How to Observe Spring Ember Days: A Guide to Fasting and Prayer
Ember Days are three days of prayer and fasting four times a year roughly corresponding with the four seasons. The Spring or Lent Ember Days are the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the First Sunday of Lent.
In these ember days let us reflect, repent, and renew.
Reflect on our way of life.
Repent of our sins.
Renew our commitment to the Christian life.
As we fast each of these days let us pray that God may grant us all we need for life’s journey, from the fruits of the earth to the fruits of the spirit.
As a reminder fasting means eating one meal, and if needed two smaller meals that together don’t equal a full meal. Additionally, on Friday abstain from eating meat.
Wednesday: One Meal (& 2 snacks if needed)
Friday: One Meatless Meal (2 meatless snacks if needed)
Saturday: One Meal (& 2 snacks if needed)
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, as we reflect on our way of life, grant us the light and wisdom to discover and discern the areas of our life where we can draw closer to you. As we repent of our sins and shortcomings, we turn to your divine mercy seeking your forgiveness and the strength to amend our ways. Guide us in living according to your teachings, embracing the path of righteousness with unwavering faith. May our lives always be a testament to the transformative power of your love. You who live and reign with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.
Wednesday: Reflect
Meditation: As we hear Haggai’s prophetic call to rebuild God’s temple, consider St. Paul’s words about each one of us being a temple of the Holy Spirit, and let us reflect on our lives, and on our priorities. Are we investing in the temple of God, ensuring that we are worthy dwellings places consecrated with humility and love? Where are our priorities? Do our lives reflect the glory of God, drawing others to encounter the Spirit within us?
Haggai 1:5-10; 2:5,19b (NCB)
1:5 Now the Lord of hosts has this to say: Reflect on your way of life.6 You have sown much but harvested little; you have eaten, but never enough to satisfy you. You drink, but never enough to cheer you; you are clothed, but never experience warmth.And the one who earns wages puts them into a bag with a hole in it. 7 Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider carefully how you have fared.8 Go up into the hill country, collect timber, and build the house so that I may take pleasure in it and manifest my glory, says the Lord.9 You expected much, but it proved to be little.When you brought in the harvest, I blew it away.And why did I do this? asks the Lord of hosts.Because my house lies in ruins, while each of you is concerned only about your own house.10 Therefore, the heavens have withheld their rain and the earth has withheld its crops. 2:5 This is the promise that I made to you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit is present among you. Do not be afraid. 19b From this day forward I intend to bless you.
Friday: Repent
Meditation: As we hear the words of the book of Ezequiel let us consider God’s plea for us to: "Repent and live!" This is not a call for mere remorse but a sincere turning away from destructive paths, and embracing the opportunity for a new heart and spirit. God's desire is not our demise but our flourishing in His love. Let this urgent call to repentance be a catalyst for transformation, leading us to walk in the fullness of life offered by our gracious God.
Ezekiel 18:30b-c;31-32 (NLT)
30b-c Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! 31 Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? 32 I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!
Saturday: Renew
As we hear the words of the letter to the Colossians let us heed St. Paul’s call for us to shed anger, malice, and falsehood, embracing a continual renewal in Christ. Let mercy bind our interactions, kindness paint our relationships, humility define our character, gentleness soothe wounds, and patience endure trials. May we renew our commitment to live in Christ daily, deepening our connection with God and reflecting His divine image.
Colossians 3:8-16
8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. 12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
Комментарии