Holy Thursday Service and Good Friday Tenebrae

On Holy Thursday Christians commemorate the supper Jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion, when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (John 13:1 –17) and instituted the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26 –29; Mark 14:22 –25; Luke 22:13 –20; 1 Corinthians 11:23 –25).

A Service of Tenebrae, or “Shadows,” is a prolonged meditation on Christ’s suffering and is is based on a twelfth–century late night/early morning service and is an extended meditation on the passion of Christ. Good Friday readings trace the story of Christ’s passion, music portrays his pathos, and the power of silence and darkness suggests the drama of this momentous day. As lights are extinguished, we ponder the depth of Christ’s suffering and death; we remember the cataclysmic nature of his sacrifice as we hear the overwhelming sound of the “strepitus”; and through the return of the small but persistent flame of the Christ candle at the conclusion of the service, we anticipate the joy of ultimate victory.

Watch the Holy Thursday Service and Good Friday Tenebrae Service