FROM THE RECTOR: COMPASSION

 Last Wednesday, November 10, I was the celebrant and preacher for the commemoration of Leo, bishop of Rome, who died in 461. In A.D. 376, before Leo was born, Goths invaded the eastern region of the Roman Empire. In 401, they entered Italy. In 410, they captured Rome and sacked the city for three days. (Bryan Ward-Perkins, The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization [2005], 2–3, 16–17). I went to Ward-Perkins to learn something about Italy in Leo’s lifetime.

Part One of Ward-Perkin’s book is called “The Fall of Rome.” Its first chapter is “The Horrors of War.” It begins, “In 446 Leo, bishop of Rome, wrote to his colleagues in Mauretania, a Roman province in North Africa” (page 13). We learn something about Leo that one doesn’t read in The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (1974, 1978). The bishops wanted to know “how the Church should treat nuns raped by Vandals some fifteen years earlier . . . ‘handmaids of God who have lost the integrity of their honour through the oppression of the barbarians,’ as he discreetly put it” (page 13). Ward-Perkins continues, “He agreed that the women had not sinned in mind. Nonetheless, he decreed that the violation of their bodies placed them in a new intermediate status, above holy widows who had chosen celibacy only late in life, but below holy virgins who were bodily intact” (page 13).

In 458, Leo addressed a similar situation in north Italy. Six years earlier, Aquileia, then a major port near the Adriatic Sea, was sacked by Attila the Hun. The Huns took many men as slaves. Some found a way to return. Arriving at home, they discovered wives had remarried. “Leo, of course, ordered that these wives put aside their second husbands. But, appreciating the circumstances, he commanded that neither the bigamous wives nor their second husbands should be blamed for what had happened, as long as all returned willingly to the previous state of affairs. He does not tell us what should happen to any children of these second unions” (page 23–24).

At the end of the week of Sunday, October 24, 2021, the first lesson at Daily Morning Prayer was from Ezra or Nehemiah. They were a single book in early Hebrew and Greek manuscripts, later divided into two books. We finished the appointed readings from Ezra-Nehemiah on Wednesday, November 10. The content of Leo’s letters reminded me of the end of Ezra. Intermarriage with foreign women was a major issue. The book concludes with lists of men who had married foreigners. After naming them, the book ends, “All these had married foreign wives, and there were among them women who had children” (Ezra 10:44. Translation: Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary [2019], III: 829).

On Thursday, November 11, I was celebrant and preacher for the commemoration of Martin of Tours, bishop of Tours, 397. I was glad to read in Lesser Feasts and Fasts (2006): “Martin was unpopular with many of his episcopal colleagues, both because of his [ascetic] manner of life and because of his strong opposition to their violent repression of heresy” (page 448). On the website Religious and Spiritual Belief Resource, I read this: “The Hispanic ascetic Priscillian of Avila was the first person to be executed for heresy, only sixty years after the First Council of Nicaea, in 385. He was executed at the orders of Emperor Magnus Maximus, over the objections of bishops Ambrose of Milan and Martin of Tours.”

In Mark, when Jesus’ disciples return from their mission, he says to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). They go by boat. When they arrive, the crowds are already there. The evangelist tells us, “As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things” (Mark 6:34). The onset of evening leads to the feeding of the five thousand (Mark 6:30–34).

Then, there’s the story of the woman caught in adultery, John 7:53–8:11. Jesus’ words echo through time, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). Raymond Brown wrote that this passage “is missing from the best Greek manuscripts” (An Introduction to the New Testament [1997], 376. Some manuscripts place it in Luke—as does our Daily Office Lectionary. The readings from Luke are interrupted by this story from John (BCP 1979, page 936). Then, finally, the concluding dialogue between Jesus and the woman: “Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus looked up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again’ ” (John 8:9b–11). —Stephen Gerth

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR Andrew, Emil, John, Karen, Linda, Shalim, Patricia, Brian, Emily, William, Theresa, Margaret, Dave, Arax, Greta, Larry, Pat, Ralph, Mario, Liduvina, Jonathan, Emerson, Marilouise, Quincy, Florette, Peter, George, Abraham, Burton, Dennis, Ethelyn, Gypsy, Hardy, and Robert; and Randall and Louis, priests; all who work for the common good; and all the friends and members of this parish . . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . November 14: 1885 Ada Louise Woodruff; 1894 George William Sutton; 1946 Agnes Leavy Rescousie; 1963 Andrew Hegel.

ADVENT QUIET DAY . . . On Saturday, December 11, Sister Monica Clare, C.S.J.B, will lead a Quiet Day in person here at the church. Her theme will be the virtue of hope. Based on the scriptural foundations of Christian hope, her reflections will suggest some ways of keeping hope alive even in times of despair. The day will begin at 9:30 AM. There will be two reflections in the morning and one in the afternoon. Mass is at 12:10 PM, followed by lunch. Opportunities for prayer, reflection, and journaling will be provided. Reservations for the Quiet Day may be made by sending an e-mail to Father Jay Smith.

