FROM FATHER PETER POWELL: BEING FAITHFUL

Does the Bible have anything to say to us? I read and hear this condemnation frequently from people who are angry at the church, especially because they see the church as a destructive force. Some of our fellow Christians give them plenty of ammunition to think this way. In many ways it was the same in the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem, roughly 741 BCE to 690 BCE. Yahwism was on the decline and reduced to essentially empty ritual. This is exactly parallel to the way many view the church today.

Since I’m writing this, you can conclude that I find that the Bible has much to say to us and continues to be important and crucial for our understanding of what it means to be a faithful people. If you’re curious about how or why I believe this or if you want to learn more about how the Bible is a living word today, please join me for the Adult Formation Class at 9:45 AM in Saint Joseph’s Hall every Sunday beginning November 5 and continuing through December 3. We will continue in the Spring beginning on the First Sunday in Lent.

This year we will be working with Isaiah 1–12 in the Old Testament. What could an eighth-century BCE prophet possibly have to say to us in the twenty-first century of the Common Era (CE)? Quite a lot it turns out. One of the differences between the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT) is that for much of the OT the books are about how to be faithful when one has political power. None of the books of the NT address this issue. The church in the first century CE was powerless.

Isaiah of Jerusalem, who is credited as the source of much of Isaiah 1–12, spoke to the political and moral situation of Judah. He lived in and prophesied from Jerusalem. He had the ear of three kings of Judah, and he used those relationships to shape the response of a Kingdom that claimed to be in covenant with Yahweh on what it means to be in covenant with Yahweh. Much of the time he was ignored. His message persisted and the memory of the reigns of those kings are known only to people who study the eighth century BCE. He has never been forgotten.

We live in a majority Christian nation. Some of our fellow citizens are convinced that we live in a Christian nation. Isaiah has a lot to say about how we can be faithful with political power, and what happens when we are not.

I am intrigued by a Richard Rohr, OFM quote that I ran across recently. Rohr asserts that we are not punished for our sins, we are punished by our sins. The role of the prophet is to point out the clear and inevitable consequences of ignoring the destructive practices we engage in. Isaiah doesn’t predict the future. Isaiah says if Judah continues to act, as it is acting in his time, the consequences are bleak. Which is to say that we are punished by our sins.

Isaiah speaks about the failure of the State to care adequately for the poor and powerless. He warns against trusting in military might and political alliances while presiding over a morally corrupt society. Does this ring at all with our reality? Can we listen to what Isaiah says with fresh ears and work to change ourselves, this city, state and nation into a reality that cares about what God cares about, in both the OT and NT? There is a lot of work to do but the central part of that work is to be faithful.

Faithful to what is the question? Are we to be faithful to the externals of religious life and treat Christianity as a source of personal comfort that requires simply good intentions and decent behavior? Is Christianity a personal decision? Isaiah tells us that it is not. The practices of worship, we are after all Anglo-Catholic, are worthwhile precisely to the degree that they inspire in us a desire to care for what God cares about. If there is, to write anachronistically, an Anglo-Catholic prophet, it is Isaiah of Jerusalem.

Isaiah tells us exactly what God cares about. Of all of the prophets he is the most clearly liturgical one so he is especially important to us. Worship is important not because God needs it, but because in it we learn how to live as God’s people in community.

Our study of Isaiah 1–12 will show how, in the face of skepticism and the pressure to take the expedient course, we are better served by being faithful, in community, and using our worship here to inform us of what that means for each of us and for all of us.

Bible study is not looking at ancient texts for interesting but hardly relevant information. It is about looking at how God worked then, so that we can see how God works today. We believe that the God we encounter today is the same God Isaiah prophesied for and we learn that, for better or worse, we are like those people who lived so long ago. It will be an exciting study and I hope you will join us. — Peter R. Powell

PRAYING FOR THE WORLD AND THE PEOPLE OF GOD

We pray urgently for peace in Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Gaza.

Lord Jesus Christ, who are called the Prince of Peace, who are yourself our peace and reconciliation, who so often said, “Peace to you,” grant us peace. Make all men and women witnesses of truth, justice, and brotherly love. Banish from their hearts whatever might endanger peace. Enlighten our rulers that they may guarantee and defend the great gift of peace. May all peoples of the earth becomes as brothers and sisters. May longed-for peace blossom forth and reign always over us all. Amen.
— Saint John XXIII

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring love. Where there is offence, let me bring pardon. Where there is discord, let me bring union. Where there is error, let me bring truth. Where there is doubt, let me bring faith. Where there is despair, let me bring hope. Where there is darkness, let me bring your light. Where there is sadness, let me bring joy. O Master, let me not seek as much to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love, for it is in giving that one receives, it is in self-forgetting that one finds, it is in pardoning that one is pardoned, it is in dying that one is raised to eternal life.
— Book of Common Prayer

Thou who are over us,
Thou who art one of us,
Thou who art –
Also within us,
May all see Thee – in me also,
May I prepare the way for Thee,
May I thank Thee for all that shall fall to my lot,
May I also not forget the needs of others,
Keep me in Thy love
As Thou wouldest that all should be kept in mine.
May everything in this my being be directed
to Thy glory
And may I never despair.
For I am under Thy hand,
And in Thee is all power and goodness.

