FROM FATHER SMITH: WHY DOES MARY WEAR A CROWN?

I had lunch this week with a priest friend, who knows his theology, is a fine preacher, and has a particular devotion to the Blessed Virgin, especially as she is known as Our Lady of Guadalupe. I asked him, as one does, “Why do we call Mary queen of heaven?” He said without delay, “Because Jesus is a king.”

On the Sundays in Advent, we hear these words, “Because you sent your beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing.” (BCP 378)

At Epiphany, we are reminded that the divine judge who comes to redeem, forgive, and transform us is a king. (It might be better to say that Christ is revealed as a king in a way that makes us start to think about the real meaning of kingship and power. But more about that in a bit.) During Mass at Epiphany, both the psalm and the epistle help us to think of Christ as a king, as having royal dominion, reigning in the heavenly places. The theme is made more explicit in the gospel when the Magi—regarded sometimes in later traditions as kings themselves—come to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him.” So, the revelation to the Wise Men has something to do with Jesus’ kingship. And, not for the last time in the gospels, Jesus’ royal status greatly disturbs the earthly and morally deficient king. Jesus’ kingship is a “sign of contradiction,” as the gospel stories, particularly the stories about Jesus’ suffering and death, will make clear.

All of these themes, Jesus Christ as savior, Son of God, Messiah, anointed One, king, divine judge, risen Lord enthroned in the heavenly places are based on the words of Scripture. And it is also on certain biblical passages—especially in the gospels—that most of the later traditions about the Blessed Virgin are founded. When we read those passages, we discover that Mary has a distinct character and plays an essential role in God’s “plan of salvation.” But Mary’s story is always joined to Jesus’ story. And we can see this very clearly right here at Saint Mary’s, in our building and in its decoration.

The stained-glass apse windows above the high altar and in the Lady Chapel were all designed to honor the Blessed Virgin. They include scenes from the gospels such as the Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary, the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, the Nativity of the Christ Child, the Adoration of Jesus by the Shepherds, and the Presentation in the Temple. The murals in the Lady Chapel depict the Magnificat and the Adoration of the Magi. The people of Saint Mary’s, and the parish’s benefactors, clearly wanted to honor the Blessed Virgin, to highlight her virtues, and point to her beauty and glory, but they were always extremely careful to allow the story of Mary to point to the story of her Son. The windows and the murals are important features in the decoration of the church and the Lady Chapel, but they are never allowed to overwhelm the central architectural feature of either space, namely the Altar, symbol of the Risen Lord, the place where the Mass is enacted each day, the site where Christ is made present to us in the Eucharist. The Altar is the essential feature in the church and in all the chapels. Mary and the saints guide us to the Altar, but they never supplant it.

All of this, of course, is entirely orthodox, rooted in Scripture and the early creeds. When devotion to Mary begins to emerge and develop in the early church it is something that connects her to her Son and seems designed to lead the believer into a more intimate relation with him. One of the earliest titles for Mary is Theotokos, God-bearer: Jesus Christ, fully divine and fully human is gifted with his humanity through Mary, his mother, who is not divine, not a goddess, but a human being, distinctly virtuous, uniquely privileged, set apart because of her crucial assent to the conception and birth of her Son. Still, she is and remains a human being, just like us.

Of course, devotion to the Blessed Virgin is an important part of the Christian tradition, in both East and West. It is not hidden, rare, or regarded as exotic. A Greek hymn, dated to the end of the sixth century, still sung in Orthodox churches, is essentially a litany of extended, even florid, praise of the Virgin Mary, who is now seen as the God-bearer, but who is clearly regarded as much more than just a passive vessel. She is linked to her Son’s saving work and a source in herself of guidance and protection: “Rejoice, tabernacle of God the Word:/Rejoice, saint greater than the saints!/Rejoice, ark gilded by the Spirit:/Rejoice, inexhaustible treasury of life!/Rejoice, Thou through whom victories are obtained:/Rejoice, healing of my flesh:/Rejoice, salvation of my soul!/Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!”

