Recordings/Discussions
Background Information
Performer Bios

Poet/Composer Bios

Additional Information

Lutheran Church Year: Main Page and Explanation | LCY - Event Table | LCY 2000-2005 | LCY 2006-2010 | LCY 2011-2015 | LCY 2016-2020 | LCY 2021 | LCY 2022 | LCY 2023 | LCY 2024 | LCY 2025
Sundays & Holidays in the Lifetime of J.S. Bach | Performance Dates of Bach’s Vocal Works
Readings from the Epistles and the Gospels for each Event | Motets & Chorales for Events in the LCY
Discussions: Events in the Lutheran Church Year: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Readings from the Bible


Lutheran Church Year - Readings
Main Page

This section of the Bach Cantatas Website (BCW) contains the readings for all the Sundays and feast days of the Lutheran Church Year for which Bach wrote cantatas. The German text is that of the 1545 edition of Luther's translation; the English is the King James (Authorised) Version (1611). Informative discussions of how the texts and music of the cantatas relate to the readings can usually be found in Alfred Dürr's book on the cantatas.
If you have any corrections and suggestions for improvement of the Readings pages, please send them to us in accordance with the guidelines at:
How to contribute.

 

Lutheran Church Year:

1st Sunday in Advent
Epistle: Romans 13: 11-14 | Gospel: Matthew 21: 1-9
Works: 61, 62, 36

2nd Sunday in Advent
Epistle: Romans 15: 4-13 | Gospel: Luke 21: 25-36
Works: (70a)

3rd Sunday in Advent
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 4: 1-5 | Gospel: Matthew 11: 2-10
Works: (186a), 141

4th Sunday in Advent
Epistle: Philippians 4: 4-7 | Gospel: John 1: 19-28
Works: 132, (147a)

Christmas Day
Epistle: Titus 2: 11-14 | Isaiah 9: 2-7
Gospel: Luke 2: 1-14 | Works: 63, 91, 110, 191, 248/1, (197a), 142

2nd Day of Christmas [St. Stefanus Day]
Epistle: Titus. 3: 4-7; Acts 6: 8-15 & 7: 55-60 | Gospel: Matthew 23: 35-39; Luke 2: 15-20
Works: 40, 121, 57, 248/2

3rd Day of Christmas [St John's Day]
Epistle: Hebrews 1: 1-14; Ecclesiastical Letters 15: 1-8 | Gospel: John 1: 1-14
Works: 64, 133, 151, 248/3

1st Sunday after Christmas Day
Epistle: Galatians 4: 1-7 | Gospel: Luke 2: 33-40
Works: 152, 122, 28

New Year's Day
Epistle: Galatians 3: 23-29 | Gospel: Luke 2: 21
Works: 190, 41, 16, 171, 143, 248/4, 134a

Sunday after New Year
Epistle: 1 Peter 4: 12-19 | Gospel: Matthew 2: 13-23
Works: 153, 58, 248/5

Feast of Epiphany
Epistle: Isaah 60: 1-6 | Gospel: Matthew 2: 1-12
Works: 65, 123, 248/6

1st Sunday after Epiphany
Epistle: Romans 12: 1-6 | Gospel: Luke 2: 41-52
Works: 154, 124, 32, 217

2nd Sunday after Epiphany
Epistle: Romans 12: 6-16 | Gospel: John 2: 1-11
Works: 155, 3, 13

3rd Sunday after Epiphany
Epistle: Romans 12: 17-21 | Gospel: Matthew 8: 1-13
Works: 73, 111, 72, 156

4th Sunday after Epiphany
Epistle: Romans 13: 8-10 | Gospel: Matthew 8: 23-27
81, 14

5th Sunday after Epiphany
Works: -

6th Sunday after Epiphany
Works: -

Septuagesima Sunday
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9: 24 - 10: 5 | Gospel: Matthew 20: 1-16
Works: 144, 92, 84

Sexagesima Sunday
Epistle: 2 Corinthians 11: 19 - 12: 9 | Gospel: Luke 8: 4-15
Works: 18, 181, 126

