Today we accompany Jesus in his last hours. We begin a journey into darkness to a place of deep shadows. (read slowly, inviting people into the silence) There is a PowerPoint to accompany this adaptation of Tenebrae with moving clouds to accompany the introduction, an image for each reading, and a candle being extinguished for the end. If you are producing a printed order of service, you may wish to include a powerful image at the end which pupils can look at as they wait to be dismissed. Obviously this needs to work well - if it is likely to descend into laughter and farce it is best left out! But it can be effective, especially as it is followed by silence and dismissal in silence. If you think you can pull it off with your pupils, it may be worth trying: maybe a sustained loud and discordant chord from the organ, or rattles and woodblocks sounded by selected pupils. The 'strepitus' signifies the confusion and terror which accompanies the death of Christ and his burial. It is intended to provide a good lead into the homily or reflection which, it is suggested, reflects on the person of Jesus on the cross and our reactions to that.Ī custom that developed for the liturgy of Tenebrae was the 'strepitus' - this was a loud noise made as the seventh candle was removed and hidden created by banging books on pews and sounding rattles and untuned percussion instruments. The sixth reading is the dramatic portrait of the suffering servant from Isaiah. It is traditional to pause after the words of the fifth reading "Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last." Again pupils need warning that this will happen and why.
#THE OFFICE SCRIPT READINGS HOW TO#
Supervising staff need to be briefed so that they know how to dismiss pupils without speaking and are themselves silent and solemn. Pupils are dismissed in silence (and asked to keep silence until they are outside the church, or wherever) - if this is explained in the homily it can be very effective. It is suggested there are no further prayers, hymns, or blessings.
This should be done in silence and followed by silence. It is also an idea to have all the lights on at the start of Tenebrae and then to put some off as each candle is extinguished until there are no lights on when the seventh candle is hidden.īy tradition, the seventh candle (representing Christ, light of the world) is not extinguished but is solemnly taken from its place and hidden (usually behind the altar). This needs to be given some thought so it is done in a dignified and dramatic way (using a snuffer rather than blowing it out perhaps). It is designed to focus attention and create calm.Īfter each reading, a pupil should come forward and extinguish one candle. It could be read by one or several readers. If you have a procession, you may wish to bring up the seven lit candles and place them on the front of the altar. But starting in silence is also effective and different from the usual liturgy. Again, a hymn may gather the community together. Alternatively, you could begin simply with the priest, or other presider, in place.
If you wish to have a procession to begin the liturgy, a suitable hymn is needed. Notes on the celebration of Tenebrae in schools Matins became the Office of Readings in the revision of the Liturgy of the Hours by the Second Vatican Council. With the 1955 revision of Holy Week, Tenebrae disappeared. Tenebrae was the celebration of the liturgical hours of Matins and Lauds on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday (although often celebrated publically on the preceding evenings). This is how the resources on this website are developed for the benefit of all. If you use this liturgy of Tenebrae, please do let us know how you got on, what you adapted, and, if possible, share any rewrites or ideas you used. Seven readings and the liturgy set out below with a large congregation has a running time of comfortably under 1-hour. The prayers are written for secondary school pupils and may need rewriting for younger children.
#THE OFFICE SCRIPT READINGS FREE#
Please feel free to adapt and rewrite according to your school's needs. It can be dramatic and different and provides a good alternative to Mass for ending the term before Easter. This adaptation of the Liturgy of Tenebrae works well in schools and has an impact on pupils. It involves extinguishing candles one by one as Christ goes through his passion. Tenebrae (meaning 'darkness' or 'shadows') is the morning prayer of the church on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.