Wednesday, September 16, 2026 Autumn Ember Wednesday
SMOKE IN THIS LIFE, NOT THE NEXT
Wed, Sep 16 — Ember Wednesday (Pruning) The knife that heals.
Cigar: Oliva Serie G
Drink: Elijah Craig Small Batch
Reflection: What needs pruning to bear fruit?
Ember Wednesday arrives with its ancient sobriety. The Church pauses in the turning of the seasons, asking not for spectacle but for interior clarity. Pruning is never an act of anger; it is the gardener’s mercy. A branch left to itself grows wild, tangled, and fruitless. The knife is not punishment—it is promise.
The saints understood this with unsettling precision. Abbot Simon, fervent yet severe, learned after death what he had refused to learn in life: zeal without gentleness becomes a wound. Forty years of Purgatory were shown to St. Lutgarda, who wept and fasted until his release. Her tears became the pruning he could not perform for himself.
Then comes Innocent III, the towering Pope of Lateran IV. His purgatorial apparition reminds us that holiness does not exempt anyone from purification. Thomas de Cantimpré, reverent and restrained, omits the faults but not the truth. Even great branches require cutting so they may bear greater fruit.
Ember Wednesday invites the same courage. To let God remove what we cling to. To surrender habits that drain strength. To accept that purification is not humiliation but readiness.
The Oliva Serie G burns with disciplined steadiness. Elijah Craig follows with warm depth, a fire that refines rather than destroys. Together they form a quiet liturgy of pruning.
Tonight’s question rises through the smoke:
What must be cut away in me, so that the fruit I bear is worthy of the One who waits for my return?
SEPTEMBER
16 Ember Wednesday Fast
Cornelius and
Cyprian, Martyrs
2 Maccabees, Chapter 14, Verse 22
Judas had posted armed men in
readiness at strategic points for FEAR
that the enemy might suddenly commit some treachery. But the conference was
held in the proper way.
In
our last episode, we saw our Hero Judas, with the help of the All-Seeing
Almighty God, vanquish the enemy. Judas wants peace and returns home, but the
enemy, the devil, never sleeps, and snap, snap, the Syrians invade again. This
time under the leadership of a gangster called Nicanor, a crafty little snake
who wants a peace treaty. In this verse, we see Judas ready and prepared for
any trouble, and his fear is justified.
Making and Breaking
Treaties[1]
"When the Jews heard of Nicanor's coming, and that the Gentiles were
rallying to him, they sprinkled themselves with earth and prayed to Him Who
established His people forever, and Who always comes to the aid of His
heritage." —2 Maccabees 14:15
Nicanor was sent again to
fight Judas (8:9). Instead of fighting, he made a peace treaty and became a
good friend of Judas. But this didn't last long. Soon Nicanor was hunting down
Judas, blaspheming the Temple, and murdering the faithful Jewish elders. "Cursed
is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh"
(Jer 17:5). "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the
Lord" (Jer 17:7).
Prayer:
Father, may I make a peace treaty with You by repenting of sin and surrendering
my life to You.
Promise:
"Therefore, O Holy One, Lord of all holiness, preserve forever undefiled
this house, which has been so recently purified." —14:36
Lesson: When you play
with snakes, they often bite; don’t make treaties with the Devil's children.
Copilot’s
Take
Evil
rarely enters history through open violence at first; it enters through
seduction, convenience, and the promise of ease. The serpent in Eden did not
strike; it whispered. Nicanor did not attack; he negotiated. The RIC (Russia, Iran, and China) axis does
not always wage war; it infiltrates, manipulates, and corrodes. Artificial
intelligence, in its distorted uses, follows the same spiritual pattern. It
offers efficiency, speed, and mastery, yet it can also become a tool for
deception, surveillance, and the erosion of human dignity. The Catechism
teaches that sin embeds itself in structures, systems, and cultural currents,
and AI is now one of those currents — capable of serving truth or amplifying
treachery depending on the spirit that animates it.
The
danger is not the technology itself but the moral vacuum into which it is being
released. When regimes hostile to human dignity harness AI, it becomes an
instrument of control rather than creativity. Russia uses it for
disinformation, Iran for repression, China for surveillance and social
conditioning. This is simply Nicanor’s handshake in digital form — a promise of
cooperation masking a strategy of domination. The Catechism’s teaching on the
“dramatic struggle” of history becomes visible here: the serpent now speaks
through algorithms, the treachery now travels at the speed of light, and the
battlefield has expanded into the realm of data, identity, and perception.
