Bach

“It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!” (Matthew 26:24).

Johann Sebastian Bach

I recently came across the story of the Baroque musical composer and musician, Johann Sebastian Bach who lived in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries in Germany.

Bach is strongly considered the greatest composer of Western music and his work on organ, keyboard, clavichord, cello, violin and a whole variety of other instruments caused Bach to be widely recognised as a musical genius – even during his lifetime…

However, Bach lived at a time when medical care was minimal and much of the medical treatment that people received was based on superstition rather than science.

Three children from Bach’s first marriage died before they turned one year old.  Then, his first wife – their mother – died suddenly one day when Bach was travelling for his music.  About a year later, Bach met a soprano who was sixteen years his junior and married this woman.  He had thirteen children with her and only six of those children survived to adulthood.  This means that Bach lost ten children and one wife during his short life (he died at the age of sixty-five of complications from eye surgery).

Researchers have long considered how he continued to work while experiencing such profound and far-reaching loss…  And the answer is that he always wrote “Soli Deo Gloria” (“Glory to God alone”) at the end of his music.  And, at the beginning Bach would write, “Lord help”.

And I have been thinking about that today, because it seems that the music of Bach was a prayer.

And I have been thinking about that today.  You see, it seems that if I were to turn my life into a prayer, I could face anything that my God sends to me.  And if I were to choose to reject a life of prayer and sacrifice, then I would be unable to face even the smallest thing.

And I feel that if I were to live “prayerfully” then I would be able to face anything.

Saint Josemaria wrote in “Furrow” at 902, “Acquire the habit of speaking about everyone and about everything they do in a friendly manner, especially when you are speaking of those who labor in God's service. Whenever that is not possible, keep quiet. Sharp or irritated comment may border on gossip or slander.”

And this sort of approach is the result of being able to approach all of God’s world and all of the people in it with an attitude of prayer…

THAT is what makes all the difference.  That is the difference betwene being able to continue along the road to Calvary, carrying unimaginable grief in your heart, and giving up entirely and committing the Sin of Judas Iscariot – the sin of despire – for which the Son of Man said, “For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!” (Matthew 26:24).

And today I pray for the Grace to live a prayerful life – for I would never want my Beloved to say of me, “It would be far better for that woman if she had never been born!”

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.