FROM FATHER SMITH: LOVE & JUSTICE

I have been thinking about the relationship between love and justice this week thanks to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks—more about that in a bit. At one point, oddly enough, I found myself thinking about Charlotte Brontë’s novel, Jane Eyre. I’ve always thought of it as a story in which “love conquers all.” But things may be more complicated than that.

Those of you who have read the novel, will remember that the young orphan, Jane Eyre, has been taken in by her aunt, the widow of her mother’s brother. The uncle loved Jane, her aunt does not. Mrs. Reed treats Jane very badly, giving a bad example to her son, who bullies Jane mercilessly. Later in the novel, Mrs. Reed will admit that she had acted unjustly toward Jane, since she knew that she had a duty to care for her young charge. Long before that, however, when Jane is still a child, Mrs. Reed sends her to the Lowood School, a grim institution for orphaned girls, overseen by an Anglican clergyman, Mr. Brocklehurst. With Brocklehurst, Brontë has given us one of the greatest, and most disturbing, portraits of a Christian hypocrite in English literature. He speaks pious words about love and goodness, but treats his young charges abusively, ignoring his duty to care for those for whom he is responsible. Brontë shows us, therefore, that speaking about love while ignoring justice is an empty thing. By way of contrast, in this section of the novel, real love is found, not in the professional Christian, but in Jane’s good friend, defender, and fellow orphan, Helen Burns. Helen is a fragile but brave girl. She neither submits to evil, nor is she embittered or destroyed by it. With Helen, the unofficial Christian, Brontë shows us how Christ-like love is lived.

After some years at Lowood as inmate and then as teacher, Jane goes to the home of Mr. Edward Fairfax Rochester to serve as governess to Rochester’s ward. Jane is described as plain, but intelligent, clear-sighted, and unafraid to express her opinions. In the end, these qualities win over her fierce and tormented employer, and the two fall in love. We see that their love is sincere. Still, in the novel’s great reveal, we also learn, on Jane and Rochester’s wedding day no less, that Rochester is already married, and that his wife, a violent and deeply troubled woman, now lives, imprisoned, in the attic rooms of Rochester’s home. Learning this, Jane runs off into the rain-soaked moors. Though the scene is a wildly Gothic one, Brontë is making a serious point: Jane loves Rochester, but cannot, must not, marry him. To do so would be unjust, a violation of both divine and human law, and an unjust transgression against Rochester’s wife, even though the wife, because of her illness, is unable to take part in any meaningful way in her marriage. Jane is eventually rescued by a young, but chilly, evangelical Anglican clergyman, St. John Rivers, who, along with his sisters, takes Jane in, fulfilling what he regards as his Christian duty. Eventually, St. John asks Jane to marry him, not because he loves her, but because he believes that she would be a good and useful partner for him when he travels to India to establish a mission there. Jane politely, but firmly, declines, because to accept, she feels, would be dishonest, a violation of the demands of both love and justice. Because she does not love him, she could not be a good wife to him, which would be her clear duty.

The novel concludes when Jane returns to Rochester’s home only to discover that a fire, started by “the madwoman in the attic,” had destroyed much of the house and that Rochester had been blinded trying unsuccessfully to rescue his wife from the flames. In this, the demands of justice are served. Rochester does not love his wife, but owes a duty to her and sincerely tries to save her. His injuries, in the world of the novel, are a kind of atonement for his dishonesty to Jane and his attempted bigamy. In the end, Rochester and Jane are able to marry. The ending is simultaneously happy and tragic. But it is not at all clear that “love conquers all” here. The relationship between love and justice is very complex in the novel. Brontë insists that justice and the duties which justice demands cannot, must not, be ignored. In the end, love wins, but not by ignoring justice.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks recently did a painstaking interpretation of Deuteronomy 21:15–17. The biblical text mandates that if a man has two wives and loves one and not the other, and if the wife he “hates” gives birth to a son before the wife he loves does the same, he must treat the firstborn son justly, giving him the birthright to which he is due. In this, the text prioritizes justice over love, and, in so doing, Rabbi Sacks says, Deuteronomy is implicitly, but unflinchingly, criticizing Jacob, Israel’s great patriarch, who, prioritized love over justice in his treatment of both his wives and his children. Rabbi Sacks writes, “Love is the highest of emotions. We are commanded to love God with all our heart, soul and might. But it is also, in family contexts, fraught with danger. Love ruined Jacob’s life, time and again: in his relationship with Esau . . . in the relationship between Leah and Rachel, and in the relationship between Joseph and his brothers. Love brings joy. It also brings tears. It brings some people close, but makes others feel distanced, rejected. Therefore, says the Torah, in our command: when love is likely to be the cause of conflict, it must take second place to justice. Love is partial, justice is impartial. Love is for someone specific; justice is for everyone. Love brings personal satisfaction; justice brings social order.”

