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	Lenten Ember Day Set for March 10 By Ember Day Catholic Sentinel February 26, 2010 http://www.sentinel.org/node/10799 The Ember Day for Lent will be Wednesday, March 10. An Ember Day is set aside for voluntary prayer and fasting. In the Archdiocese of Portland, Ember Days are observed during Advent, Lent and in September. Archbishop John Vlazny reinstituted Ember Days here in 2002 as days of prayer and fasting for victims of child sexual abuse. To fast means to eat only one full meal. The other two meals should be less than the normal amount, unless they are already at the minimum for good health. Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids are allowed. The practice of Ember Days became well defined in the 11th century. Pope Gregory VII intended them as periods for thanking God for the gifts of nature, urging Christians to use the gifts in moderation and look out for the needs of the poor. The practice traces its roots to pre-Christian Roman ceremonies imploring the assistance of deities of the harvest. As in many cases, early Christians sanctified the festivals under their own understanding, says the Catholic Encyclopedia.
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