Ember Days

Today, in the Novus Ordo rite, the Feast of the Visitation is celebrated and in the traditional rite, the Queenship of the Virgin Mary is usually celebrated. However, this year in the traditional rite, May 31 falls during the Octave of Pentecost (which was its own octave before Vatican II) and it is also on a Wednesday, so it is what’s called an Ember Day. Ember days are days of a penitential nature that fall during different times of the year and they are usually on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. They are days to be spent in prayer and sacrifice (fasting is encouraged) and they remind us what God has done for us and that we are in debt to Him and are undeserving of His kindnesses. We exercise them in reparation for our sins and for other special intentions we might have, particularly for the Church and Her members.

Ember days may seem to fit better in those seasons of a more penitential nature, like Advent and Lent, and these seasons do in fact have their own Ember days, but the purpose of Ember days during the Octave of Pentecost is to remind us that in order to truly receive the Holy Spirit, we must humble ourselves before God and recognize that we are nothing without Him. We are sinners and so cannot have the Holy Spirit dwell in us without His help. Taking these days to pray, fast, and reflect on what obstacles prevent us personally from receiving the Holy Spirit and to atone for our sins helps us to make room in our souls to truly be a worthy dwelling place for the Spirit with His help. When we fast along with our prayers, we are aiding in this by weakening our attachments to earthly things and strengthening the bonds with the things of Heaven.

Ember days remind us of who we are and Who God is, and they invite us to atone for what causes the gap between those two things, insofar as we are able. Today and this coming Friday and Saturday, let’s spend time in prayer and fasting as we reflect on the great gift of the Holy Spirit and how we can better receive Him in our souls. Despite our undeserving, God has given us access to this gift and we owe Him an immense amount of gratitude and we should show our love for Him by striving to receive this gift and share it with the world.