Sunday Music: Bach Cantata BWV 140
It is the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost. Today’s Bach cantata is one of his best known: “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” (Awake, calls the voice to us) often rendered as “Sleepers, awake!”
I have posted this cantata before, here — which made me realize that I have been doing this series for over three years now. Which surprised me. It looks like the YouTube videos in the old post are all defunct, unfortunately. Everything becomes moldy over time.
Today’s Gospel reading is Matthew 25:1-13:
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
The text of today’s piece is available here. It contains these words:
Awake, calls the voice to us
of the watchmen high up in the tower;
awake, you city of Jerusalem.
Midnight the hour is named;
they call to us with bright voices;
where are you, wise virgins?
Indeed, the Bridegroom comes;
rise up and take your lamps,
Alleluia!
Make yourselves ready
for the wedding,
you must go to meet Him.
Happy listening! Soli Deo gloria.
Well, how about that! The election is over, and our priest didn’t give us a political homily.
Warmer that normal for the first week in November in the Bluegrass State, so Mass was outside again.
The Dana in Kentucky (45337e) — 11/8/2020 @ 7:03 amLuckily today, thanks to IoT, your lamp is always ready and you can turn it on with a touch of a button.
Hoi Polloi (66077a) — 11/8/2020 @ 9:10 amThe Netherlands Bach Society has excellent recordings.
Golden Eagle (8e3954) — 11/8/2020 @ 12:01 pmWhat a great Sunday. I got to commit an act of civil disobedience. The rain and strong winds blew down the tents for my church’s outdoor set-up, where we had been holding mass since Governor Newsom and the county closed our church back in July. So for today we determined that we would once again hold mass inside the church, without bothering to receive or even to seek permission from the county or state. We will go back to outdoor masses next week, weather permitting, but it was nice to see our parish assert ourselves against the tyranny of the state. With Christmas and Hanukkah coming up, the county and state are going to have to reach some sort of accommodation with believers.
JVW (ee64e4) — 11/8/2020 @ 12:35 pmGood for you, JVW. Glad your parish did that. Our Catholic schools have been open since September and guess what? No outbreaks. We are enjoying it while we can.
Hoi Polloi (66077a) — 11/8/2020 @ 1:26 pmProps to you, JVW. I hope you had a spiritually rewarding church service.
HCI (92ea66) — 11/8/2020 @ 4:04 pmWhile Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) has so graciously ‘allowed’ us to hold Mass indoors, our pastor prefers the outdoor setting. Why? Because he’s 81 years old and the outdoor Mass allows him to remain seated through the entire thing. He walks, slowly, with a cane, and has a dispensation from the Bishop to use a high chair to remain seated at the altar. He has said that all of the rest of his seminary class have either retired or gone to their eternal rewards.
It was sunny and about 55º F this morning for our outdoor Mass, and I prefer the outdoor events as well. Alas! it’s November in Kentucky, and we might not get this
IndianIndigenous American Summer for much longer.In the meantime, the Staatspolizei are knocking on JVW’s door . . . .
The Dana in Kentucky (45337e) — 11/8/2020 @ 5:08 pmI’ve said it before: these idiotic Governors have made going to Mass a political act as well as a religious one.
The Dana in Kentucky (45337e) — 11/8/2020 @ 5:09 pmThank you for this marvelous gift. Looking at the faces as the duets were sung, the joy of the performers was unmistakable. As was the joy of this listener.
John B Boddie (d795fd) — 11/11/2020 @ 11:39 amThey do, but they rarely allow embedding. I try to use them all the time. This is one of the few times it succeeded.
Patterico (115b1f) — 11/11/2020 @ 11:58 am