FROM FATHER JACOBSON: AN INVITATION TO A HOLY LENT

Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting… I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.[1]

We’ll hear these words at all three Masses on Ash Wednesday following the sermon. The Church is inviting us into Lent. As I read these words, I’m reminded of the video series on evangelism that Father Sammy has been using to lead discussions at Adult Formation in recent weeks. Specifically, the video that the group watched last Sunday talked about the role of invitation in evangelism. Certainly, it would be wonderful if we all invited people to join us at Saint Mary’s this Lent.

As I think about Lent and reflect on my own experience of this season at Saint Mary’s over the years, there is also another aspect of evangelism that comes to mind. It isn’t something I would have necessarily thought of calling “evangelism” prior to a book that I recently read, but it does accurately capture how Lent at our parish has been for me over the last ten years. Father Louis Weil once wrote:

Although evangelism… is often thought of as a ministry directed outside the church… it also takes place within the ordinary life of the church. Through evangelization, members of the church strengthen one another by witnessing to the reality and grace of God in their lives.[2]

More than anything I do individually in terms of my own Lenten practices, I have found that being part of this community to be the most transformative. By witnessing and traveling through Lent alongside members of the body of Christ at Saint Mary’s, I have been strengthened and changed.

There is much that we do together during Lent beyond our usual worship schedule which are, in fact, opportunities for us to be evangelized by being together with each other. Stations of the Cross are offered every Friday at 6:00 PM following Evening Prayer. On the Fifth Sunday in Lent, April 6, we will have Solemn Evensong & Benediction. There will be a Quiet Day at the parish on Saturday, March 15. On Wednesdays, we’ll have supper together after the evening Mass and learn about the development of Holy Week by Father Morris. See below for more details about Lent at Saint Mary’s and look for updates in future issues of the newsletter. In next week’s Angelus, for example, Father Powell will tell us more about what to expect at Adult Formation on Sunday mornings in Lent.

There’s also much to be commended about personal prayer and devotions during Lent. Father Wood has again prepared a Shape of Lent booklet as a guide for each of us to follow as individuals, but to do so in a way that we journey together as a community. In fact, Father Weil also wrote, “Even when I pray alone in my room, I pray as a member of the people of God.”[3] We hope that having the Shape of Lent booklet supports this understanding of personal prayer and devotions.

Of course, we begin together with Ash Wednesday this week on March 5. There will be a Said Mass at 8:00 AM, a Sung Mass at 12:10 PM, and a Solemn Mass at 6:00 PM. All Masses will be celebrated at the High Altar.

I invite you to the observance of a holy Lent. — MDJ

PARISH PRAYERS

We pray for the people and clergy of our sister parish, the Church of All Saints, Margaret Street, London.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Zenaida, Duke, Russell, Duncan, Robert, Sally, Sandy, Ruth Ann, Behnam, Benjamin, Henry, Caroline, Giovanna, Lexi, Vicki, Georgia, Desarae, David, Steve, Beverly, Claudia, Jose, Maddie, Nettie, Chrissy, Molly, Tony, Sharon, Rick, Rolf, Adair, Jan, June, Carlos, Pat, Liduvina, Quincy, Leroy, Margaret, and Robert; Eleanor, Barbara Jean, Curtis, Laura Katherine, and Keith, religious; Lind, deacon; and Robby, Jay, and Stephen, priests.

We pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died, and for those whose year’s mind is on March 2: Miriam Frances Ryno (1874), Helen Louise Frances (1905), Eliza Ann Peabody Prime (1927), Katherine Woodfin (1928), Bernard McClendon (1928), and Eileen Sorensen (2003).

AROUND THE PARISH

Saint Dominic’s Rosary Guild after Mass . . .  The Rosary Guild will be meeting this Sunday after Solemn Mass. Stop by the parish hall for a cup of coffee and then gather in the choir stalls at the front of the church to say the rosary. All are welcome.

Solemn Evensong & Benediction at 4:00 PM . . .  We will offer Solemn Evensong & Benediction this Sunday as is our custom on the first Sunday of the month. Close out the day with this beautiful service of Evensong (sung Evening Prayer) that concludes with the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. We will be led musically by a quartet from the Choir of Saint Mary’s. A simple reception follows.

Collecting Last Year’s Palms . . . It’s time to bring back your palms from last year’s Palm Sunday liturgy. The palms will be burned to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday. There will be a basket to collect palms at the ushers table in the back of the church.

Ash Wednesday . . . The first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, will be March 5. There will be a Said Mass at 8:00 AM, a Sung Mass at 12:10 PM, and a Solemn Mass at 6:00 PM. Ashes will be imposed at all three Masses. Ashes will be imposed for visitors throughout the day in the Mercy Chapel, but attendance at a Mass is strongly recommended for all Saint Marians.

