Justin Appel

Dear Friends,

Today’s Gospel lesson recounts Jesus’ first episode with Pontus Pilate and Herod prior to the crucifixion.

Read the lesson here.

One of the liturgical texts we repeat often that summarizes this larger episode is the Creed, and there are some particularly moving short choral settings of the “Crucifixus pro nobis” (He was crucified for us) portion of the text. The 18th-century Italian composer Antonio Lotto wrote multiple such settings, including his famous eight-part Crucifixus, which is easily his most sung work. His less-well-known six-part motet expresses the pathos and introspective nature of the text:

Crucifixus a 6, Antonio Lotti (https://youtu.be/d_KipyKC2dE)

“He was crucified for us under Pontus Pilate.
He suffered death and was buried.”

Yours in Christ,

—Justin