Give me a pure heart – that I may see Thee,
A humble heart – that I may hear Thee
A heart of love – that I may serve Thee,
A heart of faith – that I may abide in Thee.
— Dag Hammarskjöld

We pray for the sick, for those in any need or trouble, and for all those who have asked us for our prayers. We pray for those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries this week; for those who are traveling; for the unemployed and for those seeking work; for the incarcerated and for those recently released from prison; for all victims of violence, assault, and crime; for all refugees and migrants, especially those sheltering in our neighborhood; for those struggling with depression, anxiety, or addiction; for those whom we serve in our outreach programs, for our neighbors in the Times Square neighborhood, for the theater community, and for those living with drought, storm, punishing heat, flood, fire, or earthquake.

We pray for those for whom prayers have been asked: For Richard, Simon, Thomas, Carl, Dianne, Patrick, Flannery, Liz, Charles, Tatiana, Tony, Luis, Liduvina, Mary, Eleanor, Eugene, Richard, Joe, Tristan, Mary Lou, Mary Barbara, Emily, Frank, Steven, Ingrid, Gigi, Janet, Claudia, Joyce, June, Cooki, Sharon, Luis, Liduvina, Charlotte, Jennifer, Harka, Suzanne, Quincy, Don, Andrew, Bruce, Robert, Carlos, Christopher, José, Brian, Susan, Carmen, Abe, Bob, Gypsy, Hardy, John Derek, and Margaret; for Keith, Jamie, Jim, and Monica Clare, religious; for Lind, deacon; Robby, Allan, and Stephen, priests; and Michael, bishop.

We pray for those who are to be baptized on All Saint’s Day, November 1, Natalie Alexa Perez, Nolyn Jaden Wright, Shane Jon Delgado, Camrin Taylor Delgado, and Jason Hoon Hyun.

We pray for the repose of the souls of Sylvia Catherine (1898) and Eliza Brown Lyouns (1925), whose year’s mind is on Sunday, October 29. 

OKTOBERFEST 2023: COME JOIN US ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28 

For many years, each October, we celebrated the end of summer, the arrival of autumn, and the beginning of a new program year here at Saint Mary’s with a potluck supper, good conversation, plentiful beverages—including beer, that Oktoberfest staple—and the chance to sing some of our favorite hymns.

Oktoberfest returns this year on Saturday, October 28, at 5:30 PM,
following Evening Prayer in the church.
All are invited.

This year we’ll try something new. Rather than a break post-dessert and a trip to the organ loft, we’ll stay in Saint Joseph’s Hall, where Dr. Hurd will lead the hymn sing. If you would like to join us—and we hope you will—please let Grace Mudd or Father Jay know so we can get a sense of how many folks will be joining us. Also, this is a potluck: so, please let us know what you would like to bring. If you could tell us whether you’re bringing a main dish, a side dish, an appetizer, or a dessert, that would be very helpful. Beverages will be provided.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S

Our regular daily liturgical schedule: Monday through Friday, Morning Prayer 8:00 AM, Mass 12:10 PM, and Evening Prayer at 5:30 PM. Holy Hour is offered on Wednesday at 11:00 AM and Thursday’s Mass includes anointing and prayers for healing. On Saturdays, Confessions are heard at 11:00 AM, Mass is celebrated at 12:10 PM, and Evening Prayer is prayed at 5:00 PM. On the third Saturday of each month, a Requiem Mass is celebrated at 12:10 PM in the Mercy Chapel. On Sundays, A Low Mass (Rite One) is celebrated in the Lady Chapel at 9:00 AM. Solemn Mass is offered at 11:00 AM and Evening Prayer at 5:00 PM. Evensong and Benediction (E&B) is normally offered on the first Sunday of every month and will next be offered on November 5 and December 3.