Stations of the Cross . . .  On Fridays in Lent, we offer Stations of the Cross at 6:00 PM. Join us for Evening Prayer at 5:30 PM and then stay to walk Stations of the Cross.

Confessions . . . There is never a bad time to make a confession, though Lent is a particularly appropriate season for sacramental confession. The priest on duty each Saturday hears confessions at 11:00 AM in a confessional near the 46th Street entrance. Confessions are also available by appointment and will be heard after the Good Friday liturgy.

Lenten Quiet Day on March 15 . . . We will offer a Quiet Day on Saturday, March 15, from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Father Matt Jacobson will offer three reflections based on the Stations of the Cross that we pray together each Friday in Lent following Evening Prayer. His reflections will be, in part, informed by the writings of patristic authors. We will attend the midday Mass together, which is then followed by lunch.

Please RSVP to Father Matt to help us plan for the lunch.

The History of Holy Week over Supper . . . Why was the Last Supper originally commemorated on Tuesday of Holy Week? How did the official response to over-eager pilgrims to Jerusalem shape the way we still venerate the Cross on Good Friday? How did allowing Holy Communion in the evening completely reshape Western Christian experience of Holy Week in the 1950s? For the answer to these and other fascinating questions about the development of Holy Week, join us on Wednesday evenings in Lent for a study group led by Father Stephen Morris.

On Wednesdays in Lent (March 12, 19, 26; April 2, 9), Father Stephen Morris will lead this discussion over supper following the 6:00 PM Mass. Please RSVP to Father Sammy to help plan for supper.

Baptisms at Saint Mary’s . . . The Great Vigil of Easter is a liturgy in which baptism is especially traditional. The Day of Pentecost, which follows seven weeks later, is also a day that is particularly appropriate for baptisms. If you are interested in learning more about baptism for either yourself or for your child, please speak with Father Sammy or Father Matt.

The Shape of Lent 2025 . . . We have put together a booklet of the Shape of Lent at Saint Mary’s for us to travel through the season together. An electronic copy can be downloaded here and hard copies will be available at the ushers table on Sundays.

AIDS Walk 2025 . . . AIDS Walk this year will be on Sunday, May 18. Last year we finished fourth among all teams in terms of fundraising and raised $52,005. Our team is just beginning to form for 2025, but we hope to do even better this year! To join our team or contribute, please visit our team page. If you have any questions, please speak to one of the team captains: MaryJane Boland, Clark Mitchell, and Father Matt.

Domain Name Change . . . Our website has moved to www.smokymarys.org. If you point your browser to the old homepage or click on an old link to any of our pages, you should automatically be taken to the corresponding page on smokymarys.org.

Neighbors in Need . . . Donations of coats of all sizes for both men and women are especially needed for the winter months. There is also a need for sensible shoes and men’s pants, especially sizes 34-38. A drop-by was held on Friday, February 21. The next drop-by day will be Friday, March 21. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Marie Rosseels for more information.

Adult Formation . . . This Sunday, Father Wood concludes our six-week series focused on evangelism, which is based on videos produced by the Episcopal Church on “Embracing Evangelism.” We watch the videos together and then discuss them. Specifically, we are examining a particularly Anglican definition of evangelism, assessing the need for it, and introducing various methods for sharing the gospel. Father Powell returns to lead Adult Formation on March 9. Stay tuned for next week’s issue where Father Powell will discuss his series. Adult Formation meets at 9:45 AM on Sundays in the parish hall.

Would you like to donate the altar flowers on a Sunday? . . . Dates in March that are still available are the Annunciation on March 25 and the Fourth Sunday in Lent on March 30. The customary donation is $250. Please call the Parish Office (212-869-5830) or email Chris Howatt for more information and for additional dates beyond March.

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

Visit to the Museum of Jewish Heritage . . . The Diocese of New York’s Jewish/Episcopal Dialogue group, part of the Ecumenical and Interreligious Commission, invites you on a special field trip to the Museum of Jewish Heritage on March 6 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM. Visitors will enjoy a guided tour of the museum’s exhibit, The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do. Space is limited to 30 participants, so don’t miss this opportunity to reflect on history and its relevance today. The cost of the visit is fully covered by the Commission. For more information or to reserve your spot, please contact The Rev. Posey Krakowsky.

Saint Matthew Passion at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine . . . On Saturday, March 8, at 7:00 PM, a performance of J.S. Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion will unite the Cathedral’s stunning architecture with the musical structure of Bach’s masterwork through the creative placement of the Cathedral’s choirs within the space. The Cathedral Choristers (boys and girls) will be uniquely positioned for their cameo appearances and the Cathedral Chorale will create a sense of vocal surround sound for the exquisite chorales of the Passion. The famous musical demands of the double choir and orchestras will be fulfilled by the excellent Cathedral Choir and Orchestra. Tickets are available here.

