The analysis of sermons of protestant theologians, made by Ulrich Meyer in his article „Flugel her! Flugel her!“ Gepredigte Sterbekunst als Hintergrund Bachser Kantatentexte, was used in this article. These sermons were written for the feast of the Purification of Our Lady. It was consistent with the practice of using the Canticle of Simeon (Lk 2,29–32) as a background for talking about death and dying, used in the protestant Church at that time. The sermon of Heinrich Muller seems to fit the most of the studied texts to the spirituality of J. S. Bach. Muller and Bach use a very similar phrases. In talking about Four Last Things, they stress not only death and judgment but a close and joyful meeting with Christ. The tragedy of death is thus changed in the joy of close possibility of seeing Christ. Moreover, theological speculation is completed by the cantatas written for the feast of the Purification of Our Lady (Der Friede sei mit dir (BWV158), Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde (BWV 83), Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn (BWV 157), Ich habe genug (BWV 82), Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin (BWV125).

(tłum. br. Szymon Pedrycz CSsR)