FROM FATHER SMITH: “WATER, RIVER SPIRIT, GRACE”

As I write on Friday morning, January 7, 2022, snow is falling in Manhattan, and the streets are quiet, because of the snowfall certainly, but also because most of the tourists who came for Christmas and the New Year have returned home. January is usually a quiet month here in the Theater District, but it may be a bit more so this year, since some Broadway shows have closed either temporarily or permanently because of the COVID surge. (Not all of the theaters have gone dark. For a list of plays still open, please visit this website.)

For many, Christmas, at least secular Christmas, has come and gone. But here at Saint Mary’s we continue to celebrate the Nativity and the Mystery of the Incarnation. Last night, we celebrated the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel passage, Matthew 2:1–12, told the story of the Three Magi, which is the particular focus of Epiphany celebrations in the West. In some places, such as Puerto Rico, Spain, and Italy, these celebrations, and their associated customs, eclipse those of Christmas Day, December 25.

This is true also of places such as Greece, Russia, Ethiopia, and other parts of the Christian East, where Epiphany celebrations continue well into the month of January. There, however, the focus is not on the Magi, but on the Baptism of Christ. Because of this, water appears to become, in some sense, the medium for the celebration. Yesterday in Istanbul and in Greece, waters—sea, lakes, rivers—were blessed and crosses were thrown into those waters. Hardy young men then competed to retrieve the crosses. Later, homes were blessed, sprinkled with holy water. In Ethiopia, later this month, God willing, complex rituals involving processions, reproductions of the ark of the covenant, song, chant, and vigil will take place. Waters will be blessed, and many believers will joyously leap into rivers and lakes to commemorate the gifts of creation and holy baptism.

Here at Saint Mary’s on Sunday, the first Sunday after Epiphany, our celebration will be less vigorous and “watery,” at least in a physical sense, but we, too, will have the opportunity to focus on this aspect of the Epiphany feast.

The gospel passage, Luke’s account of Jesus’ baptism (3:15–22) will be proclaimed. At Communion, we will hear David Hurd’s fine 1995 setting of a lovely and theologically rich poem by contemporary American writer, Thomas Troeger. The poem reads in part, “Christ gleams with water brown with clay from land the prophets trod. / Above while heaven’s clouds give way descends the dove of God. / Water, River, Spirit, Grace, / sweep over me, sweep over me! / Re-carve the depths your fingers traced in sculpting me.”

The first phrase is deeply incarnational: The Christ, fully human, is wet with the waters of the Jordan. Troeger doesn’t pretend that those waters are other than what they are. They are earthy, cloudy, muddy, bearing the sediment of the land of Israel. In this way, Troeger places the human Jesus within a specific human history, Israel’s history. However, he then breaks free, using soaring language to speak of Christ’s divinity, using the language of verse, not of dogma or creed. He then brilliantly shifts the focus from Jesus to the believer and her faith. That experience is ecstatic. Here, Troeger draws on, it seems to me, the deeply American and African American experience of baptism as sacrament of liberation, transcendence, and grace, and yet he concludes with a very ancient understanding of baptism. Just as Christ is the new Adam, so also the believer, through the waters of baptism, becomes a new creation, still human, of course, made of adamah, the earth, the clay, still in need of Spirit and Grace, but sculpted anew in the form of Christ. In Christ, the disciple dies and rises in the waters of baptism (Romans 6:1–14). Troeger’s poem is not scholastic sacramental theology. This is a text that unites matter and spirit to point us towards the gift of grace and life in the heart of every believer. This is strong stuff: “sweep over me, sweep over me,” Troeger says. Water, and a lot of water, is surely needed for this, something we understand well at Saint Mary’s.

I pray that Sunday’s feast will remind us that this is a place where we are strengthened weekly, even daily, by the Body of Christ. And we are also called to be a place in which Water, River, Spirit, Grace just might sweep over those who walk through our doors, led here by the Holy Spirit. — Jay Smith