This is why the Michaelmas Ember Days are not antiquated rituals but prophetic necessities. They call for purification precisely at the moment when the world is being flooded with unpurified information.
They summon the faithful to clarity when confusion is being manufactured at industrial scale. Michaelmas reminds the Church that the battle is angelic, not merely technological — that the serpent’s voice, whether whispered in a garden or encoded in a machine, must be confronted by the same heavenly defender. Fasting becomes a counterweight to manipulation; prayer becomes resistance to deception; purification becomes protection against the subtle treachery of a world increasingly shaped by unseen forces.
Artificial
intelligence, when misused, mirrors the same spiritual vulnerabilities that
foreign adversaries exploit. It can distort truth, weaken conscience, and erode
the capacity for discernment. The Catechism warns that scandal can be embedded
in public structures, and AI is rapidly becoming one of those structures. When
a society loses its moral bearings, it becomes susceptible not only to false
treaties and geopolitical manipulation but also to digital illusions that
reshape reality itself. Vigilance becomes not fear but fidelity — the refusal
to surrender the human soul to systems that do not recognize its worth.
Thus,
the rise of AI, the treachery of hostile powers, and the call of the Michaelmas
Ember Days belong to one continuous spiritual narrative. They reveal that the
ancient serpent adapts but does not change, that treachery evolves but does not
innovate, and that the need for purification is more urgent now than ever. To
stand with Michael is to confront deception in every form; to fast with Judas
is to prepare the soul for battles fought not only with swords but with
information; to keep the Ember Days is to guard the house that has been
purified, lest treachery enter again through the glowing screen rather than the
city gate.
Ember
Wednesday[2] The profound importance of total
conversion.
Before the revision of the
Catholic Church's liturgical calendar in 1969 (coinciding with the adoption of
the Mass of Paul VI), the Church celebrated Ember Days four times each year.
They were tied to the changing of the seasons, but also to the liturgical
cycles of the Church. The spring Ember Days were the Wednesday, Friday,
and Saturday after the First Sunday of Lent; the summer Ember Days
were the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Pentecost; the
fall Ember Days were the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
after the third Sunday in September (not, as is often said, after the
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross); and the winter Ember Days were the
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of Saint Lucy (December
13).
The Roman Origin of Ember Days: It's common to claim that
the dates of important Christian feasts (such as Christmas) were set to compete
with or replace certain pagan festivals, even though the best scholarship
indicates otherwise. In the case of
Ember Days, however, it's true. As the Catholic Encyclopedia notes: The Romans
were originally given to agriculture, and their native gods belonged to the
same class. At the beginning of the time for seeding and harvesting religious
ceremonies were performed to implore the help of their deities: in June for a
bountiful harvest, in September for a rich vintage, and in December for the
seeding.
Keep the Best; Discard the Rest: The Ember Days
are a perfect example of how the Church (in the words of the Catholic Encyclopedia) "has always tried to sanctify any practices which could be utilized for a good purpose." The adoption of the Ember Days wasn't an attempt to displace Roman paganism so much as it was a way to avoid disrupting the lives of Roman converts to Christianity. The pagan practice, though directed at false gods, was praiseworthy; all that was necessary was to transfer the supplications to the true God of Christianity.
An Ancient Practice: The adoption of Ember Days by
Christians happened so early that Pope Leo the Great (440-61) considered the
Ember Days (with the exception of the one in the spring) to have been
instituted by the Apostles. By the time of Pope Gelasius II (492-96), the
fourth set of Ember Days had been instituted. Originally celebrated only by the
Church in Rome, they spread throughout the West (but not the East), starting in
the fifth century.
The Origin of the Word: The origin of the word
"ember" in "Ember Days" is not obvious, not even to those
who know Latin. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "Ember" is a
corruption (or we might say, a contraction) of the Latin phrase Quatuor
Tempora, which simply means "four times," since the Ember Days are
celebrated four times per year.
Optional Today: With the revision of the liturgical
calendar in 1969, the Vatican left the celebration of Ember Days up to the
discretion of each national conference of bishops. They're still commonly
celebrated in Europe, particularly in rural areas. In the United States, the
bishops' conference has decided not to celebrate them, but individual Catholics
can, and many traditional Catholics still do, because it's a nice way to focus
our minds on the changing of the liturgical seasons and the seasons of the year.
