maximus, is intriguing. 11 However, a major concern arises
since the existence of the Lenten Embertide held in March is
generally thought to be a later development. 12 As such, how
could a continuous tradition lose one of Zechariah’s fast days
and only later recover it with no solid evidence to its rediscovery? Though initially attractive, it seems more likely that this is
an application of Zechariah’s command after the establishment
of the four distinct Embertides and not the origins of them.
The last of the three Jewish-origin theories suggests
that they are a development of the three Jewish harvest festivals. The summer, fall, and winter Ember D ays do fall near the
harvest of grain, grapes, and olives, all of which had a festival
in Judaism. 1 3 The connection is also strengthened by the fact
that Ember Days generally included a harvest theme of thanking
God for the gifts which were given. Further, the favoritism of
December being the time for ordinations corresponded nicely
with the harvest of olives and their oil and would have been used
in these rites. While this connection is possible, this theory, as
well as the previous two that place the origi n in Judaism, lacks
substantiated historical evidence. As such, one has to wonder
if these connections are only due to Romans reading the Old
Testament and wishing to recreate corresponding celebrations. 14
Critics of the Jewish origin of Ember Days often looked
to the pre-Chr istian Roman practices. Like the Jews, the
Romans also had three agrarian festivals, though they were for
grain, vintage, and sowing, which roughly corresponded to the
summer, fall, and winter Ember Days. 15 Further, the Roman
origin would explain the reason for fasting. Unlike the overtly
jo yous tone of the Jewish harvest festivals, the Roman festivals
were a time of sacrifice since they were seen as a way to give
back to the gods in order that they may continue to receive
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the gods’ favor. 16 While this theory explains much about Ember
Days, there is an issue over the fact that the Roman harvest festivals were up to a month after the corresponding Embertides.
Another Roman-origins theory is that the Ember Days
are a remnant of the Wednesday and Friday fasts held every
week by the early Christians. Evidence of the bi-weekly fast
traces back to even before Ember Days. Even the Didache
speaks of fasting on these two days. 17 While the Saturday addition would at first seem to be an obstacle, the truth is that
Saturday is generally acknowledged as being a later development whose addition is traditionally a ttributed to Pope
St. Callistus in the early part of the third century. 18 Even though
the bi-weekly fast was dropped in later centuries, it seems logical
that Ember Days would survive since they had a greater sense of
solemnity. Though this theory has the least objections, it does
not explain the Ember Day themes, especially that of harvest.
The origins of Ember Days will probably never be
known fully. In reality, the origins are probably a mixture
of the Jewish and Roman traditions. Though such an idea
is far from the clear exactitude preferred by scholars, it
does seem to speak to the reality of the human experience.
Themes in Ember Days
Celebrated over a number of days over the course of
the year, Ember Days took on a variety of themes. One of the
earliest and most common themes was prayer and fasting. 19
Though the origins are unknown, fasting does seem to be a
lo ngstanding tradition by the fifth century as witnessed in the
numerous sermons by Pope St. Leo I. In these sermons on the
Sundays before Ember Days were to occur, he instructed the
faithful to fast on the coming Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
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This tradition of fasting continued even into the modern age.
In fact, the 1917 Code of Canon Law considered it obligatory
fo r all Catholics to fast and abstain from meat on all Ember
Days. 20 While fasting and abstinence is often associated with
penance for sins, Ember Days did not necessarily espouse
that notion. The notion that fasting and abstinence is one of
penance does seem logical since the Church also did these
practices, as noted in the 1917 Code of Canon Law, on Ash
Wednesday and the Fridays and Saturdays in Lent. However,
fasting and abstinence were also practiced on the Vigils of
Pentecost, the Assumption, All Saints, and Christmas. As
such, the more correct view is that fasting and abstinence
were done as part of the preparation to properly celebrate a
major liturgical day or season. However, Ember Days does
not seem to be preparing for anything, unless one considers
the Ember Day Vigil as that for which the Church was preparing, though this seems unlikely. Instead, this fast and abstinence seemed to be proper preparation needed to live a holy
life and avoid the everyday temptations of excess. Pope St.
