16 April 2025
Midday Prayer 11:50 am
Mass 12:00 noon
First Tenebrae: Matins and Lauds of Maundy Thursday 6:00 pm
COLLECT
Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
TENEBRAE
The name Tenebrae (Latin for darkness or shadows) has for centuries been applied to the ancient monastic night and early morning services (Matins and Lauds) of the last three days of Holy Week, which in medieval times came to be celebrated on the preceding evenings.
A feature of these offices is the gradual extinguishing of candles and other lights in the church until only a single candle, understood as a symbol of our Lord, remains. Towards the end of the service this candle is hidden, representing the apparent victory of the forces of evil. These offices are extremely introspective, and the psalms feature prominently.
DISCIPLINE and SELF-DENIAL
The weekdays of Holy Week are days of fasting and abstinence in commemoration of our Lord’s passion and death.