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR John, Jason, Grace, Ricardo, Luis, Aaron, Marie, Emily, Philip, Linda, Fidel, Sylvia, Pat, Karen, Shalim, Brian, Carmen, Jean, Greta, Liduvina, Marilouise, Quincy, Florette, Peter, George, Abraham, Dennis, Emil, Ethelyn, Gypsy, Hardy, Margaret, and Robert; for Damien, religious; Lorna, Matthew, Randall, J. Robert, and Louis, priests; for Frank and Andrew, bishops; for all those who suffer from natural disaster, warfare, and COVID-19; for all who work for the common good; and all the friends and members of this parish. . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . January 9: 1900 Elizabeth Montgomery; 1924 Harry Charles Gamage; 1965 Elsie Gertrude Dickey; 1971 Eleanor Jane Tedford; 2001 Kenneth William Willett.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . . The Holy Eucharist and the Daily Office: The Angelus is recited Monday through Saturday at 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM. The Holy Eucharist is celebrated Monday through Saturday at 12:10 PM. Evening Prayer is said in the church Monday through Saturday at 5:00 PM. This week, on Wednesday, January 12, we will commemorate Aelred of Rievaulx (1110–67) and on Thursday, January 13, we will commemorate Hilary of Poitiers (315–368) . . . Saturday, January 8, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM, The Flower Guild will dismantle the Christmas decorations in the church. Volunteers are most welcome. Enter by 145 West Forty-sixth Street . . . Sunday, January 9, The First Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of Our Lord, Adult Education, 9:30 AM–10:30 AM, Arch Room, Second Floor of the Mission House, led by Father Matthew Jacobson; Solemn Mass 11:00 AM, Father Matthew Jacobson, celebrant and preacher. Evening Prayer is said at 5:00 PM in the church on Sunday afternoons . . . Tuesday, January 11, Racism Discussion Group Meeting, 7:00 PM via Zoom. For more information about this ongoing weekly meeting, please call the parish office.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . On Saturday, January 8, 2022, at 1:00 PM PST (4:00 PM here in New York), Brother Damien Joseph SSF will make his life profession of vows in the Society of Saint Francis at All Saints Church, San Francisco, California. The service will be streamed live on the Society’s Facebook page. Please keep our friend and brother in your prayers . . . On Monday, December 13, at the Annual Stated Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Society of the Free Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Dr. Charles Morgan and Ms. Mary Robison were elected as members of the Board for four-year terms. Ms. Robison was elected secretary of the Board. Dr. Mark Risinger was re-elected vice president and Mr. Steven Heffner was re-elected treasurer. Mr. Blair Burroughs and Mr. Clark Mitchell completed their terms on the Board and their colleagues received their resignations “with profound gratitude” for their service . . . On Saturday, December 18, 2021, the Reverend Lorna Woodham was ordained priest at Trinity and Saint Philip’s Cathedral in Newark, New Jersey. Mother Woodham often worshiped with us in 2014–2015 while she was discerning a call to ordained ministry. Since that time, she has received her Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary and a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University. She is now serving at Christ Church, Budd Lake, New Jersey. Please keep her in your prayers . . . On Thursday, January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, Dr. Jason Roberts was unable to play the organ recital before the Solemn Mass due to illness. Dr. David Hurd played the recital in his stead. We are very grateful to David not only for his willingness to do so on very short notice, but also for his artistry. Dr. Roberts has agreed to play the recital at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, February 2, the Feast of the Presentation. We look forward to welcoming him then. Please keep him in your prayers.

ADULT EDUCATION . . . The Adult Forum resumes after the Christmas Break this coming Sunday, January 9, at 9:30 AM in the Arch Room on the second floor of the Mission House. Father Matthew Jacobson will lead the class in a discussion of Luke 3:15–22, the gospel passage appointed for the day. Father Jacobson will also preach and celebrate at the Solemn Mass at 11:00 AM.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED THIS SATURDAY! . . . Come join the members of the Flower Guild as they dismantle the Christmas decorations and flower arrangements in the church on Saturday, January 8, 2022, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM.

FROM THE STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE. . . The pledge campaign for 2022 continues to gain momentum. As of December 29, 2021, we have reached just over two-thirds (69.7%) of our goal of $400,000, since we have received $278,703.00 in pledges from 77 households. We still have not heard from many of those who pledged last year. We urge all friends and members of the parish to make a financial pledge as soon as possible. This will help the Budget Committee to do their work. If you have questions, if you would like a pledge card, or for information about how to make a pledge online, please contact our parish administrator, Christopher Howatt, at 212-869-5830 or chowatt@stmvnyc.org. 

HELP WANTED! . . . Get involved at Saint Mary’s—Volunteer opportunities!

Whether you’re new to Saint Mary’s or a longtime friend of the parish, we welcome and invite you to get involved in one of the many parish guilds. No experience is required for any of these ministries. We will be happy to help train, answer questions, and assist you in getting started.

We feature two guilds this week:

• Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Flower Guild creates all the floral arrangements at the altar and shrines in the church for Sundays, feast days, and other services and events as needed. They also craft other special items such as the Advent wreath, crèche at Christmas, and Altar of Repose for Maundy Thursday. Please contact Brendon Hunter to learn more.

• The Communications Guild is responsible for two of the most visible parts of Saint Mary’s—our livestream of worship services online and taking photos that are used in the Angelus, website, and social media. If you can take a picture or video with your phone, you can do this ministry! Training to manage the livestream will be provided. Come, give it a try: you’ll discover how much fun it is! Please contact Blair Burroughs or Father Smith for more information.

ACCESSING OUR LIVESTREAM . . .  To view the livestream of Solemn Mass on Sundays and holy days, please follow this link: vimeo.com/stmarythevirginnyc. When doing so, you will discover that, you must scroll down, click on Load More, and scroll down towards the bottom of your screen in order to find the most recent videos and the livestream. We are working with our Vimeo rep to order the videos so the most recent video(s) appear at the top of the queue. This link will allow you to watch Mass live and also to view the archived video of the Mass at your convenience.

