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Meditation for Ember Saturday:

"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God: whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption." (Eph. iv. 30.)

1st Point.-Love is the fruit of knowledge, and fear is the golden shield which protects love. Consider what a holy, beautiful, precious gift is fear. There can be no deep love without fear. True love must always be based upon reverence, and reverence is but another word for fear. It is said of Jesus, in His adorable Humanity, that "He was heard for His reverence." (Heb. v. 7.) The souls who love most deeply, generally are most full of fear; but it is the fear of intense reverence, not the fear of slavish dread, for that fear is "cast out by perfect charity." He that feareth with the fear of a servant, is not "perfected in charity" (1 John, iv. 18); but he who fears with the reverence of a child, has attained its highest consummation. Oh, let us pray for this golden gift, and give no rest, by our urgent importunity, until we have obtained it!

2nd Point. This fear manifests itself, when most perfect, in an interior dread of "grieving the Holy Spirit of God." It is the fruit of burning love; and in souls who are far advanced in charity, its manifestations are surpassingly beautiful. They speak in their hearts all day long to Jesus, and Jesus speaks to them; not always with evident sensible consolation, but with a distinctness often accompanied with extreme dryness and darkness, which may perhaps be sent as a balance to this unspeakable favor. They scarcely commit an imperfection, ere it is distinctly pointed out to them; and the love that burns so strongly within them, excites their fear, and they suffer, as only such souls can suffer, from intense fear, lest they should grieve their Beloved. To such souls there is no fear like the fear of grieving the object. of their love; yet, because of their familiarity with Him, they are often supposed to fear less than those who love less.

3rd Point. This gift also manifests itself in another form, in souls who are not so much led by personal love to Jesus. In them it is simply fear or awe of God and of His judgments; and such souls walk very blamelessly before Him, but rather from the love of fear, than from the fear of love. Let us pray to-day, as the octave of gifts closes upon us-let us pray above all things for holy fear: God will impart the gift to each soul in the way best suited to promote its perfection. The Spirit is our "seal unto the day of redemption." Oh, let us beware how we break or cast from us that blessed seal! Let us begin a new life of prayer to the Third Person of the ever-blessed Trinity; let us try to convince ourselves firmly of the importance of His office, and of the immense importance of invoking His help daily as our Teacher and our Comforter.

Source: Meditations for Advent and Easter, p 280

Hymns, readings and prayers for this Whit Embertide:

Veni, Sancte Spiritus (Come, Thou Holy Spiritus, come)

Veni, Creator Spiritus, (Come Holy Spirit, Creator Blest)

Readings:

Ember Saturday:

Joel, 2. 28-32

Leviticus, 23. 9-11, 15-17, 21

Deuteronomy, 26. 1-11

Leviticus, 26. 3-12

Saint Paul to the Romans, 5. 1-5

Saint Luke, 4.38-44

Prayers:

An excellent prayer for this purpose is the Litany of the Saints, in which so many bishops, priests, and levites are invoked; or the Rosary may be appropriately said, grouping those for whom we pray into five

classes, corresponding to the five decades.

Litany to Obtain Holy Priests

Prayers for Ember Days:

Listen, Almighty God, we beseech Thee, to the prayers which Thy universal Church offers to Thee at this time, beseeching Thy blessing on those who are about to be admitted to Thy Holy Service of the Altar, in particular on Deacon Nicolas Rapkoch. Give Thy grace to all who are called to any office and administration amongst Thy clergy, and so replenish them with the truth of Thy doctrine, and indue them with innocence of life, that they may faithfully serve Thee, to the glory of Thy great name and the benefit of Thy Holy Church. Amen

O God, of Whose mercies there is no number, and of Whose goodness the treasure is infinite, we humbly thank Thee for the gifts thou hast bestowed upon us. Continue Thy mercy to us, and give us also so much of Thy temporal blessings as Thou knowest to be for our good.
Grant that the fruits of the earth may, by Thy holy favor, increase and multiply. Defend them from all drought, frosts or tempests, or whatever else may be hurtful to them. It is from Thy hand only that we look for succor, and to Thee we have recourse in all our necessities. Amen.

Source: St. John's Manual 1856, Archbishop of New York John J. Hugues