EMBER SATURDAY IN SEPTEMBER; SAINT LINUS Pope and Martyr; SAINT THECLA Virgin and Martyr

 

EMBER SATURDAY

SAINT LINUS
Pope and Martyr

SAINT THECLA
Virgin and Martyr

 

DOUBLE / RED

The extra Lessons of today's Mass allow for the conferring of one of the minor or major orders after each reading. Men commonly feel the need of being cleansed from sin and of making atonement for sin. Everyone needs a way to worship God, to make personal contact with God, and to ask Him for many favors. Holy Orders is the sacrament Christ instituted to keep man in close personal contact with God. Each priest personally stands for Christ and goes on doing Christ's work of redeeming and sanctifying men. Without a priesthood, God would seem much more distant. Without Christ's priesthood, there would be no priests at all.

 

 Introit
Ps 94:6-7
Come, let us bow down in worship to God; let us kneel before the Lord. Let us weep before Him Who made us; for He is the Lord our God.
Ps 94:1
Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; let us acclaim God our Savior.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Come, let us bow down in worship to God; let us kneel before the Lord. Let us weep before Him Who made us; for He is the Lord our God.

Collect
Let us pray.
V. Let us kneel.
R. Arise.
Almighty, everlasting God, You Who cure body and soul through healing self-denial, we humbly entreat Your majesty to hear favorably the devout prayer of those who fast, and to grant us help for the present and the future.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Lesson
Lev. 23:26-32 In those days, the Lord said to Moses, The tenth of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement; it shall be most solemn, and shall be called holy; and you shall mortify yourselves on that day and offer an oblation to the Lord. On this day you shall not do any work, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord, your God. Anyone who does not mortify himself on this day shall be cut off from his people; and if anyone does any work on this day, I will remove him from the midst of his people. This is a perpetual statute for you and your descendants wherever you dwell: you shall do no work, but shall keep a Sabbath of complete rest and mortify yourselves. Beginning on the evening of the ninth of the month, you shall keep this Sabbath of yours from evening to evening, says the Lord almighty.
R. Thanks be to God.

Gradual
Ps 78:9-10
Pardon our sins, O Lord; why should the nations say, Where is their God?
V. Help us, O God our Savior; because of the glory of Your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Collect
Let us pray.
V. Let us kneel.
R. Arise.
Grant us, we beseech You, almighty God, that by fasting we may be filled with Your grace, and by abstinence we may be made stronger than all our enemies.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Lesson
Lev. 23:39-43
In those days, the Lord said to Moses, On the fifteenth day, then, of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate a pilgrim feast of the Lord for a whole week. The first and the eighth day shall be days of complete rest. On the first day you shall gather foliage from majestic trees, branches of palms and boughs of myrtles and of valley poplars, and then for a week you shall make merry before the Lord, your God. By perpetual statute for you and your descendants you shall keep this pilgrim feast of the Lord for one whole week in the seventh month of the year. During this week you shall dwell in bowers; every native Israelite among you shall dwell in booths, that your descendants may realize that, when I led the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, I made them dwell in booths. I, the Lord, am your God.
R. Thanks be to God.

Gradual
Ps 83:10, 9.
Behold, O God, our Protector, and look upon Your servants.
V. O Lord God of Hosts, hear the prayers of Your servants.

Collect
Let us pray.
V. Let us kneel.
R. Arise.
Protect Your people, we beseech You, O Lord, so that we may by Your gift, obtain those means of eternal salvation which we seek through Your inspiration.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Lesson
Mich. 7:14, 16, 18-20.
O Lord, our God, shepherd Your people with Your staff, the flock of Your inheritance, that dwells in a woodland, as in the days of old. The nations shall behold and be put to shame, in spite of all their strength. Who is there like you, the God Who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of His inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, and will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins; You will show faithfulness to Jacob, and grace to Abraham, as You have sworn to our fathers from days of old, O Lord, our God.
R. Thanks be to God.

Gradual
Ps 89:13, 1.
Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on Your servants.
V. O Lord, You have been our refuge through all generations.

Collect
Let us pray.
V. Let us kneel.
R. Arise.
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that we may so fast from bodily food as to abstain also from the sins that beset us.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Lesson
Zach. 8:14-19
In those days, the word of the Lord came to me saying: Thus says the Lord of Hosts: As I determined to harm you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath, says the Lord of Hosts, and I did not relent, so again in these days I have determined to favor Jerusalem and the house of Juda; do not fear! These then are the things you should do: Speak the truth to one another; let there be honesty and peace in the judgments at your gates, and let none of you plot evil against another in his heart, nor love a false oath. For all these things I hate, says the Lord. This word of the Lord of Hosts came to me: Thus says the Lord of Hosts: The fast days of the fourth, the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth months shall become occasions of joy and gladness, cheerful festivals for the house of Juda; only love faithfulness and peace, says the Lord of Hosts.
R. Thanks be to God.

