FROM THE RECTOR: GOD’S LOVE AND FORGIVENESS

In 1976, the Reverend Dr. Charles P. Price (1920–1999) was asked by the Standing Liturgical Commission to draft a document on behalf of the commission. When completed, Dr. Price’s work was issued with the following rather lengthy title, Prayer Book Studies 29: Introducing the Draft Proposed Book: A Study of the Significance of the Draft Proposed Book of Common Prayer for the Doctrine, Discipline, and Worship of the Episcopal Church (1976). I was a brand-new Episcopalian back then, and Prayer Book Studies 29 helped me to understand the services that were coming our way and to appreciate the scholarship and work done over many years to produce the new Prayer Book. The Draft Proposed Book of Common Prayer (1976) would gain wide acceptance across the church after it was approved by two consecutive meetings in 1976 and 1979 of the General Convention.

I remember being profoundly moved as I heard and learned the words of what earlier American Prayer Books called the “Prayer of Consecration:” “All glory be to thee, Almighty God, our heavenly Father, for that thou, of thy tender mercy, didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our redemption; who made there (by his one oblation of himself once offered) a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world; and did institute, and in his holy Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memory of that his precious death and sacrifice, until his coming again” (The Book of Common Prayer [1928], 80). Eventually, the prayer mentions the Lord’s “mighty resurrection and glorious ascension” (page 81). But it quickly returns to the Lord’s death and sacrifice: “And we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, to hear us; and, of thy almighty goodness, vouchsafe to bless and sanctify, with thy Word and Holy Spirit, these thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine; that we, receiving them according to thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ’s holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood” (page 81).

In Prayer Book Studies 29, Dr. Price wrote, concerning the contemporary language prayers in Rite Two, “In striking contrast to Eucharistic Prayer I from Rite I, all of these Rite II prayers move to restore this ancient theme of eucharist, thanksgiving to God for his creation” (page 83). Jesus’ death and sacrifice are not ignored in the Eucharistic Prayers of Rite Two, but Christ’s resurrection and ascension are not overwhelmed by references to his suffering and death.

Dr. Price also mentions another intention missing from earlier consecration prayers: God’s love for creation and humankind. In the 1979 American book, the body of Eucharistic Prayer A begins, “Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself” (page 362), Eucharistic Prayer B, “We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation” (page 368), and in Eucharistic Prayer D, “We acclaim you, holy Lord, glorious in power. Your mighty works reveal your wisdom and love” (page 373). Writing about seventh-century missionaries in Britain and what is now Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, Diarmaid MacCulloch states, “The missionaries of Christianity talked to [the troubled people of Europe] of love and forgiveness shaping the purposes of God, and there is no reason to believe that ordinary folk were too obtuse to perceive that this could be good news” (Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years [New York: Viking, 2010], page 344). I think MacCulloch has the order of these two words exactly right: love and forgiveness. Easter is about God’s love, forgiveness, and eternal life. —Stephen Gerth

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR Christopher, Liduvina, Modie, James, Jonathan, Emerson, Rita, Marilouise, Quincy, Florette, John, Shalim, Peter, George, Abraham, Burton, Dennis, Emil, Ethelyn, Hardy, Margaret, Robert, and Louis, PRIEST; for all who suffer from COVID-19 remembering especially the people of India; for all those who work for the common good, and for all the members and friends of this parish. Grant that we may serve Christ in them and love one another as he loves us . . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . May 9: 1891 William Sethick Moore; 1906 August Howard Lesner; 1911 Thomas Netterfield; 1932 James Lees Laidlaw; 1963 Helen Harrison Morgan; 2012 George Blackmore Handy.

GODSPEED, FRIARS . . . The friars will be leaving Saint Mary’s on Monday, May 10. Sunday, May 9, will be their last Sunday with us. Though we won’t be able to gather in Saint Joseph’s Hall to thank the brothers on that day, we invite the members and friends of the parish to join us at Mass in order to say goodbye, Godspeed, and we hope to see you soon.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . . This coming Sunday, May 9, The Sixth Sunday of Easter: Adult Education, led by Brother Thomas Bushnell, 9:30–10:00 AM; Mass 11:00 AM. The main doors of the church open at 10:00 AM on Sunday morning and close at 1:00 PM. (Access to Saint Joseph’s Hall for the adult-education class is via 145 West 46th Street). The preacher at the 11:00 AM Mass on Sunday, May 9, will be Father Stephen Gerth. The service will be played by Dr. David Hurd. Dr. Hurd will be joined by cantor, Charlotte Mundy . . . Tuesday, May 11, Racism Discussion Group Meeting, 7:00 PM via Zoom. For more information about this weekly meeting, please speak to Charles Carson, Charles Morgan, Marie Rosseels, or Ingrid Sletten . . . Thursday, May 13, Ascension Day, Mass 12:10 PM, homily by Father Jay Smith. Charlotte Mundy will be cantor for the service . . . Next Sunday, May 16, The Seventh Sunday of Easter: Adult Education 9:30 AM (via Zoom; the class will not meet in person on May 16), Holy Eucharist 11:00 AM. On May 16 at 9:30 AM, Sister Monica Clare, CSJB, will lead the adult-education class via Zoom. Father Matthew Jacobson will be the celebrant and preacher at the 11:00 AM Mass that day. Dr. David Hurd will play the service, and Ms. Sharon Harms, soprano, will be the cantor . . . The Rector will be on vacation, and away from the parish, from Saturday, May 15, through Saturday, May 22. Father Jay Smith will be in residence.