The title of queen or queen of heaven emerges from this sort of reflection. Mary, seated with the Christ Child in her lap, comes to be seen as the Throne of Christ. In the Middle Ages, especially in the West, with its developed feudal systems, and as reflection on the lives of both Jesus and Mary flourish, the idea of Mary as queen begins to emerge and flourish. In life, Mary’s fiat, her “yes” to God’s calling is mirrored and linked to her Son’s continual “yes” to the Father, even to the cross. The links, and the interweaving of the two stories, is regarded as highly significant and filled with meaning. And so: if Christ has won the victory, is Risen Lord, and reigns in heaven, then his holy mother must surely be present with him, too. If Christ is a king, then surely Mary must be a queen.

These ideas have a long trajectory that culminates in the Roman Catholic Church with an encyclical of Pope Pius XII, Ad Caeli Reginam, promulgated in 1954. In this document, the pope declared the Queenship of Mary and instituted a feast with that name. I doubt that this shocked the people of this parish at the time. Since the early 1920s, a reredos painting depicting Mary as Queen of Heaven, has hung behind and slightly above the high altar. In the painting, Mary is being crowned, unusually, by angels instead of the Persons of the Holy Trinity. She sits enthroned, wearing a mantle of blue that is decorated with golden stars.

So, why does Mary wear a crown and why do celebrate a crowning of her statue at the beginning of the month of May?

It is because we are a part of an ancient tradition of the church catholic that is unafraid of according honor to Mary and reflecting on the meaning of her “yes” to God, and her decision to participate in the God’s saving work in the world. In this tradition, she is saint of saints, a model, and a guide. She, too, is redeemed by her Son, but she is also in a sense her Son’s first follower. She becomes the icon of the Church, yes, someone who lived a life we can aspire to but never achieve, but she also becomes mother of Christians, a path to God and to God’s Son that brings with it Mary’s own protection and maternal care. For Anglicans, Mary’s queenship is not so much a historical fact, or a heavenly drama. It represents a way of talking about the goodness of God, the possibilities of a life shaped by love and the desire for justice, and our hope for victory in the risen life to come.

But if all this is true, then it seems to me that we should also always remember that Jesus’ kingship is complex. He is a poor, insignificant infant but the Magi call him “king of the Jews.” Jesus tells us “my kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). And in the gospel stories of Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jesus’ kingship works on two levels: on one level, it is mocked as foolish and rebellious pretension; but on another level the Risen Lord’s kingship is revealed to be the only true kingship. It is authority and dominion is fueled not by the desire for power but by love. And if this is true, then surely Mary’s queenship is the same. We crown her because we wish to honor her. However, we serve her and her son best when we care for each other, for those in need, and for those who have lost their way.

The relationship of Anglican and Roman Catholic understandings of Mary and her role in the “economy of salvation” is described in Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ: the Seattle Statement of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (Continuum, 2006), a volume which includes commentaries on the statement. Mary’s queenship is not much discussed in this excellent book, but much else about the tradition is. I recommend it. It is worthy of our study here at Saint Mary’s, either as individuals or as a community. — JRS

THE PARISH PRAYER LIST

Prayers are asked for the sick and for all those for whom prayers have been asked, especially Barbara, Carlos, Christopher, Emil, James-George, Marjorie, Pat, John, Karen, Shalim, Greta, Liduvina, Quincy, Florette, Brian, Carmen, Peter, George, José, Emily Abraham, Ethelyn, Gypsy, Margaret, and Robert; for Allen, bishop; and for the members of the Episcopal religious orders, especially Luc, John, Daniel, James, and the Sisters of the Community of the Transfiguration.

