"Is Bach really a saint?" We've been asked this a lot in the run-up to Lent Madness XIV. He is indeed commemorated on several sanctoral calendars, as is every saint in Lent Madness. But anyway, today we get composer Johann Sebastian Bach facing off against Harriet Monsell, an English philanthropist and nun (two words you don't always see in the same sentence).
In yesterday's saintly action, Edmund remartyred Stanislaus the Martyr 60% to 40% to punch his ticket to the Saintly Sixteen.
Today marks the final battle of a full week. I know you'll miss us over the weekend (stay strong!) and we'll see you first thing on Monday morning as Simeon Bachos takes on Blandina.
Time to vote!
Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach didn’t have much of a way with words. When invited to write an autobiography, Bach demurred; he kept few personal written records, and his intimate family correspondence is largely lost to history. Bach’s reticence means we know less about his inner life than any other major composer of the last 400 years. Yet aside from his staggering musical output of more than 1,000 known compositions, we have one artifact that opens the heart of Bach the man, and perhaps even Bach the saint: his Bible.
Discovered in the 1930s, Bach’s Bible is a three-volume study Bible from Martin Luther’s translation, dog-eared and heavily annotated. Bach filled its margins with comments, thoughts, and corrections to printing errors that even the most biblically literate reader might miss. Scholars often assumed that Bach’s religious subject matter was a function of the church’s role in employing professional musicians and commissioning new works. Yet he was a devout Lutheran, a theologian who made his witness with rhythm, pitch, and tonal color rather than words. In 2 Chronicles 5, King Solomon brings the Ark to the temple, accompanied by singers, drums, harps, and 120 trumpeters. Bach underlined verse 13 and scribbled this note: “at a reverent performance of music, God is always at hand with his gracious presence.”
After a few early years spent as a church organist, Bach was appointed organist to the ducal court at Weimar (1708-16), then kapellmeister at the princely court of Köthen (1717-23). In 1723, he was appointed cantor of the St. Thomas School at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, from which he provided music for four churches in the city and instructed the boys of the choir school. He held this position for 27 years, until his death at age 65. His prodigious musical output includes cantatas for every Sunday of the church year, masses, kyries, glorias, several settings of the Magnificat in both Latin and German, and musical settings of the Passion narrative from all four gospels.
Bach’s life was also marked by personal tragedy. His parents died within eight months of each other; he was an orphan by his tenth birthday. His first wife died suddenly, and several of his children did not live to see adulthood. We hear the depths of grief and the heights of joy and delight in Bach’s music.
And at the end of every score, the man of few words wrote just three letters: S. D. G. Soli Deo gloria. Glory to God alone.
Collect for Bach
Sound out your majesty, O God, and call us to your work; that, like thy servant Johann Sebastian Bach, we might present our lives and our works to your glory alone; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Harriet Monsell
While Harriet Monsell had a privileged upbringing, she dedicated her later years to helping others.
Nurturing and caring for the downtrodden was in her DNA. Born Harriet O’Brien in 1811 in Dromoland, County Clare, Ireland, her father was the fourth Baronet of Dromoland, and, as such, a member of Parliament. Harriet was the next to youngest of nine children. She was a cousin through marriage to Archbishop of Canterbury A.C. Tait and a friend of Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone.
After her father’s death in 1837, the family moved around, eventually settling in Dublin. In 1839, Harriet married Charles Monsell, a medical student at the University of Dublin. They moved to Oxford for his priestly education. While serving as a canon at Limerick Cathedral, Charles faced myriad health issues, prompting the couple to move to mainland Europe.
Charles died in 1850. By that time, Harriet had become associated with the rapidly growing Oxford Movement. Popular in the 1830s and 1840s, the Oxford Movement laid the foundation for what is known today as the Anglo-Catholic tradition. One of the Movement’s enduring legacies is the re-establishment of Anglican religious orders.
This focus brought Harriet to Clewer in England, where she worked with prostitutes and unwed mothers at the House of Mercy. Harriet professed religious vows and established the Community of St. John Baptist, one of the first Anglican religious orders since the Reformation. The community followed the rule of Saint Augustine of Hippo and named Harriet as mother superior on November 30, 1852. The community grew rapidly. Within five years, they operated about 40 mission houses, orphanages, schools, and hospitals. Communities were formed in England, India, and the United States. Noting her commitment to social justice work, Queen Victoria called Harriet “an excellent person.”
Harriet died on Easter Sunday, March 25, 1883. “Easter is such a lovely time to go home,” she said shortly before her death.
In the United States, the Community of St. John Baptist is in Mendham, New Jersey. Harriet’s feast day is March 26.
Collect for Harriet Monsell
Gracious God, who led your servant Harriet Monsell through grief to a new vocation; grant that we, inspired by her example, may grow in the life of prayer and the work of service so that in sorrow or joy, your presence may increase among us and our lives reveal the mind of Jesus Christ, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Bach: Elias Gottlob Haussmann, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Harriet Monsell: Thomas Thellusson Carter, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
153 comments on “Bach v. Harriet Monsell”
I was so moved by the Article on Bach that I wanted to check out the writer. Sadly the link did not go to a page about Eva Suarez, only to the church, and there were no links on the clergy and staff page to follow for a bio.
Try clicking on the menu icon and then on Wall of Fame. There should be profiles of all the celebrity bloggers there.
The Rev. Eva Suarez is the Canon for Community Engagement at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York.
I am really taking issue with the idea that Bach did not use words in evangelizing. Didn't he put together all the texts for his cantatas? (I realize he didn't write most of the texts himself, but the lectionary-specific, always-pertinent juxtapositions of Old Testament, New Testament, and German poetry were his choices, right?) Regardless, I can't think of anyone who has ever devoted themself for fully and unswervingly to their vocation, with the possible exception of St. Paul (post-conversion, obviously).