ALTAR FLOWERS NEEDED . . . We are looking those willing to donate altar flowers for Sunday, June 13, and Sunday, June 20, and all the Sundays in July and August, except for August 15. The suggested donation is $250. Donors often give flowers in memory, thanksgiving, or celebration of people or life events they would like to pay tribute to. Please contact Chris Howatt, if you would like to donate or speak to Brendon Hunter for more information.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . Sunday, May 9, is the year’s mind of the late George Blackmore Handy, who died on that date in 2012 at the age of ninety-three. Mr. Handy is still remembered with great fondness here at Saint Mary’s for many reasons, not least for his kindness, calm demeanor, and his gift for making every visitor to Saint Mary’s feel welcome. He was for many years the head of the Saint Raphael’s Guild of Ushers. There was one thing of which he himself was particularly proud: he was able to identify and recruit others who were also gifted at welcoming and caring for both visitor and longtime member alike; and many of his recruits went on to serve on the parish’s board of trustees. George’s example inspires us to commit ourselves to the future of the parish, to support participation in and leadership of lay ministries, and to try to do it all with a joyful heart for the greater glory of God . . . Sunday Volunteers Needed: Beginning on Sunday, May 9, we will need one volunteer each week to take some photographs during the Mass. These pictures are used to illustrate the Angelus and on social media. We also need a volunteer to set up their iPhone at the crossing, connect to the Saint Mary’s Facebook page, and to begin, monitor, and end the livestream. If you would like to be on a team to help with one or both of these very important tasks, please speak to the rector, who will be able to provide additional details . . . Larry Trupiano and his crew have been working hard in the organ loft this week. Their first task has been to do a lot of cleaning after the repair of the rose window and the removal of the scaffolding in the organ loft and then to begin replacing the pieces of the organ that had been removed during the rose-window project. They have been arriving early and working very hard. We are grateful to them. Please keep them in your prayers . . . An unusual and very useful gift: Those of you who work out in a local health club, will surely have noticed that athletic shoes are often abandoned and left unclaimed in club locker rooms. You may have wondered what is the fate of this forlorn footwear. It turns out that it is collected, saved, and later discarded. However, a local health club has offered to give us the collection of sneakers in its lost-and-found for distribution by Neighbors in Need. We were very happy to hear this since usable athletic shoes are not often donated to our outreach project. We are looking for one or two volunteers, who are willing to help us pick up the shoes and bring them by car or SUV to the undercroft here at Saint Mary’s. If you have a strong back and some daytime flexibility—or if you know somebody who does—please speak to Father Gerth or Father Smith.

NEIGHBORS IN NEED . . . At our monthly Drop-by Days, we distribute clothing and toiletry and hygiene items to those in need in the Times Square neighborhood. Our next Drop-by Day is scheduled for Friday, May 21. 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 also support this ministry by making a cash donation (if using PayPal, please write “Neighbors in Need” in the memo line); or by making a donation of clothing or hygiene items. We welcome donations of gently used or new clothing and footwear; unopened toiletry items; backpacks, or small rolling suitcases. All these items should be clean and in good repair. Everyday wear is desirable, which is to say, no formal wear, party clothes or high-heeled shoes. We are not in need of men’s or women’s suits or evening wear at this time. Popular clothing items are: T-shirts, socks (e.g., white and black ankle socks), polo shirts, shirts, and blouses with collars; underwear for men and women in all sizes, including bras, slips, briefs; thermal underwear, sweaters, sweatshirts; slacks/blouses; caps, and scarves. Small blankets, towels and wash cloths, rain slickers, umbrellas, and zippered jackets are also desirable. Please speak to MaryJane Boland, Marie Rosseels, Sharon Stewart, or Father Jay Smith about scheduling a donation.

