Centurio Epistula - Ember Days - December

Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after December 13th mark December Ember Days. Ember days occur in the four seasons. They are first recorded in about 250AD, but may have been observed in apostolic times. Their roots may be traced to the fasts described in Zacharias 8:19

Christian Centurions would have paused on Ember Days for general prayer and fasting/abstinence and to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy.

An appropriate service for periods of fasts that you might like to use is The Litany or General Supplication. It may be used with the Devotional or alone. We have placed an adapted one in the Chapel in the Devotional under Intercessions - or you can access it directly by this link: http://www.orderofcenturions.org/documents/litany.html

You may read more about Ember Days here:
* http://www.holytrinitygerman.org/Ember-Days.html Holy Trinity Germ. Nat. Church
* http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05399b.htm New Advent
* http://www.kensmen.com/catholic/emberdays2.html Golden Legend

Some elements of the Church in later years focused on prayers for ministers. The Saturdays of the Ember Days were designated as a time for ordinations. Here you will find a collect, epistle, and Gospel reading that may be used, especially on Saturday, for ministers of the Church.
http://www.commonprayer.org/calend/propers/ember.cfm


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