Advent Embertide Blessings

In the liturgical calendar of the Western church, Ember days are four separate sets of three days within the same week, specifically, the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday — roughly equidistant in the circuit of the year, that were formerly set aside for fasting and prayer. These days set apart for special prayer and fasting were considered especially suitable for the ordination of clergy. The Ember Days are known in Latin as the quattuor anni tempora.

The four quarterly periods during which the ember days fall are called the embertides. Here are the readings for the embertide:

Wednesday Readings: (1 Cor iii. 5; St. John iv. 31)
Friday Readings: (1 Peter iv. 7; St. Luke xii. 25)
Saturday Readings: (1 Tim i. 12; St. Matthew xvi. 24)