Pope
Saint Callistus instituted the Ember Days of abstinence, fasting and
prayer (jejunia quatuor temporum).
These days derive their name from the practice of fasting during the
day and eating nothing until night when only ember-bread, a cake
baked under the embers of the evening fire, was consumed. Ember Days
were substituted for the pagan holidays (feriae)
set aside by the Roman state for the purpose of invoking the blessing
of the gods on the fruits of the fields. These were the Feriae Messis
(in June or soon after) for the harvest, the Feriae Vindemiales
(between 19 August—the
festival of the Vinalia—and
the September Equinox) for the vintage, and the Feriae Sementinae (in
the week before the winter solstice in December) for the freshly-sown
seed.
In
the third century the fasts held for the Christian sanctification of
the seasons took place in June, September and December (the fourth,
seventh and tenth months of the Roman year which began in March). The
days were not fixed until the fifth century when they became
prescribed for Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays in the third week of
Advent, the first full week of Lent (jejunium
vernum in Quadragesima), the week after
Pentecost (jejunium aestivum in
Pentecoste), and the third week in
September (jejunium autumnale in mense
septimo). Wednesdays, Fridays and
Saturdays were chosen because from the earliest days of the Church
these were the days of the weekly fasts. Wednesday was selected
because this was the day on which the Jews decided that Jesus should
die, and Friday was chosen because that was the day on which He was
crucified.
Just as we are grateful to the Lord for the hope of happiness to which we look forward, and for the better things for which He is preparing us, so we should also praise and give Him thanks for the earthly gifts which, each year, He bestows upon us. From the beginning He regulated the fertility of the earth, and fixed unalterably the laws of growth for each seed, that the kindly providence of the Creator might ever be visible. Everything which cornfields, vineyards, and olive gardens bring forth for mankind comes from the bountiful goodness of a merciful God.1
On
the first Ember days of the year, Wednesday and Friday in the first
week of Lent, the scrutinies for ordination were made during the
stational Mass. This consisted of the examination of candidates for
the priesthood and deaconship who were to be ordained on the Saturday
before Passion Sunday and on Holy Saturday. In the early Church it
was the practice to ordain during a period of fasting. The process of
scrutiny consisted of a notary (scriniarius)
standing in an ambone and demanding three times whether anyone
present had a charge to bring against any of the candidates.
We cannot be too deeply impressed with the blessing granted a people, whose priests are according to God’s own heart. To obtain such, no humiliation should be deemed too great, no supplication should be neglected. Whilst therefore, we thank God for the fruits of the earth, and humble ourselves for the sins we have committed, we should beg God to supply his Church with worthy pastors.2
Ember Days spread from Rome to all the of all by the suffragan
dioceses of the Roman Church, and then in the rest of Italy and
elsewhere. Later the Carlovingian emperors naturalised it everywhere
except in Spain, and at Milan where they were introduced by Saint
Charles Borromeo in the sixteenth century. In Wales they were called
“procession weeks” and in Germany “holy fasts.”
1Pope
Leo the Great (440-461).
