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FOR THE THIRD TIME THIS YEAR, Holy Church comes claiming from her children the tribute of Penance, which, from the earliest ages of Christianity, was looked upon as a solemn consecration of the Seasons. The historical details relative to the institution of the Ember Days will be found on the Wednesdays of the third week of Advent and of the first week of Lent; and on those same two days, we have spoken of the intentions which Christians should have in the fulfilment of the demand made upon their yearly service. The beginnings of the Winter, Spring, and Autumn...

Violet Simple THE STATION is in the Basilica of Saint Peter, on the Vatican, where the people were wont to assemble, towards evening, that they might be present at the Ordination of the Priests and Sacred Ministers. This day was called Twelve-Lesson-Saturday, because formerly, twelve passages from the Holy Scriptures used to be read, as upon Holy Saturday. The Mass, during which the Ordinations were given, was celebrated during the night; so that by the time it was over, the Sunday had begun. Later on, the Ordination Mass was said early on the Saturday, as we now have it;...

Violet Simple THE STATION is in the Basilica of the Twelve Apostles; it is one of the grandest of the Churches of Rome, and is enriched by the Bodies of the two Apostles, St. Philip and St. James the Less. COLLECT Esto, Domine, propitius plebi tuæ: et quam tibi facis esse devotam, benigno refove miseratus auxilio. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum. Amen. Be propitious, O Lord, to thy people and mercifully strengthen those by thy aid whom thou fillest with devotion to thee. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. EPISTLE LECTIO EZECHIELIS PROPHETÆ. LESSON from EZECHIEL the PROPHET. Cap....

Violet Simple THE FAST OF TODAY is prescribed by a double law: it is Lent, and it is Ember Wednesday. It is the same with the Friday and Saturday of this week. There are two principal objects for the Ember days of this period of the year: the first is to offer up to God the Season of Spring, and by fasting and prayer, to draw down his blessing upon it; the second is to ask him to enrich with his choicest graces the Priests and Sacred Ministers who are to receive their Ordination on Saturday. Let us, therefore,...

Violet Fast and Partial Abstinence Prope est jam Dominus; venite, adoremus. The Lord is now nigh: come, let us adore. THE LESSONS from the Prophet Isaias are interrupted today also; and a Homily on the Gospel of the Mass is read in their place. As this Gospel is repeated in the Mass of the fourth Sunday of Advent, which is tomorrow, we will, for the present, omit it, and be satisfied with mentioning the reason of the same Gospel being assigned to the two days. The primitive custom, in the Roman Church, was to hold Ordinations in the night...

Violet Fast and Full Abstinence Prope est jam Dominus; venite, adoremus. The Lord is now nigh: come, let us adore. THE CHURCH does not read anything from the Prophet Isaias today; she merely gives, in the Office of Matins, a sentence of that chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel which relates the mystery of our Lady’s Visitation: and to this she subjoins a fragment of St. Ambrose’s Homily upon that passage. The considerations and affections with which this important event of our Lady’s life ought to inspire the faithful shall be given further on, in the Proper of the Saints....

Violet Fast and Partial Abstinence Prope est jam Dominus; venite, adoremus. The Lord is now nigh; come, let us adore. TODAY THE CHURCH begins the Fast of Quatuor Tempora, or as we call it, of Ember days: it includes also the Friday and Saturday of this same week. This observance is not peculiar to the Advent liturgy: it is one which has been fixed for each of the four seasons of the Ecclesiastical Year. We may consider it as one of those practices which the Church took from the Synagogue; for the Prophet Zacharias speaks of the fourth, fifth,...

FOR the third time this year, Holy Church comes claiming from her children the tribute of Penance, which, from the earliest ages of Christianity, was looked upon as a solemn consecration of the Seasons. The historical details relative to the institution of the Ember Days will be found on the Wednesdays of the third week of Advent and of the first week of Lent; and on those same two days, we have spoken of the intentions which Christians should have in the fulfilment of the demand made upon their yearly service. The beginnings of the Winter, Spring, and Autumn...

Putting the 'Ember' in SeptemberAn Ancient Church Tradition Takes on New RelevanceThe South Asian newswire service ANI last month carried a headline one doesn’t see every day. It began, “Hindus laud Australian Catholic Church …” Now, before divulging the rest of the headline, it should be noted that “Hindus” is a bit of an exaggeration. The article quotes only one member of that faith, self-proclaimed “Hindu statesman” Rajan Zed of Reno, Nevada, who previously made the news for protesting the Mike Myers film The Love Guru. Even so, the full headline is worth noting: “Hindus laud Australia Catholic Church for...