Ember days are the days at the beginning of the seasons ordered
by the Church as days of fast and abstinence. They were
definitely arranged and prescribed for the entire Church by Pope
Gregory VII (1073-1085) for the Wednesday, Friday, and
Saturday after 13 December (S. Lucia), after Ash Wednesday,
after Whitsunday, and after 14 September (Exaltation of the
Cross). The purpose of their introduction, 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 immediate occasion was the
practice of the heathens of Rome. The Romans were originally
given to agriculture, and their native gods belonged to the same
class. At the beginning of the time for seeding and harvesting
religious ceremonies were performed to implore the help of
their deities: in June for a bountiful harvest, in September for a
rich vintage, and in December for the seeding; hence their feriae
sementivae, feriae messis, and feriae vindimiales. 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. When
the fourth season was added cannot be ascertained, but Gelasius
(492-496) speaks of all four. This pope also permitted the
conferring of priesthood and deaconship on the Saturdays of
ember week–these were formerly given only at Easter. Before
Gelasius the ember days were known only in Rome, but after his
time their observance spread. They were brought into England
by St. Augustine; into Gaul and Germany by the Carlovingians.
Spain adopted them with the Roman Liturgy in the eleventh
century. They were introduced by St. Charles Borromeo into
Milan. The Eastern Church does not know them.