Concerning the Service
The name Tenebrae (the Latin word for “darkness” or “shadows”) has
for centuries been applied to the ancient monastic night and early
morning services (Matins and Lauds) of the last three days of Holy
Week, which in medieval times came to be celebrated on the preceding
evenings.
Apart from the chant of the Lamentations (in which each verse is
introduced by a letter of the Hebrew alphabet), the most conspicuous
feature of the service is the gradual extinguishing of candles and other
lights in the church until only a single candle, considered a symbol of our
Lord, remains. Toward the end of the service this candle is hidden,
typifying the apparent victory of the forces of evil. At the very end, a
loud noise is made, symbolizing the earthquake at the time of the
resurrection (Matthew 28:2), the hidden candle is restored to its place,
and by its light all depart in silence.
Provision is made for Tenebrae on Wednesday evening only,
in order that the proper liturgies of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday
may find their place as the principal services of those days. By drawing
upon material from each of the former three offices of Tenebrae, this
service provides an extended meditation upon, and a prelude to, the
events in our Lord’s life between the Last Supper and the Resurrection.