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Ember Days and Saturday Reparation Day

This week in the traditional calendar is the autumn Embertide, the 3-day penitential period during the change of seasons where the faithful offer thanks to God for his creation and gifts, and to pray for sanctification in the upcoming season. Traditionally, the Ember Days, which fall on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after the feast of the Holy Cross, are days of fasting and partial abstinence (meat at only one meal, except Friday which is full abstinence) – though the fasting is now voluntary. The autumn Ember Days fall on Wednesday September 22, Friday September 24, and Saturday September 25.

Ember Week Latin Masses

  • Wednesday September 22: St. Ann, 6pm (Low)
  • Friday September 24: St. Ann, 7am (Low) St. Mark 12:30pm (Low)
  • Saturday September 25: St. Ann 8am (Low) – Respect Life Latin Mass

We include some helpful articles to learn more about this important period. We especially recommend the superb article by Fr. William Rock FSSP, as he draws the connection between honoring the temporal seasons, the Old Testament Jewish feast days, and the Ember Days which alludes to Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yon Kippur (Day of Atonement) in the  Ember week readings.

Day of Reparation for Parish Sponsored Abortion-Vaccine Clinic – Saturday September 25

It is fitting that the readings for Ember Saturday note the institution of the Jewish feast of Yon Kippur, the day of atonement, as Catholics in Charlotte may have some atonement to do this Ember Saturday. The Carolina Pro-Life Action Network (C-PLAN), the city-wide Catholic pro-life group (of which this author is a co-leader), has sadly learned that Our Lady of Assumption parish in Charlotte is hosting a COVID-19 abortion-linked vaccine clinic on its property on Saturday. Here is a C-PLAN’s statement:

Sadly, we share the sad news that Our Lady of Assumption parish in Charlotte is hosting a COVID-19 vaccine clinic on its parish grounds on Saturday (see attached image or visit the parish’s website). We can only guess how heartbreaking this act is to Our Lord (and Our Lady – whose title bears the parish name) as all COVID-19 vaccines were developed to some extent using aborted fetal tissue. This act comes at a time when thousands of Catholic workers across western NC are threatened with termination if they do not take the vaccine and are trying to file for religious exemptions to keep their jobs.  C-PLAN invites all pro-life faithful to make some act of reparation on Saturday and pray over the next few days that this event gets canceled.

CLMC note: While this is not the first instance in Charlotte, as the above statement notes, the event not only afflicts Our Lord, but also Our Lady, whose holy name has been dragged into this abominable act by a parish which bears her name. It was only 2 weeks ago that the Church celebrated the Holy Name of Mary, and now her name is associated with an inoculation heinously connected to abortion. Let us consider offering our Ember week penances in reparation, and with the petition that the parish organizers realize their error in hosting and cancel it.

Holy Name of Mary, Our Lady of the Assumption, Virgin Most Powerful, pray for us!