Smorgasbord #77
Tenebrae | Unexpected Penance | Counsel the Doubtful
Tenebrae
As I mentioned in previous weeks, I’ve been following the Norbertine Fathers’ “The Great Fast” Lenten program, and as part of it, they invited all participants to join them in praying the Tenebrae. From their website: “The liturgy of Tenebrae (Latin for "darkness"), which dates back to the ninth century, is a special expression of Matins and Lauds unique to Holy Week. The psalms chanted during Tenebrae ground Our Lord's Passion in the context of Salvation History. The candles on the hearse, extinguished one by one during the liturgy, serve as a powerful and plain metaphor to illustrate the unfathomable severity and sadness of Our Lord's Passion.”
I haven’t had the chance to attend the tenebrae liturgy in person, but sitting in my living room and trying to follow along with the Norbertine Fathers was a powerful experience. I have been enjoying chanting penitential psalms as part of my daily prayer during Lent and learning a bit more Latin.
From New Advent, Catholic Encyclopedia: “The tenebrae hearse is a triangular candlestick that holds fifteen candles. During the service, these candles are gradually extinguished, one at the end of each psalm, alternately on either side of the candlestick, beginning with the lowest. Since there are nine psalms in the Matins and five in the Lauds, only the highest candle of the triangle is left burning after the psalms have all been sung. As each of the last six verses of the Benedictus is chanted, one of the six candles on the altar is extinguished. Likewise, all other lights in the church are put out, except the candle on the summit of the triangle. This candle is then taken from its place, and hidden behind the altar, to be brought forth again, still lighted, at the conclusion of the service. The symbolism of the tenebrae hearse and its candles is variously explained. The triangle itself is said to be a symbol of the Blessed Trinity; according to some the highest candle represents Christ, while the other fourteen represent the eleven Apostles and the three Maries; again we are told that the centre candle is a type of the Blessed Virgin, who alone believed in the Resurrection, while the gradual extinction of the others symbolizes the waning faith of the Apostles and Disciples.”
The live stream begins at 6:15 AM Pacific, but you can replay the recordings here.
Unexpected Penance
Here at Châtelet Cantú, the washing machine is on duty most days of the week, handling several loads each day. The last few weeks, though, a loud, continuous banging was the norm during the spin cycle. Mrs. Cantú decided to go to the laundromat and wash every single piece of laundry. I think she said she used six washing machines at the same time, which meant she was done in 30 minutes. She then brought everything home and dried it in batches, folded it, and put it away. We had an appliance tech take a look at it the next day, and he said that the repair would cost about 65% of what a new washing machine would (same model as our current one). I paid the visit fee and thanked him for the information. Now we’re on the market for a new washer, and we’ll probably upgrade to a commercial-grade appliance.
We slept poorly on Monday night; my daughter had to throw up every hour. However, she was fine the next day. Our oldest son is having some stomach issues, and our youngest developed a rash after he had two shots on his wellness check. We also had to deal with a rude nurse at the burn center for my other son’s follow-up appointment (he’s fine, it’s been almost a year since he had a friction burn).
I started feeling anxious and ate junk food to cope with my feelings. Then, I started noticing that other people are experiencing the same kind of phenomenon, which made me feel better. I took solace in the words of a friend who told me about a meme he saw, which said: “If you don’t feel the evil spirits attacking, you have even bigger problems than you can imagine.”
As a general rule, I try not to overspiritualize life. However, I believe being in Holy Week has something to do with this. The enemy can’t be happy about our efforts to grow closer to Christ, so he’s like an annoying mosquito that you can’t swat on the first try.
Things will break, children will get sick, sleep may be disturbed, and our peace may be disturbed. Still, we have the Holy Triduum to remember that the battle against death has been won, and it was won through the cross.
The Office of Readings for Holy Thursday had an Easter homily by St. Melito of Sardis, bishop. In it, St. Melito says: “It is he who endured every kind of suffering in all those who foreshadowed him. In Abel he was slain, in Isaac bound, in Jacob exiled, in Joseph sold, in Moses exposed to die. He was sacrificed in the Passover lamb, persecuted in David, dishonored in the prophets.”
Today, we remember the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, which He made for all humanity. Still, He did it for you, individually. He died for you. He wants you to spend eternity with Him in heaven. Let us remember today the price that was paid for our ransom. He took our place. He emptied Himself for us. Let us contemplate this and be ready to proclaim the Exsultet at the Easter Vigil tomorrow.
Counsel the Doubtful
“Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” 1 Peter 3:15
About a year ago, I asked one of my friends who he was going to for beard trims because his looked very well manicured. He said it was one of the girls who used to volunteer at our parish youth group. Since I knew her, I decided to make an appointment and started going to her for regular trims. It was nice to catch up and reminisce about the time we were part of the same young adult group, plus she’s fantastic at her job.
The last few times I’ve gotten a trim, she’s asked me a few questions about the faith. By the grace of God, I’ve known enough to offer a satisfying answer and help her in her own walk of faith. I'm happy to share what I've learned at the Kino Catechetical Institute over the past two years. It’s been a primer that has come in handy when articulating a somewhat coherent answer to certain questions about Church teaching.
I've noticed a growth in confidence when talking about my faith. Not to dunk on someone, but to offer a word of encouragement. After all, not that long ago, I was the one asking those same questions, and thankfully, God sent me someone to teach me. It’s a good practice to share the truth with charity. Instead of having an “I can’t believe you didn’t know this” attitude, I’ve opted for a “Well, what the Church teaches is this” attitude, and let the recipient process the information.
I also like that these conversations are happening in person. Lately, I’ve been coming across some nasty exchanges in Notes that I could’ve thought I was reading a Twitter feed. There is something to be said about keyboard warriors or people driven by a combative spirit instead of curiosity or a position of seeking knowledge or the truth. This is not a knock on Substack’s feature; I’m just aware that I probably shouldn’t spend too much time there.
On the other hand, I’ve occasionally offered advice online when someone has asked for it. The key difference is that 1. The person has explicitly requested information, and 2. I have something that I think may be helpful. I pray that I may not be an obstacle for someone getting closer to God. I pray that I may not be the reason someone leaves the Church.
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Sobremesa
Have you attended the Tenebrae?
Have you also experienced unexpected penances?
Have you had a chance to share your faith with someone lately?
The enemy is definitely on the attack. I beg your prayers.
I love Tenebrae and have attended it in person several times. The Lamentations, sung in Gregorian chant, are unique and haunting, so I'm glad you got to experience it.
My unexpected penances for this Lent were (a) having too much work so being unable to pray as much as I would like and (b) a few viruses, a couple of which left me dizzy, including today on my Good Friday penance/pilgrimage up the hill to the pilgrims' cross. All good for the soul.
I must be doing Catholicism wrong as no one ever asks me anything!
Have a blessed Easter! I love your posts, do keep it up.