Saturday, October 28, Confessions heard in the church

Saturday, October 28, Saint Simon and Saint Jude, Apostles

Sunday, October 29, The Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Proper 25 (James Hannington, Bishop, and his Companions, Martyrs, 1885)

Sunday, October 29, the Adult Formation class in Saint Joseph’s Hall, 9:45 AM to 10:40 AM, will be moderated by Father Jay Smith, who will welcome Father Pete Powell to the class for a discussion of Twelve-Step spirituality. The presentation is part of our series focused on Conversion and Transformation.We invite you to come and join us. Come and talk about your questions, what you think, about what matters to you. And read more about formation at Saint Mary’s here.

Wednesday, November 1, All Saints’ Day, Mass 12:10 PM, Organ Recital 5:30 PM, Solemn Mass 6:00 PM

Thursday, November 2, All Souls’ Day, Mass 12:10 PM, Sung Mass 6:00 PM

Friday–Saturday, November 3–4, Monday–Wednesday, November 6–8, Annual Requiem Masses, 12:10 PM

Sunday, November 5, Daylight Saving Time Ends

LIFE AT SAINT MARY’S: NEWS & NOTICES

Please join us for Brown Bag Bible Study—Wednesdays 12:45–1:30 PM. The Class meets in Saint Benedict’s Study and is led by Father Jay Smith. We will meet this coming Wednesday, All Saint’s Day. This week we will read and discuss Mark 1:14–32, Jesus leaves the wilderness after defeating Satan and being comforted by angels. He calls his first disciples and begins his ministry. We will ask ourselves: what are our resources when we are confused or tempted; what is God’s will for us in the present moment, and what can we do about that?

Bring a mug, save a tree . . . The new dishwasher for the parish kitchen arrived this week. We hope it will be good to go for Oktoberfest on Saturday evening. Now that the dishwasher is here, we invite all of our members and friends to donate a mug to the church to be used at Coffee Hour so that we need no longer use paper or plastic. Bring it to the kitchen this Sunday and we’ll take it from there: the goal is to be able to have enough mugs on hand for the use of everyone who joins us on Sunday morning.

Saturday Confessions at 11:00 AM . . . The priest-on-duty can be found in one of the confessionals at the back of the church, near the 46th Street entrance, at 11:00 AM on Saturdays to hear confessions. Once nobody is left waiting, if it is after 11:15 AM, the priest will return to his office. If you arrive later, the sexton will be able to call him as long as it is not too close to the midday Mass. The Reconciliation of a Penitent begins on page 447 in the Book of Common Prayer. If you have any questions about the sacrament or how to prepare for making a confession, please contact a member of the parish clergy. One may also make an appointment for confession, either by calling the parish office or by contacting one of the priests on staff.

A Letter from the Bishop of New York . . . Bishop Dietsche wrote to the diocese again about the war in Israel and Gaza. He focused in a particular way on the bombing of the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza. He makes some useful suggestions about how New York Episcopalians can help. You may read his letter by following this link.

Some additional links with suggestions for aid and assistance:

National Public Radio (NPR) has posted a comprehensive list of organizations that are providing aid in Israel and Gaza. You can read the list and NPR’s analysis by following this link.

• Neighbors in Need: Saint Mary’s Outreach to Our Neighborhood

• Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen and Pantry

• The Little Shop of Kindness (Pequeña Tienda de Bondad)

• Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres

• Episcopal Relief & Development

• Jewish Federations of North America

• The Diocese of Jerusalem: The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East

• Charity Navigator

Stewardship Campaign 2023–2024 . . . Stewardship packets were mailed recently. We ask you to prayerfully consider how you might give of your time, talent, and treasure to Saint Mary’s during the coming year. To pledge online, please go to the donation page on our website and click on the “2024 Pledge Card.”

Sunday, November 5, is the official “kickoff” date of our annual Stewardship Campaign. We hope you can be with us in church that day as we pray for the future of our parish and join together to support Saint Mary’s. If you have questions about stewardship or making a financial pledge, please speak to a member of the Stewardship Committee: MaryJane Boland, Steven Heffner, Father Peter Powell, Marie Rosseels, or Father Sammy Wood.

Please join us for a field trip! . . . The Morgan Library and Museum is currently hosting an exhibition entitled, Morgan’s Bibles: Splendor in Scripture. A group from Saint Mary’s will be going to see the exhibition on Saturday, December 9. One of the museum’s docents will guide the group through the exhibition. There is room for 10 in the group and there are still spots left. Please contact Father Sammy if you’d like to join us for this event. To read more about Morgan’s Bibles, please visit the Museum website.

Commissioning the Choir of Saint Mary’s . . . On Sunday, November 5, during Solemn Mass, we will commission and pray for our choristers. Please join us to support and pray for our very talented singers as they begin the choir season. And please come to Coffee Hour so that you can meet some of the members of the Choir of Saint Mary’s.