Gradual
Ps 140:2
Let my prayer come like incense before You, O Lord.
V. The lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice.

Collect
Let us pray.
V. Let us kneel.
R. Arise.
As You give us the grace, O Lord, to offer You our solemn fast, grant us, we beseech You, the support of Your forgiveness.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Lesson
Dan 3:47-51
In those day, the Angel of the Lord went down into the furnace with Azaria and his companions, drove the fiery flames out of the furnace, and made the inside of the furnace as though a dew-laden breeze were blowing through it. And the flames rose forty-nine cubits above the furnace, and spread out, burning the Chaldeans nearby, the king’s men who were stoking the furnace. And the fire in no way touched them or caused them pain or harm. Then these three in the furnace with one voice sang, glorifying and blessing God:

Hymnus
Dan. 3:52-56
Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. And blessed is Your holy and glorious name, praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages. Blessed are You in the temple of Your holy glory, praiseworthy and glorious above all forever. Blessed are You on the holy throne of Your kingdom, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Blessed are You upon the sceptre of Your divinity, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Blessed are You Who look into the depths from Your throne upon the Cherubim, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Blessed are You Who walk upon the wings of the wind, and on the waves of the sea, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Let all Your Angels and Saints bless You, and praise You and exalt You above all forever. Let the heavens, the earth, the sea and all the things that are in them bless You, and praise You and exalt You above all forever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our father, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

Collect
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, You Who tempered the flames of fire for the three young men, mercifully grant that the flames of sin may not burn us, Your servants.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Commemoration of SAINT LINUS
Very little is known of Pope Linus, the immediate successor of St. Peter, beyond the fact that he ruled the Christian community for over eleven years. Although his martyrdom is uncertain, the sufferings he underwent for the infant Church sufficed to place him among the martyrs in the canon of the Mass.

O Eternal Shepherd, who appointed blessed Linus shepherd of the whole Church, let the prayers of this martyr and supreme pontiff move You to look with favor upon Your flock and to keep it under Your continual protection.

Commemoration of SAINT THECLA
Thecla was a convert of St. Paul, with a Pauline love of virginity. Strong in purity of body and spirit, Thecla survived fierce tortures of persecution until Christ called her to Heaven.
 
Almighty God, we celebrate today the birthday of Your blessed virgin martyr Thecla. May her feast fill us with joy and may we profit by the example of her great faith. Through our Lord . . .  

 

Lesson
Heb 9:2-12
Brethren: There was set up a tabernacle in the outer part of which were the lampstand and the table and the showbread, and this is called the Holy Place; but beyond the second veil was the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, having a golden censer and the ark of the covenant, overlaid on every side with gold. In the ark was a golden pot containing the manna and the rod of Aaron which had budded, and the tablets of the covenant; and above it were the Cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy-seat. But of all these we cannot now speak in detail. Such then being the arrangements, the priests always used to enter into the first tabernacle to perform the sacred rites; but into the second tabernacle the high priest alone entered once a year, not without blood, which he offered for his own and the people’s sins of ignorance. The Holy Spirit signified by this that the way into the Holies was not yet thrown open while the first tabernacle was still standing. This first tabernacle is a figure of the present time, inasmuch as gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshipper in conscience, since they refer only to food and drink and various ablutions and bodily regulations imposed until a time of reformation. But when Christ appeared once for all through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by hands - that is, not of this creation, - nor again by virtue of blood of goats and calves, but by virtue of His own Blood, into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption.

Gradual
Ps 116:1-2
Praise the Lord, all you nations; glorify Him, all you peoples!
V. For steadfast is His kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever.

GOSPEL

Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Luke 13:6-17
At that time, Jesus spoke to the multitudes this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none. And he said to the vine-dresser, ‘Behold, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down, therefore; why does it still encumber the ground?’ But he answered him and said, ‘Sir, let it alone this year too, till I dig around it and manure it. Perhaps it may bear fruit; but if not, then afterwards you shall cut it down.’ Now He was teaching in one of their synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent over and utterly unable to look upwards. When Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, Woman, you are delivered from your infirmity. And He laid His hands upon her, and instantly she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, addressed the crowd, saying, There are six days in which one ought to work; on these therefore come and be cured, and not on the Sabbath. But the Lord answered him and said, Hypocrites! does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or ass from the manger, and lead it forth to water? And this woman, daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound, lo, for eighteen years, ought not she to be loosed form this bond on the Sabbath? And as He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and the entire crowd rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by Him.

