Let us fast on Ember Days for priestly vocations

By Rev. Vincent Woo, J.C.D.

The content of this piece is drawn from Father Vincent Woo’s article titled “Historical Development of the Times of Ordinations: A Proposal to Revitalize Ember Saturday Ordinations,” which was originally published in The Jurist 79 (2023) 459-506.

Archbishop Patrick William Riordan was ordained to the priesthood on June 10, 1865, while Archbishop John Joseph Mitty became a priest on Dec. 22, 1906. What is common between these two dates? Both days are designated as days of fasting and prayer for vocations in the Church, known as Ember Days. Why do I write about Ember Days? Because I want to invite you to pray and fast for vocations!

Communal fasting before ordinations is deeply scriptural. The Acts of the Apostles records: “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13:2-3). Moreover, after the Apostles appointed elders in every church, “with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they believed” (Acts 14:23). In light of the scriptural connection between fasting and ordinations, the Church chose Ember Days to confer ordinations.

Ember Days are historically the seasonal fasts of the Roman Church. From apostolic times until 1966, Catholics were universally bound to fast on the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: (1) in the first week of Lent, (2) in the week following Pentecost, (3) in the third week of September, and (4) in the third week of Advent, respectively. The original purposes of these fasts are to give thanks to God for harvests and atone for sins. Since the fifth century, the Church has added another purpose to Ember Days: the entire people of God pray and fast for three › days—Wednesday, Friday and Saturday—for candidates of ordinations.

What are the three reasons behind the Ember Day fast before ordinations? First, our supplications to God are more powerful when coupled with fasting. Second, fasting for the clergy is a way for us to express our gratitude to them in a spiritual manner. Third, fostering priestly vocations is not just the work of bishops and vocation directors; it is a task that every Catholic should engage in on a regular basis.

Although the practice of associating Ember Day fasting with ordinations had been in existence since the fifth century, it was gradually relaxed beginning in the 19th century. Local bishops began asking the Apostolic See for dispensation from this requirement. For example, in the 1940s, the U.S. bishops were granted permission to confer ordinations on some Saturdays in May for convenience, as the Pentecost Ember Saturdays sometimes did not align with the end of the academic year. Slowly, the intrinsic association between Ember Day fasting and ordinations began to fade out. In 1963, Paul VI allowed bishops to confer ordinations anytime, as long as a pastoral advantage would require. With Ember Days no longer prescribed in the universal law as an obligation since the 1960s, conferring ordinations on Ember Saturdays seems to be a distant memory of the past.

However, the American bishops actually encourage the faithful to fast on Ember Days voluntarily, without imposing any legal obligation (NCCB Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence, no. 17). This little-known fact has been rediscovered recently, leading to a revival of Ember Days in certain American dioceses.

For instance, the Diocese of Syracuse is a pioneer in restoring the Ember Day connection with vocations. Bishop Douglas Lucia of Syracuse established the Year of Vocations starting in Advent 2020. He granted partial indulgences to any faithful engaged in prayer and fasting for vocations. Each Ember Tide, which represents a series of days that fall on the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after a specific feast day, was dedicated to one of the four vocations: marriage and family, priesthood, consecrated life, and single life. Moreover, each of the four Ember Saturdays was exclusively dedicated to seminarians, and the faithful were invited to pray and fast for them by name.

Brothers and sisters, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Mt 9:38). The historical connection between fasting and ordinations shows us that our prayers for vocations cannot be separated from bodily fasts. As Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone will be ordaining a few seminarians to be transitional deacons in September, I invite you to pray and fast for vocations according to your own capability.

1. On the September Ember Days (falling on Sept. 18, 20 and 21 this year), pray and fast for these seminarians. Perhaps you can choose to have only one regular meal and two small snacks. If your health does not permit, you may consider abstaining from meat on these days instead. Offer up your intentions for these young men.

2. In future Ember Days, consider doing the same thing. Even if there are no ordinations on those Ember Days, it is still a good idea to perform some extra prayer and fasting for priestly vocations. How to find out the exact dates of Ember Days? Just search online!

3. Share this practice with your parish community. We need to promote a culture of vocations through which people are periodically reminded of the importance of praying and fasting for vocations.

Let us pray! Let us do penance! Let us observe Ember Days for vocations!

Father Vincent Woo, J.C.D. is the assistant professor of Pastoral Studies at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University in Menlo Park. In addition to his role in teaching canon law at St. Patrick’s, Father Woo also serves as the priest-secretary to Archbishop Cordileone.