Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 states, “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to give birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant…” The inspired writer offers many examples, but the planting-and-harvesting image fits especially well. The Catholic Church moves through the year with a rhythm of feasts and fasts. While many Catholics still celebrate days like the Transfiguration of the Lord or St. Nicholas Day, they have quietly let other feasts fade from popular practice.

One such tradition is the observance of Ember Days. Known in Latin as Quatuor Tempora (“four times”), these are sets of three days—Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday—kept at the start of each of the four seasons. They are not holy days of obligation, but they give Catholics a unique way to mark the changing seasons with prayer, fasting, and gratitude.