“What are Ember Days?”

This past Ember Wednesday, a young boy asked me, “What are Ember Days?”

I hemmed and hawed a bit in my answer, saying I once studied the subject but forgot a lot, but that ordinations to the ministry are an emphasis of Ember Days.

His commendable patience being tried by my efforts, he replied, “It’s okay to say you don’t know.”

I suspect I am not the only one who doesn’t know.  So to be helpful I point my inquisitive readers to a fine essay I came across last night but written a few years ago, “The Glow of Ember Days” by Michael P. Foley.  Another essay by Frank Weathers may be also be helpful.

I will say that there is still some scholarly dispute about the origin of Ember Days.  So the counsel of the boy was wise.

May you have a Blessed Ember Friday and Saturday.