HOLY WEEK & EASTER 2022

Austin Farrer (1904–1968), Anglican priest, philosopher, and theologian

Christ’s parable of the shepherd escapes us not by being obscure, but by being so plain. The meaning is so familiar that we overlook it.  What does he say? A man cares naturally for his own things.  He does not have to make himself care. The shepherd who has bought the ground and fenced the fold and tended the lambs, whose own the sheep are to keep or to sell, cares for them. He would run some risk, rather than see them mauled; if he had only a heavy stick in his hand, he would beat off the wolf. Christ does not boast, as a man among men, that he loves mankind more than any other man, through a higher refinement of virtue. He says that he cares for us as no one else can, because we are his. We do not belong to any other man; we belong to him. His dying for us in this world is the natural effect of his unique care. It is the act of our Creator.

From The Crown of the Year, Weekly Paragraphs for the Holy Sacrament: Easter ii

Thomas Merton (1915–1968), Roman Catholic monk, poet, spiritual teacher

The Holy Spirit enlightens us, in our reading, to show how our own lives are part of these great mysteries—how we are one with Jesus in them.

From A Monastic Introduction to Sacred Scripture

Saint Teresa of Avila (1515–1582), Roman Catholic nun, mystic, spiritual teacher

The feeling remains that God is on the journey too.

Saint Ephrem of Edessa (d. 373), deacon, theologian, hymnographer

Death trampled our Lord underfoot, but he in his turn treated death as a highroad for his own feet. He submitted to it, enduring it willingly, because by this means he would be able to destroy death in spite of itself. Death had its own way when our Lord went out from Jerusalem carrying his cross, but when by a loud cry from that Cross he summoned the dead from the underworld, death was powerless to prevent it.

Death slew him by means of the body which he had assumed, but that same body proved to be the weapon with which he conquered death. Concealed beneath the cloak of his manhood, his godhead engaged death in combat; but in slaying our Lord, death itself was slain. It was able to kill natural human life, but was itself killed by the life that is above the nature of man.

Death could not devour our Lord unless he possessed a body, neither could hell swallow him up unless he bore our flesh; and so he came in search of a chariot in which to ride to the underworld. This chariot was the body which he received from the Virgin; in it he invaded death’s fortress, broke open its strong room and scattered all its treasure.

From Sermo de Domino nostro, 3-4, 9: Opera edit. Lany, 152-158, 166-168; cited in Vol. II, Liturgy of the Hours, Catholic Book Publishing Co.: New York, NY, 1976, pp. 734-36.

Rowan Williams, Anglican archbishop, theologian, author, spiritual teacher

So, at Easter we celebrate not just the fact that Jesus rose from the dead - as if that were an interesting fact that happened many centuries ago - we celebrate the fact that, in the words of the Bible, because “he is alive, we are alive.”

We know that we are held in God's hands, that our lives are held firmly and lovingly forever by the mercy of God. We know we have a future in his love, and that nothing can take that away.

It’s a long journey, a journey from the moment when we thought we could welcome God cheerfully and happily because he seems to come and fulfil all our desires. Palm Sunday is a cheerful occasion. And then we have to face the fact that the Jesus who has arrived is perhaps not quite what we want, he's making us feel uncomfortable. He's changing us. And human beings push back against that change. And they do it violently and horribly. They try to push Jesus right out of the world. And we have to face in ourselves all those aspects of our lives which try to push God away. And then we realize the amazement, wonder ,and gratitude [that] however hard we try to push it away, he won’t go away. He’s there, he’s promised to be there, he will be there for us wherever we are. And so at the end of our celebration of Easter, that long journey of Holy Week, we can say, in the words of Saint Matthew's Gospel—right at the end of that Gospel—as we've heard Jesus saying, “I’m with you always. I’m with you till the very end of the world.

From Easter Video on Archbishop Williams’s website

Schedule of Holy Week Services at Saint Mary’s 

Thursday, April 14
6:00 PM Maundy Thursday Liturgy
Watch before the Blessed Sacrament until 12:00 AM
The Right Reverend Allen K. Shin, celebrant & preacher 

Friday, April 15
12:30 PM The Good Friday Liturgy
Confessions are heard after the liturgy.
The Right Reverend Allen K. Shin, celebrant & preacher 

Saturday, April 16
9:00 AM The Holy Saturday Liturgy
7:00 PM The Great Vigil of Easter 

Easter Sunday, April 17
9:00 AM Said Mass with Hymns
11:00 AM Solemn Mass
Festive Coffee Hour following Mass 

Music during Holy Week

Maundy Thursday
Mass Setting: Missa Syllabica by Arvo Pärt (b. 1935)
At the Offertory:
Ubi caritas et amor by Morton Lauridsen (b. 1953) 

Good Friday
The Reproaches by David Hurd (b. 1950)
At the Communion:
Crucifixus etiam pro nobis by Antonio Lotti (1667–1740) 

Great Vigil of Easter
At the Vigil Prophecies:
Refrain Melodies (1978) by David Hurd
Mass Setting: Missa Paschalis by Orlando di Lasso (c. 1532–1594)
At the Communion: Dum transisset sabbatum
by John Taverner (c. 1490–1545) 

Easter Day
At the Prelude: Christ ist erstanden, BWV 627
by J.S. Bach (1685–1750)
Mass Setting: Missa Paschalis
by Orlando di Lasso (c. 1532–1594)
At the Communion:
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus by William Byrd (1543–1623)

THE HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE OF SERVICES may also be found on the front page of the parish website or by calling 212-869-5830 x 15.