In this time of social division and high emotion, in this tense political season, we might do well to consider what justice, the first of the cardinal virtues, demands of us. We Christians speak so easily of love. It might help if we thought about the relationship between love and justice as carefully as Brontë and Sacks have done. Can a “beloved community” ever be realized if we ignore justice?

One more thing: in a footnote to his essay Rabbi Sacks writes, “The [phrase], ‘Love conquers all,’ comes from the Roman poet Virgil. The Prioress in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales wears a brooch engraved Amor Vincit Omnia (‘Love conquers all’). The Prioress’ Tale is notorious for its antisemitism: it contains a fourteenth-century version of the Blood Libel. This itself should give us pause.” —Jay Smith

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR Richard, Carmen, Jean, Bobby, Jennifer, Larry, Meghann, Jonathan, Ana, Bill, Tacy, Janet, Mary, Shalim, Eric, Margaret, Samantha, Luis, Emily, John, Marilouise, Ken, May, Willard, Alexandra, Takeem, and Barbara; for Sean and Desmond Alban, religious; for Gaylord and Louis, priests; and Charles, bishop; for the members of the armed forces on active duty, especially Isabelle; for all health-care workers; for all those who work for the common good; for all the members and friends of this parish; and for the repose of the soul of Franco De Filippo . . . GRANT THEM PEACE: September 6: 1893 Nellie Thompson; 1910 Edna Grace Rescousie; 1916 Robert Walker; 1917 Melissa McFall; 1989 Martha McElveen Jones.

THE ORDINARY FRIDAYS OF THE YEAR are observed by special acts of discipline and self-denial in commemoration of the Lord’s crucifixion.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . On Monday, August 30, the Bishop of New York issued a letter to the diocese that deals with two issues, COVID-19 and racial justice. The letter may be read by following this link . . . Clothing Ministry: On Wednesday, August 26, Brother Damien Joseph SSF, Brother Desmond Alban SSF, and Father Jay Smith hosted our fourth Drop-by on Forty-seventh Street. Marie Rosseels and Brother Damien prepared clothes and filled bags with toiletry articles beforehand. The volunteers were able to welcome and assist around twenty-five folks from the neighborhood, as well as a few passersby, providing toiletry items and articles of clothing, especially socks, underwear, T-shirts, and pants. The porch at the Forty-seventh Street entrance is proving to be useful for distribution while maintaining social distance. If you would like to volunteer for this ministry or make a donation of cash or items to distribute, please contact Brother Damien, Brother Thomas, or Father Jay Smith . . . Father Stephen Gerth will be away from the parish on vacation from Friday, September 4, through Thursday, September 10. Father Jay Smith and the friars will be in residence. Father Smith may be reached at 212-869-5830 x 16.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Sunday, September 6, Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Mass 11:00 AM. The church opens at 10:00 AM and closes at 12:30 PM. The celebrant and preacher is Father Jay Smith . . . Monday through Saturday, the church opens at 11:00 AM and closes at 2:00 PM. Mass is celebrated daily at 12:10 PM. Please see the Calendar of the Week below, and on the website, for this week’s commemorations . . . Monday, September 7, is Labor Day. The parish office since August 1, 2020, is closed on Mondays. The church will be open from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Mass will be celebrated at 12:10 PM . . . Tuesday, September 8, The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Life Profession of Sister Laura Katharine, C.S.J.B.

CLOTHING MINISTRY AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Over the last month, we’ve begun our weekly clothing assistance distributions again, working from the steps outside the 47th Street entrance to the church. This allows us to get items to those who need them without creating non-socially distanced situations around our former indoor distribution points. As a result, we’ve also streamlined our process by creating kits of hygiene items and socks for each individual to take, again avoiding a crowd or long line developing. In addition to these kits, we are able to offer men’s and women’s undergarments, T-shirts, and a limited number of other clothing items, including shoes, hats, pants, and shirts. We’ve been seeing an average of about twenty-five guests per week during a one-hour distribution period.

