8.210. Why do traditional Catholics observe Rogation Days, Ember Days, and other little-known feasts? Isn’t that just outdated or overly pious?
Traditional Catholics continue to observe Rogation Days, Ember Days, and other lesser-known feasts not because of nostalgia or rigidity, but because these days are part of the rich, sanctified liturgical life handed down by the Church for centuries. These observances are rooted in Sacred Tradition, supported by pre-Vatican II councils and popes, and serve specific purposes in the life of the Church: reparation, thanksgiving, and supplication.
1. What Are Rogation and Ember Days?
Rogation Days (from the Latin rogare, “to ask”) are days of prayer and fasting instituted for the purpose of begging God's mercy, protection from calamities, and blessings on the crops. The Major Rogation occurs on April 25, and the Minor Rogations on the three days preceding Ascension Thursday.
Ember Days occur four times a year at the change of the seasons (approximately during Advent, Lent, Pentecost, and September). They were instituted by the Church to sanctify the seasons and involve prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Traditionally, Ember Saturdays were also days of ordination in the Roman Rite.
2. Apostolic and Historical Roots
Pope St. Leo the Great (d. 461) preached on the importance of Ember Days. Pope St. Gelasius I made them obligatory, and Pope Gregory VII standardized their observance in the 11th century. Rogation Days date back to the 5th century and were widely practiced throughout Christendom by the Middle Ages. Their purpose was both spiritual and practical: to beg God’s protection against famine, natural disaster, war, and disease.
These observances were firmly in place by the time of the Council of Trent, which reaffirmed their use. They were universally observed in the Church for well over a thousand years until Vatican II, which drastically altered or abandoned them in most places.
3. Suppressed After Vatican II
Following the Second Vatican Council, the post-conciliar “reforms” downplayed or entirely removed these penitential days from the general liturgical calendar. The 1969 liturgical changes, promoted by Annibale Bugnini, claimed to “simplify” the calendar, yet in doing so effectively suppressed many traditional observances tied to penance, seasonal rhythm, and agricultural cycles—thus weakening the Church’s sacramental worldview and connection to God’s providence.
4. Why They Matter Today
These days remind Catholics that all creation is under the sovereignty of God. In a world dominated by secularism, climate activism without reference to the Creator, and technological arrogance, traditional Catholics keep these days to remember the right order of things: man must seek the blessing of God for the fruit of the earth, for vocations, for spiritual revival.
The Church Fathers and saints repeatedly emphasized the need for penance and reparation. Our Lady of Fatima herself said, “Many souls go to hell because there is no one to pray and do penance for them.” Rogation and Ember Days are structured opportunities for this.
5. Spiritual Fruits and Ecclesiastical Endorsement
In pre-Vatican II manuals and sermons, Ember Days were considered highly meritorious. The Catechism of the Council of Trent emphasizes penance, fasting, and almsgiving as central to Christian life. Pope Benedict XIV wrote:
“The observance of Ember Days is one of the most ancient and laudable traditions of the Church... Their purpose is to implore divine assistance for the sanctification of the clergy and for fruitful harvests.”
These observances were part of the rhythm of life, just like Lent or Advent, and kept the faithful grounded in seasons of prayer.
6. Vatican II’s Loss of Penitential Spirit
Vatican II’s Novus Ordo calendar nearly eliminated these days, replacing them with vague “optional” observances. The spirit of penance, sacrifice, and reparation was replaced by celebration, humanism, and earthly optimism. But traditional Catholics recognize that the need for penance, conversion, and prayer is greater now than ever.
Pope Pius XII warned in 1943:
“And hence it follows that to ignore or to minimize penance... would result in an impoverished spiritual life and a weakening of the whole Church.”
Below is a comparison on the observance of Rogation Days, Ember Days, and other little-known feasts:
| Category | Traditional Catholic View | Post-Vatican II View | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Prayer, fasting, and penance for mercy and blessing | Optional or rarely mentioned; replaced by social activism | True renewal requires repentance and sacrifice |
| Observance | Mandatory in liturgical life; rooted in Apostolic tradition | Suppressed or forgotten after Vatican II reforms | Loss of structure led to spiritual laxity |
| Spiritual Fruits | Sanctification of time, seasons, and vocations | Focus on earthly goals, community-building | Supernatural focus replaced by naturalism |
| Seasonal Connection | Each season spiritually marked with Ember Days | Disconnected from liturgical and natural cycles | Tradition kept time sacred and spiritually ordered |
| Relevance Today | Needed more than ever for penance and divine favor | Seen as outdated or unnecessary | Our Lady calls for prayer and penance—not innovation |
Summary:
Rogation and Ember Days are not relics of an irrelevant past but treasured days of grace passed down by the Church. They were part of the spiritual life of Catholics for over 1,000 years and had deep biblical, agricultural, and penitential roots. These were times of prayer, processions, fasting, and supplication—designed to keep Catholics mindful of their dependence on God’s providence and their obligation to offer reparation for sins.
After Vatican II, these observances were discarded under the guise of modernization. But in doing so, the post-conciliar “church” cast off a vital connection between the liturgical life and the rhythm of nature, penance, and the sanctification of time. This rupture with tradition coincided with a massive decline in vocations, reverence, and serious Catholic identity.
Traditional Catholics today preserve these practices not out of superstition, but because they know that the Church’s liturgical life is meant to sanctify time, remind us of our need for God, and lead us to heaven through acts of reparation and devotion. They recognize that the Church’s call to “watch and pray” (Matt. 26:41) is not limited to Lent, but must be woven into the yearly cycle.
By returning to these days, Catholics reaffirm their connection to the saints and the Church of the ages. They unite themselves to generations of faithful who walked in humility and sought God’s blessing upon all aspects of life. At a time when the world suffers from moral decay, natural disasters, and spiritual confusion, the cry for mercy and the offering of penance is more urgent than ever.
Traditional Catholics don’t cling to Ember and Rogation Days because they are nostalgic. They observe them because they are true, beautiful, sanctifying, and above all, Catholic.