 

Offertory
Ps 87:2-3
O Lord, the God of my salvation, by day I cry out, at night I clamor in Your presence. Let my prayer come before You, O Lord.

Secret
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that the gift in the sight of Your majesty may obtain for us the grace of reverent devotion and secure eternal happiness.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.
 

Commemoration of SAINT LINUS
We have offered our gifts to You, O Lord. Let Your light graciously shine upon Your Church, so that this flock may everywhere prosper, and its pastors, under Your guidance, may be truly pleasing to You.

Commemoration of SAINT THECLA
O Lord, accept the gifts we bring You on the feast of Your blessed virgin martyr Thecla, through whose intercession we hope to be set free. Through our Lord . . . 

   

  Communion 
Lev 21:41, 43.
In the seventh month you shall keep this feast, as I made the Israelites dwell in booths, when I led them out of the land of Egypt. I, the Lord, am your God.

Post Communion
May Your sacrament, we beseech You, O Lord, produce in us what it contains, and may we share in reality what we now perform as a sacramental rite.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Commemoration of SAINT LINUS
O Lord, govern Your Church, which You have been pleased to nourish with Your Heavenly Food. Guide her by Your powerful direction, so that she may enjoy greater freedom and remain unshaken in the fullness of faith.

Commemoration of SAINT THECLA
O Lord, through the intercession of Your blessed virgin martyr Thecla, may we be aided by the reception of the Blessed Sacrament and rejoice in Your everlasting protection. Through our Lord . . .

Ember Friday in September; SAINT THOMAS OF VILLANOVA (1555 A.D.), Bishop and Confessor; SAINT MAURICE AND HIS COMPANIONS, Martyrs

 

EMBER FRIDAY IN SEPTEMBER

St. Thomas of Villanova, renowned for the works of charity and love for the poor

El Greco

Martyrdom of St. Maurice and His Legions

1580-81
Oil on canvas, 448 x 301 cm
Chapter House, Monastery of El Escorial

SAINT THOMAS OF VILLANOVA
Bishop and Confessor

SAINT MAURICE AND HIS COMPANIONS
Martyrs

Like a "little Lent," each series of Ember Days recalls everyone to the fervent living of God's commandments. God draws men to do His will, for His own glory and their happiness, both by threats of just punishment, and by telling them of His mercy, His love, His blessings, His protection. Whether the attraction of love or the pressure of fear motivates the individual at a given moment depends upon the individual's temperament, character, and spiritual condition. But all the ways of God are just and right. For a return to God, either from serious sin or from lukewarmness and hypocrisy, God asks only sorrow, love, and penance.

II Class
Introit
Ps 104:3-4
Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord! Look to the Lord, and be strengthened; seek His face evermore.
Ps 104:1
Give thanks to the Lord, invoke His name; make known among the nations His deeds.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord! Look to the Lord, and be strengthened; seek His face evermore.

Collect
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that we who devoutly keep the sacred observances year by year may be pleasing unto You both in body and soul.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. 

Commemoration of SAINT THOMAS OF VILLANOVA
Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555), great saint of the Spanish Renaissance and good friend of Emperor Charles V, joined the Hermits of St. Augustine, where his heroic qualities soon marked him for responsible offices in his community and then for ecclesiastical honor as archbishop of Valencia. A man of infinite charity in word and deed, he lived as frugally as the poor who benefited by his unstinted almsgiving. While provincial of his order in Castile, he sent the first group of Augustinians to the Americas. Establishing themselves in Mexico, they were integral in the growth of Christianity in the New World.

O God, You blessed the holy bishop Thomas with an extraordinary love for the poor. Be moved by his intercession to pour out the treasury of Your mercies upon all who humbly pray to You. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT MAURICE AND HIS COMPANIONS
Near Lake Geneva, Switzerland, about A.D. 297, the Theban Legion of 660 soldiers under the command of St. Maurice died to a man for abstaining from pagan sacrifice. 

O Almighty God, let the solemn feast of Your holy martyrs Maurice and his companions fill us with joy. May we glory in their feast, as we also rely on the power of their intercession. Through our Lord . . .

