Pentecost Wednesday: Ember Day
Another Octave ramble which might have a couple of surprises.
Back in the day, 5th c or so, Pentecost was enriched with an Octave, thus extending the festal character of the great feast. For a while they were bumped.
In the 11th c. St. Pope Gregory VII, Hildebrand, reinstated them while keeping the festive tone of the Octave.
If the Octave of Pentecost can be abolished for the Novus Ordo calendar, it can be reinstated, just as John Paul II reinstated “Prayers over the people” during Lent.
If the Ember Days can be de facto suppressed through lack of interest and ignorance, they can be reinstated through education and pursuit.
Consider what Gregory VII’s approach to “Eucharistic consistency” (or is it “Eucharistic coherence”…) might be.
Consider what Gregory VII would do about prelates who waffle on morals, who do nothing about schlock worship, etc.
Today’s Roman Station is St. Mary Major, the place traditionally for scrutinies of candidates for ordination. Ember Saturdays were traditionally days for ordinations.
If I had my way, we would call some back for scrutinies! In my day in Rome, before ordination to the diaconate and to the priesthood we had pretty thorough “scrutinies”. We went around a big room from table to where there was a priest/bishop scrutineer who would interrogate us about the material of which he was an expert. These guys were usually professors from the Pontifical Universities.
Because this is an Ember Day, we have, first, two readings from Acts 2 and Acts 5, with a “Flectamus genua” for good measure, and then a Gospel pericope from the Bread of Life discourse in John 6.
Acts 2 relates the descent of the Holy Spirit and then Peter’s preaching with the conversion of many. Peter talks about the wonders people will see.
Acts 5 opens with the sad case of Ananias and Sapphira. Later the Apostles are imprisoned, but angels let them out. When the big shots started to freak out, Gamaliel counseled patience to see if what the Apostles were doing was from God. In this reading, the Apostles work many signs, many cures. Even Peter’s shadow cured. Many believed.
A few points spring to mind, in no special order.
First, Gamaliel counseled patience. If what the Apostles were doing was from God, it would endure and produce good things. If it was not, that would become clear.
Would that today our Whatevers High Atop The Thing would have even a hair’s breadth of such wise patience when it comes to something that really doesn’t need to prove itself because it already had a track record of centuries.
The Vetus Ordo has a track record and the Novus Ordo does not. Rather, the Novus Ordo’s incipient track record isn’t that impressive.
Ratzinger said, way back in the day, and I’ve been saying this for decades, that the two rites (that’s what they are, let’s not kid ourselves) should be freely offered in the best way, most faithful way possible, side by side. People will show us the way forward.
But … progressivists, you see, the catholic Left, liberals (from the Latin “free”, meaning for a liberal you are only “free” to agree with liberals), are afraid of freedom when it comes to that which stands as a bulwark against erosion of doctrine and – wait for it – morals. There is nothing to fear from the Vetus Ordo and the people who want it, unless, that is, you fear large, happy, devout families with many children who participate in the life of the Church, which they love.
Second, Peter’s shadow healed. This struck me as I said Mass in the presence of relics.
The association with holiness, and with the mediated power of Christ, is so mighty that it can effect miracles of healing. A part of a saint’s body or a possession that was a often used and decorous (such as clothing, a writing pen, a holy image or book, a rosary or chalice), and appropriate object which come into contact with them, are considered relics. Miracles can be effected through them. Peter’s shadow healed!
The power of mediation should ever be in our minds. John was the voice and Christ the Word. “He who hears you hears me”. “Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven…”. The priest says, in persons Christi, “This is my Body…”.
Next, Peter’s shadow healed because of his association with and commissioning by the Lord, Light from Light. It is vitally – in the literal sense of that word – important to stay close to the Light source. Holy Church is a Light house for us, as well as the Barque it directs. The farther we get from the light source, the weaker it gets and and fuzzier the shadow or beam. TRADITION keeps us close to the light source. Hence, Tradidi quod et accepi.
To attack Tradition is to attack Christ and His Church. It is suicidal to attack within the Church those who are attracted to Church’s Tradition.
In addition, the Mass texts today shift to different themes. Pentecost and Monday and Tuesday (before Ember Days) all contained protection from harm by the enemy.
Something about the Descent of the Spirit has always twitched at my mind. Acts 2:1 says “they were all together in one place”. But there were quite a few believers at the time, at least 120. All in one place? The upper room wasn’t big enough. BUT… this is the Feast of Weeks, Shavuot!
They were not in the Upper Room. They were in the TEMPLE.
Males were to go to the Temple for the Shavuot – Pentecost – spring harvest festival celebration involving the wave offerings in the Temple of the harvest fruits, loaves baked from the first sheaves. The Temple was certainly “big enough” for all the disciples. And that is where they were! Acts 2:2 says a wind came (the Holy Spirit) and “filled the house”, Greek oikos. Oikos can be house, of course, but it can also mean any building, including the Temple, the house of God (Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46; John 2:16f, (Isaiah 56:5, 7); cf. Luke 11:51; Acts 7:47, 49).
Remember what we read at the end of Luke 24:50-53 and the account of the Ascension of the Lord?
Then [Jesus] led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.
They were continually in the Temple. Why? Among other reasons, Shavuot. When Acts says they were in the “house”, they were in the Temple. Jewish festivals looked back to historical events and they looked forward to something yet to be fulfilled. Shavuot looked back to the descent of God on the mountain in the fiery presence cloud, shekinah, when God gave the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. Shavuot looked forward to the return of the fiery “presence cloud” to the Temple which had departed with the destruction of the first Temple. That’s Pentecost: Shavuot fulfilled. The first fruits this time being the 3000 baptized.
What happens after the mighty wind and tongues of fire? A huge crowd hears Peter’s sermon. Where was that? In the Temple. When did it take place? At 9:00 in the morning. Remember the line about drunkenness?
This was the 3rd hour of the morning and the time of the tamid, the sacrifice of the first of the two daily lambs.
To baptize all those people they would have needed a place with a lot of water. There was such a place nearby, pools for ritual cleansing before going to the Temple.
I am reminded of Ezekiel 6:26:
“A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
A new SPIRIT I will put within you. I will take away this TEMPLE of STONE and give you a TEMPLE of FLESH.
This took place in the Temple which lost the glory cloud of fire of the presence of God. The presence of God as fire returns and settles not in the Holy Holies where the Ark was, but rather on the New Ark, Mary and on the Apostles and, through baptism in the hearts of the new believers, new Temples of the Holy Spirit.
In the Introit of today’s Mass we pray: “O God, when You went forth at the head of Your people, making a passage for them, dwelling in their midst…” A reference to the fire cloud that led the people.
In the Collect we pray something that echoes that image of the guiding freedom-bringing fire: “May the Paraclete Who proceeds from You, enlighten our minds, we beseech You, O Lord, and guide us to all truth, as Your Son has promised.”
In the Second Collect, remember it is an Ember Day with two first readings, we get this. See if it doesn’t bind together my thoughts, above:
Grant, we beseech You, almighty and most merciful God, that the Holy Spirit may come to dwell in us, graciously making us a temple of His glory.
June 2nd 2025
Second, Peter’s shadow healed. This struck me as I said Mass in the presence of relics.
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