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR Emil, Renate, Ricardo, James-George, Sharon, Mel, Penny, Peter, Marjorie, Juderka, Pat, Eloise, John, Karen, Shalim, Greta, Liduvina, Quincy, Florette, Mary, Mark, Peter, George, Abraham, Ethelyn, Gypsy, Hardy, Margaret, Robert; for Stephen, priest; and for the repose of the soul of Charles Brand, priest.

We pray for peace in Ukraine and for an end to the violence and terrible suffering in that war-torn nation. Your prayers are asked for peace in all the troubled places of this world, remembering especially the people of Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Myanmar, Syria, and Yemen.

During Holy Week we pray for peace in the Holy Land:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
May they prosper who love you.
Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers (Psalm 126:6–7).

Your prayers are asked for all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, especially the people of Ukraine; the sick; the dying; the poor and the persecuted; the unemployed and those seeking work; all refugees and migrants; those without food, medical care, insurance, shelter, or work; those who suffer from Covid-19; and those who mourn.

Your prayers are asked for those injured in the attack in the subway station in Brooklyn on Tuesday morning. Your prayers are also asked for the health and safety of all New Yorkers and all who visit the city.

Your prayers are asked for all health workers and all those who work for the common good; for those who live and work in our neighborhood; for all those visiting Saint Mary’s during this Holy Week; for all actors, artists, and musicians; and for all the benefactors, friends, and members of this parish.

Your prayers are asked for all our parish volunteers: for those who work in the parish office; our acolytes and ushers and the members of the Altar and Candle Guilds; the members of the Flower Guild and all those who decorate the church for Holy Week; those who give their time to the work of Neighbors in Need; and those who are fundraising for AIDS Walk 2022. Your prayers are asked for the parish musicians, for the members of the staff, and for the clergy.

GRANT THEM PEACE . . . April 17: 1885 Paul Everhardt Luttjen; 1911 Harold Jack Bloy; 1913 Victor Edmund Cook; 1917 Cornelia Smith Waugh; 1920 Ann Catherine McClain; 1925 Henry Dutton Pierce; 1943 Josephine C. Rust.

PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE OUR COMMON LIFE:

A willingness to follow the parish’s guidelines concerning health, safety; and mutual respect;

Concern for ourselves and others, including concern for the health and safety of all;

Being honest about one’s health and vaccination status;

A willingness to strive with God’s help for justice and peace among all people; and,

A sincere commitment to respect the safety and dignity of all, including our visitors, members, friends, and the members of our choir, staff, and clergy.

An update from our Interim Rector: I’ve been pleased to see our COVID numbers shift in a generally positive direction of late, leading the governor to lift the statewide mask-or vaccinate mandate and the mayor to lift many COVID restrictions in the city. Our vaccination numbers are strong – some 75% of the city’s residents (88% in New York County) are fully vaccinated – and the CDC website lists our community level as "low." Based upon these and other developments, Saint Mary’s implemented the following changes to public worship on Sunday April 3 (or will, as soon as possible, for some of these changes):

·  Allowing worshipers to make their communions at the communion rail (kneeling or standing, as you prefer) rather than at the crossing

·  Removal of the tape encouraging social distancing in the pews (our current attendance numbers allow people to spread out, further reducing risk)

·  Replacing the holy water in the stoups

·  The gospel proclamation from the midst of the congregation rather than at the crossing

·  Preaching from the pulpit

·  A return to circulating the offering plates when we have a sufficient number of ushers (if you are able to volunteer for this important ministry, contact Marie)

AROUND THE PARISH:

Schedule for Easter Monday: The parish offices will be closed. The noonday services will be offered. The church will be open on the regular schedule, 10:00 AM–6:00 PM. The regularly scheduled meetings in the Mission House will take place. Evening Prayer will not be said in the church.

The Annual Meeting of the Parish will take place in Saint Joseph’s Hall after the Solemn Mass on Sunday, May 1. The Interim Rector will deliver his report. A vote will be taken to choose two lay delegates to attend the diocesan conventions in the fall: November 11, Diocesan Convention; and December 3, The Election of a Bishop Coadjutor. The delegates nominated at the Annual Meeting are to be presented for approval to the Board of Trustees at the Board’s meeting at the end of May. Other reports will be presented to the parish in a printed document at the meeting.

