Blessed Feast of the Quatour Tempora (Ember Days)

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Excerpts:

"The faithful should unite with the Church in this her intention, and offer to God their fasting and abstinence for the purpose of obtaining worthy ministers of the Word and of the Sacraments, and true pastors of the people." --   http://catholicismhastheanswer.com/quatuor-tempora-the-ember-days/

"Ember Days are days favored for priestly ordinations, prayer for priests, first Communions, almsgiving and other penitential and charitable acts, and prayer for the souls in Purgatory.

Note that medieval lore says that during Embertides, the souls in Purgatory are allowed to appear visibly to those on earth who pray for them.
Because of the days' focus on nature, they are also traditional times for women to pray for children and safe deliveries. " --  https://www.fisheaters.com/emberdays.html

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/ember-days

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

All things have their season, 
and in their times all things pass under heaven. 
A time to be born and a time to die. 
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. 
A time to kill, and a time to heal. 
A time to destroy, and a time to build. 
A time to weep, and a time to laugh. 
A time to mourn, and a time to dance. 
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. 
A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. 
A time to get, and a time to lose. 
A time to keep, and a time to cast away. 
A time to rend, and a time to sew. 
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak. 
A time of war, and a time of peace. 

-- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Eternal rest grant unto the Poor Souls in purgatory O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.  Amen. 

Lord, thank you for Your providence and for making us know Thee as our Father loving us. Amen.

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

II Corinthians 4:8-12
"In all things we suffer tribulation: but are not distressed. We are straitened: but are not destitute. We suffer persecution: but are not forsaken. We are cast down: but we perish not. Always bearing about in our body the mortification of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies. For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake: that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us: but life in you. "

Amen. 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:
 
All things have their season, 
and in their times all things pass under heaven. 
A time to be born and a time to die. 
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. 
A time to kill, and a time to heal. 
A time to destroy, and a time to build. 
A time to weep, and a time to laugh. 
A time to mourn, and a time to dance. 
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. 
A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. 
A time to get, and a time to lose. 
A time to keep, and a time to cast away. 
A time to rend, and a time to sew. 
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak. 
A time of war, and a time of peace. 

Eternal rest grant unto the Poor Souls in purgatory O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.  Amen. 
Lord, thank you for Your providence and for making us know Thee as our Father loving us. Amen.

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:
 
All things have their season, 
and in their times all things pass under heaven. 
A time to be born and a time to die. 
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. 
A time to kill, and a time to heal. 
A time to destroy, and a time to build. 
A time to weep, and a time to laugh. 
A time to mourn, and a time to dance. 
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. 
A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. 
A time to get, and a time to lose. 
A time to keep, and a time to cast away. 
A time to rend, and a time to sew. 
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak. 
A time of war, and a time of peace. 

Eternal rest grant unto the Poor Souls in purgatory O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them . May they rest in peace.  Amen. 
Lord, thank you for Your providence and for making us know Thee as our Father loving us. Amen.

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Psalm 8

O Lord our Lord,

how admirable is thy Name in the whole earth!

For thy magnificence is elevated above the heavens.

Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise,

because of thy enemies, that thou mayst destroy the enemy and the avenger.

For I will behold thy heavens, the works of thy fingers:

the moon and the stars which thou hast founded.

What is man that thou art mindful of him?

Or the son of man that thou visitest him?

Thou hast made him a little less than the angels,

thou hast crowned him with glory and honour,

and hast set him over the works of thy hands.

Thou hast subjected all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen,

moreover, the beasts also of the fields, the birds of the air, and the fishes of the sea,

that pass through the paths of the sea.

O Lord our Lord, how admirable is thy Name in all the earth!

Glory be ...

Amen. 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:
 
All things have their season, 
and in their times all things pass under heaven. 
A time to be born and a time to die. 
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. 
A time to kill, and a time to heal. 
A time to destroy, and a time to build. 
A time to weep, and a time to laugh. 
A time to mourn, and a time to dance. 
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. 
A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. 
A time to get, and a time to lose. 
A time to keep, and a time to cast away. 
A time to rend, and a time to sew. 
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak. 
A time of war, and a time of peace. 

Eternal rest grant unto the Poor Souls in purgatory O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them . May they rest in peace.  Amen. 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

II Corinthians 4:8-12
"In all things we suffer tribulation: but are not distressed. We are straitened: but are not destitute. We suffer persecution: but are not forsaken. We are cast down: but we perish not. Always bearing about in our body the mortification of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies. For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake: that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us: but life in you. "