DIRECT CHARITBLE GIFTS FROM IRAs: IRA gifts aren’t recognized as income and will reduce your 2021 tax liability. If you are 70.5 or older, you can make a gift from your traditional IRA account. And if you’re 72 or older, your IRA donation is a compassionate way to fulfill your required minimum distribution for the year. Please be sure to consult with your tax professional. Many friends and members of this parish contribute in this way.

STEWARDSHIP 2022 . . . This year’s Stewardship Campaign has gotten off to a pretty good start, though we have a ways to go. As of November 2, 2021, $83,198.00 has been pledged by 20 households for the coming year. This is 20.8% of our goal of $400,000.00. The Committee has noticed that in addition to pledges by members and friends who worship with us frequently and volunteer their time here in many ways, we also continue to receive pledges from members and friends who live far from Times Square but remain faithful members of this community. This reminds us that Saint Mary’s ministry is both local and something other than local. Saint Mary’s is sustained by the talent, time, and treasure of those who worship and volunteer here in person, as well as of those who cannot be with us in person, but who support us with gifts, not only of money, but of prayer, encouragement, feedback, concern, and good humor. We are grateful for the diversity and commitment of this community. —The Stewardship Committee

NEIGHBORS IN NEED . . . We hope to receive donations of socks and underwear for both men and women in all sizes. Since the weather is beginning to grow colder, we also welcome donations of sweatshirts, thermal underwear, and coats . . . At our monthly Drop-by Days, we distribute clothing, toiletry, and hygiene items—and Metro Cards when they are available—to those in need in the Times Square neighborhood. Our next Drop-by Day is scheduled for Friday, November 19. Volunteers work from 1:30 PM until 3:30 PM. Our guests are invited into the church at 2:00 PM, and we close our doors at 3:00 PM. We need six (6) volunteers for each Drop-by. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Marie Rosseels, MaryJane Boland, or Father Jay Smith. You may reach them by calling the Parish Office at 212-869-5830.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION . . . This Sunday, November 14, the Adult Education class will meet in the Arch Room on the second floor of the Mission House. Access is via the sextons’ lodge at the east end of the narthex (vestibule) of the main entrance to the church . . . On Sunday, Father Peter Powell will continue his series on the Holiness Code, Leviticus 17–27. Father will teach until mid-December, and then we’ll take some time off for the Christmas Break . . . Adult Education resumes on Sunday, January 9, 2022, when the class will study and discuss the gospel lesson appointed for that day. This series, Reading Sunday’s Gospel and Getting Ready for Mass will continue until mid-February (January 9, 16, 23, 30, and February 6 and 13). The class will be taught by Father Jacobson, Father Smith, and Father Powell, who will take turns leading the class . . . Then on February 20 and 27, V.K. McCarty will lead a two-part series, Women Witnessed in the Ministry of Saint Paul, in which she will talk about women such as Lydia, Prisca, Phoebe, Euodia and Syntyche. VK’s book, From their Lips: Voices of Early Christian Women, was recently published by Gorgias Press.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Next Sunday, November 14, The Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 28). Adult Education 9:30–10:30 AM in the Mission House, Second Floor. Solemn Mass, 11:00 AM. The appointed readings at the Mass are Daniel 12:1–4; Psalm 16:5–11; Hebrews 10:31–39; Mark 13:14–23. The celebrant and preacher at the Mass will be Father Stephen Gerth. Evening Prayer will be said in the church at 5:00 PM . . . November 21, The Last Sunday after Pentecost: Christ the King. Adult Education 9:30–10:30 AM in the Arch Room on the second floor of the Mission House. Solemn Mass, 11:00 AM. The appointed readings at the Mass are as follows: Daniel 7:9–14; Psalm 93; Revelation 1:1–8; John 18:33–38 or Mark 11:1–11. The celebrant and preacher will be Canon Victor Conrado. Evening Prayer will be said in the church at 5:00 PM . . . Thursday, November 25, is Thanksgiving Day. The church will be open from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. The Holy Eucharist will be celebrated at 12:10 PM. Father Stephen Gerth is celebrant and preacher . . . Tuesday, November 9, Racism Discussion Group Meeting, 7:00 PM via Zoom. For more information about this ongoing weekly meeting, please call the parish office . . . The church is open on daily from 10:00 AM until 5:30 PM, except on Federal Holidays.

