Lenten Embertide Friday 2020

a poem of mine...

This poem appeared in the most recent issue of Lydwine. The Friday Ember Days commemorate the day Jesus was crucified.

Ember Days began in Rome in the first centuries after Christ, though there’s nothing to indicate exactly when the practice started. As Christianity grew, it had to contend with the many Roman pagan celebrations and practices that were part of daily life, including three seasonal festivals to offer sacrifice to the gods and ask their favor for the harvest. The Ember Days were the Church’s way of sanctifying these festivals. There were three Roman festivals, Feriae sementivae: Feast of Sowing, Feriae messis: Harvest Feast), and Feriae vindimiales: Feast of Wine. The church added a fourth prayer ember week to these three most likely because there are four seasons and because of the four fasting periods in the Book of Zechariah (8:19).

The Ember Friday Gospel is from John, chapter 5:1-15, about the paralytic who is healed at the pool of Bethesda. I love that phrase, “an angel when went down…and troll the water.” Here the Gospel reading from the KJV:

After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.