SAFE PRACTICES AT SAINT MARY’S . . . On Friday, December 10, the governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, and Mary T. Bassett, M.D., M.P.H., Acting Commissioner of Health of State of New York, issued a Commissioner’s Determination on Indoor Masking Pursuant to 10 NYCRR 2.60. The portion of the document pertinent to life at Saint Mary’s reads, “7a. After careful review and consideration of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations statewide, and in alignment with CDC recommendations for communities with substantial and high transmission, all persons, over age two and able to medically tolerate a face covering/mask, regardless of vaccination status, shall wear an appropriate face covering/mask while in any indoor public place. b. This requirement shall not apply to any indoor public area that requires proof of vaccination as a condition of entry. c. For purposes of this determination “indoor public place” shall mean any indoor space that is not a private residence. d. This requirement shall be in effect until January 15, 2022.”

This means that until further notice both clergy and people should wear a mask when in the church, unless they are actively eating or drinking, reading the Scripture, or presiding at the Eucharist. (The music director and the members of the choir have developed certain safe practices, including masking, and have been following those practices in the choir loft for some time.) We strongly encourage all those attending Mass in person to be fully vaccinated.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A DONATION FOR ALTAR FLOWERS? . . .

Many dates for donating flowers are available, including the feast the Annunciation on March 25; Sunday, January 16 and 30; and several Sundays in February. Sundays in Eastertide are also available. The suggested donation is $250.00 which provides flowers on the high altar; shrines of Christ the King, Blessed Virgin Mary, and Sacred Heart; and/or other locations depending on the calendar. The donation amount can be divided between more than one donor. Please contact Chris Howatt and Father Smith to donate the altar flowers. For questions about flowers and the Flower Guild, please speak with Brendon Hunter.

ABOUT THE MUSIC . . . The organ prelude on Sunday morning is an extended setting from the third part of J. S. Bach’s Clavierübung that is based upon the traditional melody for Luther’s text on the baptism of our Lord, translated “Christ, our Lord, to the Jordan came” (cf. Hymnal 1982, # 139). The melody is played on the pedals of the organ, sounding in the alto register, while consistent scale-wise motion of the left hand suggests the flowing of the Jordan River. The right hand, at the same time, provides additional rhythmic and harmonic texture. This chorale prelude anticipates the singing of the hymn at the Offertory of the Mass. 

The musical setting of the Mass on Sunday is Missa Surge propera of Tomás Luís de Victoria (1548–1611). It was published in Victoria’s Missarum libri duo in Rome in 1583. Victoria, considered the most important Spanish composer of Renaissance polyphony, was born in Avila, the seventh of eleven children. He began his musical education as a choirboy at Avila Cathedral, and 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. He was ordained priest in 1575 after a three-day diaconate. Of Victoria’s twenty authenticated Mass settings, fifteen—including Missa Surge propera—employ parody technique in which a new composition borrows musical elements of a pre-existing work. In this case, Victoria has parodied a four-voice motet of Palestrina (1525–1594), who may have been one of Victoria’s teachers. Palestrina’s motet, published in 1563, is a setting of Song of Solomon 2:10b–14. Victoria’s manner of parody resists the usual practice of beginning each Mass movement with a clear reference to the motet from which its themes are derived. Rather, he skillfully selects his borrowed themes and applies them where they best serve their new texts.

The motet sung during the administration of Communion, David Hurd’s What Ruler Wades through Murky Streams, is a choral expansion in four to six unaccompanied voices of his original hymn setting Water of Baptism which was composed for The New Century Hymnal (1995) of the United Church of Christ. The text is a three-stanza poem by Thomas Troeger reflecting on the baptism of our Lord. Troeger, a prolific hymn author, is an Episcopal priest and professor emeritus of Christian Communication at Yale University.

Sunday’s postlude is also a work of J. S. Bach. His Fantasia in C minor (the same key as today’s prelude) may well have been modeled after the five-part fugues of Nicolas de Grigny. Its rich ornamentation, close imitation, and harmonic plan seem to combine features of the French, German, and Italian schools of Bach’s time. The Fantasia begins as an extended tonic pedal-point with four imitative voices entering one at a time above it. After arriving at a cadence on the dominant, a section follows which is like the first except that it is based upon a dominant pedal. From this half-way point forward, the pedal becomes a more active member of the counterpoint, and the pace of harmonic activity quickens as the music gradually winds its way back to a final tonic pedal. It is possible that a fugue was meant to follow this Fantasia, and a fragment of such a work exists. 

NEIGHBORS IN NEED . . . We hope to receive donations of new or lightly used winter coats during the winter months. The coats should be clean. Their pockets should be empty, and the zippers, if any, should be in good repair . . . 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, January 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 reach them by calling the Parish Office at 212-869-5830. The February Drop-by will take place on Friday, February 18.

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