The Ember Days that fall during Lent and Advent are especially useful to remind
children of the reasons for those seasons.
Marked by Fasting and Abstinence: 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.) As always, such fasting and abstinence has a greater purpose. As
the Catholic Encyclopedia notes, through these activities, and through prayer,
we use the Ember Days to "thank God for the gifts of nature, teach men to
make use of them in moderation, and assist the needy."
The
term “Ember Days” is derived from the Latin term Quatuor Tempora, which literally means “four times.” There
are four sets of Ember Days each calendar year: three days each – Wednesday,
Friday, and Saturday. Ember Days fall at the start of a new season, and they
are ordered as days of fast and abstinence. The significance of the days of the
week is that Wednesday was the day Christ was betrayed, Friday was the day He
was crucified, and Saturday was the day He was entombed. According to the
Catholic Encyclopedia, the purpose of Ember Days, “besides the general one intended by all prayer and fasting, was to
thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in
moderation, and to assist the needy.” [3]
Fall Ember Days[4]
Football games and pumpkin spice
beverages and foods return; Autumn is upon us. Sadly, that is what the fall
season means to so many people. We have lost contact the actual natural signs
of the seasons of the year and turn to manmade expressions as signals for the
change of seasons. But a pumpkin spice latte and football game aren’t true
signals of the season change, because the specially flavored latte tends to
return earlier each year, and added pre-season games blur the true end of
summer and beginning of Fall. Once again, I turn to the Church’s Ember Days as
an aid to looking at nature and the change of seasons and recognizing them all
as a gift from God. Ember Days are a quarterly observance the Wednesday, Friday
and Saturday of one week of each season that “the Church is accustomed to
entreat the Lord for the various needs of humanity, especially for the fruits
of the earth and for human labor, and to give thanks to him publicly.” (Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the
Calendar, 45).
In addition, the Church provides
us two seasons of preparation, Advent and Lent. Both seasons are a time for
change of heart and renewal. But naturally the change of seasons seems to tug
and encourage us for renewal and change (spring and fall cleaning, anyone?).
Although not required, the traditional fasting and abstaining of these days are
an external expression of turning our hearts and focusing back to God.
Practicing Ember Days is not intended to be a backward-looking movement or
living in the past. Ember Days are still a part of the Church’s tradition.
There is an unbroken continuum within the Church’s Liturgy. Ember Days may look
a bit different than pre-Vatican II (but even before 1962 Maria von
Trapp was bemoaning how they were different and disappearing in her
contemporary 1955 America), but the Ember Days are still a part of the Church’s
living tradition. Ember Days are part of the agrarian heritage of our Faith.
The Church recognizes our dependency on God for His gifts of nature. The
Liturgy has reflected this connection with nature and God. Before man become so
civilized, weather, crops, farm animals and the change of seasons were a part
of daily life for everyone. Not everyone lived in rural locations, but there
was a recognition of that connection of the land to our life. The agrarian
connection also recognized that while man could work the land, he can never
control the elements.
Returning to our agricultural
roots brings true humility in remembering man’s role on earth as being
completely beholden to God. The gift of nature is from God, and man is not and
can never be in control of it. While Liturgy always has the balance of the four
forms of prayer: adoration, contrition, thanksgiving and supplication, our
personal prayers tend to lean heavily on the petition form. The Ember Days were
a time dedicated to continuing that petition to help us with our needs,
especially with harvests, but also stressing on giving gratitude to God for His
generous gifts.
The September Ember Days were one of the first Ember Days established, and they are the most prominent of the quarterly days. The Ember Days in September are outside the main liturgical seasons (Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter) and are closest to the Fall Equinox. The Church recognized the pattern of change of seasons and bringing in the harvest man needs to give thanks and renew our hearts. The public practice of Ember Days within the diocese or parish is dependent on the local Ordinary, so there are many locations that do not observe Ember Days at all. But that doesn’t mean that Ember Days can’t be observed in small ways in our domestic churches. There are prayers, food, decorations and activities that can easily be incorporated by your family. Even if no extra external activities or food are added, the Ember Days can be a simple three-day exercise of remembering to look with wonder at our gifts of nature from God, see the connections in our life, and to use this time to turn our hearts in praise and thanksgiving.
