Tenebrae Service

[stand]

Enter in Silence

Fr/Deacon; Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit

R; As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Fr/Deacon; The Lord be with you.

R; And with your Spirit.

Fr/Deacon; Almighty, ever-living God, you have given the human race Jesus Christ our Savior as a model of humility. He fulfilled your will by becoming man and giving his life on the cross. Help us to bear witness to you by following his example of suffering, and make us worthy to share in his resurrection. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

R; Amen.

[sit]

Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13,14,17

Psalm 51

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, is[b] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

Responsorial Psalm;

Be Merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; In the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughtly wash me from my guilt And of my sin cleanse me.

R; Be Merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

For I acknowledge my offense, And my sin is before me always Against you only have I sinned, And done what is evil in your sight.

R; Be Merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

A clean heart for me, O God, And steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, And your Holy Spirit take not from me.

R; Be Merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Give me back the joy of your salvation, And a willing spirit sustain in me. O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall proclaimm your praise.

R; Be Merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Fr/Deacon; Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross....

R; ... so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness, is by his wounds we have been healed.

[stand]

the Lord's prayer is whispered softly;

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

[sit]

Reading from the Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet

Lamentations 2:8-11

8 The Lord determined to tear down the wall around Daughter Zion. He stretched out a measuring line and did not withhold his hand from destroying. He made ramparts and walls lament; together they wasted away.

9 Her gates have sunk into the ground; their bars he has broken and destroyed. Her king and her princes are exiled among the nations, the law is no more, and her prophets no longer find visions from the Lord.

10 The elders of Daughter Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have sprinkled dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.

11 My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within; my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.

Fr/Deacon; Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return to the Lord your God!

R; Even my best friend, the one I trusted most, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.

[one candle extinguished]

Lamentations 2:13-15

13 What can I say for you? With what can I compare you, Daughter Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may comfort you, Virgin Daughter Zion? Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you?

14 The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The prophecies they gave you were false and misleading. 15 All who pass your way clap their hands at you; they scoff and shake their heads at Daughter Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?”

Fr/Deacon; Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return to the Lord your God!

R; The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me. Stay here and watch.

[one candle extinguished]

Lamentations 3:1-9

1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of the Lord’s wrath.

2 He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light;

3 indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long.

4 He has made my skin and my flesh grow old and has broken my bones.

5 He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.

6 He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead.

7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with chains.

8 Even when I call out or cry for help, he shuts out my prayer.

9 He has barred my way with blocks of stone; he has made my paths crooked.

Fr/Deacon; Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return to the Lord your God!

R; Behold the hour has come for the son of man to be handed over to the power of sinful men.

[one candle extinguished]

Psalm 27:

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? 4 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. 13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

R; The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom should I fear? The Lord is my refuge; Of whom should I be afraid?

R; The Lord is my light and my salvation.

One thing I ask of the Lord; This i seek: To dwell in the house of the Lord; All the days of my life, That I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord And contemplate his temple.

R; The Lord is my light and my salvation.

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord; In the land of the living Wait for the Lord with courage; Be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord.

R; The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Fr/Deacon; Christ himself suffered for you an example, so that you would follow his steps.

R; He committed no sin, and no one ever heard a lie from his lips. When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult, when he suffered, he did not threaten.

[stand]

the Lord's prayer is whispered softly by all ;

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Readings from the Gospel according to Saint John the Evangelist

John 19:17-22

17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).

18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews.

20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”

22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

R; Like a lamb about to be slaughtered, like a sheep about to be sheered, he never said a word.

[one candle extinguished]

John 19:23-27

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,

“They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.”

So this is what the soldiers did.

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,here is your son,

27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

Fr/Deacon; We despised and rejected him, he endured suffering and pain.

R; No one would even look at him - we ignored him as if he were nothing.

[one candle extinguished]

John 19:28-30

The Death of Jesus

28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”

29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.

30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Fr/Deacon; All of us were like sheep that were lost, each of us going his own way.

R; But the Lord made the punishment fall on him, the punishment all of us deserved.

[one candle extinguished] [sit]

Song;

Ave verum corpus natum De Maria virgine

Attende Domini et miserere Quia peccavimus tibi Attendite et miserere Domine

Attende Domini et miserere Quia peccavimus tibi Attendite et miserere Domine

A silent mystery A silent mystery The break of day The break of day A moment shines across eternity Shines across eternity

Attende Domini et miserere Quia peccavimus tibi Attendite et miserere Domine

Ave verum corpus natum De Maria virgine

Attende Domini et miserere Quia peccavimus tibi Attendite et miserere Domine

A silent harmony A silent harmony The sound of hope The sound of hope A moment echoes through eternity Echoes through eternity

Attende Domini et miserere Quia peccavimus tibi Attendite et miserere Domine

Attende Domini et miserere Quia peccavimus tibi Attendite et miserere Domine

Psalm 85: 9-13

9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.

10 Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.

11 Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.

12 The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.

13 Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.

R; The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

I will hear what the Lord has to say. A voice that speaks of peace. Peace for his people, and his friends, And those who turn to him in their hearts. His helps is near to those who fear him And his glory will dwell in our land.

R; The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Mercy and faithfulness have met; Justice and peace have embraced. Faithfulness shall spring from the earth And justice look down from heaven.

R; The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

The Lord will make us prosper And our earth shall yield it's fruit. Justice shall march before him And peace shall follow his steps.

R; The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Fr/Deacon; Christ died for our sins, once for all, a good man on behalf of sinners.

R; In order to lead us to God.

Readings from the New Testament Letter to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:12-15

12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Fr/Deacon; He endured the suffering that should have been ours, the pain that we should have borne.

R; He was put to death for the sins of our people.

[one candle extinguished]

Hebrews 4: 16

16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

and 5: 5

5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”;

Fr/Deacon; Because of our sins he was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did.

R; We are healed by the punishment he suffered, made whole by the blows he received.

[one candle extinguished]

Hebrews 5:7-9

7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.

8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

Fr/Deacon; Is it nothing to you, all who pass by?

R; Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow.

[one candle extinguished]

the Lord's prayer is whispered softly by all ;

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Conclusion

Song; Parce Domine

Refrain:

Parce, Domine, parce populo tuo: ne in aeternum irascaris nobis.

1. Flectamus iram vindicem, Ploremus ante Judicem; Clamemus ore supplici, Dicamus omnes cernui:

2. Nostris malis offendimus Tuam Deus clementiam Effunde nobis desuper Remissor indulgentiam. Refrain

3. Dans tempus acceptabile, Da lacrimarum rivulis Lavare cordis victimam, Quam laeta adurat caritas.

4. Audi, benigne Conditor, Nostras preces cum fletibus In hoc sacro jejunio, Fusas quadragenario. Refrain

Fr/Deacon; He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death - his death on a cross.

Strepitus [loud noise indicating closure of the tomb]

[the lights of the church are turned off, after a brief silence, the Christ Candle is brought back to the church in anticipation of the Lord's resurrection. ]

Fr/Deacon; Almighty God, we ask you to look with mercy on your family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed and to be given over to the hands of sinners and to suffer death on the cross... who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.