Lesson
Lesson from the bokk of Osee the Prophet
Osee 14:2-10
Thus says the Lord God: Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. Take with you words, and return to the Lord; say to Him, ‘Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls. Assyria will not save us, nor shall we have horses to mount; we shall say no more: Our god, to the work of our hands; for in You the orphan finds compassion.’ I will heal their defection, I will love them freely; for My wrath is turned away from them. I will be like the dew for Israel: he shall blossom like the lily; he shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar, and put forth his shoots. His splendor shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar. Again they shall dwell in his shade and raise grain; they shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols? I have humbled him, but I will prosper him. ‘I am like a verdant cypress tree’ - because of Me you bear fruit! Let him who is wise understand these things; let him who is prudent know them. Straight are the paths of the Lord, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them.

Gradual
Ps 89:13, 1.
Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on Your servants.
V. O Lord, You have been our refute through all generations.

Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Luke
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.

Luke 7:36-50
At that time, one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to dine with him; so He went into the house of the Pharisee and reclined at table. And behold, a woman in the town who was a sinner, upon learning that He was at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment; and standing behind Him at His feet, she began to bathe His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with ointment. Now when the Pharisee, who had invited Him, saw it, he said to himself, This Man, were He a prophet, would surely know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner. And Jesus answered and said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you. And he said, Master, speak. A certain money-lender had two debtors; the one owed five hundred denarii, the other fifty. As they had no means of paying, he forgave them both. Which of them, therefore, will love him more? Simon answered and said, He, I suppose, to whom he forgave more. And He said to him, You have judged rightly. And turning to the woman, He said to Simon, Do you see this woman? I came into your house; you gave Me no water for My feet; but she has bathed My feet with tears, and has wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss; but she, from the moment she entered, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil; but she has anointed My feet with ointment. Wherefore I say to you, her sins, many as they are, shall be forgiven her, because she has loved much. But he to whom little is forgiven, loves little. And they who were at table with Him began to say within themselves, Who is this Man, Who even forgives sins? But He said to the woman, Your faith has saved you, go in peace.

Secret
May the gift of our fasting, we beseech You, O Lord, be acceptable to You, and by its purifying power make us worthy of Your grace and bring us to the eternal bliss You have promised us.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.

Commemoration of SAINT THOMAS OF VILLANOVA
Let our annual commemoration of Your blessed confessor bishop Thomas please You, O Lord. Grant that this Sacrifice of atonement which we offer on his feast may bring him greater honor and fill us with Your grace. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT MAURICE AND HIS COMPANIONS

Look graciously, O Lord, on the gifts we offer You in memory of Your holy martyrs Maurice and his companions. May the intercession of these saints who are pleasing to You win us Your grace for all time. Through our Lord . . .

Post Communion
We beseech You, O almighty God, that, showing gratitude for the gifts we have received, we may obtain yet greater benefits.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.  

Commemoration of SAINT THOMAS OF VILLANOVA
O God, rewarder of the faithful, pardon our sins through the intercession of Your blessed confessor bishop Thomas, whom we honor this day. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT MAURICE AND HIS COMPANIONS
You have comforted us by Your Sacraments, O Lord, and filled us with the joy of heaven. May Your saints defend us, even as we glory in their own victory. Through our Lord . . .

SAINT MATTHEW Apostle and Evangelist

  

The Inspiration of Saint Matthew
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610)
1602
Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome

SAINT MATTHEW
Apostle and Evangelist

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / RED
In the second year of His public ministry Jesus called Levi, the tax-gatherer, away from his booth and gave His new disciple the name of Matthew, which means "Gift of Yahweh." To Christ, the humble, willing soul of the publican was far more pleasing than were those of the self-satisfied Pharisees, proud of their observance of the letter of the Law but oblivious of its spirit. Soon afterward, the Savior chose the converted tax-gatherer as one of His Apostles. Matthew wrote the first Gospel, which records so many loving details about his master's life on earth. Tradition relates that he evangelized Persia and suffered martyrdom among the Parthians.

INTROIT Ps. 36:30-31
The mouth of the just man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justly. The law of God is in his heart.
Ps. 36:1. Be not envious of evildoers, nor jealous of those who do wrong.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord,may the prayers of the blessed apostle and evangelist Matthew help us to obtain the graces we ourselves cannot acquire by our merits. Through our Lord . . .

READING Ezech. 1:10-14
And as for the likeness of their faces: there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four: and the face of an ox, on the left side of all the four: and the face of an eagle over all the four. And their faces, and their wings were stretched upward: two wings of every one were joined, and two covered their bodies: And every one of them went straight forward: whither the impulse of the spirit was to go, thither they went: and they turned not when they went. And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps. This was the vision running to and fro in the midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, and lightning going forth from the fire. And the living creatures ran and returned like flashes of lightning.

