Tenebrae at St. Joan of Arc

After Good Friday Service, St. Joan of Arc had a Tenebrae Service.
This was quite a different kind of Tenebrae.  There was no loud banging at the end when the Christ Candle  is hidden.  Actually, they blew out the Christ Candle.  The readings and the responses, which were sung, were different.  It seemed a rather cheerful Tenebrae then what I've experienced before.

First Reading:  Lamentations 3:1-6
First Response:  Amazing Grace

2nd Reading:  Isaiah 50:4-9
2nd Response:  What Wondrous Love

3rd Reading: Phil 2:5-11
3rd Response:  Beautiful Savior

4th Reading:  John 19:25-27
4th Response:  Stabat Mater

5th Reading:  Matthew 27:39-43
5th Response:  Adoramus Te

6th Reading:  Mark 15:33-39
6th Response:  Silence

7th Reading:  1 Peter 2:21-25

Then everyone recited the Our Father.
It was beautifully done, just more cheerful...

Pictures:

Tenebrae at the New Cathedral

After Mass at St. Mary Magdalen, I hurried to the New Cathedral to catch the Tenebrae Service with the seminarians chanting.  I got to the Cathedral as the Eucharistic Prayer was starting.  The Cathedral didn't have bells at the Consecration, they had this clacker noise maker thing.  During the Eucharistic Procession, one of the Fathers rattled as they walked.  I imagine it sounded much rather like a 4x4 or cross being dragged across a stone/cobblestone path....  It was striking and rather eire.

As the Altar was stripped, the choir chanted Psalm 21.  They chanted from the side.  The sanctuary was essentially empty except for the Tenebrae candle holder.

All the antiphons were sung by the schola cantorum.  For the psalms and canticles, the cantor chanted a verse, then we chanted the next verse.

So the actual Tenebrae started with Psalm 2.
The first Lesson is from Lamentations (3:1-11)
Then came Psalm 37
The second Lesson was from the catechesis of St. John Chrysostom.
Followed with Psalm 50
Then the Canticle of Habakkuk (3:2-4,13a,15-19).
Then Psalm 147
Then the canticle of Zachary (Luke 1:68-79)
The service concluded with the Our Father.

The seminarians and the cleric (?) that chanted Lamentations all did an awesome job.  It was very moving.


Picture:

The Christ Candle

Links:
Same picture from Rome of the West

Tenebrae at St. Mary Magdalen - Brentwood

On Wednesday, 4/20, I attended the 7 pm Tenebrae service at St. Mary Magdalen in Brentwood.  It was different from the Tenebraes I attended last year.  Father started off with an explanation of the Tenebrae and how the candles being extinguished represented the apostles, and us, abandoning Jesus one by one.   Father read a variety of reading from the Office.  At various points, candles were extinguished.  The Christ Candle was taken out and then there was the loud banging to symbolize the rolling of the stone closing the tomb.

It was a very nice, solemn service.

Pictures:
Note:  There were many statues, but they were covered up for Passiontide.

St. Mary Magdalen 

Close Up of Painting

Window on back wall.

I think that is the Risen Christ in the window.

Maybe appearing to St. Mary Magdalen?

Station VIII

Links:
Website of St. Mary Magdalen Brentwood
Pictures from Rome of the West