From Father Beddingfield: The Multiplication of Saint Marians

As Saint John tells the story, they were on the other side of the Sea of Galilee and a whole multitude had followed them.  It was almost time for Passover and expectation must have been hanging in the air.  The people were hungry.  Jesus could see that.  They were hungry for food, but they were also hungry for miracles, for wonders, for love—hungry for God.  As Jesus looked out on the multitude he must have been near despair.  “How are we possibly to feed this crowd,” he wondered aloud.  There was silence.  Phillip agreed that it looked bad:  there wasn’t enough money to buy food for this multitude even if such food could be bought.  How to meet the need?  How to meet the expectation?  But there, out of the almost-despair, out of the wondering and worrying about what to do, Andrew stepped forward.  “There’s a lad here who has some loaves and some fish.  Maybe we could work with that?”  Jesus took the gifts offered by the boy and he gave thanks for them and distributed them.  And all were fed.  Because Andrew brought the boy to Jesus, because Andrew introduced the boy to Jesus, because Andrew stood with the boy before Jesus, the loaves and the fishes were multiplied.  Multitudes were fed, stomachs and souls alike.

At Saint Mary’s we are on the verge of a multiplication of Saint Marians.  Multitudes come and they are hungry.  They want something that is different from the culture that moves at the speed of the Internet.   They want something more than dumbed-down worship and politically correct psychobabble.  They come looking for signs in the midst of smoke and the music of angels.  They come hungry for God.  Hidden among the multitudes are some like the lad who have gifts to offer—much more than loaves and fishes, they have brains and know-how.  They have faith that can move mountains and they have experiences of God that have been tested in other places.  They have knowledge and compassion, they have tenacity for solving problems and they have patience toughened by prayer.  They have stories, they have memories, and they have dreams.  But the introductions have not always been made.  We have lacked a “Saint Andrew” to push them forward, to make introductions, and to help them get involved in Saint Mary’s.  But that is changing.

After a good bit of planning, a tremendous amount of prayer and with a mix of creativity and craft, we are forming a new group: Saint Andrew’s Guild.   Initially coordinated by MaryJane Boland and Eric Peterson, this guild will seek to make introductions.  The Saint Raphael’s Guild of ushers greets people when they come to church and helps them find their way.  The Saint Andrew’s Guild will assist with this but will make special effort to follow through by bringing newcomers into coffee hour, into conversations with others and into the programs and ministries offered at Saint Mary’s.  The Saint Andrew’s Guild also will help with introducing Saint Mary’s to the wider world.  People should know that we are here.  They should know what God is up to in this place.  They should know that here almost hiding in the middle of the block is a place of extravagant welcome, a place of rich worship and prayer, a place of belonging, and a place where souls can soar. 

This new guild will encourage us all learn to have a little of Saint Andrew’s spirit in us, but they need more people on the front lines with them.  They need people who can say those magic words, “Hi, my name is N., are you visiting?  Would you like to join me at coffee hour?”  If God is nudging you to be a part of this crucial ministry, let us know.  You can speak to MaryJane or Eric or me (after greeting someone new and bringing them to Coffee Hour or getting them to fill out an information card) or you can email us at info@stmvirgin.org.  We need your faith, your ideas, your energy and your friendly presence.  God is busy in Times Square and Saint Marians are being multiplied.  May Blessed Andrew guide us into bringing more people to Our Lord Jesus Christ.  John Beddingfield

PRAYER LIST . . . Your prayers are asked for Adele who is gravely ill, for Charles, Gloria, Samuel, Penn, Gilbert, Robert, Margaret, Jason, Bart, Hugh, Marion, Rick and Charles, priest; for the members of our Armed Forces on active duty, especially Bruce, Paul, Brenden, Jonathan, Jeffrey, Ned, Timothy, Patrick, Kevin, Christopher, Andrew, Joseph, Marc, Timothy, David, Colin, Christina, David, Nestor, Freddie, Matthew and Bennett; and for the repose of the soul of Carl . . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . October: 19, 1993 Jerome Branch Terrell; October 21: 1988 Philip W. Callanan.

LITURGICAL NOTES . . . The Sunday Proper: Genesis 32:3-8,22-30, Psalm 121, 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, Luke 18:1-8a . . . Confessions will be heard on Saturday, October 16 by Father Mead . . . On Sunday, October 17, Father Beddingfield will be the celebrant for the 9 AM Mass and Ms. Clare Nesmith will be the preacher.  Father Mead will be the celebrant and preacher at the 10:00 AM Sung Mass and the 11:00 AM Solemn Mass.  The Venerable Archdeacon Taimalelagi Fagamalama Tuatagaloa-Matalavea, Anglican Observer to the United Nations, will be the preacher at Solemn Evensong & Benediction at 5:00 PM. 