GRADUAL Ps. 111:1-2
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments.
V. His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the righteous generation shall be blessed.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
The glorious choir of apostles praises You, O Lord. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 9:9-13
At that time, Jesus saw a man sitting in the custom house, named Matthew; and he saith to him: "Follow me." And he arose up and followed him. And it came to pass as he was sitting at meat in the house, behold many publicans and sinners came, and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
And the Pharisees seeing it, said to his disciples: "Why doth your master eat with publicans and sinners?" But Jesus hearing it, said: "They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are ill. Go then and learn what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the just, but sinners."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 20:4-5
O Lord, You have placed on his head a crown of precious stones. He asked life of You and You gave it to him, alleluia!

SECRET 
O Lord, may the offering of Your Church be presented to You by Your blessed apostle and evangelist Matthew, through whose learned teaching she was instructed in the faith. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 20:6
His glory is great because of Your help; You have conferred upon him glory and great splendor, O Lord.

POSTCOMMUNION 
We who have received Your Sacrament, O Lord, look hopefully for the prayers of Your blessed apostle and evangelist Matthew. May the Sacred Rite that we have celebrated in his honor bring us healing for our own sinfulness. Through our Lord . . .

What are ember days, and why do they exist?

 From https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/

udra11 / Shutterstock

By Jonah McKeown

St. Louis, Mo., Dec 17, 2022 / 09:00 am

This Saturday, Dec. 17, is a special day in the Catholic Church, though relatively few Catholics probably realize it. Saturday is an ember day, a day traditionally set aside for fasting and abstinence from meat. And in fact, it’s the last ember day of 2022.

But what are ember days, and why do they exist?

Ember days are tied to the four seasons of the year. The reason “ember” is associated with these days seems to be that the word is a corruption of the Latin phrase “quatuor tempora,” meaning four seasons.

Each of the four seasons of the year contains three ember days. The 12 total ember days throughout the year are:

• The Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Ash Wednesday

• The Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Pentecost

• The Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Sept. 14)

• The Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the feast of St. Lucy, which is Dec. 13

Ember days appear to be a very early Christian practice, first attested to as part of apostolic tradition by Pope Leo I in the fifth century. The purpose of their introduction, according to The Catholic Encyclopedia, was to thank God for the gifts of nature (hence their tie to the natural seasons), especially the crops used to make bread and wine for the Eucharist; to teach people to make use of those gifts in moderation; and to assist the needy.

Ember days also served as a response to the pagan festivals of Rome; the days encouraged Christians to counter the excesses and debauchery of those festivals by, instead, fasting and praying. At first the Church in Rome had fasts in June, September, and December, but the exact days were not fixed. The first record of the fasts for all four seasons being decreed comes in the writing of Pope Gelasius at the end of the fifth century.

After Gelasius, the practice spread beyond Rome. Gelasius also started the practice of permitting the conferring of ordinations on ember Saturdays, which were formerly given only at Easter, The Catholic Encyclopedia records. That tradition of holding ordinations of ember Saturdays also continues today, and in addition, ember days have traditionally been days of prayer for vocations.

The observance of ember days was later prescribed for the entire Latin Church by Pope Gregory VII (1073–1085). So, ember days were a big part of Catholic life for quite a while.

Though canon law no longer requires the observance of fasting and abstinence on ember days, they remain important for Catholics in many countries, and their continued observance by Catholics everywhere is certainly not discouraged. And in fact, some bishops in the United States have explicitly encouraged their Catholics to observe ember days and pray for specific intentions.

Ember days are a fascinating and ancient tradition of the Catholic Church that has been largely forgotten, at least in the United States. Though certainly not required, consider observing the last ember day of the year today, thanking God for nature and for the gifts it brings.

EMBER WEDNESDAY IN SEPTEMBER; SAINT EUSTACE AND COMPANIONS (118 A.D.) MARTYRS

 

EMBER WEDNESDAY IN SEPTEMBER

The Vision of St. Eustace (c.1436) by Pisanello (Antonio or Vittore Pisano; c.1395-1455)

SAINT EUSTACE AND
HIS COMPANIONS
Martyrs

SIMPLE/RED
Introit
Ps 80:2-5
Sing joyfully to God our strength; acclaim the God of Jacob. Take up a pleasant psalm with the harp; blow the trumpet in the beginning of the month; for it is a statute in Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
Ps 80:6
He made it a decree for Joseph, when he came forth from the land of Egypt: he heard an unfamiliar speech.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Sing joyfully to God our strength; acclaim the God of Jacob. Take up a pleasant psalm with the harp; blow the trumpet in the beginning of the month; for it is a statute in Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

Collect
Let us pray.
V. Let us kneel.
R. Arise.
May our frailty, we beseech You, O Lord, find support in the help of Your mercy; so that what is marred by its own nature may be restored by Your grace.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Lesson
Amos 9:13-15
Thus says the Lord God: Yes, days are coming, when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the vintager, him who sows the seed; the juice of grapes shall drip down the mountains, and all the hills shall run with it. I will bring about the restoration of My people Israel; they shall rebuild and inhabit their ruined cities, plant vineyards and drink the wine, set out gardens and eat the fruits. I will plant them upon their own ground; never again shall they be plucked from the land I have given them, say I, the Lord, your God.
R. Thanks be to God.