We invite you to help us decorate the church for Christmas.  To make a donation, please contact Chris Howatt or donate online. Once on the donation page of our website, click the “Donate” button to open the form. Inside the form, there is a “Fund” dropdown, where you may direct your donation to the Flower Fund. If you’d like to find out about dates in November and January that are available for making a donation of flowers on a Sunday or feast day or have other questions about the Flower Guild, please call the Parish Office.

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT THE SOLEMN MASS ON THE TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST,
OCTOBER 29, 2023

The setting of the Mass on Sunday morning is by Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847). Mendelssohn blossomed early as a conductor, composer, and pianist. His initial music studies in Berlin were followed by travel in England, Scotland, Italy, and France before his 1833 appointment as music director in Düsseldorf. Two years later he became conductor of the Gewandhaus concerts in Leipzig where, together with Schumann and others, he founded the Leipzig Conservatorium in 1842. His 1829 Leipzig performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. Matthew Passion decisively stimulated the nineteenth-century rediscovery of Bach’s music. Mendelssohn’s contributions as a composer span the categories of orchestral, choral, stage, chamber, piano, vocal, and organ works. His music is said to have set the canons of mid-Victorian musical taste. Mendelssohn’s Die Deutsche Liturgie (1846) for eight-voice double choir includes Kyrie (not sung this morning), Gloria (Ehre sei Gott), and his previously composed Sanctus (Heilig, 1844). Agnus Dei (Lamm Gottes) is an adaptation of Mendelssohn’s eight-voice motet In der Passionszeit (Herr, gedenke nicht), from Sechs Sprüche, Op 79/4, 1844. It is sung Sunday as adapted by James Kennerley (b. 1984), formerly the organist and music director at Saint Mary’s.

Sunday’s Communion motet is also by Felix Mendelssohn and is one of his choral settings of the psalms. Mendelssohn’s Jauchzet dem Herrn, a German setting of Psalm 100, begins and ends in economical four-voice choral texture. The slower middle section, however, is maked Soli and expands out to eight parts. 

The organ prelude and postlude this coming Sunday are also works by Felix Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn composed a set of six organ sonatas between 1839 and 1844. The first sonata is bookended by strong movements which easily stand alone. The meditative second movement, Adagio, is also frequently played as a stand-alone piece. The opening movement, played for the prelude today, begins boldly in a serious attitude and in a minor mode. Mendelssohn alternates chordal textures with angular counterpoint throughout this movement. He also quotes phrases of the chorale Was Gott tut, ist wohlg’tan (What God does, that is well done) in the course of this movement. The final movement of Mendelssohn’s first organ sonata, played as the postlude today, is an exuberant and pianistic fantasia in F Major. — David Hurd

CONCERTS AT SAINT MARY’S

New York Repertory Orchestra, December 2, 2023, 8:00 PM.  Program: Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question; Mieczysław Weinberg: Cello Concerto, Matt Goeke, cello; Ruth Gipps: Symphony No. 3. Admission is free. A donation of $15.00 is welcome.

Saturday, December 9, 2023, 8:00 PM, The Tallis Scholars 50th Anniversary, While Shepherds Watched. Celebrating their 50th year this season, the renowned Tallis Scholars make their annual New York City appearance with a unique holiday program that offers a fresh perspective on the Christmas story, examining it through the eyes of the shepherds who came to worship at the manger. Anchored by the Flemish composer Clemens non Papa’s popular Mass Pastores quidnam vidistis? (“Shepherds, what did you see?”), the evening features a selection of works by other notable composers of Renaissance polyphony including Tomàs Luis de Victoria, Pedro de Christo, and Peter Phillips. Tickets may be purchased here.

COMING UP AT SAINT MARY’S

Tuesday, November 21, The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sung Mass 12:10 PM (Lady Chapel)

Wednesday, November 22, The Eve of Thanksgiving Day
Sung Mass 6:00 PM

Thursday, November 23, Thanksgiving Day
Said Mass 10:00 AM

Saturday, December 2, Quiet Day

Sunday, December 3, The First Sunday of Advent

Friday, December 8, The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Our Patronal Feast)
Organ Recital 5:30 PM, Solemn Mass 6:00 PM

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Click below, where you can make one-time or recurring donations to support Saint Mary’s.
We are very grateful to all those who make such donations and continue to support Saint Mary’s so generously.

This edition of The Angelus was written and edited by Father Jay Smith, except as noted. Father Matt Jacobson also edits 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.