Leo I supported this notion in one of his December sermons
where he said, “By that exercise (fasting) we draw near to
God, we make a strong stand against the devil, and overcome
the sweet enticements of sin. 2 1 He especially believed this
was important in December since all of the “fruits of the year”
were gathered. 2 2 In other words, the Ember Days’ fast was
to counter the strong temptation that the fruits of the year
were purely the result of the work of humanity and not God’s
providence. Thus, the fast was a way to show thanks to God.
In line with fasting, the pr actice of doing
works of mercy, especially corporal ones, was another
important theme in Ember Days. Pope St. Leo I also supported this practice by recognizing that “fasting is not
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the only means to secure health for our souls,” and then encouraged the faithful to partake in a number of corporal works of
mercy. 23 Thus, fasting and almsgiving together made up the
most recognized theme of Ember Days, especially amongst
the laity.
Another theme present within Ember Days was that of
harvest. As mentioned above, Ember Days were a way to show
gratitude to God for the fruits that were collected. With fasting,
this harvest theme is probably one of the most ancient ones.
As time progressed and the Ember Days evolved, the theme of
harvest diminished. Nonetheless, hints at the harvest themes
still were present in the various Ember Days Mass prayers. These
themes, howeve r, became not the primary focus but rather the
secondary focus, which then supported other major themes.
The last major theme of Ember Days was ordination of men
to holy orders. Historically the last to be included in Ember
Days, it is undoubtedly an important theme for the majority
of its history though its emergence is mostly out of conveni ence. Pope Galasius is attributed with choosing Ember
Saturday as the day to ordain deacons and priests in the
fifth century. 24 His rationale was that he wanted a period
of time for the men to be ordained as well as the rest of the
Church to spiritually prepare for the ordinations. 25 Since
Ember Days already had all of the Church of Rome fasting,
adding the theme of ordination would not be burdensome.
Furthermore, the theme of harvest worked well with the
imagery of priests being workers who are gathering the
harvest of the Lord. Like the fasting obligation, this
preference for Ember Saturdays to be days of ordination also made it into modern times as witnessed in the
1917 Code of Canon Law. 2 6
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Ember Days and the Reforms after the Second Vatican Council
Like the rest of the liturgy, Ember Days
experienced a significant change after the Second Vatican
Council. Though their popularity greatly diminished in the
years after the Council, none of the Council’s documents
are directly against the use of Ember Days in the liturgical
calendar. The Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy
does recognize the need to complete “the formation of the
faithful by means of pious practices for soul and body, by
instruction, prayer, and works of penance and of mercy.” 27
Thus, it seems that the Council approved of Ember Days, at
least in the abstract. However, this quote falls in a section
that says what the Church does, not what the Council decrees.
Though the Council never decrees on such
practices, they make a number of points about the revision
of the liturgical year. One such paragraph states that the
“Proper of Seasons shall be given the preference due to it
over the feasts of the saints, in order that the entire cycle
of the mysteries of salvation may be celebrated in the measure due to them.” 2 8 With this in mind, the question arises whether Ember Days are considered part of the Proper of
Seasons or the feasts of the saints. In some regards, they are
both and yet neither. If anything, they are actually more related to the seasons of the earth than to any particular saint
or moment in Christ’s life. Regardless, since the Proper of
Seasons should take preference and Ember Days are definitively not one of the Proper of Seasons which they had in mind,
does this mean that the role of Ember Days should be reduced?
Earlier, the Council stated that the liturgical year
should “be revised so that the traditional customs and
discipline of the sacred seasons shall be preserved or
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restored to suit the conditions of modern times.” 29 However,
are Ember Days one of these sacred seasons? Historically,
they do predate many of the current liturgical seasons, but is
this enough to save them in the reformed calendar?
To address these questions, the Church published
the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar
in 1969, which included a directive for the celebration of
Ember Days. In three paragraphs, the Congregation for
Divine Worship defined the purpose of Ember Days, reassigned the responsibility of implementing them, and from
where the prayers for these Masses are to be taken. The Congregation believed that Ember Days had a two-fold purpose
where the Church “is to offer prayers to the Lord for the needs
of all people…and to give him public thanks.” 3 0 Recognizing the historical connection to harvests, it especially commended the practice of offering prayers “for the productivity of the earth and for human labor” during Ember Days. 3 1
As for the authority responsible for implementing Ember
Days, the Congregation assigned it to conferences of bishops. This move is fascinating because E mber Days, being
a Roman institution, were always declar ed by the Roman
bi shop. However, the hope was that by moving the responsibility to local authority, Ember Days would become more
relevant in the life of the faithful since their themes would
be pertinent to their local region. This view is supported by
their final point that the prayers should come from the multiple votive Masses that were included in the revised Missa l. By doing so, the prayers would remain universal, but the
particular intentions would be directed to local situations.