Gradual
Ps 112:5-7
Who is like the Lord, our God, Who is enthroned on high and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
V. He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill He lifts up the poor. 

Collect
O Lord, we beseech You, grant to Your praying household that, as they fast from bodily food, they may also abstain mentally from sin.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

 
Commemoration of SAINT EUSTACE AND COMPANIONS
According to legend, Eustace was a distinguished Roman officer. He owed his conversion to the vision of a stag with a crucifix between its antlers, seen by him while he was hunting. His wife and their two sons became Christians at the same time. In about the year 118 Eustace and his family were martyred for having refused to offer sacrifice to false gods.

O God, who granted us the grace to celebrate the birthday of Your blessed martyrs Eustace and companions, grant that we may also share their eternal happiness in heaven. Through our Lord . . . 

Lesson
Lesson from the book of Esdra
2 Esd. 8:1-10
In those days, all the people were gathered together as one man, to the street which is before the water-gate, and they spoke to Esdras the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. Then Esdras the priest brought the law before the multitude of men and women, and all those that could understand, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read it plainly in the street that was before the water-gate, from the morning until midday, before the men and the women and all those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book. And Esdras the scribe stood upon a step of wood, which he made to speak upon. And he opened the book before all the people, for he was above all the people; and when he had opened it, all the people stood. And Esdras blessed the Lord the great God, and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands: and they bowed down, and adored God, with their faces to the ground. Now the Levites made silence among the people to hear the law; and the people stood in their place: and they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and plainly to be understood; and they understood when it was read. And Nehemias, and Esdras the priest and scribe, and the Levites who interpreted to all the people, said, This is a holy day to the Lord our God; do not mourn nor weep. And he said to them, Go, eat fat meats and drink sweet wine, and send portions to them that have not prepared for themselves; because it is the holy day of the Lord, and be not sad, for the joy of the Lord is our strength.


Gradual
Ps 32:12, 6.
Happy the nation whose God is the Lord, the people the Lord has chosen for His own inheritance.
V. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made; by the breath of His mouth all their host.  

GOSPEL
Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Mark
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Mark 9:16-28
At that time, one of the crowd answering, said to Jesus, Master, I have brought to You my son, who has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth; and he is wasting away. And I told Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not. And He answered and said to the, O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me. And they brought him to Him; and the spirit, when it saw Jesus, immediately threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell down on the ground, and rolled about foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, How long is it since this has come upon him? And he said, From his infancy. Oftentimes it has thrown him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. But Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. At once the father of the boy cried out, and said with tears, I do believe; help my unbelief. Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering. He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, go out of him and enter him no more. And crying out and violently convulsing him, it went out of him, and he became like one dead, so that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him and he stood up. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, Why could not we cast it out? And He said to them, This kind can be cast out in no way except by prayer and fasting.

Secret
May this offering, O Lord, we beseech You, wipe away our transgressions, and make holy the minds and bodies of Your servants for celebrating this sacrifice.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

 

Communion
2 Esd. 8:10
Eat fat meats, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to those who have not prepared for themselves: because it is the holy day of the Lord, be not sad, for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

 

Commemoration of SAINT EUSTACE AND COMPANIONS
We offer these gifts to You in sacrifice, O Lord. May the honor we pay to Your Saints please You, and may these offerings, through Your mercy, bring us closer to our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

  Post Communion
In partaking of Your heavenly gifts, we humbly entreat You, O Lord, that by Your grace we may receive what, through Your bounty, we perform in diligent service.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

 

Commemoration of SAINT EUSTACE AND COMPANIONS
May the intercession of Your holy Martyrs Eustace and Companions help us to cherish with pure hearts the Sacrament we have received upon our lips. Through our Lord . . .

Saint Januarius & Companions (304 A.D.); Saint Theodore of Canterbury (690 A.D.); Our Lady of La Salette (1846 A.D.)

