Chorale Cantata Cycle: Middle Trinity Time

William L. Hoffman wrote (September 30, 2024):
The month of September ushers in the Middle Trinity Time Sundays as well as single-day special events in the 3-year Revised Common Lectionary.¹ A new, three-year Revised Common Lectionary (Wikipedia) was created in the 20th century for the Catholic and progressive Protestant churches with Year B representing the Gospel of Mark (2023-24); Year C, the Gospel of Luke; and Year A, the Gospel of Matthew. Important selective Johannine readings are found in all three years. Portions of the Gospel of John are read throughout Eastertide, and are also used for other liturgical seasons including Advent, Christmastide, and Lent where appropriate. Trinity Time was established as the 2nd half of the church year with some 26 Sundays and a small number of single-feast days and the 2^nd cycle of chorale cantatas as found in the article, "Trinity Time Lectionary (BCW). The three-year revised Common Lectionary provided for various events beginning with the early Trinity Time Sundays of the first four as well as special single-day festive events during earlier Trinity Time: Nativity of John the Baptist, June 24, gospel Luke 1:57-67 (Birth of John the Baptist), preferred Cantata 167; Presentation of the Augsburg Confession, June 25, gospel Matthew 10:32-39 (Confessing, rejecting Christ; not peace but sword), preferred Cantata 190a; Apostles St. Peter & St. Paul, June 29, gospel Mark 8:27-35 (Peter declares Jesus Messiah, Jesus predicts suffering, death), preferred Cantata 159. St. Mary Magdalene, July 22; gospel John 20:1-2, 11-18 (Empty tomb, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene), preferred Cantata 145; Apostle James the Elder, July 25, gospel Mark 10:35-45 (James & John request Jesus' throne), preferred Cantata 98. Next in line comes the Trinity Time Sundays from the 5th to the 14th Sundays after Trinity in the article "Leipzig Church-Year Cantata Cycles: Bach's Grand Design" .(BCW).

Next comes the 15^th through the18^th Sundays after Trinity in Middle-Trinity Time.
15^th Sunday after Trinity (14^th Sunday after Pentecost): Year B, Mark Gospel, 7:24-37 (Christ heals little girl & deaf man, Lectionary Library; Proper 18 (23), 8 September 2024): preferred Cantata 35 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Media), alternate Cantata 51 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Media). Year C, Luke 14:25-33 (Give up your possessions, Lectionary Library, Proper 18 (23), 7 September 2025): preferred Cantata 8 IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag), alternate Cantata 3 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag. Year A, Matthew 18:15-20 (Reconciliation in community of faith, Lectionary Library), 6 September 2026 (Proper 18 (23): preferred Cantata 177 IOPN Library Illinois), alternate Cantata 42 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag).
16^th Sunday after Trinity (15^th Sunday after Pentecost): Year B, Mark 8:27-38 (Peter's confession of faith, Lectionary Library, 15 September 2024, Proper 19 (24): preferred Cantata 159 (IOPN Library Illinois), alternate Cantata 23 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag). Year C, Luke 15:1-10 (Lost sheep & lost coin, Lectionary Library, 14 September 2025, Proper 19 (24): preferred Cantata 184 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag), alternate Cantata 135 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag). Year A, Matthew 18:21-35 (Parable of forgiveness, Lectionary Library, 13 September 2026, Proper 19 (24): preferred Cantata 89 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag), alternate Cantata 115 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag).
17^th Sunday after Trinity (16th Sunday after Pentecost). Year B, Mark 9:30-37 (Prediction of Passion, Lectionary Library): preferred Cantata 166 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag), alternate Cantata 159 IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag. Year C, Luke 16:1-13 (Serving God or wealth, Lectionary Library, 21 September 2025, Proper 20 (25): preferred Cantata 105 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag), alternate Cantata 94 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag). Year A, Matthew 20:1-16 (Parable of vineyard workers, Lectionary Library, 20 September 2026, Proper 20 (25): preferred Cantata 144 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag), alternate Cantata 85 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag).
18^th Sunday after Trinity (17^th Sunday after Pentecost), Year B, Mark 9:38-50 (Warnings to those who obstruct faith, Lectionary Library, 29 September 2024, Proper 21 (26): preferred Cantata 73 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag), alternate 186 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag). Year C, Luke 16:19-31 (Poor Lazarus & rich man, Lectionary Library, 28 September 2025, Proper 21 (26): preferred Cantata 75/1 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag: alternate Cantata 181 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag). Year A, Matthew 21:23-32 (Parable of doing God's will, Lectionary Library, 27 September 2026, Proper 21 (26): preferred Cantata 87 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag), alternate Cantata 96 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag).

Special, single-day festive events during middle Trinity Time:
Holy Cross Day, September 14 (Lectionary Library), Gospel John 3:13-17 (Son of Man lifted up, Lectionary Library), preferred Cantata 174 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag).
Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist, September 21 (Common Prayer Online), Gospel Matthew 9:9-13 (Matthew, Follow me), preferred Cantata 103 (IOPN Library Illinois, Carus-Verlag).
Michael & All Angels, Sept. 29 (Wikipedia, the feast of St. Michael was the beginning of the Leipzig Fall Fair, the most important of the three fairs (plus winter (Epiphany) and spring (Jubilate), see BCW. scroll down to "Mini-Cycle Gap"): preferred gospel Revelation 12:7-12, Bible Gateway; preferred Cantata 19 (1726, IOPN Library Illinois, alternate Cantata 149 (1728, IOPN Library Illinois, BCW.

ENDNOTES.

¹ John S. Setterlund, Bach Through the Year: The Church Music of Johann Sebastian Bach and the Revised Common Lectionary (Minneapolis MN, Lutheran University Press 2013), Kirk House Publishers, Amazon.com.