AROUND THE PARISH . . . At the 6:00 PM Solemn Mass on All Saints’ Day, Monday, November 1, Bishop Taylor will be baptizing, receiving and helping new members reaffirm their faith.  If you wish to unite with Saint Mary’s formally at this service, and you have not already done so, please speak with Father Beddingfield . . . This MONDAY: Via Media for those who are new to the Episcopal Church, curious about the Christian faith or simply want to explore some of the basic Christian beliefs from an Anglican perspective (Saint Joseph’s Hall 7:00 to 8:30 PM) . . . TUESDAY: Weekly Bible Study led by Father Mead will be on the cycle of Joseph stories in Genesis 37-50 (Saint Benedict’s Study 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM . . . WEDNESDAY: Series on prayer with the Reverend Anne Richards (Saint Benedict’s Study 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM) . . . Wednesday, October 20, the choir of More House School (comprised of 60 girls), London, directed by Michael Keeley, will give an informal concert in the church from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, singing works of Monteverdi, Pergolesi, Saint-Saëns, Rutter and others.  If you are in the area, please come and welcome these fine young people to New York . . . The Rector is on vacation until October 26 . . . Attendance on October 3, the Feast of the Dedication of the Church 333; Attendance last Sunday 327.

NOTES ON MUSIC . . . This Sunday at the Sung Mass, played by Robert McDermitt, the prelude is Prelude in G by William H. Harris (1883-1973) and the postlude is Trumpet Tune in C by David N. Johnson (1922-1987) . . . At the Solemn Mass, the prelude is Processional (1964) by the Welsh born composer William Mathias (1934-1992).  Mathias, who composed in many genres, may be best known in the realm of Church music for his Royal Wedding Anthem of 1981, Let the people praise thee, O God, sung at the wedding of Charles and Diana.  The postlude is an improvisation on ‘Monk’s Gate’ (our final hymn).  The setting of the Mass ordinary is Missa ‘Petre ego pro te rogavi’ by Alonso Lobo (c. 1555-1617).  Lobo, a famed musician in Spain during his lifetime, was assistant and later successor to Francisco Guerrero (1528-1599) at Seville Cathedral.  In addition to works of Guerrero, Lobo and Victoria, our choir this fall and winter will sing works of Escobedo, Esquivel, Padilla, Morales and Peñalosa.  The motet at Communion, one of the composer’s best-known gems, is Sicut cervus by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594) . . . The organ recital, featuring works of Bach, Peeters and Hancock, is played by Joseph Arndt of Helmetta, New Jersey . . . Tickets are now on sale for Concerts at Saint Mary’s.  The first concert, sung by our choir, is Thursday, November 18.  Tickets may be ordered by check (fill out the form in the brochure that has arrived in your mailbox, or print and mail the form found at www.stmvirgin.org/MusicatSaintMarys) or by credit card (phone 212.869.5830, extension 25).  Robert McCormick

SAINT MARY’S GUILD FAIR . . . Mark your calendar for a special day on Sunday, November 21.  Not only will be that be the Feast of Christ the King and the Sunday when our fall stewardship campaign comes to a close, but also we will celebrate life at Saint Mary’s with a Guild Fair.  This will be an opportunity for all of the groups, committees and programs at Saint Mary’s to “show their wares” and invite and enlist new volunteers.  Plan to stay at coffee hour for this very special day.

The Calendar of the Week

Sunday                   The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Monday                  Saint Luke the Evangelist                                            

Tuesday                     Henry Martyn, Priest, and Missionary to India and Persia, 1812

Wednesday               Weekday

Thursday                   Weekday

Friday                         Weekday                                               Abstinence

                                     Eve of Saint James’ Day 6:00 PM

Saturday                 Saint James of Jerusalem,

                                   Brother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Martyr, c. 62

The Parish Clergy

The Reverend Stephen Gerth, rector,

The Reverend John Beddingfield, The Reverend Matthew Mead, curates,

The Reverend Ian Bruce Montgomery, The Reverend Rosemari Sullivan, assisting priests,

The Reverend Canon Edgar F. Wells, rector emeritus.