Holy Week is especially meaningful for most Christians throughout the world. Beginning with Holy Thursday, many Churches come alive with activity. Our Parish held Tenebrae Services each morning beginning on Holy Thursday.
For those unfamiliar with Tenebrae, it is Latin for darkness. It is a religious service offered during the final three days of Holy Week, characterized by gradually extinguishing the candles, just as the Light of Christ was extinguished on Good Friday. Holy Saturday is a time of great darkness. If you think about this a moment, it makes sense from a Christian perspective. Jesus is the light of the world – He is God incarnate. God made man, to be with us here on earth.
As a Catholic, when we pray the Apostles Creed, we declare all things we hold to be true in our faith. It is the believe in one God, the belief that Jesus Christ is that same God, born of a Virgin and made man. We believe that He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, died for the forgiveness of sins. We also believe that before he arose again in fulfillment of the scriptures, He descended into hell. This believe is key in the understanding of darkness. God Himself, as Christ, went to hell. He was gone. His spirit was in a place we cannot see, a place we should not go.
One could argue that the world has been in darkness since Ascension Thursday, forty days after Easter. After all, as Christians we believe that Jesus ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. We say so in both the Apostles Creed and the Niceno-Constantinopolitan or Nicene Creed. It is a key element in our declaration of faith. God has no beginning and no end. With the exception of that dark Saturday between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, He has always been and will always be with us in spirit. This means that although Christ is in heaven, He is still with us on earth. We are not alone.
Those of us who walk this journey toward our Heavenly Home have the benefit of knowing the truth – Christ is the Risen Lord. His followers who witnessed His death firsthand did not have this knowledge. Mary went to the tomb on Easter Morning fully expecting to find His body. The weight of that Saturday must have been crushing. Surly they felt His spirit leave, and assumed it was forever; this separation between mankind and our creator. My heart aches for them who did not know. Just as my heart aches for those today who do not know.
Today there is only the Tenebrae Services in the morning and the Easter Vigil in the evening as we wait in joyful hope of what tomorrow will bring. There is no mass, no communion, only anticipation.
God of mercy, show me the richness of Your love. Free me from all selfishness and let my whole life be dedicated to Your will alone.
Glazed Lemon Blueberry Drop Scones
Lemon Blueberry Scones
1 large Egg, room temperature
1 large Lemon, juiced and zest
1/4 cup Butter, melted
2 cups Flour
1/3 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Lemon Yogurt
1 cup frozen Blueberries
Remove egg from refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature before using. Zest lemon, reserve 1/2-teaspoon zest for the glaze. Set aside the rest of the zest for the scones. Slice lemon, juice. Reserve 1-1/2-tablespoons lemon juice for the glaze, mix remaining juice with the zest for the scones. Set aside. Melt butter, set aside.
Note: If there isn’t enough lemon juice for the glaze, add bottled lemon juice and set aside. Use a splash of bottled juice for the zest to be used in the scones, or omit completely. If not moistening the zest with juice, combine zest with the dry ingredients when making the scones. The additional juice is simply to enhance the lemon flavor of the scones.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a rimmed baking sheet, set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. In another bowl, combine yogurt, lemon zest with juice, egg and butter. Whisk to combine.
Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened without overworking. Gently fold in the frozen blueberries.
Note: Frozen berries will not stain the scones.
Drop scones onto the prepared baking sheet by the spoonfuls about 2-inches apart. Place in the heated oven to bake for about 15 minutes or so, until a light golden brown. While the scones bake, prepare the glaze
Lemon Glaze
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Zest
Sift powdered sugar into a small bowl. Add lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir to create a glaze. Set aside until ready to use.
Remove scones from the oven. Place on a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with glaze while the scones are still warm.
Finishing Touches
Handful Blueberries
1 Lemon, cut into rounds
Arrange glazed scones on a serving platter. Scatter a few blueberries around the scones. Slice lemon, garnish platter with rounds.
Serve with butter, lemon curd or clotted cream as desired.
Lord, send out your Spirit to renew the face of the earth
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