The term “Ember Days” is derived from the Latin term Quatuor Tempora, which literally means “four times.” There are four sets of Ember Days each calendar year; three days each – Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Ember Days fall at the start of a new season and they are ordered as days of fast and abstinence. The significance of the days of the week are that Wednesday was the day Christ was betrayed, Friday was the day He was crucified, and Saturday was the day He was entombed.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the purpose of Ember Days, “besides the general one intended by all prayer and fasting, was to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy.”

The Four Occurrences of Ember Days are as Follows:

• Winter: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of St. Lucy.
• Spring: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Ash Wednesday.
• Summer: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Pentecost.
• Fall: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of the Holy Cross.

What is an Ember Week?

The term Ember Week simply refers to the week in which the Ember Days occur.

History of Ember Days

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the celebration of Ember Days derived from a pagan Roman practice. Before converting to Christianity, the Romans had performed pagan religious ceremonies on these days in relation to their agriculture.

These occasions were changed when former pagans converted and Ember Days became a part of Christian tradition early, as noted in the Catholic Encyclopedia:

“The Church, when converting heathen nations, has always tried to sanctify any practices which could be utilized for a good purpose. At first the Church in Rome had fasts in June, September, and December; the exact days were not fixed but were announced by the priests. The “Liber Pontificalis” ascribes to Pope Callistus (217-222) a law ordering the fast, but probably it is older. Leo the Great (440-461) considers it an Apostolic institution.”

As mentioned in the above quote, Ember Days were not set for a particular week in the early centuries. The timing for Catholic Ember Days was officially arranged and fixed by Pope Gregory VII, who was pope from 1073 to 1085.

Ember Days in the Liturgical Year Today

In 1966, Pope Paul VI’s apostolic constitution, Paenitemini, which addressed and altered feasting regulations, excluded Ember Days as days of fast and abstinence. In 1969, the liturgical reforms altered how they are observed in parishes:

“On rogation and ember days the practice of the Church is to offer prayers to the Lord for the needs of all people, especially for the productivity of the earth and for human labour, and to make public thanksgiving. In order to adapt the rogation and ember days to various regions and the different needs of the faithful, the conferences of bishops should arrange the time and plan of their celebration. Consequently, the competent authority should lay down norms, in view of local conditions, on extending such celebrations over one or several days and on repeating them during the year. On each day of these celebrations the Mass should be one of the votive Masses for various needs and occasions that is best suited to the intentions of the petitioners.”

-General Norms for the Liturgical Year Calendar, Apostolic Letter of Pope Paul VI

This article used information from The Catholic Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, and the Fisheaters website.

Please join me in thanking our Catholic Moments contributors by visiting their sites:  Deacon Tom Fox, Lisa Mladnich, Avery, Sarah Reinhard.

This episode of Catholic Moments is sponsored by CatholicMatch.com, the Leading Catholic Singles Community.  Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

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• CatholicQuiz.com
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Night Before Christmas 1985

Tucson, Arizona. Land of saguaro cactus, red desert and the yearly gathering of the Gastellum clan for Christmas.

For as far back as I can remember, we would make the annual fourteen hour drive from Colorado to Arizona to spend one or two weeks with family in a continuous celebration that centered on the Faith, family and food.

But before we made the trip our family made its own Christmas cards. My Dad’s an artist and my Mom does beautiful calligraphy so we always had perfect cards to send out. Even farther back before Christmas my Mom would get each of us a Christmas ornament that had something to do with an event during the past year. One year I got a brass skier because I went skiing for the first time. Another year I got an ornament of Pikes Peak because I completed the half marathon ascent that summer. Ouch!

My Mom’s parents had lived in the same house ever since I could remember Christmas and later my aunt and uncle moved into the house three doors down. Several other aunts, uncles and various greats also lived in Tucson. I was even blessed with knowing my Great Grandmother. You know, the lady who was quick enough to catch mice by the tail?

There was always an Advent wreath on the dining room table and Christmas stockings always made the trip with us. For some reason, the felt Advent calendar that my mom made with the snap-on ornaments for each day almost never made the trip so we only got about two weeks completed and then had to add everything else after Christmas.