Upon receiving these directives, the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) in the United States
affirmed them as well as adding to and further defining the
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di rectives. Another such addition is that the responsibility of
implementing the Ember Days is to be determined by the local
Ordinary. 3 2 By doing so, Ember Days became all the more focused on local intentions. However the NCCB narrowed the possible intentions of Ember Days by saying that the prayers should
be for the fruits of the earth, human rights and equality, world
justice and peace, as well as a time for penitential observances
outside of Lent. 33 Interestingly, the list of intentions shows
that they wished for local intentions as their suggested intentions were common for the United States’ Church in the 1970’s.
Use of Ember Days Today in the United States
With all of the directives given by the Vatican and
the United States’ bishops, one would think that the use of
Ember Days would be highly embraced by local bishops as a
way for them to properly exercise their office. However, the
task of implementing them was never taken up, at least not
in the majority of dioceses. While the exact reason for the
directives not being fully implemented may never be known,
there are some viable possibilities. One explanation is that
the Church was simultaneously experiencing a great renewal
in many areas, especially in the liturgy. As such, the directives for Ember Days could have been easily seen as one more
thing on the list to do. Another is that the reforms were to be
done on a highly localized level. While there are many benefits to having highly relatable and meaningful intentions,
it does create a greater challenge for each diocese to create
intentions and the supporting materials and actions, such
as determining the dates, announcements, advertisements,
and the like, for each Ember Day. However, at least two dioceses have taken up this task in recent years whose efforts
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will be explored. These dioceses are the Archdiocese of
Portland in Oregon and the Diocese of Bisma rck, North Dakota.
The Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon seems to have
successfully used Ember Days to enrich the life of the local Church. In 2002, now Archbishop Emeritus John Vlanzy
reestablished in his diocese the practice of Ember Days. While
retaining the name, Vlanzy declared that the Embertides
should be just one day in length with the Embertides being
celebrated in fall, Advent, and Lent with the particular date
being announced in annual letters sent out by the chancery.
One possible reason for these Embertides of just one day is
that it was a more pastoral approach, especi ally in reestablishing this tradition that was in disuse for about 40 years. These
days, though still days of prayer and fasting, were not obligatory. However, the most amazing part of the reestablishment
of the Ember Days is that they were original ly designed as days
to pray for the children of sexual abuse. 34 While this intention was not directly stated in either Vatican or United States
Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) documents, it definitely was in their spirit. In more recent years, the Ember Days
have taken on the role of various intentions including prayers
for effective faith formation of children and adults 3 5 as well
as prayer for th e strengthening of marriage and family life. 3 6
In the Diocese of Bismarck, Ember Days were utilized
as part of the Year of Faith (October 11, 2012 to November
24, 2013) decla red by Pope Benedict XVI. By tying them to
the Year of Faith, they were seen as ways to help the faithful
fu lly embrace this opportunity to deepen their faith. Like the
Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, Ember Days in the
Diocese of Bismarck were encouraged, but not obligatory.
However, the Diocese of Bismarck did put together quality
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materials to advertise Ember Days, including a video that was
part of the bishop’s weekly video messages. These materials
used a rather inspirational tone as they focused on how these
days are intended for one to personally grow in faith. Even on
their website, they used a challenging, but welcoming phrase
“Penance is good—and good for you.” 37 Unlike the Archdiocese of
Portland in Oregon, the Diocese of Bismarck celebrated
Ember Days at each of the four traditional times of the year
(Advent, Lent, post-Pentecost, September) and were comprised
of all three days for each of the Embertides. Besides greater personal sanctification, which was heavily stressed, the intention
was for religious liberty and vocations to the priesthood and
consecrated life. 38 Though it appears that the diocese is only
reestablishing Ember Days for this year, their efforts are still to
be applauded since they provide an example for other dioceses.