MUSIC AT SAINT MARY’S . . . The organ voluntaries on Sunday, May 9, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, are the three movements of Sonata V in D Major by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–1788). C. P. E. Bach was born in Weimar, the second son of Maria Barbara and Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). Like his father, he was the most distinguished musician of his generation of Bachs. He served as harpsichordist to Frederick the Great of Prussia and later as director of music to five principal churches in Hamburg. C. P. E. Bach’s catalogue of compositions was impressive but included surprisingly little organ music. He did, however, compose six organ sonatas for Princess Amalie of Prussia, sister of Frederick the Great. Since the princess was unable to play the pedals, these sonatas were written for manuals alone. The energetic first and melodic middle movements of Sonata V in D Major are played for the prelude today. The playful final movement is played for the postlude.

The musical setting of the Mass on Sunday was commissioned by Saint Cecilia Cathedral and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska, from David Hurd, organist and music director at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. Saint Cecilia, the traditional patron of musicians, is commemorated in the Roman calendar on November 22. The texts of the Mass in Honor of Saint Cecilia are from the Roman Missal, Third Edition, which was introduced into use in 2011. This setting includes Kyrie, Credo, and several Acclamations in addition to the portions sung today. It was intended to serve as a setting to be held in common by parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Omaha and beyond. Plainsong style was specified in the commission. Therefore, like historic liturgical chant, the melodies of this setting are intended to respond to and enhance the natural contour and rhythm implicit in the text rather than being driven by a regular pulse or imposed harmonic plan. Accompaniments are provided throughout the Mass, but the vocal lines are conceived also to be performed without accompaniment when desired.

The cantor on Sunday morning is soprano, Charlotte Mundy, a regular member of the Choir of Saint Mary’s. During the Communion she will sing a setting of Ave Maria by César Franck (1822–1890). Born in Belgium, Franck entered the Paris Conservatory at age fifteen. From 1844 he held various titles at Parisian churches and, in 1858, moved to Sainte Clotilde to preside at the Cavaille-Coll organ in that newly built neo-gothic church. Franck is widely considered the founder of the French symphonic organ school. The genre of the “solo motet” may have originated in Italy with works by Lodovico Viadana (c. 1560–1627) that specified solo vocal performance. In France, this genre was distinguished from vernacular sacred songs (cantiques) by its adherence to Latin liturgical texts. Although the specifics of its origin remain uncertain, Franck’s Ave Maria for soprano or tenor and organ exemplifies this genre. Such solo motets and similar works for two, three, or four voices and organ became fashionable in later nineteenth-century France as a practical response to the short supply of trained church musicians resulting from the social, political, and ecclesial instabilities which characterized the earlier part of the century. —David Hurd

More about the Cantor on May 9, 2021, the Sixth Sunday of Easter: Soprano Charlotte Mundy specializes in music that is new, daring, and sublime. She has been called a “daredevil with an unbreakable spine” (SF Classical Voice). Recent performances include George Benjamin’s one-act opera Into the Little Hill at the 92nd Street Y and a set of music for voice and electronics presented by New York Festival of Song, described as “an oasis of radiant beauty” by the New York Times. She acted and sang in A Star Has Burnt My Eye at the BAM Next Wave Festival and The Apartment at Abrons Arts Center. As a member of Ekmeles vocal ensemble and TAK ensemble, she has been an artist-in-residence at the music departments of Columbia, Stanford, Penn, Cornell, and many other universities. The multi-sensory ritual of Mass at “Smokey Mary’s” is a constant inspiration to her. Learn more at charlottemundy.com.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR . . . Sunday, May 23, The Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday, Mass 11:00 AM . . . Sunday, May 30, Trinity Sunday, Mass & Te Deum 11:00 AM . . . Monday, May 31, The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary . . . Monday, May 31, Memorial Day . . . Sunday, June 6, Corpus Christi, Mass & Benediction 11:00 AM . . . Friday, June 11, Saint Barnabas the Apostle . . . Saturday, June 19, Juneteenth, Celebration of the Emancipation of the Enslaved People of the United States . . . Thursday, June 24, The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist . . . Friday, August 6, The Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mass 12:10 PM . . . Sunday, August 15, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary . . . Tuesday, August 24, Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, Mass 12:10 PM.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION . . . We have begun a new adult-education series on Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM, How We Interpret Scripture and Why It Matters. The series will continue through and including Sunday, May 30. The classes will be led by a new teacher each Sunday. We will not be focusing just on modern historical-critical methods of interpreting the Bible, but rather on the variety of ways in which Christians have used and interpreted the Bible over the centuries: to create art and music, shape liturgy, found religious orders, do theology, speculate about cosmology, discuss morality, prepare baptismal candidates, and care for the newly baptized.

