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shark76z
Guest
I will be attending a Catholic Tenebrae service on Friday and I know what to expect. But, how do I explain what happens to my Southern Baptist friends who have never even heard the word “Tenebrae” before?
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brina1416
Guest
This a good time to educate your friends.I’ve been a Catholic for almost three years and this Thursday I will be attending my first Tenebrae mass and I’m really looking forward to it. Just go to it and explain to your friends what you’ve experienced.
J
japhy
Guest
First: the Tenebrae service is a mournful and somber service which generally consists of the singing of psalms and other passages of Scripture, punctuated by the extinguishing of candles one at a time. The final candle is not extinguished but hidden, at which point there is a great noise made in the church (where I attended Tenebrae, this was done by banging hymnals against the pews) to simulate the earthquake and disarray that occurred at the moment of Jesus’ death. After a long silence, that one candle is brought back out.I will be attending a Catholic Tenebrae service on Friday and I know what to expect. But, how do I explain what happens to my Southern Baptist friends who have never even heard the word “Tenebrae” before?
Second: ask your Southern Baptist friends where the word “Calvary” came from – it’s a popular word for Baptists… their congregations are often called “Calvary Chapel” or “Calvary Temple”. It came from the Latin Calvariae locus, “the place of the Skull”. Tenebrae is a Latin word meaning “darkness, shadows, gloom”.
P
paperwight
Guest
I’m so sorry if this seems like quibbling, but it really is important.This a good time to educate your friends.I’ve been a Catholic for almost three years and this Thursday I will be attending my first Tenebrae mass and I’m really looking forward to it. Just go to it and explain to your friends what you’ve experienced.
It will most definitely NOT be a Mass.
Good Friday is the only day in the whole year Mass is not offered, as Our Lord’s death takes the place of Mass, so to speak.
D
Dicerning
Guest
Tebebrae is Not a Mass and it is generally no longer celebrated by the Church. I am not certain but I don’t even think the vatican celebrates tenebrae. However Most parises that continue the practice do it on Wednesday evening of Holy week.
Its rubrics come form the EF of the LOH.
I claim no expertise on tis topic and welcome any corrections.
Its rubrics come form the EF of the LOH.
I claim no expertise on tis topic and welcome any corrections.
J
Justin1224
Guest
Tenebrae is still celebrated by the church. When I was in high school, my parish has a Tenebrae service on Good Friday evening. We has our Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at 3 pm and then Tenebrae at 7. We also had Tenebrae at Magdalen a couple times when I was a student there.
O
OraLabora
Guest
Umm, Holy Saturday too, unless you consider the Easter Vigil to be part of “Saturday”, but it isn’t, liturgically.I’m so sorry if this seems like quibbling, but it really is important.
It will most definitely NOT be a Mass.
Good Friday is the only day in the whole year Mass is not offered, as Our Lord’s death takes the place of Mass, so to speak.
J
JerrySeibert
Guest
Shark beautiful service. Your Souther Baptist friend would like it. It would be closer to the way they celebrate Mass.
P
paperwight
Guest
The Baptists do not celebrate Mass, and would be horrified to hear that anyone thought they did.Shark beautiful service. Your Souther Baptist friend would like it. It would be closer to the way they celebrate Mass.
Where did you get that idea?
C
Cat
Guest
A lot of Protestant churches do a “tenebrae” service, so this will not necessarily be offensive to your Baptist friend. We did tenebrae services waaaay back when I was a teenager (in the 70s) in my Baptist church.
The last Protestant church that I was a member of (for seven years) was an Evangelical Free church, and THEY did a tenebrae service on Good Friday. The EFrees are not known for their tolerance of Catholicism, and yet, they had no trouble borrowing this ancient practice and doing a worship service using it. They considered it a Christian practice, not a “Catholic” practice.
The Emergent Church movement has introduced a lot of the ancient traditions and practices of the Christian Church back into Protestant worship services. Candles, chanting, lectio divina, repetitive prayers, veiling of women, written prayers, periods of silence, even confession, are just some of the practices that can be seen in Protestant churches. Tenebrae is one of these practices that many Protestant churches have tried.
I should warn you that some Protestant and Protestant groups are strongly protesting the Emergent Church movement and the introduction of “Romanish” practices. These critical groups and people claim that the use of “Catholic” practices will put Christians on the “Road to Rome.” (I think they’re right, but I think that’s a good thing!)
Perhaps your Baptist friend is one of those who is critical of the Emergent Church. If this is the case, he will see the tenebrae as something Catholic but not necessarily Christian. OTOH, if your Baptist friend is supportive of the Emergent Church movement, he may see tenebrae as something that Protestants do, too, because it is a Christian practice, not just a Catholic practice.
At any rate, explain EVERYTHING, and use the BIBLE (the PROTESTANT Bible) to explain it. That’s the only thing that will impress him–if it’s in the Bible. He will not care about history, traditions, or ancient rituals. Southern Baptists are people of the Book. Do your homework in advance and be ready to use HIS Bible to find the passages that demonstrate what tenebrae is and why we do it.
The last Protestant church that I was a member of (for seven years) was an Evangelical Free church, and THEY did a tenebrae service on Good Friday. The EFrees are not known for their tolerance of Catholicism, and yet, they had no trouble borrowing this ancient practice and doing a worship service using it. They considered it a Christian practice, not a “Catholic” practice.
The Emergent Church movement has introduced a lot of the ancient traditions and practices of the Christian Church back into Protestant worship services. Candles, chanting, lectio divina, repetitive prayers, veiling of women, written prayers, periods of silence, even confession, are just some of the practices that can be seen in Protestant churches. Tenebrae is one of these practices that many Protestant churches have tried.
I should warn you that some Protestant and Protestant groups are strongly protesting the Emergent Church movement and the introduction of “Romanish” practices. These critical groups and people claim that the use of “Catholic” practices will put Christians on the “Road to Rome.” (I think they’re right, but I think that’s a good thing!)
Perhaps your Baptist friend is one of those who is critical of the Emergent Church. If this is the case, he will see the tenebrae as something Catholic but not necessarily Christian. OTOH, if your Baptist friend is supportive of the Emergent Church movement, he may see tenebrae as something that Protestants do, too, because it is a Christian practice, not just a Catholic practice.
At any rate, explain EVERYTHING, and use the BIBLE (the PROTESTANT Bible) to explain it. That’s the only thing that will impress him–if it’s in the Bible. He will not care about history, traditions, or ancient rituals. Southern Baptists are people of the Book. Do your homework in advance and be ready to use HIS Bible to find the passages that demonstrate what tenebrae is and why we do it.
M
mary_bobo
Guest
You might tell your friends that Tenebrae (darkness or shadow) is a Holy Week devotion that dates back tothe seventh or eighth century. No service during the entire church year is more biblical. Almost every word is taken verbatim from the scriptures. Your Baptist friend should like that.
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wloogs
Guest
I would just say that it is an **ancient **church service celebrated on Good Friday Evening using the Lamentations from Sacred Scripture, remembering the death of the Lord and the darkness that comes with death. It is no longer celebrated. There is no need for it to be celebrated with the proper celebration of the Triduum. Easter Vigil celebrates the darkness of death being overshadowed by the light of Christ’s Resurrection (see the words to the Exultet (darkness vanishes forever)). There is no such thing as a “Tenebre Mass”. The Triduum begins at sundown on Holy Thursday and concludes with Evevning Prayer Easter Sunday.
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