Future Uses of Ember Days
As seen in both the Archdiocese of Portland and in
the Diocese of Bismarck, Ember Days can be a great asset
to the development of the faith for both the individual and
the Church. However, both dioceses had to address a number of questions, as will any diocese looking to implement
Ember Days into their calendar. One such issue is the date
on which they are to be celebrated. Should the traditional
dates be held as the Diocese of Bismarck did or other dates
chosen around the same time as the Archd iocese of Portland
did? Choosing dates that are not on Sunday s, which traditionally are not Ember Days, actually respects the decrees of the
Second Vatican Council. By using the other days of the week,
the feasts of the Lord and the significant celebrations in the
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Propers of Seasons on Sunday are for the most part, respected.
Another obstacle of using Ember Days is the lectionary cycle. Whereas the pre-Vatican II lectionary had readings for the Ember Days, the current lectionary does not.
Dioceses could keep the same readings out of respect to the
current lectionary. In some regards, it would seem beneficial to develop lectionary readings that could supplement the
current lectionary for these Embertides, especially for the
Ember Saturday Mass which had an impressive number of lessons before the reforms. 39 Such a development today would
be of great benefit for both the formation of the faithful as
well as a way to continue developing relationships with nonCatholic Christians and Jews through our common Scriptures.
Finally, the challenge of reestablishing the tradition of celebrating Ember Days needs to be addressed.
Dioceses should not merely send a letter to pastors indicating
the dates of the Embertides. Instead actions, such as those
done by the Diocese of Bismarck, of educating all the faithful
should be explored. Bulletin announcemen ts, letters, videos,
and websites sh ould all be created to help people understand
the tradition and the benefits of Ember Days. Further, print
and digital material should be available to help people enter
more solemnly into these celebrations. One can easily think of
the treasury of prayers and devotional practices found in the
tradition of the Church, which have all too often been forgotten
in the minds of the faithful. Most importantly, all of the above
materials need to be pastoral. Language such as “obligation”
or “non-mandatory” should not be used. Instead, language
of earnestly seeking a renewed relationship should be used.
As for particular intentions, Ember Days have many
possibilities. Recognizing their tradition as days of thanksgi ving for the gifts of the earth, rural li fe, and ecological
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intentions are definitely fitting. While many dioceses have
di ocesan rural life offices and rural life Masses, they are
often focused on just those who live in rural areas. By having an Embertide dedicated to rural and ecological issues,
all of the faithful are able to examine their natural dependence on God’s creation, the blessings they have received from it, as well as their attitudes for caring for it.
Further, these Embertides could provide opportunities to
fo rm the faithful in the Church’s theology on ecology and the
Catholic Social Teaching on Care for God’s Creation. Both
the summer and fall Embertide would be especially appropriate times to do so since they are in the midst of the
growing and harvesting seasons in the United States.
Si nce the summer Embertide is right after Pentecost, the
parallelism between the gifts of the earth being gifts from God/
Holy Spirit would also have special correlation to such intentions.
Another theme that suits itself to Ember Days is vocations. As is clearly evident, the number of priests and religious is reducing in the United States. While this issue
has many causes, developing a renewed sense of prayer for
people to respond to God’s call, be it to the priesthood, religious life, or elsewhere, would not be one of them. Even
if the Church was not in need of more ordained and professed, the intention for vocations is always needed since
all are called to continually respond to God’s call throughout one’s life. Embertide has this tradition of being the time
fo r the Church to call upon God to provide for the Church.
Finally, Ember Days also provide a number of benefits
pastorally. By having Embertides over a stretch of days like
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, communities could provide spiritually enriching opportunities each day. Not only
does this go against the minimalistic attitude that religion is
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practiced only on Sunday, it also provides multiple opportunities for individuals to join their community in an intention,
which is most advantageous for the faithful who have busy
lives. Additionally, the multiple days provide an opportunity
fo r parishes clustered together to create stations as was used
in Rome. For example, Ember Wednesday could be celebrated
at the first parish, Ember Friday at the second, and Ember
Saturday at the third. Finally, Embertides that fall in Advent
or Lent could be used as the time for parishes to heighten
the season by having reconciliation and prayer services during
these times. All of the above are only a few of the ways in which
Ember Days can renew the Church as she lives out her faith.
