LSM Musical Advent Calendar, Day 23

Katharina von Bora Luther, Renewer of the Church In his Small Catechism of 1529, Martin Luther included prayers for morning and evening. By the time the Small Catechism had been published, Luther had been married for four years to Katharina von Bora, a former nun of the Benedictine order who died on this date in 1552. Because they often welcomed guests, Katharina oversaw a household that was as much a home as it was an inn. According to one report, “she ran not only the kitchen but also the brewery and the stables … where in 1542 there were 5 cows, 9 calves, 4 goats, 13 pigs, and several horses,” in addition to the fishponds and gardens. Luther writes that after the morning prayer, a hymn may be sung after which “you are to go to your work joyfully.” Since 2009, the LSM community has begun each weekday by singing Carl Schalk’s paraphrase and musical setting of Luther’s prayer. Join us daily for these moments of music and reflection between now and December 24.