Length Of Tenebrae Service?

[BlyssfulDreamer]

My TLM is having a tenebrae service one day during Holy Week at 8AM. I have committed to being with Our Lord during Holy Hour at my NO parish at 10AM. I have never been to a tenebrae service and was wondering the usual length. I want to make sure I have plenty of time to get to my other church.

Could anyone offer me any ideas? Thank you so much:thumbsup:

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

While someone is answering that question, would you answer another? I just heard about a Tenebrae service recently. Since I’ve never been to one I looked it up online. I got the impression it’s something leading into darkness (snuffing out candles as you go). Wouldn’t that make it an evening service rather than morning?

 

[Caesar]

While someone is answering that question, would you answer another? I just heard about a Tenebrae service recently. Since I’ve never been to one I looked it up online. I got the impression it’s something leading into darkness (snuffing out candles as you go). Wouldn’t that make it an evening service rather than morning?

Tenebrae is composed of the offices of Matins, divided into three Nocturns, and Lauds. In the past these were chanted late at night, in the darkness, on the evenings before Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, and so would end in the early hours of the morning. In more recent centuries Tenebrae was moved to the mornings of these days, but in 1955 Pope Pius XII restored the ancient times for the liturgies of Holy Week (including that of the Easter Vigil).

So it would be perfectly licit to have Tenebrae sung at whatever hours seem appropriate. Most traditional parishes I know of have their Tenebrae services in the late evenings.

In regards to length, I have not yet been to a Tenebrae service (this year will be my first time experiencing the Triduum in the Extraordinary Form), but I do know it takes over an hour to recite as a private prayer, so if the parish in question will be having it sung, with the ancient practices of snuffing out the candles and such, you should expect about 3 hours. It is long, but I hear exceedingly beautiful.

 

[johnnykins]

Tenebrae is composed of the offices of Matins, divided into three Nocturns, and Lauds. In the past these were chanted late at night, in the darkness, on the evenings before Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, and so would end in the early hours of the morning. In more recent centuries Tenebrae was moved to the mornings of these days, but in 1955 Pope Pius XII restored the ancient times for the liturgies of Holy Week (including that of the Easter Vigil).

So it would be perfectly licit to have Tenebrae sung at whatever hours seem appropriate. Most traditional parishes I know of have their Tenebrae services in the late evenings.

In regards to length, I have not yet been to a Tenebrae service (this year will be my first time experiencing the Triduum in the Extraordinary Form), but I do know it takes over an hour to recite as a private prayer, so if the parish in question will be having it sung, with the ancient practices of snuffing out the candles and such, you should expect about 3 hours. It is long, but I hear exceedingly beautiful.

Good+Friday+Tenebrae.jpg (image)

More like 2 - 2.5 hours

 

[MoreThan1Hat]

2 hours plus or minus sounds about right based on what I remember from my (Protestant) childhood. Our church had services every night during Holy Week, a Scripture service on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, then a “Maundy Thursday” communion service, a Good Friday service and Tenebrae on Saturday, with Sunrise service on Easter morning.
I’d like to experience a Catholic Tenebrae service.

 

[BlyssfulDreamer]

Thanks to all for the very good information and help. As it looks I may have to forego the Tenebrae service on that day, but luckily they will be having it the next, so I will be able to make that one.

I appreciate your help.

 

[AJV]

Caesar:

So it would be perfectly licit to have Tenebrae sung at whatever hours seem appropriate. Most traditional parishes I know of have their Tenebrae services in the late evenings.

I’m curious about the practice of Tenebrae in the evening and how it fits into licitly.

Before 1956, and the revised Holy Week, clerics could regularly anticipate both Matins and Lauds. But Maxima Redemptionis, as Caesar noted, shifted the times of the Tenebrae.

During the Sacred Triduum…the following rules are to be observed if the Office is said in choir or in common: Matins and Lauds are not anticipated but recited in the morning at the proper time. However, in churches where the Mass of the Chrism is being said on Holy Thursday morning, the Matins and Lauds of Holy Thursday can be anticipated.

And skipping to 1960, the rubrics forbid the anticipation of Lauds but allow that of Matins. The rubrics was reinforced by a declaration (28/12/60) forbidding anticipation for private recitation as well.

So under what grounds can we say that it is licit for Traditional churches have Tenebrae in the evening? I can see the anticipation of Matins but what about Lauds? Is it a special allowance? I read that some like the ICRSS celebrate the pre-Pian Holy Week- is it linked to this?

 

[Catherine_W]

Tenebrae is composed of the offices of Matins, divided into three Nocturns, and Lauds

.

Hello,

I apologize for my ignorance, but what are “the offices of Matins” and what are “Nocturns and Lauds”?

Thanks for your help!

 

[James0235]

.

Hello,

I apologize for my ignorance, but what are “the offices of Matins” and what are “Nocturns and Lauds”?

Thanks for your help!

Matins and Lauds are part of the Divine Office - the pre-Vatican II Liturgy of the Hours.

In the modern Liturgy of the Hours Matins is knows as the Office of Readings. And Lauds is often called Morning Prayer.

Nocturns are, I believe, a division of Matins. Three grouping of Psalms or Readings called Nocturns make up Matins.

James

 

[AJV]

.

Hello,

I apologize for my ignorance, but what are “the offices of Matins” and what are “Nocturns and Lauds”?

Thanks for your help!

They are part of the Divine Office. The Divine Office is the public prayer of the Church that offers prayer and praise to God at all parts of the day and so sanctifies time. I think it was St. Alphonsus who said that one set of the Divine Office recited well is worth innumerable other prayers.

The Divine Office is divided into the “Major Hours” and the “Minor hours”. The major hours consist of Matins, Lauds and Vespers. Matins is like a “midnight watch” or a vigil. Lauds is praise of God at the dawn. Vespers is praise of God at the sunset.

The “minor hours” are Prime, Terce, Sext, None and Compline. Prime arose as the Morning Prayer of the monks. Likewise Compline was the monastic night prayer. Terce, Sext and None (traditionally prayed at 9am, 12 noon and 3pm) are also semi-monastic practises to recall ones thoughts to God during the day.

Each of the “hours” consists of psalms, hymns, Scripture, responses and prayers.

Matins is the longest “hour”. A “Nocturn” is a unit of Matins. It has psalms followed by readings from Scripture or homilies from the Church Fathers or saints. The readings are broken up by “responsories”.

An example of a responsory is

On mount Olivet he prayed to the Father, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me : * The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.* The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

You can see why it is called a responsory. The second half is repeated.

Three nocturns means 3 units, each with 3 psalms and 3 readings (Scripture/Fathers)

Lauds consists of 4 psalms and a canticle. It gets its name because the last psalm is a “praise” psalm. The format of Lauds is

Opening versicle (“O God, come to my aid”) *
4 psalms + 1 canticle
short Scripture Reading *
Hymn *
Verse and Response
Gospel Canticle- the Benedictus - Lk 1:68-79.
Prayers *
Prayer of the day (Collect)
Concluding versicles *

The asterisked parts are omitted in the Offices from Maundy Thursday-Good Friday as an expression of the mourning of the Church.

My rambling explanation might be clearer than mud if you click here and see the wording of the “hours” for yourself.

Also note that this is dealing with the Traditional Divine Office. The Divine Office after 1970 has a much more simplified format.

 

[Catherine_W]

Thank you all for your explanations.
I am looking forward to attending Tenebrae this Wednesday, this will be my first time to attend!

Thank you