Advent Meditations: Saturday 16 September

Dec 16, 2023 by Jill

ON THE LITURGICAL CALENDAR –  Ember Days – The Ember Days of Advent, Week III (Wed, Fri, and Sat of this week are excellent opportunities to focus on several topics addressed in the meditations for the last two weeks. The Ember Day is originally tied to the earth, to the birth and growth of crops, a new meaning was given to them by the fifth century: the Ember Saturdays became the quarterly dates for the ordination of deacons and priests. Thus, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays became days of fasting and supplication not just for the earth, but for the Church, for its ministers and ministry. They became a time to pray for the Church, for the community, and for grace on the journey.

MEDITATION – On this Ember Day as we have done in past years  I thought perhaps rather than offer a modern voice on the theme for the day perhaps a meditation taken directly from one of the great spiritual voices of the second millennium St. Francis De Sales. The meditation is from his classic work: An Introduction to the Devout Life,  Part 4, Chapter 15:

I would have you observe:–

1. That God is wont to give some foretaste of His heavenly joys to beginners in His Service, the better to wean them from earthly pleasures, and to encourage them in seeking His Divine Love, even as a mother attracts her babe to suck by means of honey.
2. That nevertheless it is the same Good God Who sometimes in His Wisdom deprives us of the milk and honey of His consolations, so that we may learn to eat the dry substantial bread of a vigorous devotion, trained by means of temptations and trials.
3. That sometimes very grievous temptations arise out of dryness and barrenness, and that at such times these temptations must be steadfastly resisted, inasmuch as they are not of God; but the dryness must be patiently endured, because He sends that to prove us.
4. That we must never grow discouraged amid our inward trials, nor say, like Geoffroy, “I shall never be glad;” but through the darkness, we must look for light; and in like manner, in the brightest spiritual sunshine, we must not presume to say, “I shall never be sad.” Rather we must remember the saying of the Wise Man, “In the day of prosperity remember the evil.” (1) It behooves us to hope amid trials, and to fear in prosperity, and in both circumstances always to be humble.
5. That it is a sovereign remedy to open our grief to some spiritual friend able to assist us.

And, in conclusion, I would observe that here, as everywhere, our Gracious God and our great Enemy are in conflict, for by means of these trials God would bring us to great purity of heart, to an entire renunciation of self-interest in all concerning His Service, and a perfect casting aside of self-seeking; but the Evil One seeks to use our troubles to our discouragement, so as to turn us back to sensual pleasures, and to make us a weariness to ourselves and others, in order to injure true devotion.

But if you will give heed to the above instructions you will advance greatly towards perfection amid such interior trials, When this is the case, you must always remember to make marked acts of virtue with your higher will, for, although your whole soul may seem to be sunk in drowsy weariness, such mental efforts are acceptable to God.

From this we should learn that God’s greatest servants are liable to such trials, so that less worthy people should not be surprised if they experience the same.

PRAYER: Almighty God, the giver of all good gifts, in your divine providence you have appointed various orders in your Church: Give your grace, we humbly pray, to all who are called to any office and ministry for your people; and so fill them with the truth of your doctrine and clothe them with holiness of life, that they may faithfully serve before you, to the glory of your great Name and for the benefit of your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Spiritual Discipline/Activity – The Ember Days are celebrated with fasting (no food between meals) and half abstinence, meaning that meat is allowed at one meal per day. (If you observe the traditional Friday abstinence from meat, then you would observe complete abstinence on an Ember Friday.) If you cannot fast because of health or lifestyle concerns consider praying the litany for the church. For those who see a more reformed spirituality go to http://www.covenantnetwork.org/sermon&papers/wilkinson2.html  for those who have a more catholic approach http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litany_of_humility

ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “God is glorified by our serving Him in our proper vocations.- — Charles Spurgeon

SONG OF THE DAY: ·Send Me Send Me Sung by Bethel Music and Jenn Johnson

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