Actually, St. Paul was pretty unswerving as Saul pre-conversion as well!
Much as I admire the works of Harriet, I had to vote for Bach. His music has touched the hearts of millions of people leading many to Christ.
Loved the blog on Bach! Thank you, Eva Suarez.
Well this was the first really tough one for me. Bach’s music has no doubt led many to Christ. And his music was worship. I am always moved by his work.
Harriet served so many people on the margins and her ministry went well beyond her own personal work.
This may be the hardest vote to date. My uncle was a lifetime priest in the Order of the Holy Cross and I have a bent toward the holy orders. But BACH! oh my. I made a choice and it will be private.
Bach, people! Come on! We’re talking about Bach!!
Much as I admire the works of Harriet, I had to vote for Bach. His music has touched the hearts of millions of people leading many to Christ.
Trying to send my comment. When I hit POST nothing happens. If I hit it again I get a message saying I can’t send duplicate posts.
This is a tough one for me. I grew up practicing Bach, and can listen to his fugues for hours. But I also lived near CSJB and often went to retreats there or for just a day of quiet by myself. They were instrumental in my own call to ordination and so I have to go with Harriet.
This was a hard choice for me. As an Irish woman, I felt inclined toward the very deserving Harriet; yet when I think of Bach and all the joy his music has personally brought me and so many others (and also realize how very great his contribution is to the knowledge and enjoyment of so many people down the centuries) then I had to go for Bach. His music honors God and brings so many closer to our Lord. His home in Eisenach, Germany, is well worth a visit too!
This was a tough choice. I thought about my vote for several minutes. I went with Bach. When I read that he wrote at the end of every score S. D. G. Soli Deo gloria. Glory to God alone, I had goosebumps run throughout my body.
I have called Bach's music "the mind of God." Surely, he was touched by spirit and eternal wisdom that fed his genius. A mighty vote for J.S.!
As an associate of the Community of St. John Baptist in our diocese, I had to vote for the foundress - Harriet Monsell. I love J.S. Bach, but the community Monsell founded has loved and served so faithfully in the name of Jesus for generations, so there was no contest.
Some of the closest prayerful times I have experienced feeling close to God have been from singing or playing music by Bach. I deeply admire and respect Harriet Monsell, but Bach has my vote.
Faith and begorrah, this be like sailing twixt the deep blue and the rocky shore! These two would be wonderful shipmates. One with the song that lifts the sails afore the saintly wind and the other who fills the future soul with worthwhile life. Aaarrrgghhh!
This was a tough choice, but I voted for Bach. Music written, not just because it was his job, but out of deep love for, and relationship with, God.
I had every intention of voting for Bach, but then I read a little more about Harriet Monsell and the work that her Order continues to do in the world. Love nuns! Also, she retired to Folkestone, where I live, and died here so, as she is a local, I switched my vote to her. Go Harriet!
Oh dear. I love Bach's music and assumed I'd be voting for him. But my parish church is St. John the Baptist named after the nuns who founded St. Helen's Hall here in Portland, Oregon. I must vote for the lovely ladies who established the church and school. Harriet it is.
I am torn between Bach's incredible compositions against Harriet's work with those in dire need. Although Harriet's contribution can be considered more Jesus like than Bach's, his music touches me more deeply than her's. So I vote for Bach while thankful to learn of the selfless contributions of Sister Harriet.
I was intrigued by Harriet but my heart belongs to Bach.
Bach has long been my hero. The glory he gives to God still resounds wherever we hear his marvelous music.
OK, I've decided. As admirable as Harriet Monsell is, and even though she resonates with my inner self in special ways, Bach is absolutely unique. I'm voting for him today, with a regretful look over my shoulder at Harriet. I'll go click and then see whether I'm with the winner or the underdog today!
Wow, interesting choices! I will read on to absorb more background...(BTW, I am not receiving the emails anymore, I tried to subscribe again yesterday, but
today I had to hunt down the day's saintly matchup again...
Anyone know why this is happening?)
Check your junk folder. They may have ended up there inadvertently - they are definitely NOT junk 😉
I voted for Bach because his music lives in the church today .
No one could have done this alone, he must have had God's help as his music is inspired,
Apples and oranges? Artists, reaching for the ineffable through their work...often "speak" through their art, not words. (St. Bach). The servant's reach for the ineffable is through the art of touching the lives of others... (St. Monsell). Both seemed to share the "mind of Christ".
Erin Go Bragh, but, my vote goes to Bach. Tough choice for me.
I was not expecting to vote for Bach, but I did. As an artist, trained in the art of silence (aka mime) and one for whom worthy words cannot always be found to convey my heart, thoughts, joys, sorrows, faith or the deep mysteries and theologies I wish to express, the description of his faith, reverence and work poured out in his music and in his Bible's margins really connected. Also love how he found and connected with the artists within the Bible, too!
Thank you, Fiona, for this book alert: The Great Passion, by James Runcie. I will definitely look for this.
I vote for Bach in honor of my church organist friends, and in memory of my father. He was a lover of classical music, but a skeptic as far as church going went. With all his doubts, he was a deeply spiritual man, and one day I came upon him listening to Bach's Matthew Passion with the tears running down his face.
So thank you, Saint Johann Sebastian Bach, for being the voice of the gospel to my father. May you receive the golden halo!
Such a difficult choice. However, as a member of an Episcopal monastic community, I have decided that Harriet gets today’s vote.
As a retired church musician and organbuilder, I will cast my vote for JSB.