Quinquagesima Sunday [Estomihi]
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13 | Gospel: Luke 18: 31-43
22, 23, 127, 159

Invocavit [1st Sunday in Lent]
Works: -

Reminiscere [2nd Sunday in Lent]
Works: -

Oculi [3rd Sunday in Lent]
Epistle: Ephesians 5: 1-9 | Gospel: Luke 11: 14-28
Works: 54, (80a)

Laetare [4th Sunday in Lent]
Works: -

Judica [5th Sunday in Lent]
Works: -

Palm Sunday
Epistle: Philippians. 2: 5-11; 1 Corinthians 11: 23-32 | Gospel: Matthew 21: 1-9
Works: 182

Good Friday
Works: BWV 244, BWV 245, BWV 246, BWV 247, BWV Anh 169

Easter Sunday
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 5: 6-8 | Gospel: Mark 16: 1-8
Works: 4, 31, 249, 15, 160

Easter Monday [2nd day of Easter]
Epistle: Acts 10: 34-43 | Gospel: Luke 24: 13-35
Works: 66, 6, Anh 190

Easter Tuesday [3rd day of Easter]
Epistle: Acts 13: 26-33 | Gospel: Luke 24: 36-47
Works: 134, 145, 158

Quasimodogeniti [1st Sunday after Easter]
Epistle: 1 John 5: 4-10 | Gospel: John 20: 19-31
Works: 67, 42

Misericordias Domini [2nd Sunday after Easter
Epistle: 1 Peter 2: 21-25 | Gospel: John 10: 12-16
Works: 104, 85, 112

Jubilate [3rd Sunday after Easter]
Epistle: 1 Peter 2: 11-20 | Gospel: John 16: 16-23
Works: BWV 12, BWV 103, BWV 146, BWV 224

Cantate [4th Sunday after Easter]
Epistle: James 1: 17-21 | Gospel: John 16: 5-15
Works: 166, 108

Rogate [5th Sunday after Easter]
Epistle: James 1: 22-27 | Gospel: John 16: 23-30
Works: 86, 87

Ascension Day
Epistle: Acts 1: 1-11 | Gospel: Mark 16: 14-20
Works: 37, 128, 43, 11

Exaudi [Sunday after Ascension]
Epistle: 1 Peter 4: 8-11 | Gospel: John 15: 26 - 16: 4
Works: 44, 183

Whit Sunday [1st Day of Pentecost]
Epistle: Acts 2: 1-13 | Gospel: John 14: 23-31
Works: 172, 59, 74, 34, 218

Whit Monday [2nd Day of Pentecost]
Epistle: Acts 10: 42-48 | Gospel: John 3: 16-21
Works: 173, 68, 174

Whit Tuesday [3rd Day of Pentecost]
Epistle: Acts 8: 14-17 | Gospel: John 10: 1-10
Works: 184, 175

Trinity Sunday
Epistle: Romans 11: 33-36 | Gospel: John 3: 1-15
Works: 165, 194, 176, 129

1st Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: 1 John 4: 16-21 | Gospel: Luke 16: 19-31
Works: 75, 20, 39

2nd Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: 1 John 3: 13-18 | Gospel: Luke 14: 16-24
Works: 76, 2

3rd Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: 1 Peter 5: 6-11 | Gospel: Luke 15: 1-10
Works: 21, 135

4th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: Romans 8: 18-23 | Gospel: Luke 6: 36-42
Works: 185, 24, 177

5th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: 1 Peter 3: 8-15 | Gospel: Luke 5: 1-11
Works: 93, 88

6th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: Romans 6: 3-11 | Gospel: Matthew 5: 20-26
Works: 170, 9

7th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: Romans 6: 19-23 | Gospel: Mark 8: 1-9
Works: 186, 107, 187, Anh 1, Anh 209

8th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: Romans 8: 12-17 | Gospel: Matthew 7: 15-23
Works: 136, 178, 45

9th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 10: 6-13 | Gospel: Luke 16: 1-9
Works: 105, 94, 168

10th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11 | Gospel: Luke 19: 41-48
Works: 46, 101, 102

