Wishing You a Happy Spring Embertide

Wishing You a Happy Spring Embertide

History:  Four times a year, the Catholic Church sets aside three days (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday) to focus on God through His marvelous creation.

These quarterly periods take place around the beginnings of the four natural seasons.

Ember Days are days favored for first Communions, alms-giving and other penitential and charitable acts, and prayer for the souls in Purgatory.

Medieval lore says that during Embertides, the souls in Purgatory are allowed to appear visibly to those on earth who pray for them.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:
All things have their season,
and in their times all things pass under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.
A time to kill, and a time to heal.
A time to destroy, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh.
A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather.
A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
A time to get, and a time to lose.
A time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew.
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
A time of war, and a time of peace.

Ember Days:  http://www.fisheaters.com/emberdays.html

Lenten Embertide:  http://www.fisheaters.com/customslent3.html