Conclusion
Of the many liturgical celebrations in the Church
year, Ember Days could arguably be one of the most unknown
and misunderstood in the modern Church. Though its definitive origins are unknown, it clearly has a longstanding tradi tion within the Church. Indeed the reforms of the Second
Vatican Council sought to emphasize the annual celebration
of the mysteries of Christ, but this does not mean the elimination of other liturgical celebrations within the liturgical
year. Correctly applied, Propers of Seasons that are focused
on the mysteries of Christ should and do fundamentally shape
the liturgical year and the feasts of saints provide examples
of those living out the faith to the faithful. Ember Days, however, provide a way for the Church to experience times of
growth in holiness, thankfulness, penance, and petition on
a significantly personal level yet within a communal dimension. In other words, Ember Days provide the Church an opportunity to experience little ‘days of reflection’ or miniature
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retreats within the context of everyday lif e, an attitude embraced by those dioceses that have reestablished their use of
them. Thus, Ember Days are not in contr adiction to the litu rgical life of the Church, but rather support it to be even
more fully the worshiping community that it is called to be.
Notes:
1
Tho m a s J u l i a n T a lle y , “T h e o r i g i n o f th e E m ber Da y s : a n
in c o n c l u s i ve p o s t scr i pt, ” i n R i t u e ls : au M é lan g e of f erts d u Père G y,
O.P ., eds . Pa u l D e Cle r ck a nd E r i c P a la z z o , 4 65 -47 2 (Pa r is :
Édi t i o n s du C er f, 1 990 ) , 4 65.
2
W .J . O’S hea , Th e Wo r s h i p o f t h e Ch u r ch ( W es t mins t er ,
Ma r y l a n d: Da r t o n , L o ng m a n a nd T o d d , 1 960 ) , 2 33-234. .
3
Da n i el S t ö kl B e n E z r a , “W h o se f a st i s i t? th e Ember Da y o f
Se p t em b er a n d Y o m K i ppu r , ” i n Way s t h at N e v er Pa rted , 259-282
( T ü b i n gen : Mo hr S i e b e ck , 2 0 0 3 ) , 2 63 .
4
On E m b er W e d ne sd a y a f te r P e nte co st, th e O ld Tes t a ment r ea d ing s wer e r ep l a c ed b y th e A cts o f th e A po stle s. T his pec ulia r it y ma y
have b een du e t o th e f a ct th a t th i s E m b e r ti d e f e l l d ur ing t he Oc t a ve
of P en t ec o s t .
5
G .G . W i l l i s , E s s ay s i n Ear ly R o m an Li t u r g y (Lo nd o n: SPCK,
19 6 4), 84. .
6
W hi l e t he ex a c t d a te o f th e o r i g i ns o f E m be r Da y s is unkno wn,
mo s t o f t he t heo r i e s e x pla i ne d la te r pr e su m e a ra t her ea r ly d a t ing .
Fo r o n e s u c h di s c o u r se , se e W i lli s, Es s ay s .
7
J o s ef J u n gm a n n , P u b li c Wo r s h i p ( Co lle g e v i lle : The Lit ur g ic a l
Pres s , 1 9 5 8), 227 .
8
W i l l i s , E ssa y s , 5 2 . .
9
Zec h. 8:1 9 .
10
J u n gm a n , P u bl i c , 2 2 8 .
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11
Ado l f Ada m , Th e Li t u r g i c al Y e ar : It s H i s t o r y a nd I ts M ea ning
Af ter th e Re fo r m o f t h e Li t u r g y ( Co lle g e v i lle : L i t ur g ic a l Pr es s ,
19 81 ), 1 86 .
12
W i l l i s , E ssa y s , 60 - 61 .
13
J u n gm a n , P u bli c , 2 2 8 .
14
S t ö kl B en E zr a , “W h o se F a st i s I t?, ” 2 60 , 2 6 4.
15
A da m , T h e L i t u r g i cal Y e ar , 1 8 8 .
16
W i l l i s , E ssa y s , 53 .
17
E s t her M a r y N i ck e l, “R o g a ti o n D a y s, E m b e r Da y s , a nd t he New
Eva n gel i za t i o n ,” A n t i ph o n 1 6, no . 1 ( 2 0 1 2 ) : 2 4 .
18
W i l l i s , E ssa y s, 5 1 . .
19
Ada m , T h e L i tu r g i cal Y e ar , 1 8 8 .
20
S t a n i s l a u s W o y w o d a nd Ca lli stu s S m i th , A P ra ctica l C om m enta ry
on th e C o de o f C an o n Law , v o l. 2 ( N e w Y o r k : J . F. Wa g ner , 1957 ),
54.
