FROM FATHER MATT JACOBSON: BACK TO THE BASICS

I saw that baseball spring training games have recently started up, and this reminded me of what it was like to watch spring training as a kid. I had family in Florida, on both coasts, and we often would head south to visit them and to catch some of the pre-season. I remember being able to get very close to the fields to watch the practice sessions. It was fun, but also always a bit surprising, to see them doing some of the same drills that we would do in Little League. Why do these guys need to waste their time on these simple drills? They’re the best in the world!

After a spring training game, I naively posed this very question to Phil Rizzuto—yes, that Phil Rizzuto—the Hall of Fame shortstop who won the World Series seven times with the Yankees in the 40s and 50s, was the MVP in 1950, and later became one of the all-time great broadcasters. Times have probably changed, but in the early 80s a kid could still hang out in an empty ballpark after a game and a legend like Phil Rizzuto might wander by, sit down next to him, and talk baseball for a half hour or so.

He told me that you can never lose sight of the fundamentals, the little things, and that you always have to keep practicing no matter how good you are at them. Rizzuto was known to have been a great bunter, but he said that it was only because he practiced it all the time. He believed (strongly!) that every player needed to master this skill, and he made sure that it was something I practiced too. He made me promise. I’m sure that the players at spring training got an earful from him about practicing their bunting as well.

I feel like I’m hearing a similar message this Lent from another legend, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. I’m rereading his book Being Christian (Eerdmans Publishing, 2014) along with a parishioner who is preparing for baptism. Williams writes that all Christians are called to be prophets and what he means by that is we ought to be “challenging the community to be what it is meant to be . . . So, as prophets we lead one another back to the essentials: back to baptism, Bible, Holy Communion, and prayer.” (p. 13-14)

This very concise and helpful book is based on a series of lectures given during Holy Week at Canterbury Cathedral, and each chapter is dedicated to one of these four essentials of being Christian. His purpose for publishing the book seems to me rather clear: no matter how long we have been doing this, we all have need to be reminded of the fundamentals of the faith and make sure we haven’t lost sight of the core of being Christians.

This Lent, I’m trying to practice the fundamentals. In addition to reading this book and reflecting on these essentials, I’m also trying to remind myself of where they are intended to lead me. Baptism isn’t something one repeats, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded that through it, an indissoluble bond is formed with God. (BCP, p. 298) The other three, which we spend our whole lives repeating—praying, receiving the Blessed Sacrament, reading and studying the Bible (and of courses hearing it read at liturgies!)—all point us to what Jesus told us was the essential: the love of God and the love of neighbor. In other words, this Lent, I’m taking the advice of Phil Rizzuto and Rowan Williams and focusing on the basics. And I’m trying to get better at them! — MJ

PARISH PRAYERS

We pray for the people and clergy of our sister parish, the Church of All Saints, Margaret Street, London, and for the Anglican Church in Japan, in the Anglican cycle of prayer.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Emma, Ian, Sharon, Andrew, Antonia, Cal, Eric, Hamida, Monique, Mary, Kathie, Patrick, Khalid, Sophia, Yue, Cassius, Jimmy, Bridget, Lorelei, Lisa, Sue, Ruth Ann, Rosemary, Holly, Becky, Bill, Grady, Chris, Violet, Pat, Allen, Vicki, Brendon, Nadia, Carol, Giovanna, Ronald, Jose, Ben, Russell, Robert, Sandy, Lexi, Georgia, Desarae, David, Tony, Jan, Carlos, Quincy, Leroy, Margaret, and Robert; Victoria, Suzanne Elizabeth, and Laura Katherine, religious; Lind, deacon; and, 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 1: James Francis Burr (1888), John Netterfield (1909), Robert Currie (1913), Henri Bigelow Beach LaFerre, priest (1923), Julia Watt Lawrence (1927), Mary Dral Werner (1927), Mary Lynch (1927), Amelia Jane Hammond Todd (1933), and Kenneth Wayne Cross (2015).

