Tenebrae- A Service of Darkness

On March 29, the Monday evening of Holy Week, St. Joseph’s Church celebrated Tenebrae at 7pm. Tenebrae, a service of shadows commemorating Christ’s Passion, has a long history in the Catholic Church and is also often celebrated in some form in other Christian faiths during Holy Week.

Nearly 1000 years ago, Tenebrae was originally held after midnight but later held at a variety of times. Tenebrae would be sung each day of the Triduum in a church lit only by 15 candles. These were extinguished one by one until the church was left in darkness.

At that point, a loud noise (“strepitus”) would be produced – sometimes by slamming a hymnal or other book shut, sometimes by stomping on the floor – symbolizing the earthquake after Christ’s death. Following the “strepitus, all would depart in silence.

Like the “lessons and carols” services familiar at Christmas, Tenebrae consists of hymns and readings, the ones proper to Morning and Evening prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours for the days of the Triduum. Until the mid-1950s, nearly every parish in the United States sung Tenebrae on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Today, churches with Tenebrae services usually sing them once, on a Lenten evening – not necessarily during the Triduum.

In addition to singing select Psalms of the Liturgy of the Hours, our Tenebrae Service will include the reading of Scripture and selections from a sermon by St. John Chrysostom, as well as, choral responses that invite reflection on these readings.

All are invited to celebrate this evening and continue the meditation on the Passion of our Most Beautiful Savior that begins with His triumphant entrance into Jerusalem and quickly turns to the depth of his suffering in the reading of the Passion on Palm Sunday. Enter into the darkness with Jesus. Let this be a new tradition that enhances your Holy Week.