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It is one of the oldest offices in the liturgy of the Catholic Church. It features some of the most beautiful music ever written. So why have so many of us never heard of it?Why am l completely in the dark about Tenebrae?During Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum, the three days leading up to Easter, English Catholics have a wonderful selection of Masses and services happening in the traditional rite across the country. Looking at the list though, l realised that Tenebrae — sung from ‘Spy Wednesday’ in Holy Week — has completely passed me and l suspect many...

“We Have Now Received Reconciliation” (Romans 5:6-11)Our text this evening is the same as it was earlier today, a portion of Romans 5. At noon, under the theme “Christ Died for the Ungodly,” we focused on these verses: “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Now tonight we continue on from that point: “Since, therefore,...

“The Light Shines in the Darkness” (John 1:5)Tonight we are doing the traditional Good Friday evening service called “Tenebrae.” The Latin word, “tenebrae,” means “shadows” or “darkness.” This is the Service of the Shadows, the Service of Darkness--increasing darkness, as the service goes along. This reminds us of the darkness that came over the land when Christ was hanging on the cross, the great darkness that occurred when the author of life was put to death. And then his lifeless body was placed in the tomb, and night fell, and all was darkness and shadows. The loud noise at the...

Just returned from the Tenebrae service and thought I would share it with you, since there had been such interest. The Tenebrae is the office of Matins and Lauds sung on the last three days of holy week, with a ceremony of candles. There was a 7 candle candelebra on the altar. The gradual extinction of the candles during the service is accompanied by chorales and narrations. "Tenebrae" is the Latin word meaning "Shadows". The sanctuary is progressively darkened as the candles are extinguished. At the end, only one candle remains burning. This light is removed for a short time,...

TenebræThe Latin word Tenebræ means "darkness." Tenebræ is very ancient service of prayers in the Church which takes place during the darkness of night. Many parishes are now reviving this extraordinarily moving service which consists of three sets of Psalms and verses from the Lamentations of Jeremiah chanted on each of three nights of Holy Week: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. (Originally this was a service of Matins said in monasteries before dawn on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday; but it customarily takes place the evenings before.)The service begins with the nave of the church in darkness, except for...