Amen. 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Ember Days Days of fast „ … suffering is never positively willed by God, but is allowed for our benefit in the same way a father will allow a child to suffer the consequences of his own actions so that the child will grow and learn to listen to his father, or perhaps in the same way that father might allow his child to "suffer through" piano lessons so that, someday, he will be a great pianist. We may not understand God's reasons for allowing our particular suffering, but we must always trust that we can endure with His grace, and that there is reason for it, whether it is for our correction, purification, penance, to help us realize how radically dependent we are on Him, or whether it is for His appeasement. But how are we to react to our suffering? The answer is unique to Christianity. We are members of the Royal Priesthood, together as one in the Mystical Body of Christ Just as in the Old Testament, Israel of the New Covenant is made of priests: I Peter 2:9-10  But you are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people: that you may declare his virtues, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Who in times past were not a people: but are now the people of God. Who had not obtained mercy: but now have obtained mercy. Our being (non-ministerial) priests means that we make sacrifices, we offer something. The ordained Catholic priest offers, as a representative of Christ, Sacrifices at the Altar for those who say "yes" to Christ's invitation to share the fruits of Calvary, just as the ministerial priests in the Old Testament offered sacrifices for the sins of the people. But what do we of the non-ministerial royal priesthood offer? We offer ourselves -- our bodies, hearts, praise, gratitude, worship, joys, works, and our sufferings. Why do we do this? Because we are exhorted to "put on Christ" and to imitate Him, our High Priest and Spotless Victim, so that we might partake of the divine nature. In order to redeem us, Our Lord took on flesh and gave all to the Father; in order to be Christ-like, we, too, must take up our cross, accept suffering, and strive to offer Him all: Luke 14: 27, And whosoever doth not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. II Corinthians 4:8-12: In all things we suffer tribulation: but are not distressed. We are straitened: but are not destitute. We suffer persecution: but are not forsaken. We are cast down: but we perish not. Always bearing about in our body the mortification of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies. For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake: that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us: but life in you. Think of Christ in the Garden, under so much stress and agony that He literally sweated Blood. Think of Him being hounded and mocked by people who should have fallen to their knees and kissed His Feet, adoring Him and begging mercy. Think of the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars with a crown of thorns thrust onto His head, being spat upon, beaten, and nailed to a Cross. God Himself suffered in His human nature; why should we be spared? ...And now think of Him in Heaven, pouring out onto us the graces of His once and for all Sacrifice at Calvary during the unbloody re-presentation of that Sacrifice during the Mass. He is perfect, He suffered (His Sacred Heart is still wounded by our sins!), and He offers Himself yet up to the Father at each Mass -- and to us for our redemption. We are called to offer ourselves up to the Father and for others, too. Our imitation of Him and our gifts to Him, though they are nothing without His Sacrifice, build up the Body of Christ if they are joined to His sufferings, … Think of how we are moved by those who suffer for us. We are touched when we think of what our parents sacrificed to give us, when we think of stories of people who give kidneys to strangers or risk their lives to save someone else. Christ Himself said that "greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Well, just as we are moved by sacrificial love when it is offered to us, the Father is moved by our offered-up sufferings when they are offered along with the Passion and Sacrifice of Jesus. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote (Summa Theologica, III, 49): Now it is the proper effect of sacrifice to appease God: just as man likewise overlooks an offense committed against him on account of some pleasing act of homage shown him. Hence it is written (1 Kings. 26:19): "If the Lord stir thee up against me, let Him accept of sacrifice." And in like fashion, Christ's voluntary suffering was such a good act that, because of its being found in human nature, God was appeased for every offense of the human race with regard to those who are made one with the crucified Christ... -- we, too, can offer our sufferings for others. When given to God along with the Perfect Oblation (Christ) offered to the Father at the Mass, our offerings and sufferings are sanctified and put to use. Offering it Up (or "Making a Good Intention") So, how do Catholics "offer up" their sufferings and sacrifices? In both formal and informal ways. Formally, many Catholics make the Morning Offering to give to Our Lord that day's efforts, works, joys, sufferings, intentions, etc. (the form may vary). At the Mass, we excercise our lay priesthood by consciously, silently, privately offering ourselves up, along with the Son, to the Father during the Offertory. Informally, we "offer it up" by simply asking God in our own words to use a suffering as it occurs; we often do this for specific intentions (ex., "Use this pain, Lord, for the salvation of my brother..."). We might follow the example of the young St. Thérèse of Lisieux and make use of Sacrifice Beads, or the extraordinary among us might make the Heroic Act of Charity for the souls in Purgatory. We may think of Christ during His Passion, or of His Mother and her Seven Sorrows, and offer our sufferings to her to give to her Son. It's quite a discipline to react to suffering this way! In mental or physical pain! ... Putting up with a co-worker who is making your life a living Hell? Enduring the constant ache of arthritis? Standing in line at the grocery and hating every minute of it? Spill the milk? Accept these things in peace, and ask God to use them for the good of the Church or for a more specific intention close to your heart. This isn't easy to do, but it does make the suffering more meaningful and less -- well, less insufferable! You'll find that it is not uncommon to hear one Catholic tell another who is suffering to "offer it up" as a way of dealing with his suffering. It should be remembered, though, that while it is most definitely good to tell someone to "offer it up," it is also easy -- and that we are called, too, to comfort those who are suffering, to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to care for the sick, etc. Telling someone to offer it up without also helping him to deal with the temporal and emotional effects of whatever they are going through is not the fully Christian thing to do. Even Our Lord was helped while carrying His Cross: St. Veronica wiped the sweat and Blood from His Holy Face, and St. Simon of Cyrene helped Him bear the Cross itself. 2 Corinthians 1:5-7 “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us: so also by Christ doth our comfort abound. Now whether we be in tribulation, it is for your exhortation and salvation: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation: or whether we be exhorted, it is for your exhortation and salvation, which worketh the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer. That our hope for you may be steadfast: knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation.“

• Excerpts from https://www.fisheaters.com/offeringitup.html

 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Deo gratias! 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Eternal rest grant unto the poor souls in purgatory O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.