The Sacred Sacrifice by Hannah Paris

In The Sacred Sacrifice, Paris is proposing we use Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in Lent and Easter much like we enjoy Handel’s Messiah during Advent and Christmas.

The Sacred Sacrifice: Cultivating Lenten Traditions with Bach’s Great Passion by Hannah Paris. Blue Sky Daisies, 2024. 212 pages.

• Reading Level: Teen/Adult
• Recommended For: All ages (with parent involvement)

Lent books for Protestants are a relatively new phenomenon, but I am glad to see them proliferating. In The Sacred Sacrifice, Paris is proposing we use Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in Lent and Easter much like we enjoy Handel’s Messiah during Advent and Christmas. I don’t know why we didn’t think of this before!

Paris meticulously divided up Bach’s oratorio into the days from Shrove Tuesday through Easter, six weeks plus Easter week. (Weeks begin on Monday.) She provides a daily listening guide complete with the original German text and an English translation, expected listening time, and brief explanations of what we can expect to hear in that day’s selection. Corresponding Scripture readings are also suggested.

Each week includes poetry and ends with a supplemental reading and/or listening selection from sources other than Bach. For instance, one week, she encourages readers to read a chapter from Andrew Peterson’s The Warden and the Wolf King. This is a lovely way to connect Bach’s majestic work with contemporary artists, but for readers/participants to fully engage, they must purchase additional materials. These are optional, however, and readers will still have a rich experience without the optional resources.

Overall, I really love this approach to Lent and Easter. The publisher is calling this a companion to Hallelujah, by Cindy Rollins; indeed the two are very similar approaches (Hallelujah uses Handel’s Messiah in much the same way Paris uses Bach’s St. Matthew Passion). Paris provides several listening options, including online suggestions. For those who (like my own family) enjoy the rich tradition of sacred music, this is an outstanding option.

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Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• A Resource: 5 Lent Devotionals for Protestants
• Book Review: Something Better Coming by Megan E. Saben (this picture book would make a lovely reflective read during Lent as well as for Easter itself)
• Book Review: A Jesus Easter by Barbara Reaoch (a more interactive family devotional with journaling space)

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