My mom collects Nativity sets and I think she got that from her mom. There were always a variety of Nativity sets around the house, missing baby Jesus, of course until Christmas day. Unfortunately, most sets are now made in China so our store isn’t able to offer a large selection of them.

Night Before Christmas 1984

On Christmas Eve we always had a traditional Mexican dinner with homemade tamales, re-fried beans, calabasitas and the best tortillas anywhere. We would then all gather in the spare room and with a roaring fire in the fireplace and the blinds strategically cracked open, my grandfather would read The Night Before Christmas from a huge coloring book that all of us cousins had taken a hand at coloring. Just like clockwork every year Santa would be on the roof, shout down the chimney and flash by the window before vanishing across the golf course behind their house. We would then all go back in to the living room and find our stockings full. My poor Uncle Steve, and some years Uncle John, frequently missed this momentous event. It’s amazing how things always came up right at that time.

Tumacacori Mission

Some years we would go down to the Tumacacori Mission to sing carols and see the luminarias lining the church and walls at night. My family has a long association with the Mission. My grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary there and they met at the Catholic church just up the road in Tubac. One of my great-(great?)-aunts was scalped by Indians while her siblings hid in the mission bell tower. She survived.

When we were all younger and had the energy we would then go to Midnight Mass and then come home and open presents. I don’t know how my grandparents did it.

Christmas day was the time to go visit Uncle Mannie and Aunt Armida. It was also the first place that I got bragging rights for eating exotic food. Every Christmas Aunt Armida made Menudo and I loved it. Christmas dinner was a traditional turkey affair.

Saguaro National Park at Sunset

During our time in Tucson we had three typical site seeing visits to make. The first, and most regular, was a trip to the Sonoran Desert Museum. My Grandfather had been a park ranger most of his life and was a supporter of the museum. My favorite exhibits were always the prairie dog town and the geological exhibit with the earthquake detectors and the path through the “cave”.

The second visit was a guy trip to some dive for authentic Mexican food. I don’t remember the names of any of the places we went but you probably won’t find them in tourist books.

Some years we would make a trip to the Pima Air Museum or have a picnic at the Saguoro National Park. Yes, a picnic in December. Except for the one year it snowed and we had a snowball fight instead.

Okay, now it’s your turn. What fond memories do you have of Christmas?

First Sunday of Advent

Click on the links below to download each item

• Sunday’s Gospel
• Coloring Page
• Advent Calendar 2010
• Lesson Plan
• Mass Worksheets – 7-10, 11-14
• Word Search – Puzzle, Solution
• Crossword – Puzzle
• Solution – Across: 3.  Advent;  4.  Awake;  Down:  1.  Man;  2.  Matthew
• Catholic Quiz of the Week Questions and Solutions

Now through December 24th, CatholicQuiz.com is offering you a 2 for 1 Advent Special. All purchases between November 20th and December 24th are eligible for a second FREE membership of the same value. Purchase any Individual, Family or Teacher Membership and receive a second one to give as a gift (a $19.95, $39.95 or $49.95 value – FREE).  Visitors who complete a purchase at CatholicQuiz.com will receive an email with an e-Gift Card Membership purchase code. This code is redeemable at www.CatholicQuiz.com/redeem any time in the future. No expiration date. No limit. Ever. Your subscription rate also includes a small donation to CatholicMom.com, which enables us to continue to provide our resources free of charge to parishes in over 100 countries around the world! Click here to purchase.

Extra Activities:

• Advent Resources
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests
• Pre K Lesson Plans – Updated Regularly
• Religious Education Articles by Laura Grace
• Homeschooling Resources
• Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
• Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
• To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB

Featured Product:

Thank you for your support of CatholicMom.com!  A small portion of your purchase price goes to CatholicMom.com and enables us to continue providing these resources free of charge for families and parishes around the world.

