Good Morning Beautiful Embers Day of Advent

Not just on Sundays but all of Advent is filled with moments of quiet reflection. It is in the stillness of our hearts that the Lord waits, anxious to speak with us. Often that is more difficult than we can imagine. To be still requires the virtue of patients and a trust in God.

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Give Thanks To The Lord

Welcome to the second Ember Days of Advent. While no longer fasting as a part of our Ember Days observances, it is a Friday. Whatever we do, there shall not be meat on the table.

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The First Ember Days of Advent

Ember Days. Until I began reading Dad’s text book The Visible Church which was published in 1922 as part of a Catholic Education I hadn’t even heard of Ember Days. Dad received the book to help him study in 1951, when he converted to the Catholic Faith. Little had changed in the teachings at that point.

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The Last Ember Days of Advent

Today is the Winter Solstice and the last of three Ember Days of Advent that are set aside to give thanks to the Lord. I just love how the Lord works behind the scenes the way He does.

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Bundle Up for an Ember Days of Advent

Today is the 2nd Ember Days of Advent. Historically speaking, Ember Days were observed with fasting and abstinence. Since these days of old are no longer celebrated within the Universal Church, here in America it’s purely a personal choice.

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Let the Ember Days of Advent Begin

Advent Sunday signals the beginning of a new year within the Church cycle. Therefore, today would be the first Ember Days of that new year. If the term seems strange, there is good reason. Prior to Vatican II, the universal church kept Ember Days.

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Ember Days of Advent and Saturday Morning

We have gone through the darkest night of the year. We survived. We have counted down the days until the birth of Our Lord. It is nearly upon us!

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Ember Days and Comfort Foods

Today is the second Ember Days of Advent. Once upon a time, Ember Days were days of fasting and penance. Today they are not. Why? Because the Church has reconsidered certain obligations imposed upon the faithful that might be too much, too ridged, too demanding.

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First Ember Days of Advent

Just as the First Advent Sunday of the season marked the beginning of a new year within the church, this first Ember Days of Advent is the first Ember Days of that same new year. The whole of the Universal Church once acknowledged each set of Ember Days as an obligation. While much of Europe still does, the United States conference of Bishops did away with the observance.

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Ember Days of Advent and an Abundant Feast

Today is the final Ember Days of Advent. Ember Days were meant as a way to give thanks to the Lord, our God, for all He has done for us. Blessings aren’t always easily recognized.

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Ember Days of Advent and Friday Night Supper

Fridays, all Fridays throughout the year, are days of Penance within the Universal Catholic Church. Once upon a time, the form of that Penance was to abstain from meats. Today the Penance of Fridays takes on a personal choice. One thing that has not changed is the need for Prayer.

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The First Ember Days of Advent in the New Year

Today is the first Wednesday following the Feast of Saint Lucia and the Festival of Lights. It marks the first Ember Days of Advent in the Catholic Calendar of old.

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Ember Days of Winter and Roasted Chicken Thighs

Today is the final Ember Days of Winter. It comes on the eve of the Fourth (and final) Advent Sunday before the Christmas Season. Each set of Ember Days has its own character and purpose.

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Ember Days of Winter and Poached Salmon

Today is the second Ember Days of Winter of the Advent Season. The Ember Days of Winter focus on the Oils of Anointment. The harvest of the season is both physical and spiritual.

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The First Ember Days of Winter

From a purely secular perspective, we are entering the final few weeks of the year. From the perspective of the Church, the new Liturgical year has barely begun. So the Ember Days of Winter could be viewed as the last Ember Days of the year, or the first.

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