On the one hand, the reply suggests some traditional themes for use on the Ember Days (unity and the propagation of the faith being implicit in the communal fasting of Embertide). This reply is indicative of the state of the Consilium’s thinking. For such celebrations a suitable votive Mass should be said.” However, the bishop or episcopal conference may order local celebrations on those days these may take different forms e.g., in and out of town, and may draw on various themes-the fruits of the earth, peace, the unity of the Church, the propagation of the faith, etc. On the days on which the rogations and the ember days were previously observed, the Mass and Office are to be of the feria or the saint(s)’s day. “One should look to the provisions made by episcopal conferences or individual bishops, both as regards the timing and manner. Consider the following from the Consilium’s journal, Notitiae, published in 1969 in answer to the question, “What should be done for the Ember and Rogation days?” The response notes: This may seem like an odd interpretation of the liturgical texts quoted, which have the force of law but it will make more sense if we now consider the Consilium’s own uncertain intentions for the Ember Days. Drawing on this, various bishops’ conferences, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, say that their current national and diocesan days of special prayer-e.g., in the US, “Days of Prayer and Special Observances”-constitute (renamed) Ember Days, and so fulfill the above-quoted requirements of liturgical law. Why, then, have the Ember Days disappeared? Well, note that the UNLYC above mentions the “manner” and “purpose” of the supplications, implying that these might vary in the liturgical revisions of 1969-70. 373), as well as the forms and texts for their celebration, and other special measures should also be kept in mind.” “In the drawing up of the Calendar of a nation, the Rogation Days and ember days should be indicated (cf. This passage implies that bishops ought to fix at least one Ember Day for each of Advent, Lent, Pentecost, and September. The Mass for each day of these celebrations should be chosen from among the Masses for Various Needs, and should be one which is more particularly appropriate to the purpose of the supplications.” “Consequently, concerning their duration, whether they are to last one or more days, or be repeated in the course of the year, norms are to be established by the competent authority, taking into consideration local needs. In order that the Rogation Days and ember days may be adapted to the different regions and different needs of the faithful, the Conferences of Bishops should arrange the time and manner in which they are held. On Rogation and ember days 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. (Similar to Ember Days, which are days of thanksgiving for the goods of nature, Rogation Days are days of petition for those goods.) As UNLYC states (emphasis added):
To answer these questions, we must first understand that the Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar (UNLYC), and the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), do still mandate in every diocese the celebration of the Ember Days and Rogation Days. So another question must be addressed: Why did the Consilium remove the Ember Days from the universal liturgical calendar, the missal, and the office? Secondly, why as a result of this removal have the days been all but forgotten? The answer lies, in part, in the restructuring of the liturgical calendar by the Consilium, the special commission tasked by Pope Paul VI with revising and restoring the Missal of 1969-1970-that is, the Novus Ordo. But this raises the question: Why do Catholic faithful for the most part no longer celebrate these days? The last post discussed the not-quite-gone-and-not-quite-forgotten Ember Days, including the origin and character of these liturgical days of thanksgiving as they were once celebrated.
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