Joy to the World: Advent Activities for Your Family - Here’s a treasure trove of exciting ideas that will enable your family to focus anew on preparing for the holy time of Advent and Christmas! With a fresh, lively set of suggestions that will attract young and old alike, Joy to the World will help lay the foundation for long-lasting family memories. View sample pages. Joy to the World takes a three-pronged approach to the season:

The Advent calendar, where daily activities are organized into four categories of Service, Spiritual Growth, “Homebody,” and Pure Fun

The Evening Ritual, incorporating the Advent wreath and the Jesse tree, and featuring simplified Scriptures that young children can readily understand

The “Good Deeds Manger,” which puts the family’s focus on preparing their hearts for the coming of Christ

And now, through December 24th, CatholicQuiz.com is offering you a 2 for 1 Advent Special.  All purchases between November 20th and December 24th are eligible for a second FREE membership of the same value. Purchase any Individual, Family or Teacher Membership and receive a second one to give as a gift (a $19.95, $39.95 or $49.95 value – FREE).  Visitors who complete a purchase at CatholicQuiz.com will receive an email with an e-Gift Card Membership purchase code. This code is redeemable at www.CatholicQuiz.com/redeem any time in the future. No expiration date. No limit. Ever.

This is an opportunity for your family to begin really incorporating the gospel message into your home, and to share it with a friend, relative or teacher at the same time! The games are fun, interactive, and age appropriate. Your subscription rate also includes a small donation to CatholicMom.com, which enables us to continue to provide our resources free of charge to parishes in over 100 countries around the world!

Why not skip the mall this year and give the gift of CatholicQuiz.com to everyone on your Christmas list this year?  You could have all of your shopping done now, and enjoy the Advent season with your family!  Click here for all of the details and be sure to tell a friend!

Thank you to CatholicQuiz.com for your ongoing support of CatholicMom.com!

Fr. Ron Raab, CSC ministers among the vulnerable and marginalized of society and the Church. From his experiences in living the Gospel among the poor, Fr. Ron speaks about prayer and service and knowing the love of God through our common poverty. Fr. Ron offers a weekly radio reflection on the Gospel and writes for several liturgical magazines. His first book, The Unsheltered Heart, published by Ave Maria Press is an Advent at- home retreat. He serves as Associate Pastor at the Downtown Chapel, Portland, Oregon.

Please join me in thanking our Catholic Moments contributors by visiting their sites:  Deacon Tom Fox, Lisa Mladnich, Avery, Sarah Reinhard.

This episode of Catholic Moments is sponsored by CatholicMatch.com, the Leading Catholic Singles Community.  Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or emaillisa@catholicmom.com.

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• Fr. Ronald Raab – Blog, Downtown Chapel
• USCCB Top Movies of 2009
• Catholic Moments Podcast Facebook Page
• Catholic Moments at SQPN
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests
• CatholicMom.com Book Club
• The Catholic Company
• The Handbook for Catholic Moms:  The Catholic Company, Amazon, Aquinas and More or Barnes & Noble
• Lisa’s Facebook Profile, Twitter

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Deacon Tom reminisces over a visit with old friends in Colorado and about Colorado author and youth ministry expert Jim Beckman. The theme of this Deacon Moment is submission to the Christ Child.

Sarah Reinhard asks us to look at our Advent wreath and think of Mary, inspired by a recent Mary Vitamin.

Please consider joining us in support of the SQPN.com Giving Campaign.  Your donations will help us to continue in this important evangelization work.

This episode of Catholic Moments is sponsored by CatholicMatch.com, the Leading Catholic Singles Community.  Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:

• Live WTL
• Jim Beckman
• God, Help Me: How to Grow in Prayer by Jim Beckman
• Catholic Foodie You Tube Book Review
• SQPN Giving Campaign
• Yoursphere
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests
• CatholicMom.com Book Club
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• Catholic Mom Logo Store

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Here’s a brief synopsis of the book shared with me by one of the authors:

It’s a read-aloud book with 24 chapters for each day of December leading up to Christmas. The story follows two boys traveling in ancient Palestine who discover they are in the midst of their messiah’s birth.  The story is researched from a Catholic perspective (especially in references to Mary) It includes family interactions, mishaps and adventures, and poignant encounters with the main characters of the Nativity. Research was based on Jeff Cavin’s bible study, Steve Ray, Pope Benedict’s writings, and several visions recorded from Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich.  The book actually came out late last year and despite limited marketing was a fast seller in the Twin Cities of MN, and  with homeschool booksellers in the mid-west and on the east coast.