On Sunday, May 9, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Brother Thomas Bushnell, BSG, will lead the adult-education class. The title of his presentation is “What medieval people understood about reading the Bible that we (mostly) don’t.” Thomas is a software developer and a member of the Brotherhood of Saint Gregory. He has worked for Google since 2010. He studied philosophy and classics at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, graduating in 1999. In 2007, he completed his doctorate at the University of California, Irvine, under the supervision of Professor Bonnie Kent. The title of his dissertation was “Peter Abelard’s Conception of the Good.” If you would like to attend this class virtually, via Zoom, please send an e-mail to Grace Mudd, and she will send you a link.

On Sunday, May 16, the Seventh Sunday of Easter, Sister Monica Clare, CSJB, will lead the class virtually via Zoom. There will be no in-person class on May 16. If you would like to attend the class, please send an e-mail to Grace Mudd, and she will send you a Zoom invitation with a link so that you can connect to the class on Sunday morning. Sister Monica Clare will discuss the ways in which biblical reflection shaped the beginnings of the Community of Saint John Baptist and the decision to choose John the Baptist as the community’s patron. Sister Monica is well known to the members of the Saint Mary’s community. She lived, worked, and ministered here at the parish for several years, before she was recalled to the convent in Mendham, New Jersey. She is now the superior of the Community of Saint John Baptist and volunteers her time at a parish near Mendham, while continuing her ministry as a spiritual director. Before entering her community, Sister Monica lived in Los Angeles and worked in advertising, designing ads for the film industry. She has excellent computer and design skills and has generously shared those skills with us over the years. We are happy that she will be joining us again, if only virtually!

I am looking forward to hearing more about these very different interpretive techniques and points of view, and I am very grateful that so many members and friends of the parish have agreed to share their time and expertise with us. Please join us. All are welcome. —Jay Smith

For all these classes, seating in Saint Joseph’s Hall will be arranged to maximize social-distancing. Unfortunately, we will not be able to provide refreshments. All those attending the class must wear a face covering.

STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN 2021 . . . Our stewardship campaign has come to an end. We were not able to achieve our $400,000.00 goal, but we recognize that we are living in a difficult time, and we are all doing the best we can. We live in hope and trust in God. Still, we continue to ask you for your help. We would welcome your financial pledge if you have not yet pledged for 2021. and we are grateful to all those who continue to support Saint Mary’s so generously.

AT THE MUSEUMS . . . At the Metropolitan Museum, 1000 Fifth Avenue at Eighty-second Street. We celebrate Ascension Day this week on Thursday, May 13. The Met has at least two images of the Ascension in its collection and probably many more. It was a favorite subject for Christian artists for many centuries. One particularly striking image, displayed and discussed on the museum website, is by the German artist, Hans Süss von Kulmbach (1476–1528), who studied with Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528). This painting, on view in the museum’s Gallery 626, dates to 1513 and is a startling depiction of the Ascension as a physical leave-taking. From the museum website, “This Ascension of Christ into heaven is emphasized by depicting him as leaving the pictorial space. Only his feet and lower legs, engulfed by clouds, appear at the top, while on the ground the twelve apostles and the Virgin Mary witness his departure. Kulmbach, who trained with, adapted the composition from a woodcut in his teacher’s Small Passion series. This painting and eight others (now dispersed among various museums) once comprised the wings and predella panel of an altarpiece devoted to the life of the Virgin. A sculpted Coronation of the Virgin (Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg) was the centerpiece.

WORSHIPPING SAFELY AT SAINT MARY’S: If you are at all unwell, please do not come to church. If you are experiencing symptoms, contact your primary-care physician and get tested. If you have a fever of 103.5, which is not being handled by an analgesic, and/or you are having difficulty breathing (by difficulty we mean you must stop talking to focus on your breathing), go to an emergency room immediately. That said, we are very happy to be able to welcome you to worship with us here at Saint Mary’s (11:00 AM on Sunday, 12:10 PM Monday–Saturday).

When you arrive, please fill out the contact sheet at the ushers’ table. Please take a seat in one of the open pews, and feel free to ask an usher, one of the brothers, or a member of the clergy if you have questions about seating, Communion, or safe-distancing. Face masks are required while in the church building. We know all too well that many of these precautions are tedious, but we accept them to keep ourselves and each other safe and healthy. We continue to pray for those who are sick and for a swift end to the epidemic.

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