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
after the the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, 14 September, are
known as "Michaelmas Embertide," and they come near the beginning of
Autumn (September, October, November). The Lessons focus on the Old Covenant's
Day of Atonement and the fast of the seventh month, but start off with this
prophecy from Amos 9:13-15:
Behold the days come, when the ploughman shall overtake
the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed, and the mountains
shall dop sweetness, and every hill shall be tilled. And I will bring back the
captivity of My people Israel, and they shall build the abandoned cities, and
inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine of them; and
shall make gardens and eat the fruits of them; and I will plant them upon their
land: and I will no more pluck them out of their land which I have given them;
saith the Lord thy God.
Like all Embertides but Whit
Embertide, the Lessons end with the story of the three boys in the fiery
furnace, as told by Daniel.
The Gospel readings recount how Jesus exorcised demons from a possessed boy and
tells the disciples about fasting to cast out unclean spirits (Matthew
9:16-28), forgave Mary
Magdalen (Luke 7:36-50), and healed the woman on the sabbath after telling
the parable of the fig
tree (Luke 13:6-17).
Pope Cornelius
(251-253) was the successor to Pope Fabian. During his reign a controversy
arose concerning the manner of reinstating those who had fallen from the faith
under the duress of persecution. The Novatians accused the Pope of too great
indulgence and separated themselves from the Church. With the help of St.
Lucina, Cornelius transferred the remains of the princes of the apostles to
places of greater honor. On account of his successful preaching the pagans
banished him to Centumcellae, where he died. St. Cyprian sent him a letter of
condolence. At the time of Pope Cornelius there were at Rome forty-six priests,
seven deacons, seven subdeacons, forty-two acolytes, fifty-two clerics and more
than five hundred widows who were supported by the Church (according to
Cornelius' letter to Bishop Fabian of Antioch).
Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus,
illustrious as a pagan rhetorician in Carthage, embraced the true faith in the year 246 and was soon thereafter consecrated priest and bishop of that city (248). He was an energetic shepherd of souls and a prolific writer. He defended the unity of the Church against schismatic movements in Africa and Italy and greatly influenced the shaping of Church discipline relative to reinstating Christians who had apostatized. He fled during the Decian persecution but guided the Church by means of letters. During the Valerian persecution (258) he was beheaded. He suffered martyrdom in the presence of his flock, after giving the executioner twenty-five pieces of gold. St. Jerome says of him: "It is superfluous to speak of his greatness, for his works are more luminous than the sun." Cyprian ranks as an important Church Father, one whose writings are universally respected and often read in the Divine Office. His principal works are: On the Unity of the Church; On Apostates; a collection of Letters; On the Value of Patience.
Around the Corner
Start by celebrating by
making a Mexican-inspired breakfast – whip up some avocado toast and
chilaquiles to honor Mexican Independence Day.
Set aside some time to
reflect on the past and learn about Native American history, in remembrance of
Trail of Tears Commemoration Day.
Plan a potluck dinner
with friends and family for Family and Community Day, where everyone brings a
dish to share.
Whip up a batch of
homemade guacamole on National Guacamole Day, hosting a themed party with
friends or simply enjoying it as a snack.
Indulge your sweet tooth
by baking a fresh loaf of cinnamon raisin bread on National Cinnamon Raisin
Bread Day, pairing it with a warm beverage for a cozy treat.
And finally, pamper
yourself by choosing your favorite chocolates to enjoy on National Choose Your
Chocolate Day – whether it’s rich dark chocolate or creamy milk chocolate,
savor every bite.
Daily
Devotions
Unite
in the work of the Porters of St.
Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: For
the Poor and Suffering
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: September
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
Rosary
THE PAINTED HILLS (1951)
Pal (Lassie) • Paul Kelly • Bruce Cowling • Gary Gray Directed by Harold F. Kress • Metro‑Goldwyn‑Mayer An American Frontier Tale of Loyalty, Greed, and the Dog Who Refuses to Abandon Justice Where Gold Mines Become Moral Crucibles, Frontier Hardship Reveals Character, and a Collie’s Fidelity Exposes the Cost of Human Betrayal.