SAINT MARY’S ONLINE CENTERING PRAYER GROUP . . . The Saint Mary’s Centering Prayer Group continues to meet! The group meets online, via Zoom, every Friday at 6:30 PM. If you are interested in participating, please send an e-mail to this address. The convenors of the group will then send the link to the Zoom meeting.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . Our former sexton, Shalim Peña, was baptized here at Saint Mary’s on All Saints’ Day, November 1, 2019. His life has not been easy since that time. We invite all his friends here at the parish to keep him in their prayers. If you would like to write to him, please speak to Father Jay Smith or Jennifer Stevens . . . We urge all members and friends of the parish to return their 2022 pledge cards by Commitment Sunday, November 21. For information about how to make a pledge online, please contact the parish office . . . Father Jay Smith will be away from the parish taking some long-delayed vacation between Monday, November 8, and Sunday, November 21. For pastoral emergencies, please contact the parish office and ask to speak to Father Gerth or to one of our assisting priests. Father Gerth can also be reached at the rectory.

ABOUT THE MUSIC . . . The organ voluntaries on Sunday are from Dieterich Buxtehude’s Te Deum laudamus. Buxtehude (1637–1707) was the most important Germanic composer for the organ in the generation before Johann Sebastian Bach. His Choralfantasia Te Deum laudamus is a set of organ pieces based upon particular verses of Te Deum, the ancient Latin hymn traditionally (but doubtfully) attributed to Saints Ambrose and Augustine. Conceivably these organ versets belonged to a larger set of which only five are now extant. They may have been intended to be played in place of or in alternation with verses sung to Solemn Tone plainsong. The movements played as the prelude today are the opening Praeludium and the Primus versus in which the melody of the first verse of Te Deum, (“We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord”) is presented in long tones, alternately below and above an energetic and craggy accompanying voice. Today’s postlude is the fifth and final verset of Buxtehude’s Te Deum. This fifth movement is based on the verse Tu, devicto mortis aculeo (“Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death”). It comprises two sections of strictly imitative counterpoint and a closing section in freer fantasia style.

The Mass setting today is Missa Quarti Toni of Tomás Luís de Victoria (c. 1548–1611). Victoria is considered the most important Spanish composer of Renaissance polyphony. Born in Avila, the seventh of eleven children, he began his musical education as a choirboy at Avila Cathedral, and began his classical education at San Gil, a Jesuit school for boys founded in 1554. By 1565 Victoria had entered the Jesuit Collegio Germanico in Rome, where he was later engaged to teach music and eventually named maestro di cappella. Victoria knew and may have been instructed by Palestrina (1525–1594), who was maestro di cappella of the nearby Seminario Romano at that time. During his years in Rome, Victoria held several positions as singer, organist, and choral master, and published many of his compositions. He was ordained priest in 1575 after a three-day diaconate. There are twenty authenticated Mass settings of Victoria of which the Missa Quarti Toni is probably the freest of parody or quotations from other works. Although its title suggests a modal character, this Mass offers a major-minor harmonic palette which is not uncharacteristic of much of Victoria’s music. The setting is for four voices except the Agnus Dei which expands to five with the two soprano parts singing in canon at the unison.

Sunday’s Communion motet also was composed by Victoria. Its text source is Zechariah 14:5, and its traditional liturgical usage is as the Communion for Friday in the third week of Advent. It is also an antiphon from the Little Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Victoria’s setting is a two-section motet for five voices and was first published in Antwerp in the 1609 anthology Florilegium sacrarum cantionum. The text lux magna (“great light”) in both sections of the motet is emphasized by the alignment of all voices on long notes and by the jubilant cascade of alleluias that follow. —David Hurd

MARK YOUR CALENDAR . . . Thursday, November 25, Thanksgiving Day . . . November 28, The First Sunday of Advent (Year C/Year Two) . . . Wednesday, December 8, The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Celebration of the Founding of the Parish and the First Mass in the First Church on December 8, 1870 . . . Tuesday, December 21, Saint Thomas the Apostle . . . Friday, December 24, Christmas Eve. Music for Congregation and Choir 4:30 PM and Procession & Solemn Mass 5:00 PM . . . Saturday, December 25, Christmas Day, Solemn Mass & Procession to the Crèche 11:00 AM . . . Sunday, December 26, First Sunday after Christmas Day, Solemn Mass 11:00 AM . . . Monday, December 27, Saint Stephen, Deacon and Martyr (transferred), Mass 12:10 PM.

CONCERTS AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Saturday, December 4, 2021, 8:00 PM, New York Repertory Orchestra, Saint Mary’s Resident Orchestra, David Leibowitz, music director. The program includes the following music: Mauer, Women on a Journey (Kin Janabarhi Vra), NYRO Commission/World Premiere. In memoriam of Marguerite Iskenderian; Dello Joio, Meditations on Ecclesiastes; Still, Symphony 2 (Song of a New Race), Stephan Fillare, conductor 

This edition of the Angelus was written and edited by Father Stephen Gerth and Father Jay Smith. Father Matt Jacobson is responsible for posting the newsletter on the parish website and distributing it via mail and e-mail, with the assistance of Christopher Howatt and parish volunteer Clint Best.