{"id":746,"date":"2012-12-02T10:30:49","date_gmt":"2012-12-02T17:30:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/summathissummathat\/?p=746"},"modified":"2017-03-17T15:08:48","modified_gmt":"2017-03-17T21:08:48","slug":"music-and-meditation-for-the-first-sunday-of-advent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/summathissummathat\/2012\/12\/music-and-meditation-for-the-first-sunday-of-advent\/","title":{"rendered":"Music and Meditation for the First Sunday of Advent"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a>As fellow Catholic Portalite<\/a> Katrina<\/a> recently cataloged, there is an extraordinary amount of Christmas music (both heavenly and horrendous<\/a>.) Yet despite the seemingly-endless proliferation\/commercialization of melodic good cheer for the Big Event itself, there is shockingly little Adventine music<\/a>.<\/p>\n

My favorite exception to this depressingly-accurate rule? BWV 62 \u2013 \u201c\u201dNun komm, der Heiden Heiland (\u201cCome now, Savior of the Gentiles)<\/a>\u201d \u2014 a cantata from J.S. Bach<\/a> written for the First Sunday of Advent. Checking economically in at just under twenty minutes, the cantata<\/a> is a pair arias and recitatives sandwiched between two chorals, and is based is based on Martin Luther\u2019s eight stanza chorale of the same name.<\/p>\n

My recommendation? Listen to the below performance from Philippe Herreweghe and the Collegium Vocale while reading Pope Benedict XVI\u2019s reflections<\/a> marking the beginning of this new liturgical year. It\u2019ll be good for what ails you (or any of us, really). I promise. (Additional Pope reflections available upon request<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says to the disciples: \u201cBeware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life . . . Be vigilant at all times and pray.\u201d So: simplicity and prayer.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nhttp:\/\/youtu.be\/lGv4I7bd8JY<\/a>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As fellow Catholic Portalite Katrina recently cataloged, there is an extraordinary amount of Christmas music (both heavenly and horrendous.) Yet despite the seemingly-endless proliferation\/commercialization of melodic good cheer for the Big Event itself, there is shockingly little Adventine music. My favorite exception to this depressingly-accurate rule? BWV 62 \u2013 \u201c\u201dNun komm, der Heiden Heiland (\u201cCome […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1286,"featured_media":748,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"yoast_head":"\nMusic and Meditation for the First Sunday of Advent<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As fellow Catholic Portalite Katrina recently cataloged, there is an extraordinary amount of Christmas music (both heavenly and horrendous.) 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