The 1951 MGM Western The Painted Hills takes the familiar Lassie formula and sets it against the stark moral landscape of the American frontier. Beneath its simple plot—gold discovered, greed awakened, innocence endangered—lies a deeper spiritual truth: loyalty is the frontier’s rarest virtue, and betrayal its most common sin. The dog becomes the conscience of the story, the one creature who cannot be bribed, frightened, or corrupted.
Paul Kelly’s Jonathan Harvey is a prospector of integrity, a man who intends to share his fortune with the family of his deceased partner. Bruce Cowling’s Lin Taylor is his opposite: charming, capable, and hollow, a man whose greed metastasizes into murder. Gary Gray’s Tommy becomes the child caught between them, learning that the frontier is not defined by danger but by the moral choices men make when no one is watching.
Shep—Lassie—moves through the film as its moral center. Her loyalty exposes deceit. Her suffering reveals guilt. Her persistence becomes justice. In a world where men fail, the dog stands.
The Painted Hills becomes a symbolic frontier interior: rugged, unforgiving, and honest. Every ridge, every mine shaft, every cliff becomes a place where truth confronts greed, and where loyalty proves stronger than death.
This is Americana without sentimentality. The danger is greed. The fire is loyalty. The verdict is justice delivered by fidelity.
Film Card — The Painted Hills (1951)
The Painted Hills 1951 • Family Western • Metro‑Goldwyn‑Mayer
A prospector discovers gold, a partner betrays him, and a loyal collie becomes the instrument of justice. Frontier morality, greed, innocence, and the unwavering fidelity of a dog who refuses to abandon the truth. Frontier Justice • Loyalty Under Trial • Greed Exposed
Director Harold F. Kress
Writer Based on Shep of the Painted Hills by Alexander Hull
Stars Pal (Lassie), Paul Kelly, Bruce Cowling, Gary Gray
Studio Metro‑Goldwyn‑Mayer
Themes Loyalty, greed, innocence, justice, moral consequence
1. Production & Cultural Setting
MGM’s Frontier Morality Era Produced during MGM’s run of earnest family Westerns, the film reflects a time when frontier stories carried clear moral stakes.
American Frontier Mythos The Painted Hills becomes a symbol of the soul’s landscape—rugged, exposed, and demanding truth.
Lassie’s Steady Fidelity Pal’s performance anchors the film, reminding viewers that loyalty is the frontier’s most heroic virtue.
Human Shadows Against Natural Grandeur The vast hills expose the smallness of human greed and the greatness of steadfast love.
Moral Simplicity with Weight The stripped‑down setting reveals the soul’s choices plainly: loyalty or betrayal, justice or greed.
2. Story Summary
The Strike Jonathan Harvey discovers gold and intends to share it with his late partner’s family.
The Betrayal Lin Taylor’s greed grows into murder, poisoning trust and endangering Tommy.
The Dog’s Witness Shep senses the crime, suffers for it, and refuses to abandon justice.
The Pursuit The collie tracks Lin into the mountains, exposing guilt through loyalty.
The Resolution Lin falls to his death, and justice is restored—not by violence, but by fidelity.
3. Moral & Emotional Resonances
A. Loyalty Is the Frontier’s True Gold Shep’s fidelity reveals the poverty of human greed.
B. Greed Arrives as Opportunity The lure of gold exposes the soul’s hidden fractures.
C. Innocence Requires Guardianship Tommy’s safety becomes the measure of adult virtue.
D. Justice Is Often Quiet The dog’s persistence becomes the frontier’s moral verdict.
E. Fidelity Outlives Betrayal Loyal love becomes stronger than death.
4. Hospitality Pairing — Drawn From the Film’s Spirit
Food — Frontier, Simple, Honest Cornbread — the miner’s staple. Salt pork — rugged, practical sustenance. Apple pie — the sweetness of home amid hardship.
Drink — Warm, Earthy, Steadying Black coffee — frontier clarity. Bourbon — the fire that refines, not destroys.
Atmosphere — Cabin at Dusk Lighting: Lantern glow on rough‑hewn beams. Sound: Wind across the hills, distant coyotes. Setting: Wooden table, iron stove, worn boots by the door. Symbol: The hills — the soul’s frontier where loyalty proves itself.
5. Reflection Prompts
Where do I remain loyal when betrayal tempts me.
Where has greed disguised itself as opportunity.
Where do I need the dog’s quiet courage.
Where is God asking me to walk the frontier of my heart.
Where does justice require my fidelity.
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