Patterico's Pontifications

5/31/2020

Sunday Music: Bach Cantata BWV 34

Filed under: Bach Cantatas,General,Music — Patterico @ 12:01 am



It is the Day of Pentecost. Today’s Bach cantata is “O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe” (O eternal fire, o source of love):

Today’s Gospel reading is John 20:19-23:

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

The text of today’s piece is available here. It contains these words, which depict the Holy Spirit as a flame:

O eternal fire, o source of love,
ignite our hearts and consecrate them.
Let heavenly flames penetrate and surge over us,
we wish, o Highest, to be Your temple,
Ah, may our souls be pleasing to you in faith!

. . . .

Peace upon Israel.
Thank the exalted wondrous hands,
give thanks, God has considered you.
Indeed, His blessing works with power,
to send peace upon Israel,
peace upon you.

Happy listening! Soli Deo gloria.


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