21
Ado l f Ada m , Th e Li t u r g i c al Y e ar , 1 8 6.
22
I b i d., 1 04.
23
Ib i d.
24
G .G . W i l l i s , A H i s t o r y o f Ear ly R o m an Li t u rg y to the Dea th of
Po p e Gr ego r y th e G r e at ( L o nd o n: H e nr y Br a d sh aw S o c iet y , 1994),
141 .
25
A da m , T h e L i t u r g i c al Y e ar , 1 8 7 - 8 8 .
26
C a n o n 1 006 . Wh i le 1 91 7 Co d e o f Ca no n L a w r es t r ic t s o r d ina t io n
t o s o l em n Ma s s es o n E m b e r S a tu r d a y, bu t a lso e q ua lly a llo ws f o r
or di n a t i o n s t o t a k e pla ce o n th e S a tu r d a y be f o r e Pa s s io n Sund a y a nd
Ho l y S a t u r da y . P r i o r to th i s, th e r e w a s a lso a tr a d it io n o f o r d a ining
on t he S u n da y i n Me d i an a, w h i ch o ccu r s i n L e nt , t ho ug h t his pr a c t ice i s fr o m t he ea r ly Ch u r ch b e f o r e P o pe Ge la sius ’ d ec la r a t io n.
27
I n t er n a t i o n a l C o m m i ssi o n o n E ng li sh i n th e Lit ur g y , Docum ents
On th e L i tu r gy , 19 6 3 - 1 9 7 9 : Co n c i li ar , Papal, an d C uria l Tex ts
( C o l l egevi l l e, MN : L i tu r g i ca l P r e ss, 1 98 2 ) , 2 2 , pa r a . 10 5.
179
Ember Days
28
I b i d., 22, p a r a . 1 0 8 .
29
I b i d., 22, p a r a . 1 0 7 .
30
Ib i d., 1 1 6 1 , p a r a . 4 5.
31
Ib i d., 1 1 6 1 , p a r a . 4 5.
32
C a t ho l i c C hu r ch , T h i r t y - F i v e Y e ar s o f t h e B CL N ews letter, 1s t
e d. (W a s hi n gt o n , D C: U ni te d S ta te s Co nf e r e nce o f Ca t ho lic
Bis ho p s , 2004), 31 2 .
33
34
Ib i d, 3 1 2.
N i c kel , “ Ro ga ti o n D a y s, ” 3 1 .
35
Offi c e o f t he C h a nce lle r y o f th e A r ch d i o ce se o f Po r t la nd in
O r ego n , L e n t a n d P as c h al T r i d u u m , a nno u nce d o nline Ma r c h 5,
2 01 2, a c c es s ed De ce m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 3 , h ttp: //w w w .a r c hd pd x .o r g /
Le n t en %20Regu l a ti o ns% 2 0 2 0 1 2 . pd f . .
36
Au t ho r u n kn o w n, “A d v e nt E m b e r D a y S e t, ”C a tholic Sentinel,
pub l i s hed N o vem be r 1 3 , 2 0 1 3 , a cce sse d D e ce m ber 13, 20 13, ht t p://
ww w.c a t ho l i c s en ti ne l. o r g /m a i n. a sp?S e cti o nI D =2& SubS ec t io nID=3
5& A r t i c l eID= 229 8 3 .
37
Di o c es e o f B i s m a r ck , Em b e r D ay s , no d a te g iven,
ac c es s ed Dec em b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 3 , h ttp: //w w w . bi sm a r c kd io c es e.c o m/
ind ex.c fm ? l o a d= p a g e & pa g e = 2 1 5.
38
I b i d.
39
E m b er W edn e sd a y a nd S a tu r d a y O ld T e sta m ent r ea d ing s wer e,
for a l l p r a c t i c a l p u r po se s, th e o nly O ld T e sta m ent r ea d ing s in t he
p r e-Va t i c a n II l ecti o na r y. T h e o nly m a jo r e x ce ptio n wa s t he Ea s t er
Vigi l Ol d T es t a m e nt r e a d i ng s.
References:
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D i o c es e o f B i s m a r ck . Em b e r D ay s . h ttp: //w w w . bis ma r c kd io c es e. c o m / i n dex.c fm ?lo a d = pa g e & pa g e = 2 1 5 .
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