Having taken a few days to read and enjoy Destination: Bethlehem I want to strongly recommend it to families looking for some reading to enjoy together during the Advent season.  For more information, head over to the Destination: Bethlehem website.  Enjoy!

The First Sunday of Advent

Click on the links below to download each item

• Sunday’s Gospel
• Coloring Page
• Mass Worksheets – 7-10, 11-14
  
• Advent at CatholicMom.com – see below in “Extra Activities”
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests
• Word Search – Puzzle, Solution
• Crossword – Puzzle
  Solution: Across – 1.  First, 3.  Drowsy;  Down – 2.  Strength, 4.  Signs
  
• Lesson Plan

Extra activities:

• Advent at CatholicMom.com
• 2009 Advent Wreath Coloring Page
  
• 2009 Printable Advent Chain
• 2009 Advent Calendar
• Advent Bingo
• Advent Crossword Puzzle
• Christmas Catechism Puppet Show (includes related craft project)
• Advent Wreath File Folder Game
  • Advent Wreath Game Board
  • Advent Wreath Cards Younger
  • Advent Wreath Coloring Sheet
  • Advent Wreath Directions
  • Advent Wreath Directions Younger
  • Advent Wreath Question Cards
• Our Lady of Guadalupe
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests
• Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
• Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
• To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB – Charity in Truth (Caritas In Veritate)

Pre-K Lesson Plans:

We will be providing weekly Pre-K lesson plans this year. These do not coincide with the Sunday Liturgy of the Word, but are specifically created for Catholic Pre-K learners.

• Advent
• Thank You God! (Terrific for Thanksgiving!)
• Joshua and Jericho
• Moses
• Joseph and His Wonderful Coat
• Prayer – I Can Talk to God
• Noah’s Ark
• Adam and Eve
• God Made Me and I’m Special
• Creation Day Seven – On the Seventh Day God Rested
• Creation Day Six – Animals on Land and Man
• Creation Day Five – Creatures in the Seas and Sky
• Creation Day Four – Sun, Moon and Stars
• Creation Day Three – Seas, Lands and Plants
• Creation Day Two – God Created the Sky
• Creation Day One – God Created Light

Religious Education Resource Articles:

• Timelines
• Story Sequencing Activities
• Assessing Student Progress
• Using Technology in Your Classroom
• How to Keep Disruptive Behavior Down to a Minimum
• Organize Your Materials
• Introductory Letter to Parents
• Lesson Planning
• Discipline in the Classroom
• Helping Hands Chart
• Special Needs Students – Information to Gather from Parents
• Preparing Your Religious Education Classroom

Featured Products:
Thank you for your support of CatholicMom.com

My Catholic Advent And Christmas Book – Jennifer Galvin’s activity books for children have been enormously popular because, unlike other activity books, these are designed specifically to teach children about their Catholic faith. And her latest one does just that. She has put together entertaining word finds, crossword puzzles, color-by-number puzzles, and crack-the-code puzzles that will teach children about Advent and Christmas, all the while emphasizing the real meaning of the holiday. An added advantage is that the activities are tied to the lectionary for all three cycles. The activities are clever and challenging and are illustrated with charming, inviting art work. The sheets themselves are reproducible and are aimed at children from kindergarten through third grade.  Highlights:  an attractive, reasonably priced book;  reproducible pages;  perfect for home, school, or church use;  tied to all three cycles of the lectionary

The Solemnity of Christ the King

Click on the links below to download each item

• Sunday’s Gospel
• Coloring Page
• Mass Worksheets – 7-10, 11-14
  
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests
• Word Search – Puzzle, Solution
• Crossword – Puzzle
  Solution: Across – 1.  King;  3.  voice;  Down – 1.  kingdom;  2.  Jews
  
