Tenebrae

This holy week, join us for an ancient, mystical, and profound prayer experience. "With a dimly-lit church, a rarely-seen candle holder, somber tones, and a candle hidden behind a curtain or the altar, Tenebrae is a unique and special liturgy in the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. (...) The only light traditionally came from the Tenebrae hearse, or large candle holder. (...) the top candle, which symbolizes Our Lord Jesus Christ. After each of the Psalms (...) the bottom-most candle is extinguished, alternating sides.Not only does this rubric slowly bring the church closer to complete darkness, and the time in the Office when the death of Our Lord is commemorated, but it provides a stark visual that Our Lord is slowly but surely left alone in the darkness of the world, fraught with sin. At the end of the final lesson, the final candle is removed by a server (...) hidden (...), signifying the burial of Our Lord in the tomb. A noise is made, symbolizing the earthquake at the Crucifixion."

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