We continue to be grateful for those who bring donations of gently used clothing to the church, and we can always use these items. Much of what we are now distributing is actually new (we give only new socks, underwear, and hygiene supplies). We’ve done a little math, and we’ve found that for just about $20.00, we can provide a single guest with all of the following: a T-shirt, undergarments, socks, and a hygiene bag. The bag contents vary slightly based on our current stock, but they typically include soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, razor and shaving cream, lotion, deodorant, hand sanitizer, single-load size laundry detergent, body wipes, facial tissues, and a comb. We also include feminine hygiene products as appropriate, and seasonal needs like an emergency rain poncho or warm hats and gloves. We provide a reusable bag for guests to take items with them. Then, in addition to these basics, guests can choose from a selection of the donated items we have on hand.

We think that's a pretty good bang for the buck (well, twenty bucks). Still, serving an average of 100 guests each month (in just four hours!) means $2000 in new supplies. Will you consider purchasing one or more of these kits to share with our neighbors in need? You really will be making a difference. The gratitude expressed by our guests, the smiles on their faces, the time they spend talking with us and telling their stories—these are paybacks that don’t have a price tag. You may contribute by check or through the church’s online giving page, using a credit or debit card. In either case, please leave a note telling us that your gift is for our clothing program. Thank you in advance. —Brother Damien Joseph SSF

MUSIC AT SAINT MARY’S . . . The musical setting of the Mass on Sunday is Mass III as found in the Liber Usualis (“Usual Book”), a comprehensive anthology of medieval Roman plainsong compiled in the nineteenth century by the monks of Solesmes, France. Like the several other numbered Masses of the Gregorian Missal, Mass III is a collection of chants for the Ordinary of the Mass which likely were originally independent pieces brought together and associated with one another by later custom. This particular combination was traditionally sung on solemn feasts. The Gloria of Mass III dates from the eleventh century and is in Mode 8. Sanctus and Agnus Dei of this Mass are both in Mode 4 and are probably of twelfth-century origin.

The cantor on Sunday morning will be bass-baritone, Joe Chappel, a regular member of the Choir of Saint Mary’s. During the Communion he will sing Dank sei Dir, Herr, an aria traditionally attributed to George Frederick Handel (1685–1759). The music of this aria, the beginning of which is somewhat reminiscent of Handel’s Ombra mai fu from his 1738 opera Serse, has been arranged many times for choral and instrumental performance. It has also been sung widely as a solo song both in church and concert halls. However, the true origin of this music and its lyrics remain uncertain. Many musicologists believe this aria was not composed by Handel but is actually the work of the much more recent composer and conductor Siegfried Ochs (1858–1929). In any event, one can sense the spirit of Handel in the stately dignity of this aria in which thanks is offered for God’s deliverance of Israel at the Red Sea.

The cantor, Joe Chappel, is a native of Nashville and a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, where he was a William Warfield Scholar. He has been a longtime member of the Early and liturgical music communities of NYC and for many years was the principal bass soloist with Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity (NYC). He has performed with the Bard Music Festival, NY Collegium, Early Music New York, Vox Vocal Ensemble, and was a founding member of the Grammy-nominated Tiffany Consort, now known as Tenet. He has performed internationally, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and as a member of the internationally acclaimed 2012–2016 world tour of Einstein on the Beach with Philip Glass and Robert Wilson. Joe is currently involved in several projects dedicated to addressing issues of social justice within the music industry, including as co-curator of the Open Gates Project, a concert series debuting in 2021 dedicated to featuring underrepresented artists bringing Early music to underserved communities. —David Hurd

FROM THE FRIARY . . . On Tuesday morning, September 1, the brothers, along with Father Smith and José Vidal, gathered to participate as best they could in a livestream of the funeral of Ruth Goodman, Brother Desmond Alban’s mother. The funeral took place at Saint Mary Redcliffe, Bristol, United Kingdom. The church building, which was completed sometime in the fifteenth century, is stunningly beautiful. It was once famously described by Elizabeth I as “the fairest, goodliest, and most famous parish church in England.” It was a fine setting for the celebration of Mrs. Goodman’s life and for the Commendation of her life to God. One thing that was possible in the friary that wasn’t possible in the church was the singing of the final hymn. It was good to be able to sing together, safely distanced. It was not easy for Brother Desmond to be so far away from his family, unable to be present at his mother’s funeral. Please keep him in your prayers . . . On Saturday evening, October 3, after Evening Prayer, exact time to be announced, the brothers will commemorate the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, whose feast day is October 4, with the traditional Franciscan Transitus liturgy. “Transitus” in this context signifies the “passing from death to eternal life.” We will announce more complete details next month.

