The “Ember Days” are 3 days that happen quarterly throughout the year in the life of the Church, to mark the changing of the natural seasons. These are days of prayer, fasting, and historically, had been followed by priestly ordinations. The winter Ember Days which occur the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following the feast of St. Lucy.

During each set of Ember Days, we pray for a particular prayer intention of the Church, and each intention pertains both to the natural world and the sacramental world. Throughout the winter Ember Days, we will be praying for the olive harvest and thanking God for the gifts of olives. Olives provide the Church with oil which is used for the anointing in various sacraments. In the Eastern Church, where oil lamps are used in place of candles for various liturgical purposes, olive oil is the fuel for the lamps. And oil can also serve as a reminder to us of Christ, as the word “Christ” translates to “anointed One.”

Olives are also incredibly important throughout Scripture. The olive branch is a sign of peace, most notably in the story of Noah on the ark as he waits the floodwaters to recede. Olives are also a symbol of fruitfulness throughout Scripture, and just as we use the oil for anointings today, it was used for anointing throughout Biblical times as well.

Below is a prayer taken from the blessing palm and olive branches for Palm Sunday, but would be a suitable blessing for an olive tree during the Ember Days.

“Let us pray. We beseech Thee, O Holy Lord, Father almighty, and everlasting God, that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to bless and sanctify this creature, the Olive tree, which Thou hast caused to shoot forth from the substance of wood, and which the dove, returning to the ark, brought in its mouth. May all who receive it receive protection of soul and body, and may it become, O Lord, a saving remedy and a sacred sign of peace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who with Thee . . . world without end. Amen”

(Other prayers that could be used would be the Blessing of the Harvest, and the Blessing of an Orchard or Vineyard. If you would like to pray the traditional prayers of the Ember Days, you can find the readings on the Catholic Culture website.)

Olive trees may be partial to warm climates, but even where our family resides in Zone 5 of the U.S.A., we are able to purchase olive trees from the store. My husband was able to find one at a Tractor Supply Store a few years back. Before we moved to our homestead, I successfully grew potted plants indoors, but since we purchased our homestead, I have struggled greatly to keep plants alive… except the olive tree. They are incredibly drought-tolerant (meaning, they survive fine if you forget to water them for an extended period of time). Ours still looks quite small, but I admit that I do not water it regularly, and I’ve pruned it several times in order to help it to grow upwards. I’s tall enough now, that I should be able to shape the branches of it. So, even those of us in regions not suited to the growth of olive trees can have success in growing this plant, and it can serve as a reminder to us of holy aspects of this tree and its fruit.

As we pray during these Ember Days, let us not forget to fast and also pray for those who are entering or discerning the priesthood. I know there are some diocese throughout the states with high numbers of ordinations, and that there are places in the world where there are an abundance of priests, but I also know there is a large shortage of priests in other areas. In my own diocese, the numbers of new priests being ordained is not keeping up with the number of priests retiring and passing away each year. The Church would be greatly benefitted by an increase of priestly vocations, and it seems little surprising that there are such shortages when times that have once been set aside for such intentional prayers for priests are no longer practiced widely or regularly.

We know that our prayers are strengthened by the practice of fasting by reason of witness and, of course, Scripture. Jesus tells us in Mark 9:29 and Matthew 17:21 that certain demons can only be driven out by prayer and fasting. We see the importance of fasting in Isaiah 58:6, Ezra 8:21-23, and Joel 2:12-19, as well as in numerous other Scripture verses. The focus of the fast may vary from case to case, but in each case, it helps us to detach from the earthly things of life and focus on the heavenly. Advent may already be a time of fasting, but what better way to increase our preparations for the coming of the Anointed One than to pray and fast for the fruit of the olive tree, the fruit used in anointing?

May your Advent be fruitful and this season of Ember Days be a time of deepened prayer and reflection as we approach the celebration of the Incarnation of our Lord, Christmas Day.

In Christ,
Danielle