The Far Side of Revenge - What Can the Church Do When Division Reigns? . . . How might ecumenical engagement be a source of hope for societies on the long and hard road to freedom? How might ecumenical relationships open vistas for the emergence of liberated and reconciled peoples—not only among Christians but among all peoples? Join Dr. Aaron T. Hollander and Sr. Estelle Sogbou, CCN, for a dialogue which will take up these questions and more in interchurch, international, and intercultural perspectives. This discussion on Monday, March 24, at 6:30 PM, is part of the Dialogues on Divinity series at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine and is sponsored by the Community at the Crossing. Click here for more information and to reserve a ticket.

FROM DR. HURD: ABOUT THE MUSIC AT SOLEMN MASS ON THE LAST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY (QUINQUAGESIMA)

Max Reger (1873–1916) was an extremely prolific composer both in terms of the volume of music he composed in relatively few years, and in the density and intensity of that music from the standpoint of harmony, counterpoint, and sheer number of notes and accidentals to the page. His music paid a great debt to the counterpoint of Bach and stretched forward to a powerful post-romantic expressiveness. Composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic, Reger was a professor at the Royal Conservatory in Leipzig and a music director both at the Leipzig University Church and at the court of Duke Georg II of Saxe-Meiningen. Catholic from birth, Reger married his wife Elsa, a divorced Protestant, in 1902 and was subsequently excommunicated. His choral and organ works reflect both the Catholic and Protestant musical cultures of late nineteenth-century Germany. Reger’s Opus 59 was composed in late June 1901 and, like several other of his collections of organ pieces, is a group of twelve movements organized into two suites of six titles each. The Toccata is the fifth piece of the first group. While rooted in the key of D, the Toccata is harmonically adventuresome in Reger’s characteristic way. It falls essentially into three sections: a brilliant opening marked Vivacissimo, a short Un poco meno mosso, and a final Vivacissimo with which the piece eventually swirls up to an impressive cadence in D-major.

The setting of the Mass on Sunday is Missa Aeterna Christi Munera by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525–1594). Palestrina was both a source and inspiration for many of the composers who followed him and a practitioner of already established musical practice. He stood on foundations largely laid by the Netherlandish composers Guillaume Dufay (c. 1397–1474) and Josquin des Prez (c. 1450–1521) and is credited with having set the canons for renaissance polyphony and the enduring standards for Catholic liturgical music. Among his hundreds of compositions are 105 Masses, most of which were published in thirteen volumes between 1554 and 1601. The Missa Aeterna Christi Munera is based upon a plainsong melody for the hymn commemorating Apostles and Martyrs attributed to Saint Ambrose (340–397). A translation of this Ambrosian hymn appears at 233 and 234 in The Hymnal 1982, but with different music. At 132 in The Hymnal 1940, one finds both the translated Ambrosian hymn and the plainsong melody on which Palestrina based his four-voice Mass. As one often finds in renaissance polyphonic Masses, an additional voice is added for a rich final Agnus Dei.

Sunday’s communion motet is O nata lux, composed in 2024 by Emma Daniels, a member of the Choir of Saint Mary’s since fall 2022.  Emma is originally from Chicago. She is the Music Director of Philomusica Concert Choir and a founding member of Triad: Boston’s Choral Collective, an organization made up of singers, composers, and conductors who share artistic responsibility and perform new music. Today, she sings, conducts, and composes with C4: the Choral Composer/Conductor Collective in NYC, the choir after which Triad was modeled. Emma’s compositions have been performed by Triad: Boston’s Choral Collective, Westminster Chapel Choir, Tufts Chamber Singers, and other college, synagogue, and church choirs from Boston to Los Angeles. Emma holds an MM in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College and a BA in Music from Tufts University. Emma writes the following about her setting:

I was first drawn to this text because of its rich imagery, in particular the image of the birth or creation of light. Liturgically, the O nata lux hymn was assigned to be sung at Lauds, the Office of Aurora or Dawn, during the Feast of the Transfiguration. This is fitting as Lauds took place at daybreak, as the sun rose first thing in the morning. My piece embraces the origins of this hymn as part of the Gregorian tradition, with simple, forward-moving, chant-like phrases and the motive of an open fifth. Lower voices crawl upward from the low extremes of their range, emerging from the dark depths into the glow. The piece ends with a final ascent, supplicating.

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Saint Mary’s is a vibrant Anglo-Catholic witness in the heart of NYC. With our identity in Christ and a preference for the poor, we are an inclusive, diverse community called to love God and each other for the life of the world.

This edition of The Angelus was written and edited by Father Matt Jacobson, except as noted. Father Matt is also responsible for formatting 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. If you have an idea for an article that you would like to publish in an upcoming issue of The Angelus, Father Matt would be happy to discuss it with you.

[1] Book of Common Prayer, 264-265.
[2] Louis Weil, A Theology of Worship (A Cowley Publications Book, 2002), 18.
[3] Ibid, 84