IN THIS TRANSITORY LIFE . . . Chun Young Shin, the mother of Bishop Allen Shin, died on May 1. Clara Mun, Bishop Shin’s wife, posted these words on her Facebook page this week, “My beautiful mother-in-law, Chun Young Shin passed away on Sunday, May 1st at the age of ninety. Her private viewing and memorial service with family [took place] on Wednesday, May 4th in Redmond, Washington. She fully enjoyed her life as a wonderful mom, wife, nurse, and teacher. She was very blessed with many lovely memories of life celebrations and journeys. She was so loved by many family members and friends, and she will be very much missed. Thank you so much for all your prayers!” We continue to pray for Chun Young. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

AROUND THE PARISH

At the Annual Meeting of the Parish on Sunday, May 1, the members of the parish nominated the following as delegates and alternates to the diocesan conventions to take place in autumn 2022: J. Grace Mudd and Mary Robison, delegates; Brendon Hunter and Leroy Sharer, alternates. This slate will be presented to the Board of Trustees at their next meeting for affirmation and election. We are grateful to these faithful people for their willingness to serve in this way.

This may affect your travel to the church for the next two Sundays: West 47th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, will be closed this weekend and next for tower crane removal.

Saint Mary's is now a sponsor of The Living Church and members of the parish are eligible for a complementary one-year digital subscription to The Living Church magazine. Click here to sign up, making sure to select "The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, New York, NY" from the dropdown list of parishes. According to their website, "The Living Church keeps you informed about what’s happening in the Episcopal Church, Anglican Communion, and beyond. Published 20 times a year, every issue includes news and commentary on the issues of the day, plus reflections on ministry and theology."

Did you know that St Mary’s has an automated external defibrillator (AED)? It’s a machine that can detect an abnormal cardiac rhythm that requires treatment with an electrical shock, and is located in the Sextons’ Lodge. In order to continue to have the machine here, we need to field a team of 6-10 folks that can operate it in an emergency. Training on the machine takes about 3 hours, and you receive certification in both CPR and AED use. If this life-saving ministry is something you are interested in, please email Parish Administrator Chris Howatt.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S

The Adult Education Class will meet on Sunday, May 8, 9:30–10:00 AM, when the Reverend Dr. Warren Platt will discuss the place of Saint Mary’s in the history of nineteenth-century Anglican “ritualism” and Anglo-Catholicism. This is the second and final class in Father Platt’s two-part series.

The Holy Eucharist is celebrated at the High Altar Monday–Saturday at 12:10 PM. Members of the congregation are now invited to sit in the pews in choir.

The Racism Discussion Group Meeting: The Group meets online on most Tuesday evenings. The Group took a break after Easter, but resumes its meetings on Tuesday, May 10, 7:00–8:00 PM. 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 Group is currently reading and discussing The Church Enslaved: A Spirituality for Racial Reconciliation by Tony Campolo and Michael Battle (Augsburg Fortress 2005). The publisher describes the book as follows, “Two of the most vocal activists on racial issues in the church seek nothing less than a conversion of American Christianity. They directly challenge the churches to resume leadership in overcoming and redressing America's legacy of racial segregation. Campolo and Battle expose the realities of racial division in the churches and then lift up a vision of a church without racism. To achieve reconciliation within and among the denominations, they argue, both the black and the white church need to acknowledge and overcome substantial problems in their traditions. The authors provide a blueprint for how racially reconciled churches can encourage activism in the cities, church involvement in politics, and responsible use of the Bible, ultimately helping to transform American society itself.”

Holy Hour. Wednesday mornings 11:00–11:50 AM, in the Lady Chapel. A time for silent prayer and contemplation before the Blessed Sacrament. Followed by the Holy Eucharist at 12:10 PM.

The Saint Mary’s Centering Prayer Group meets online on most Friday evenings at 6:30 PM, including Friday, May 6 and 13. If you are interested in participating, please send an e-mail to this address or speak to Ingrid Sletten or Blair Burroughs.

A Time for Prayer and Preparation Before Mass on Sunday: The acolytes, readers, and members of the audiovisual team are invited to gather in in the Lady Chapel each Sunday between 10:00 and 10:20 AM for a time of silent prayer and preparation before Mass. All are invited to join them.

