Starting on Spy Wednesday...
So called because this marks the day in the life of Christ that Judas bargained to become the
spy of the Sanhedrin, the Church celebrates the Tenebrae service, the remote beginning, actually, of the Sacred Triduum.
Every priest who is able makes the drive to the home parish here in Omaha. Immaculate Queen is the home of their seminary days, the place where most of the priest we know were ordained, the home parish of our bishop -- and being so, it's the church where certain ceremonies are performed that you rarely see elsewhere -- in the world.
Today and during the Sacred Triduum, the Matins and Lauds of the Divine Office are often sung in a haunting service known as the Tenebrae service ("tenebrae" meaning "shadows"), which is basically a funeral service for Jesus. During the Matins on Good Friday, one by one, the candles are extinguished in the Church, leaving the congregation in total darkness, and in a silence that is punctuated by the strepitus meant to evoke the convulsion of nature at the death of Christ. It has also been described as the sound of the tomb door closing. During the Triduum, the Matins and Lauds readings come from the following day's readings each night because the hours of Matins and Lauds were pushed back so that the public might better participate during these special three days (i.e., the Matins and Lauds readings heard at Spy Wednesday's tenebrae service are those for Maundy Thursday, the readings for Maundy Thursday's tenebrae service are from Good Friday, and Good Friday's readings are from Holy Saturday's Divine Office).
There are few things more impressive than Tenebrae; just trust me on this. The extinguishing of the candles followed by the stepitus… Spine tingling, y'all! And the perfect start to the Triduum in a way you can only understand by experiencing it. Fr. Philip will be driving down from Minnesota to participate in Tenebrae, though he'll head back to his own parish for Holy Thursday Mass, of course. We look forward to seeing him!
This year will be a strange year for us, though, and I'm afraid the first year of figuring out a new routine. For most of our family life, I've had a regiment of helpers for all the doings of Holy Week, but I'm afraid that is a thing of the past. Cathy works almost every day this week, Anna has school, and Gabriel and William will be in Idaho at the Minor Seminar for Easter. It was just too much of an expense for too short a time, too close to the end of school to justify flying them home. (Alas!) So, we're short-handed, and the element from the following Holy Week to-do list that will probably disappear is the spring cleaning. I expect I'll get some of it done myself -- but I'm not going to fret if I don't. The material preparation is nice -- and definitely symbolic -- but the spiritual preparation is far more important.
Here's our family routine for a normal year:
Spy Wednesday
*Spring cleaning:
Remove all the extraneous decorations around our statues, take down any winter decorations, including the Palm Sunday picture we hung on Sunday. Take our winter throw blankets out of their corners (we have tons!), wash them, and store them; strip all bedding and wash; clean out the wood stove and store the wood basket until next fall. Sweep thoroughly (every nook and crevice), mop, clean the windows; clean couches and upholstered chairs; scrub dining room table and chairs
* Pretzel making to prepare for Maundy Thursday! (see below)
Maundy Thursday
*Finish up any cleaning left undone
*Supper:
between 2 and 3 pm to accommodate fasting for Maundy Thursday Mass
Lamb , asparagus with hollandaise, herbed fingerling potatoes, savory hot cross buns
or
a favorite of recent years: lamb curry with hot cross buns (our non-sweet version), and wine
At the dinner table, everyone has a glass of wine (or Sprite with a drop of wine) and by Dan's plate we place a basket of hot cross buns (actually in our house they are rolls with a cross cut into the top before baking). After we pray grace, Dan makes the sign of the cross over each bun and hands it down the line until each member of the family has one. Then we eat our buns and drink our wine while Dan reads the Gospel of the Last Supper. After which we enjoy the rest of the meal. Then, Mass in the evening, after which we take a couple shifts at all night a
doration.
Good Friday
Friday is a quiet day. As much as we are able, we speak in quiet voices and as little as possible, in memory of the solemn events in Christ's life on good Friday. We'll attend the Tre Ore between noon and three. When we come home, we'll have the remainder of the Hot Cross buns with a simple clear broth vegetable soup that we've prepared ahead of time. Then we'll watch the first part of Jesus of Nazareth, followed by The Passion.
Holy Saturday
* Preparation and decoration day. If we didn't watch it on Friday, we'll watch
Jesus of Nazareth while we work this day. We'll bring out our spring wreaths and decorations. Deck out
Our Lady's special niche with flowers and ribbons. Make sure everyone's Easter clothes are pressed and ready to go for Easter Mass. I may or may not be able to talk the kids into coloring eggs; it's less important now than it used to be. But I will prepare Easter goodies (i.e., sweets!), and begin work on the Easter feast.
I'm hoping that Dominic and Monica, who are visiting during Holy Week with newest grandbaby, sweet Margaret, will decorate the chalk door for Easter. That'll be a treat. Those two are some kinda creative!
* Then, the 10:30 Paschal Vigil
Easter Sunday
* ...begins for us at midnight with Midnight Mass, following the Paschal Vigil. Then it's home and everyone nibbles on sweets for a while, before sleepily wishing one another Blessed Easter -- and toddling off to bed. There'll be grandchildren coming over for dinner and we need to get our rest to keep up with them...
And just in case I don't get back on the computer to say it:
We all wish everyone a happy and fruitful Holy Week and a Blessed Easter!
* Here's our recipe for Soft Pretzels
(makes 12 -- but we double it -- at least)
(Go here for the fascinating history of the pretzel and its connection to Holy Week)
1 (.25 ounces) package active dry yeast
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
2 cups warm water
1 Tablespoons baking soda dissolved in 6 qt. water in large pot
egg + water for eggwash
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tablespoons coarse pretzel salt or kosher salt
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in 1 1/2 cups warm water. Stir in flour, and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let rise for one hour. Meanwhile, place parchment on cookie sheets and oil paper. After dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 2 to 3 foot, finger-thick rope. With the rope, make a U, cross the ends, twist, and attach to the center of the bottom of the U. Place on the parchment-lined sheets and let rise, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes.
While they are rising, bring the baking soda + water in the pot to a boil. When the pretzels are risen, boil the pretzels in the water for about 3 minutes, turning once, til puffed a bit. Place on sheets and brush with eggwash.Bake at 450 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse salt
Enjoy!
