FROM FATHER POWELL: ADULT FORMATION IN LENT

Our lives as Christians are rooted in Easter. It follows then that our observance of Easter is deepened by understanding the journey that led from Bethlehem and Nazareth to a horrible death that transformed the world.

That is to say, our Gospel faith is informed by the Passion and Resurrection Narratives. The Lenten Adult Formation study focuses on how they shape us as Christians. As I hope you agree, we only care about the story of a First Century Rabbi and his followers because of the Crucifixion and Resurrection.

What do you need to be able to attend? Simply join us in Saint Joseph’s Hall at 9:45 AM beginning this Sunday, Lent I, and continuing through Palm Sunday. This is not a scholarly study, although what I say is informed by my reading of many scholars. It is a course aimed at helping each of us better understand what it means to be Christian in a New Testament context. We will look at the implications for our faith in following a crucified Lord. I hope you will gain greater familiarity with texts that have surrounded you for your entire walk in faith. We will focus on what the Bible says and the context it was rooted in and how we translate that into the context we live in, in these much too interesting times.

To that end, we will read and study the story of the Passion and Resurrection in each of the Gospels. We all know the basic outline of the story. From the Garden of Gethsemane, we will travel on to Jesus’s arrest and trial. Peter will deny him. Jesus will be tortured and mocked. Then we encounter what should be the end of the story, the crucifixion of a troublesome Rabbi.

But you and I know that this is simply the beginning. The tomb is empty. Christ is Risen and appears to some of his followers. We are freed from our sins and redeemed.

It is our belief in the death and resurrection that make us Christian. Jesus may have been a gifted teacher; he may have been able to heal people; he may have been able to feed thousands; he may have been able to walk on water; but we only care about any of these Gospel realities because of the resurrection.

On the other hand, Jesus doesn’t show up just to be killed. He was a human being who lived, loved, ate, slept, got angry, knew joy and knows us because he lived a life like ours. The portions of the Four Gospels we will examine drive home the point that Jesus is God’s eternal son who, remarkably and uniquely, became fully human. He really died and he really rose from the dead.

Why do you think Jesus was crucified? Was God angry and demanded a sacrifice? How does atonement happen through crucifixion? Some reject Christianity because they cannot understand a God who would lead his only Son to death, especially such a horrible death. Is God cruel? Or might there be a hopeful and positive understanding of the crucifixion as the path to resurrection? How do you understand this? Are you open to exploring the topic with the outcome, I hope, of better appreciating Good Friday and Easter?

The disciples traveled with Jesus throughout his ministry. They knew him well. They witnessed all of the miracles; they heard all of his teaching; yet before the resurrection they did not know him. It is a wonder that they did not recognize the Risen Lord until he identified himself to them. Why would this be so important that it’s included in each of the Gospels? How is it significant to us?

How many trials did Jesus have prior to the crucifixion? Two or one and what difference does it make? Who is responsible for crucifying Jesus? Jews executed people by stoning while the Romans crucified. Jesus was crucified. He was not stoned. Yet we frequently blame the Jews for his death. If, on the other hand, God always knew from the beginning of time that Jesus would be crucified, then why blame anyone? Or was God surprised by how Jesus’s ministry ends?

Each of the Gospels tells the story slightly differently. They are all absolutely true even when they contradict each other. How can this be true? We will look at where they agree and where they differ and discuss why both happen. What does this mean about the truth of the Gospel?

Jesus was crucified by Rome. He was a threat to the status quo. Our Holy Week and Easter faith is informed by looking at how Jesus confronted power and made creation new. — Peter R. Powell

Adult Formation meets at 9:45 AM on Sundays in the parish hall. Father Powell’s series also will be streamed over Zoom here.

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 Ricardo, Kirsten, Bella, Jose, Karen, Kate, Behnam, Duke, Russell, Duncan, Robert, Sally, Sandy, Ruth Ann, Benjamin, Henry, Caroline, Giovanna, Lexi, Vicki, Georgia, Desarae, David, Steve, Beverly, Claudia, 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, for Marie Pecquex-Gunning and Louise Driscoll-Condon, and for those whose year’s mind is on March 9: Ivory Chamberlain (1881), John Dorlon (1897), Frank Durkin (1928), Lenore Hibbard (1951), Elizabeth Allen (1965), and Pauline Titus (1966).

AROUND THE PARISH

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.

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.

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 are available at the ushers table.

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.

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 a member of the clergy.