SAINT MARY’S ONLINE CENTERING PRAYER GROUP . . . The Saint Mary’s Centering Prayer Group continues to meet! The Group meets online, via Zoom, every Friday evening at 7:00 PM. If you are interested in participating, please send an e-mail to this address. The convenors of the group will then send the link to the Zoom meeting.

AT THE MUSEUMS . . . The Metropolitan Museum on Fifth Avenue opened again for in-person visits on August 29. Please visit the museum website for information about reservations and tickets. Rules for visitors are a bit complex, so it is a good idea to read the section about visiting the museum carefully. Also from the museum website: At the Met until November 1, Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle features the little-seen series of paintings—“Struggle: From the History of the American People” (1954–56)—by the iconic American modernist. The exhibition reunites the multi-paneled work for the first time in more than half a century. Lawrence's “Struggle” was originally conceived as sixty 12-by-16-inch tempera paintings, spanning subjects from European colonization to World War I. It was intended to depict, in the artist’s words, “the struggles of a people to create a nation and their attempt to build a democracy.” He ultimately completed thirty panels representing historical moments from 1775 through 1817—from Patrick Henry’s famous "liberty" speech to westward expansion. Lawrence painted the series at the height of the Cold War and Joseph McCarthy’s Red Scare, which also coincided with landmark Civil Rights actions, such as the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling that called for the desegregation of public schools. These events deeply informed the artist’s approach to the historical subjects. In his ambitious portrayal of these episodes as inherently contested and diverse, Lawrence foregrounds the experiences of women and people of color. Most panels are accompanied by quotations from historical texts. This more inclusive representation of the nation’s past is no less relevant today, and Lawrence’s prescient visual reckoning with American history remains profoundly resonant with ongoing issues of racial justice and national identity.”

SOME GUIDELINES FOR ATTENDING SERVICES AT SAINT MARY’S:

We are now open for public worship. In order to ensure the health and safety of all, we have instituted the following procedures and guidelines:

-The 47th Street Doors, though open for ventilation, won’t be used for entry into the church. Entry is only via 46th Street. Exit only through the most western 46th Street door (near the former gift shop)

-The Lady Chapel is open, but all chairs, kneelers, candles, hymnals, and Prayer Books have been removed. The Mercy Chapel and Saint Joseph’s Chapel are closed.

-Facemasks must be worn in the church at all times, except when consuming Communion. Masks should cover both mouth and nose.

-Hands-free sanitizer dispensers are available by the doors and at the head of the center aisle, where Communion will take place.

-The city, state, and diocese of New York encourages all those attending services to sign a registry and to provide one means of contact. This will be used only if it emerges that an infected person has been in attendance at a particular service and contact tracing is required.

-Everyone must maintain safe distancing (at least 6 feet apart).

-Pews have been marked with blue tape to indicate where seating is allowed.

-Only 44 people will be allowed in the nave at any time (this includes 6 couples or pairs—people who live together—who may sit together).

-All cushions have been removed from the pews. All prayer books and hymnals have been removed from the church. Service bulletins will be provided, but will be removed from the church after each service.

-Electric fans have been removed from the nave of the church. There will be no hand-held fans available at the door.

-A basket has been placed at the head of the main aisle, where pledge envelopes and other donations may be safely placed. There will be no collection taken by ushers.

-Communion (wafers only) will be administered at the foot of the chancel steps. Gluten-free hosts are available. Please inform an usher or a member of the clergy.

-All communicants must proceed down the main aisle, maintain social distance as indicated by the decals on the floor, and return to their seats via the side aisles

-Restrooms will be available only to those who are attending the service.

-If you have questions or wish to make a suggestion, please contact the rector.

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 e-mail.

The Calendar of the Week