 

SAINT JANUARIUS AND
HIS COMPANIONS
Martyrs

 

 SAINT THEODORE OF CANTERBURY

Theodore of Tarsus. (2022, August 6). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_of_Tarsus

Theodore of Tarsus. (2022, August 6). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_of_Tarsus

Theodore of Tarsus. (2022, August 6). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_of_Tarsus

Statue of Our Lady of La Salette, talking to the children (second stage of the apparition). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

OUR LADY OF LA SALETTE

[1846 A.D.]

(Historical)
See below
 

 
DOUBLE / RED
In the year 304 Januarius, bishop of Benevento, three deacons, a lector, and two laymen were beheaded at Pozzuoli, Italy, under Emperor Diocletian. The courage of Bishop Januarius in facing death brought about the conversion of many pagan onlookers. His body was eventually taken to Naples, of which city he has become the patron saint. According to reliable records, some of his blood preserved in a phial has miraculously liquefied at regular intervals during the past four hundred years.

Mass of  SEVERAL MARTYRS, except

Introit
Ps 36:39
The salvation of the just is from the Lord; He is their refuge in time of distress.
Ps 36:1
Be not vexed over evildoers, nor jealous of those who do wrong.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
The salvation of the just is from the Lord; He is their refuge in time of distress. 

COLLECT
We are made happy, O God, by the annual feast of Your holy martyrs Januarius and his companions. As we joyously remember the merits of these saints, may we also be inspired by their example. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT THEODORE
St. Theodore, a Greek, was sent by Pope Adrian I to the English mission. He became the seventh Bishop of Canterbury, restored ecclesiastical discipline and trained bishops like St. Cuthbert, St. Chad, St. Erkenwald, St. John of Beverley, etc. He rendered inestimable services to the English Church and died on September 19, A.D. 690.

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the solemn feast of blessed Theodore, Thy Confessor and Bishop, may both increase our devotion and advance our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

Lesson
Lesson from the letter of St Paul the Apostle to the Jews
Heb 10:32-38
Brethren: Call to mind the days gone by, in which, after you had been enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings; partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by making common cause with those who fared thus. For you both have had compassion on those in prison and have joyfully accepted the plundering of your own goods, knowing that you have a better possession and a lasting one. Do not, therefore, lose your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of patience that, doing the will of God, you may receive the promise: For yet a very little while, and He Who is to come, will come, and will not delay. Now My just one lives by faith.
R. Thanks be to God.

Gradual
Ps 39:18-19
When the just cry out the Lord hears them, and from all their distress He rescues them.
V. The Lord is close to those who are contrite of heart; and those who are humble of spirit He saves. Alleluia, alleluia.
V. The white-robed army of Martyrs praises You, O Lord. Alleluia.

  GOSPEL Matt. 24:3-13
At that time, as Jesus was sitting on mount Olivet, the disciples came to him privately, saying: "Tell us when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the consummation of the world?" And Jesus answering, said to them: "Take heed that no man seduce you. For many will come in my name saying, I am Christ. And they will seduce many. And you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that ye be not troubled. For these things must come to pass: but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And there shall be pestilences and famines and earthquakes in places. Now all these are the beginnings of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall put you to death: and you shall be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be scandalized and shall betray one another and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise and shall seduce many. And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold. But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved."

Offertory
Wis 3:1-3
The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead: but they are in peace, alleluia.

SECRET
O Lord, be moved to compassion by our offerings and shield us from all danger through the prayers of Your holy Martyrs Januarius and his companions. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT THEODORE
May Thy Saints, we beseech Thee, O Lord, in all places bring us joy, that while we recall their merits, we may experience their patronage. Through our Lord . . .

Communion
Matt 10:27
What I tell you in darkness, speak it in the light, says the Lord; and what you hear whispered, preach it on the housetops.

POSTCOMMUNION
We have been nourished by the Sacrament of Salvation, O Lord. May we be aided also by the prayers of Your Saints whom we honor this day. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT THEODORE
  Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that, we who give thanks for the gifts which we have received, may through the intercession of blessed Theodore, Thy Confessor and Bishop, obtain still greater blessings. Through our Lord . . .

Image via Wikipedia

Our Lady of La Salette

Let us dry Her tears

And on the 19th of September 1846, the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows, the Virgin Mary appeared again; this time in a small village called La Salette. Near Corps, 1.800 metres above sea level and about 35 kilometres from Grenoble in France. She appeared in La Salette to two small children who were looking after the cattle. They were Melanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud aged 15 and 11 years who had only known each other for two days. The two children clomb the slopes of the Mont sous-les-Baisses, each urging four cows up the mountain. Melanie tells us: “I had seen from a hill that ours cows were lying down placidly chewing the cud. I went down and Maximin started to climb upwards. Suddenly I saw a beautiful light, much brighter than the sun and felt full of tremendous loving wonder and respect. In that light I saw a very beautiful woman with her head resting in her hands. The lady stood up and said; come nearer children, do not be afraid “I am here to tell you great news.”