Holy Week Offerings: On Maundy Thursday, the offering is for AIDS Walk and Episcopal Relief and Development in support of the People of Ukraine. On Good Friday, the offering is in support of the ministries carried out by our Anglican sisters and brothers throughout the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. In the past, such Good Friday gifts have assisted the Ras Morbat Eye Clinic in Yemen; helped children with special needs at The Jerusalem Princess Basma Center; and enabled youth ministry at Saint Matthew’s Church, Zebadeh, in the West Bank, among other projects. We invite you to be generous and we are grateful to all those who have supported these ministries in the past.

We are grateful to the members of the Flower Guild and those working with them, who are decorating the church  this week for the liturgies of Holy Week and Easter . . . We are also grateful to parishioner Clark Anderson, who played all but one of the services of Stations of the Cross for us and who will play the service at 9:00 AM on Easter Day.

We also want to thank Father Peter Powell, who recently concluded his six-part series on the Holiness Code in Leviticus. Father Powell has been a mainstay of our adult-education program and we are grateful to him for his generous and expert teaching.

Father Stephen Morris is a friend of Saint Mary’s. He has worshiped with us in the past. He is a priest of the Orthodox Church in America. He received news this week that Bishop Dietsche and the Standing Committee of the Diocese of New York have approved his application to be received as a priest in the Episcopal Church, following the required period of discernment, study, and service. He will be received as a priest by Bishop Dietsche on Sunday, May 15, at the Church of Christ and Saint Stephen, where he will celebrate the Eucharist the following Sunday, May 22. Please keep Stephen in your prayers.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S:

The Adult Education Class will not meet on April 17 or 24. Class resumes on Sunday, May 1, at 9:30 AM.

The Racism Discussion Group Meeting: The Group will not meet during Holy Week but does normally meet on Tuesday evenings. For more information about this ongoing weekly meeting, please call the parish office, or speak to one of the current members of the group, such as Charles Carson, Charles Morgan, Marie Rosseels, or Ingrid Sletten.

The Saint Mary’s Centering Prayer Group will not meet on Friday, April 15 (Good Friday). However, the Group does meet online on most Friday evenings at 6:30 PM, including Friday, April 8. If you are interested in participating, please send an e-mail to this address.

EPISCOPAL SERVICE CORPS BENEFIT… featuring Saint Mary's alumni Sister Monica Clare and Father Matt Mead! On Thursday, May 19, the New York Service and Justice Collaborative (NYSJC), the Episcopal Service Corps ministry of the Diocese of New York, will host a fundraiser event at the Church of the Heavenly Rest in Manhattan (in-person and livestreamed): A Balm for Our Time: In Search of Healing from Current Crises. The event will include a reception and panel-based discussion with The Rev. Dr. Michael Battle (The General Theological Seminary), Sister Monica Clare (Community of St. John Baptist), The Reverend Anne Marie Witchger (Church of the Heavenly Rest), and The Reverend Matthew Mead (Christ Church, Pelham) as well as two of the current fellows. The event website can be found here and we welcome your support even if you are unable to attend. Father Matt Jacobson is on the NYSJC advisory board and would be happy to answer any questions about this important young adult ministry.

AIDS WALK UPDATE… We've had a strong week, raising an additional $4,050, and are now at $34,655. We’re well on our way to our goal of $40,000. There are now four weeks left until the Walk on May 15 and we’re currently the second-ranked fundraising team overall!

Click here to join our team or to donate. Donations via check, payable to “AIDS Walk New York,” can be given to one of the team leaders: MaryJane Boland, Clark Mitchell, or Father Matt Jacobson. Feel free also to contact us with any questions. Additional details and history of our participation can be found on the parish webpage here. Any support, large or small, matters and is very much appreciated! —MaryJane, Clark, and Father Matt

NEIGHBORS IN NEED . . . The next Drop-by Day will take place on Friday, April 22. Volunteers work from 1:30 PM until 3:30 PM. Our guests are invited into the church a bit before 2:00 PM, and we close our doors at 3:00 PM. We need at least 6 volunteers for each Drop-by. If you would like to volunteer, please send an email to neighbors@stmvnyc.org or call the Parish Office at 212-869-5830. The May Drop-by will take place on Friday, May 20.

With the onset of warmer weather, we are now eager to receive donations of lighter clothes such as shirts, blouses, T-shirts, slacks, shorts; jeans, socks and athletic shoes remain popular items year-round. However, if you are cleaning out your winter closets, we will gladly accept your unwanted coats, clothes and shoes to keep in reserve for next winter.

ADULT EDUCATION . . . Coming Up after the Easter Break . . . On Sundays, May 1 and May 8, Father Warren Platt will give presentations on the early history of Saint Mary’s. Father Platt writes, “My two lectures will focus on the development of the ritualist movement in the Episcopal Church, with particular attention to the Diocese of New York and those parishes within it which were exponents of high churchmanship. There will be a discussion of Bishop John Henry Hobart and Hobartian high churchmanship in the Diocese of New York.” This is a timely and appropriate topic for this interim period, during which the parish will consider Saint Mary’s past, present, and future. All are invited and encouraged to attend.

This edition of the Angelus was written and edited by Father Jay Smith. Father Jacobson also helps with editing and is responsible 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.