• Lesson Plan

Extra activities:

• Advent at CatholicMom.com
• 2009 Printable Advent Chain
• Advent Wreath File Folder Game
  • Advent Wreath Game Board
  • Advent Wreath Cards Younger
  • Advent Wreath Coloring Sheet
  • Advent Wreath Directions
  • Advent Wreath Directions Younger
  • Advent Wreath Question Cards
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests
• Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
• Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
• To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB – Charity in Truth (Caritas In Veritate)

Pre-K Lesson Plans:

We will be providing weekly Pre-K lesson plans this year. These do not coincide with the Sunday Liturgy of the Word, but are specifically created for Catholic Pre-K learners.

• Advent
• Thank You God! (Terrific for Thanksgiving!)
• Joshua and Jericho
• Moses
• Joseph and His Wonderful Coat
• Prayer – I Can Talk to God
• Noah’s Ark
• Adam and Eve
• God Made Me and I’m Special
• Creation Day Seven – On the Seventh Day God Rested
• Creation Day Six – Animals on Land and Man
• Creation Day Five – Creatures in the Seas and Sky
• Creation Day Four – Sun, Moon and Stars
• Creation Day Three – Seas, Lands and Plants
• Creation Day Two – God Created the Sky
• Creation Day One – God Created Light

Religious Education Resource Articles:

• Timelines
• Story Sequencing Activities
• Assessing Student Progress
• Using Technology in Your Classroom
• How to Keep Disruptive Behavior Down to a Minimum
• Organize Your Materials
• Introductory Letter to Parents
• Lesson Planning
• Discipline in the Classroom
• Helping Hands Chart
• Special Needs Students – Information to Gather from Parents
• Preparing Your Religious Education Classroom

Featured Products:

Thank you for your support of CatholicMom.com

Advent, Christmas Epiphany in the Domestic Church – Great activities to celebrate these important liturgical seasons with our families, students, and parishes.

This photo is a Catholic Mom’s desperate attempt to catch her eighth grade son in all his line-dancing glory!  Unfortunately, Adam’s moves were too smooth for me to capture with a camera, but the blur you see in the center of this photo was the evening’s best line dancer (not that I’m biased at all!)

Read more about our wonderful tradition of Christmas pageants over at Faith and Family Live! in my post today.  I would love to hear about the way your school or homeschooling group celebrates the Christmas season in song and celebration!

Many thanks to Deacon Tom Fox for sharing this lovely icon of Our Lady of the New Advent.  Listen to Deacon Tom’s message on Catholic Moments #83 to contemplate Mary’s role in our lives during this season of Advent.

Click here for additional details on “Merry Christmas, New York City”

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Hi everybody and welcome to this week’s Catholic Mom video.  Each week on Sunday, I hope to share with you news and information about happenings at CatholicMom.com via this brief video format.

If you have news or information to share, drop a comment below or email me anytime.  I’d love to make this yet another way to celebrate the wonderful work so many of you are doing to share our faith and uplift families.

The following links and books were discussed in this week’s video:

• Catholic New Media Advent Calendar
• My Advent Calendar
• Still Going It Alone: Mothering With Faith and Finesse When the Children Have Grown by Michele Howe
• The Domestic Church: Room by Room A Mother’s Study Guide by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle
• Grace Cafe Serving Up Recipes for Faithful Mothering by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle
• Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2009 (Sacred Space)

The feast will need to take place midday, since Eric has an orchestra concert tomorrow night. I’m contemplating a variety of “purple” food to compliment this lovely penitential produce.  One potential menu item is Fr. Leo’s Purple Sauce.  Does anyone have a great cauliflower recipe to share?

Here’s the one I’m considering:

Ingredients:

* 1 head cauliflower
* 1 bunch broccoli
* 2 small onion, sliced and separated
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 1/3 cup vinegar
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preparation:
Wash and trim broccoli and cauliflower. Break cauliflower and broccoli into florets. Combine remaining ingredients except bacon. Toss gently and chill several hours or overnight Garnish with bacon.

Recipe Source

What are your plans for celebrating the First Sunday of Advent?