ABOUT THE MUSIC

The Lord as Shepherd is familiar to us, from the twenty-third psalm through to the Gospel according to Saint John and beyond. The Collect appointed for this coming Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, is addressed to God “whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people.” Sunday’s Mass setting and motet echo this reference. Surrexit pastor bonus (“The Good Shepherd has arisen”) is the second Matins responsory for Easter Monday. Its text declares and rejoices that the good shepherd, who has lain down his life for his sheep, has “risen indeed.” Orlando di Lasso (c. 1532–1594), also known as Orlande de Lassus, was one of several composers of his time to set this responsory text, as he did in his 1562 collection of sacred songs for five voices published in Nuremberg. The motet, which will be sung on Sunday during the administration of Communion, begins with an upward sweeping phrase sung by the highest three voices. The two lower voices then echo the same. The two soprano parts joyfully weave among one another through the motet, and it concludes with many alleluias. Sunday’s Mass setting, Lassus’s Missa Surrexit pastor bonus, is Lassus’s parody of his motet, and it carries the same incipit and the same voicing. The Gloria and Sanctus begin with writing very similar to the opening of the motet. This Mass does not include a setting of Agnus Dei. However, another Surrexit pastor bonus parody Mass, previously attributed to Lassus but now thought to be the work of Ivo de Vento (c. 1543–1575), does include Agnus Dei. This latter setting of Agnus Dei, in six voices (SSAATB), is paired with Lassus’s Gloria and Sanctus for the liturgy this morning.

Franz Tunder (1614–1667) is believed to have been born in Lübeck in northern Germany. It is likely that he studied with Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643) in Florence. In 1641, he was appointed the main organist at Lübeck’s Marienkirche, where he was eventually followed by Dieterich Buxtehude (1637–1707). Tunder’s Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, played for the prelude this morning, is a triptych of preludes on a classic Easter chorale on a text attributed to Martin Luther. The first verse of Tunder’s setting is in five voices, two of which are played on the pedals; the chorale melody is in the upper pedal voice. The second verse is in four voices with the melody in the tenor register played by the left hand. The third verse, also in four voices, places the melody boldly in the bass voice which is played on the pedals. — David Hurd

AIDS WALK UPDATE

We're raising our goal again!! Last week, we upped it to $45,000 and, after quickly meeting that level, we've now increased it again to $50,000. In the last few days, we’ve continued to climb and are now at $47,081. The Walk on May 15 is only a week away, but we feel confident about this new target since AIDS Walk allows teams to continue to raise money until June 10. Saint Mary's is currently the number two fundraising team overall in the Walk!

For those walking on our team, please come to Mass on May 15 dressed for the Walk. We'll gather after the liturgy and then walk together as a team. We currently have eleven people on our team, but there is still time to join us!

Click here to join our team or to donate. Donations via check should be made payable to “AIDS Walk New York” and not to Saint Mary’s. Since donations go to GMHC, this makes bookkeeping easier for those working in the parish office. Checks 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 Neighbors in Need program is Saint Mary’s principal outreach ministry. It was founded by members of the parish, along with resident sisters and friars and members of the parish’s clergy staff. We “own” it and run it. We provide clothing and basic, but essential, hygiene items to our neighbors in Times Square. Your cash donations and gifts of new and lightly used clothing make this ministry possible.

The May Drop-by will take place on Friday, May 20.

With the arrival 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.

However, as you do your spring cleaning, please know that we would love to receive donations of coats, jackets, and sweatshirts. We did not receive many coats from our usual suppliers this past winter and we would like to prepare for Winter 2022–2023.

Our goal is to continue to distribute clothing and hygiene items to those in need in the Times Square neighborhood. We are grateful to all those who continue to support this ministry.

ADULT EDUCATION . . . On Sunday, May 8, Father Warren Platt will give the second and final of two 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 . . . On Sunday, May 15, the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Father Matt Jacobson will lead the class in a discussion of John 13:31–35, the gospel passage appointed for the day. The passage includes the following verses, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Father Jacobson will preach at the Solemn Mass that morning at 11:00 AM.

This edition of the Angelus was written and edited by Father Jay Smith. Father Jacobson also helps to edit the newsletter and is responsible for formatting and 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.