AROUND THE PARISH

Congratulations, Alden! — Mr. Alden Fossett, our seminarian intern, has been called to serve as a curate at Saint Paul’s in Brookline, MA, starting on June 15. Alden shares that it is “a growing, intergenerational congregation that includes individuals of all ages, families, and a thriving group of parishioners in their 20s and 30s. As curate, I will be supporting and developing ministries and leaders in outreach and peace and justice, newcomer welcome and incorporation, and small group ministry.” Alden will be our preacher this Sunday at both Masses. Make sure to congratulate Alden at Coffee Hour!

The Archdeacon at Adult Formation — The Ven. Denise LaVetty, our diocesan Archdeacon, leads Service Stories this Sunday and will talk about the ministry of deacons who bring the ministrations of the Church to the world and present the needs of the world to the Church. Click here for more details about what we have planned for this semester at Adult Formation. We meet in Saint Joseph’s Hall at 9:45 AM, between the two Sunday Masses. All are welcome!

Evensong & Benediction this Sunday — Join us for Evensong and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament this Sunday at 4:00 PM. We will be led musically by a quartet from the parish choir. Click here to learn more about E&B.

Lenten Quiet Day next Saturday — On Saturday, March 7, 2026, Br. Thomas Steffensen, SSF, will lead a Quiet Day at Saint Mary’s. We begin with a light breakfast at 9:30 AM, which is followed by the first reflection at 10:00 AM. Lunch is included, and the day will finish by 3:00 PM. Please RSVP to Fr. Wood.

The Shape of Lent — At Saint Mary’s, we try to preserve the communal nature of Lenten practice as a parish family. The Shape of Lent is a booklet which provides a description and schedule of what we will do together during this holy time. There are also suggestions for additional Lenten readings. Copies are on the usher’s table and can be downloaded here.

Stations of the Cross — On Fridays in Lent, we offer Stations of the Cross at 6:00 PM, which follows Evening Prayer at 5:30 PM.

Supper and Conversation in Lent — On four Wednesday evenings in Lent, Fr. Stephen Morris will lead a discussion series over supper entitled, “Why on This Night? The Old Testament and the Easter Vigil.” February 25: Creation (Genesis 1-2); March 4: Noah (Genesis 5-7); March 11: Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22); March 18: Moses (Exodus 1-15). Why are these four passages the most important of all on this most important of all nights? How is our life different after hearing them read each year? Mass at 6:00 PM, followed by soup and bread and conversation at 6:30 PM. All are welcome! Please RSVP to Fr. Wood.

Flowers donors needed for March — Altar flower donations are available for March 15, the Fourth Sunday in Lent (Laetare Sunday), the Annunciation on March 25, and for many other dates in 2026. The suggested donation is $250. Please contact Brendon Hunter to reserve a date and have the dedication for your flower donation appear in the bulletin.

Baptisms — We are planning for baptisms at the Easter Vigil on April 4, 2026. If you would like to be baptized, or have your child baptized, at the Easter Vigil or on another date, please contact Fr. Matt Jacobson.

Thursday Bible Study — Thursday evening Bible study in 2025-2026 is based on the Sunday lectionary for the upcoming Sunday and generally will be led by the preacher for that day. We meet over Zoom at 6:00 PM. If interested, please email Fr. Wood for the link.

Neighbors in Need — With a very cold winter moving into a cold spring, warm jackets and practical shoes for men and women continue to be top needs. We are typically better supplied with women’s clothes than men’s. Our men’s priorities for February and March are warm tops; pants in size 32, 34 and 36; and shoes in all sizes. Thanks to your donations we are also able to purchase toiletries, gloves and underwear, especially thermals, which are in high demand. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Marie Rosseels for more information or send an email to neighbors@stmvnyc.org. Our next Drop-by Day will be on March 20, the third Friday of the month.

