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“Tenebrae” In the Roman Catholic tradition, “tenebrae” was basically a funeral service for our Lord, after dark on the evenings of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of the Holy Week, as celebration of a combination of the next day’s Office of Reading and Lauds, the first two hours of the Divine Office. The readings are taken from the Book of Lamentations. Each day’s celebration of the “tenebrae” contained 15 psalms, 9 readings, and one canticle, the Benedictus (Song of Zechariah). At the beginning, 15 candles were lit and placed on a special stand known as a hearse, which were extinguished one by one after each psalm. Hence the lighting was gradually reduced throughout the service. The last candle was hidden beneath the altar, ending the service in total darkness. In some places, the use of a strepitus (Latin for “great noise”) was included as part of the service. The great noise was usually generated by slamming a book closed, banging a hymnal or breviary against the pew, or stomping on the floor, symbolizing the earthquake that followed Christ’s death. It has also been described as the sound of the tomb door closing. The custom seems to have originated as a simple signal to depart in silence. Following the great noise a single candle, which had been hidden from view, was returned to the top of the hearse, signifying the return of Christ to the world with his resurrection. In 1955, Pope Pius XII decreed an end of this practice, making an exception only for cathedrals that celebrate the Mass of Chrism in the morning of Maundy Thursday. Sources: http://www.answers.com/
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