Easter, the annual celebration of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, is the most significant holy day on the Christian calendar. And yet, even while we diligently focus our families on Christ in the weeks before Christmas, we often find that Easter sneaks up on us, catching us totally unprepared.

Lent, the period of forty days leading up to the weekend marking the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, is traditionally a time in the church’s calendar to meditate on the gravity of our sin and our deep need for a Savior. Observing Lent makes the good news of Easter resonate more gloriously with us.

In The Sacred Sacrifice: Cultivating Lenten Traditions with Bach’s Great Passion, Hannah Paris leads us into establishing a beautiful Lenten tradition for families of listening to Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.

She makes it easy for you to journey through Lent with Bach, on your own or with your family. Make Lent memorable for your family with:Daily listening schedule for Bach’s St.

Matthew Passion, including the German and parallel English librettoOccasional poems and other readingsSuggested activities for observing Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday, and othersRecipes for Shrove Tuesday and Easter. .