![]() The agrarian connection also recognized that while man could work the land, he can never control the elements. Not everyone lived in rural locations, but there was a recognition of that connection of the land to our life. Before man become so civilized, weather, crops, farm animals and the change of seasons were a part of daily life for everyone. The Liturgy has reflects this connection with nature and God. The Church recognizes our dependency on God for His gifts of nature. ![]() Ember Days may look a bit different than pre-Vatican II (but even before 1962 Maria von Trapp was bemoaning how they were different and disappearing in her contemporary 1955 America), but the Ember Days are still a part of the Church’s living tradition.Įmber Days are part of the agrarian heritage of our Faith. There is an unbroken continuum within the Church’s Liturgy. Ember Days are still a part of the Church’s tradition. Practicing Ember Days is not intended to be a backward-looking movement or living in the past. Although not required, the traditional fasting and abstaining of these days are an external expression of turning our hearts and focusing back to God. But naturally the change of seasons seem to tug and encourage us for renewal and change (spring and fall cleaning, anyone?). Both seasons are a time for change of heart and renewal. In addition, the Church provides us two seasons of preparation, Advent and Lent. Ember Days are a quarterly observance the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of one week of each season that “the Church is accustomed to entreat the Lord for the various needs of humanity, especially for the fruits of the earth and for human labor, and to give thanks to him publicly.” ( Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, 45). Once again, I turn to the Church’s Ember Days as an aid to looking at nature and the change of seasons and recognizing them all as a gift from God. ![]()
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