11th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 15: 1-10 | Gospel: Luke 18: 9-14
Works: 199, 179, 113

12th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: 2 Corinthians 3: 4-11 | Gospel: Mark 7: 31-37
Works: 69a, 137, 35

13th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: Galatians 3: 15-22 | Gospel: Luke 10: 23-37
Works: 77, 33, 164

14th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: Galatians 5: 16-24 | Gospel: Luke 17: 11-19
Works: 25, 78, 17

15th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: Galatians 5: 25 - 6: 10 | Gospel: Matthew 6: 23-34
Works: 138, 99, 51, 100

16th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: Ephesians 3: 13-21 | Gospel: Luke 7: 11-17
Works: 161, 95, 8, 27

17th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: Ephesians 4: 1-6 | Gospel: Luke 14: 1-11
Works: 114, 148, 47

18th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1: 4-8 | Gospel: Matthew 22: 34-46
Works: 96, 169

19th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: Ephesians 4: 22-28 | Gospel: Matthew 9: 1-8
Works: 48, 5, 56, BWV Anh 2

20th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: Ephesians 5: 15-21 | Gospel: Matthew 22: 1-14
Works: 162, 180, 49

21st Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: Ephesians 6: 10-17 | Gospel: John 4: 46-54
Works: 109, 38, 98, 188

22nd Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: Philippians 1: 3-11 | Gospel: Matthew 18: 23-35
Works: 89, 115, 55

23rd Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: Philippians 3: 17-21 | Gospel: Matthew 22: 15-22
Works: 163, 139, 52

24th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: Colossians 1: 9-14 | Gospel: Matthew 9: 18-26
Works: 60, 26

25th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18 | Gospel: Matthew 24: 15-28
Works: 90, 116

26th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: 2 Peter 3: 3-13 | Gospel: Matthew 25: 31-46
Works: 70

27th Sunday after Trinity
Epistle: 2 Corinthians 5: 1-10; 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 | Gospel: Matthew 25: 1-13
Works: 140

Events with fixed date:

Feast of Purification of Mary [February 2]
Epistle: Malachi 3: 1-4 | Gospel: Luke 2: 22-32
Works: BWV 83, BWV 125, BWV 82, BWV 157, BWV 158, BWV 200, BWV 161, BWV Anh 157

Feast of Annunciation of Mary [March 25]
Epistle: Isaiah 7: 10-16 | Gospel: Luke 1: 26-38
Works: BWV 1, BWV 182, BWV Anh 156, BWV Anh 199

Feast of Nativity of St John the Baptist [June 24]
Epistle: Isaiah 40: 1-5 | Gospel: Luke 1: 57-80
Works: BWV 167, BWV 7, BWV 30, BWV 220

Feast of Visitation of Mary [July 2]
Epistle: Isaiah 11: 1-5 | Gospel: Luke 1: 39-56
Works: BWV 147, BWV 10, BWV 189, BWV 223

Feast of St Michael and All Angels [September 29]
Epistle: Revelations 12: 7-12 | Gospel: Matthew 18: 1-11
Works: BWV 130, BWV 19, BWV 149, BWV 50, BWV 219, BWV Anh 198

Feast of Reformation [October 31]
Epistle: 2 Thessalonians 2: 3-8 | Gospel: Revelations 14: 6-8
Works: BWV 80, BWV80b, BWV 79, BWV 129 (?), BWV 192

--

Prepared by Francis Browne & Aryeh Oron (December 2004 - June 2017)


Lutheran Church Year: Main Page and Explanation | LCY - Event Table | LCY 2000-2005 | LCY 2006-2010 | LCY 2011-2015 | LCY 2016-2020 | LCY 2021 | LCY 2022 | LCY 2023 | LCY 2024 | LCY 2025
Sundays & Holidays in the Lifetime of J.S. Bach | Performance Dates of Bach’s Vocal Works
Readings from the Epistles and the Gospels for each Event | Motets & Chorales for Events in the LCY
Discussions: Events in the Lutheran Church Year: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Readings from the Bible




 

Back to the Top


Last update: Tuesday, June 13, 2017 09:46