Adult Formation . . . This Sunday, Father Powell returns to lead Adult Formation. See the lead article in this issue for more details. Adult Formation meets at 9:45 AM on Sundays in the parish hall. This series also will be streamed over Zoom here.

Saint Dominic’s Rosary Guild . . . The rosary guild met last Sunday to pray the rosary and decided that going forward they will meet after Solemn Mass on the fourth Sunday of the month. The next meeting will be on Sunday, March 23. All are welcome.

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.

Neighbors in Need . . . Donations of casual pants, such as jeans or khakis, are needed, as are sweaters, tops, rain jackets, and other light jackets. Shoes are especially in demand (i.e., sneakers, sandals, and practical shoes, but not high heels). Large sizes, for both men and women, are also helpful. The next drop-by day will be Friday, March 21. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Marie Rosseels for more information.

Would you like to donate the altar flowers? . . . The Fourth Sunday in Lent, Laetare Sunday, March 30, is available. Please call the Parish Office (212-869-5830) or email Chris Howatt for more information, available dates beyond March, and to reserve a Sunday or feast day. The customary donation is $250.

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

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 FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT

The organ prelude on Sunday is a setting from the Orgelbüchlein (Little Organ Book) of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). The Orgelbüchlein is a collection of forty-six chorale preludes mostly composed between 1708 and 1717 when Bach was organist at the ducal court in Weimar. Although the original plan was for a collection of 164 settings of chorales for the church year, the realized collection spans the yearly liturgical cycle impressively. Seven of the forty-six chorales illuminate chorales sung in Lent and Holy Week. Bach’s Orgelbüchlein setting of O Mensch, bewein dein Sünden groß (O man, bewail thy grievous sins) is particularly distinctive and especially suited to the beginning of the Lenten season. The melody is attributed to Matthias Greitter and dates from 1525. The chorale, text by Sebald Heyden dating from 1530, has associations with both Bach’s Saint Matthew and Saint John Passions. The organ setting, BWV 622, is one of Bach’s most poetic ornamented melody chorale preludes. The final phrase, which references the crucifixion, is expressed with slower tempo and striking chromatic harmony. Today’s postlude is Bach’s four-voice harmonization of the same chorale, cataloged as BWV 402.

The setting of the Mass this week was composed in 2018 by Robert Pound (b. 1970), Professor of Music at Dickinson College and Director of the Dickinson Orchestra in Carlisle, PA. Having received degrees from the University of North Texas and New York’s Juilliard School, his career has included several residencies with orchestras, universities, and music centers across the country for which he has conducted and composed. He has received commissions from such distinguished ensembles as the Corigliano Quartet, the Timaeus Ensemble, Alarm Will Sound, the Florestan Recital Project, and the Murasaki Duo. His works have also been featured by the Verge Ensemble, the New Juilliard Ensemble, and at Fondation Bemberg (Toulouse, France). His Lenton Ordynary is a setting of the Rite II Kyrie (English), Credo, Sanctus & Benedictus, and Agnus Dei for unaccompanied four-voice choir. Dr. Pound has written the following of his setting:

Lenton Ordynary is the first of a series of Masses to be composed for the complete liturgical calendar of the major feasts and occasions. A pure diatonic, modal palette strictly circumscribes the Mass’s Renaissance choral style to convey a staid, undecorated affect for the great penitential season of Lent. Word sounds and musical pitches are intricately entwined through relations established in an original plainchant setting of the psalm for Ash Wednesday (51), which prefaces this Mass. This work was created to the glory of God and in honor of and gratitude to Joseph Golden, organist and choirmaster of Trinity Episcopal Church, Columbus, GA.

Lenton Ordynary, minus its Creed, received its liturgical premiere on March 8, 2020, at Saint Mary’s.

Henry Purcell (1659–1695) is the composer of this Sunday’s communion motet, Remember not, Lord, our offenses. Purcell, more than any other composer of his time, defined English Baroque musical style in a variety of vocal and instrumental genres that included works for theater, court and church. He was born in London, and his family home was virtually in the shadow of Westminster Abbey, where he became organist in 1679. Standing on the foundation of such composers as Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585), William Byrd (c. 1543–1623) and Orlando Gibbons (c. 1583–1625), copies of whose anthems he made at an early age, Purcell forged a musical language of rich harmony and vivid textual expression. Sunday morning’s motet is Purcell’s five-voice setting of the collect following the Trinitarian invocation which begins the Great Litany. This choral prayer, composed in the early 1680s, presents its Prayer Book text mostly syllabically, colored expressively by Purcell’s characteristic chromatic harmony.

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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.