The children were amazed to see that The Lady looked very sad and had tears streaming down her cheeks. She folded her arms over her breast. At first she spoke to the children in French but quickly started to speak to them in their own local dialect. Our Blessed Lady spoke over people swearing, not keeping the Sunday has a day of rest and disobeying Gods laws. Her words were very important and impressive: “If My people do not obey God, I shall be forced to let go of My Sons Hand”. This statement points to the last days of the world. Our Blessed Lady's sad expression, her tears and words show us Her very real care for and sympathy with all people. “……. you’ll never be able to repay Me for what I have done for you.  Our Lady asked us to pray a lot to save the world. She asked us all to confess our sins, turn away from our evil ways, do penance and pray. In La Salette Mary pointed out the great blessings and mercy of the holy rosary and begged us: “be reconciled with God”. During the period of time when she was appearing to both of the children, they were each individually given a secret. Maximin received his secret first and then Our Lady told a secret to Melanie. Whilst Our Blessed Lady was talking to Maximin, Melanie saw her lips moving, but could not understand what She was saying.

Melanie says that both secrets were written down and were handed to Pope Pius 1X in 1851. Maximin never published the secret given to him, as he died before so doing. Cardinal Antonelli did give a copy of this secret to the Countess of Clermont-Tonnerre. A. Peladin in the “Annales du Surnaturel” published it in 1888.

Below you can read some of this secret:

• three quarters of the population of France shall lose their Faith
• a protestant nation in the North will repent and proclaim their Faith. Because of this other nations shall return to God in faith.
• the Church shall grow and bloom once more:
• after this peace will be greatly disturbed by the ‘monster’! The (great) monster shall come at the end of the 19th century or at the latest at the beginning of the 20th century.
•  

What about the secrets given to Melanie in La Salette? The Blessed Virgin had said to her, “Melanie, what I am going to tell you now does not have to remain a secret. You may tell it in 1858” (this is the year that Our Lady appeared in Lourdes). These secrets told to Melanie have caused a lot of unrest and disagreement. Among other things Our Lady told of the coming attempt to murder the Pope, which would not shorten his life.

The prophetic language used by Our Blessed Mother, the painful truths She told and her announcement of Godly righteousness pending. People took these things very much to heart. Mary warned that faith would be lost on a large scale, leaving room for materialism, false teaching (Karl Marx published his communist manifest in 1848), spiritualism and many other sins. She continues: “all those who persecute the Church of Jesus Christ and all those people who have surrendered themselves to sin, will die and the earth will be like a desert. Then there shall be Peace, the reconciliation between God and man” (thus there will be people alive).

Whilst these apparition of Our Lady took place 153 years ago, these words are extremely relevant today. The given secrets are important to the entire development of the Church and the world until the end of the period of time. She asked the children to pray morning and night and if time was a problem, to at least say an Our Father and a Hail Mary. Finally Our Lady said;” you’ll tell this to all my people”. This She repeated again. 
 
When Our Blessed Lady talks of Her people, She means everybody in the entire world who believes in Jesus Christ, Her Son. She spoke has The Queen of the World/ Queen of all Nations. Maximin tells us that the Lady was beautiful, great, a wonderful shining brilliant light, she wore a white cloak, a bright yellow apron and her white shoes were decorated with roses of many colours. Roses were also clearly visible on Her crown. Around Her neck She wore a chain on which was hanging a large cross with a hammer and pliers on the cross bar.

Maximin also describes how they saw The Lady disappear. First she was elevated to about one and a half metre high and then She faded and vanished before our eyes. Melanie said: “She must be a great Saint, if we had known that we would have ask her to take us with her”. The children were horribly victimized, with threats, teasing, bribes and very mean tricks. But despite all this their stories remained exactly the same time and again. Finally after a long and stringent examination of the facts, the Bishops formally recognized that Our Blessed Mother did appear to the children in La Salette. This was in 1851.

Maximin died on the first of March 1875 at just 40 years of age. Melanie lived for many years in various convents in France, England and Italy. She died 15 December 1904 and was put to rest in Altamura (Italy). 

The Real Meaning of the Messages of La Salette:
Having told us the reasons for God’s anger, all our sins, disobedience, impurities, materialism and pride. (St Maria Goretti is an example of purity), Our Lady implores us to change our ways and turn from sin to GOD.
"This apparition in La Salette is fully approved by the Holy See: November 16th, 1851"

From http://www.marypages.com/