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

Bishop Rowe’s Ash Wednesday Letter — “Dear people of God in The Episcopal Church: When God told Moses to lead the ancient Israelites out of slavery in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh stood in his way. Pharaoh wanted power and control over God’s people, and Exodus tells us that the more serious the situation got, the more hardened his heart became. Despite locusts and frogs and all manner of chaos in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh remained trapped by his view of the world, which had himself and his power at the center. He could not see that God’s imagination was far bigger and more expansive than his. He could not imagine liberation for God’s people—or for himself. Today, in the opening collect of our Ash Wednesday service, we ask God to “create and make in us new and contrite hearts.” I think of Pharaoh’s hard heart, and sometimes my own, when I say that prayer, and never more so than this year.” Click here for the full letter from the Presiding Bishop.

All Saints’ Margaret Street Drinks Party on March 20 — From our sister parish in London: You are all warmly invited by your sister parish in London, All Saints’ Margaret Street, to a drinks party to be held on Friday, March 20, 2026, at the House of the Redeemer, New York City, from 6:30 PM onwards to celebrate the American Friends of All Saints’, Margaret Street. We hope this special occasion will be an opportunity for us to connect with parishioners of St. Mary the Virgin, and with American Friends of All Saints’ who live in or near New York. We look forward to being able to thank our American benefactors for their support. Both Fr. Alan and Fr. Peter will be present. It would be wonderful to see any parishioners of St Mary’s who wish to come. This drinks party will be proceeded by a Mass celebrated by Fr. Peter in the Chapel of the House of the Redeemer at 6:00 PM, giving thanks for the life of All Saints’, for any who wish to attend. You can book a free ticket for the event via Eventbrite here: https://americanfriendsdrinks.eventbrite.com.

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT SOLEMN MASS ON THE SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT

The organ prelude on Sunday is a setting of Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, BWV 658, one of the eighteen Leipzig Chorales of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). The “Great Eighteen” were collected and published in the final decade of Bach’s life and are considered to represent the summit of chorale-based baroque organ composition. In this case, the chorale text, the first phrase of which is interpreted as “I shall not abandon God, for he does not abandon me,” is attributed to Ludwig Helmbold and dated 1563. Its melody, from an anonymous 1557 source, is set by Bach to be played on the organ pedals in the alto register surrounded by a gentle three-voice lace of manual accompaniment. The ending of this chorale prelude is notably prolonged, and with an additional voice added, as if to tone-paint a steadfast desire to remain and not leave. The postlude is one of Bach’s settings of the chorale Jesu, meine Freude (Jesus, my joy) and is catalogued as BWV 1105. This setting is one of the more recently authenticated works of Bach. It was published in 1985 along with 34 other pieces as part of the collection compiled by Johann Gottfried Neumeister (1757–1840) sometime after 1790. This short craggy fantasia resembles some of the writing in the variations of Bach’s well-known chorale partitas.

The Mass setting is Missa Quarti Toni of Tomás Luís de Victoria (c.1548–1611). Victoria is considered the most important Spanish composer of Renaissance polyphony. Born in Avila, the seventh of 11 children, he began his musical education as a choirboy at Avila Cathedral, and began his classical education at S Gil, a Jesuit school for boys founded in 1554. By 1565 Victoria had entered the Jesuit Collegio Germanico in Rome, where he was later engaged to teach music and eventually named maestro di cappella. Victoria knew and may have been instructed by Palestrina (1525–1594) who was maestro di cappella of the nearby Seminario Romano at that time. During his years in Rome Victoria held several positions as singer, organist and choral master, and published many of his compositions. He was ordained priest in 1575 after a three-day diaconate. There are twenty authenticated mass settings of Victoria of which the Missa Quarti Toni is probably the freest of parody or quotations from other works. Although its title suggests a modal character, this Mass offers a major-minor harmonic palette which is not uncharacteristic of much of Victoria’s music. The setting is for four voices except the Agnus Dei which expands to five with the two soprano parts singing in canon at the unison.

Henry Purcell (1659–1695) is the composer of this Sunday’s communion motet. Lord, how long wilt thou be angry was composed between 1680 and 1682. 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. The text of Lord, how long wilt thou be angry is drawn from Psalm 79. It begins with verse 5 set in five-voice imitative counterpoint. Verse 8 is set as a trio for lower voices. The full choir returns in a declamatory chordal texture for verse 9. The final section, verse 13, combines chordal and imitative textures.

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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.