FROM THE PARISH ARCHIVES: THE CROSS

This week, we look back at an article from the March 1893 issue of The Arrow, Saint Mary’s monthly newsletter at that time. The author isn’t named, though this was during the rectorate of Father Thomas McKee Brown (1841-1898), founding rector of the parish. According to our parish archivist, Ms. Mary Robison, Father Brown was probably the author of this article. A digitized copy of this issue on Internet Archive can be found here.

Mid-Lent has come, and now across the path along which the Church has trod, following the footsteps of her Lord, falls the shadow of the Cross. Year after year, century after century has the Church at this season called her children aside for a brief space to consider the tremendous spectacle—a suffering God: year after year the Divine sufferer makes His appeal to the world. “Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by? Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow.” Down through the long vista of the centuries, while nations, systems, philosophies rise and pass away, one figure alone remains constant in the ever changing scene—the figure of the Son of God upon His Cross. The noblest efforts of painter, sculptor, poet and preacher for ages have been devoted to setting forth this one theme; still does it remain of inexhaustible interest; still wherever it is faithfully presented does it exercise its wonderfully attractive power over heart and mind, fulfilling His words who said, “I, if I be lifted up will draw all men unto me.”

It may be well then, at this season, to consider what the Cross means to us. “The Cross is the highest symbol under which men have ever embraced and fought” says a great writer, one of the greatest of our times. That is to say, that it is as the symbol of heroic endurance, of devotion and self-sacrifice that the Cross has affected the thoughts and the lives of men. Such a symbol the Cross undoubtedly is, but how much more it is than that can only be realized when we consider Who it was that hung thereon. Men not a few at all times of the world’s history have been found to give up their lives for others or for truth; let our author say why this particular act should have so affected the lives and the thoughts of men that the ignominious symbol of punishment and shame should become for ever after the sign of all that is purest and bravest and best among men. The hand of man can do many wonderful things, but it was not, it could not be, the hand of a mere man, it was the hand, the pierced hand of the Son of God which, as has been said, lifted the gates of empires off their hinges and turned aside the stream of human history.

As we look at the Cross of Christ, then, we see not merely a grand act of devotion and endurance, but we see summed up, fulfilled, the idea of Sacrifice, which we see everywhere, in all ages, struggling to express itself in the religion of the people: the consciousness of a separation between God and man and of the necessity of a propitiation to bridge over that gulf. On the Cross we see equally the love of God and the sin of man. Too sadly true it is that the Atonement, as presented by many systems of religion which call themselves Christian, has not impressed man with the idea of God as the Loving Father but rather as the stern Judge requiring punishment, demanding a victim. Well may the poet cry out as he remembers how cruelly men have misrepresented their Father in Heaven:

“Forgive thy children when we take, For that all perfect Love Thou art, Some grim creation of our heart.”

No, it is not the inflexible Judge we see as we gaze upon the Cross. We see the Son of God Himself “Very God of Very God” taking upon Himself human nature, not this or that man’s nature, but human nature in its fullness, making that nature one in His own Person with the life of God, and offering it upon the altar of the Cross, a perfect sacrifice for the guilt of the whole world that He might thereafter bestow that nature upon us through His Church. This is indeed Love, love which “passeth knowledge,” only to be grasped could we estimate the sin which called for such a sacrifice. For it is only as we look upon the Cross that we realize in truth the sinfulness of sin, when we try to grasp the nature of that agony which included in itself every grief, every smart, every pang of human nature all borne for sin—for yours, for mine. Let us then this Good Friday, as we fix our eyes upon our dying Lord, pray earnestly that His Cross may become a power in our own lives such as it has never been before, that by its might all sinful affections may be rooted out, that we may bear the Cross with Him—die to our lower sinful self that we may rise with Him to newness of life. Then may we say with the saintly à Kempis: “In the cross is salvation, in the cross is life, in the cross is protection against our enemies, in the cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness, in the cross is strength of mind, in the cross joy of spirit, in the cross the height of virtue, in the cross the perfection of sanctity.”

PARISH PRAYERS

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

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Sumar, Ruth, Christine, Emilie, Emma, Sharon, Andrew, Cal, Eric, Hamida, Monique, Khalid, Sophia, Yue, Cassius, Jimmy, 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, Beth, 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 8: Julia Allen Draper Kent (1916) and Howard Noble Place (1947).

AROUND THE PARISH

Clocks change — Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday morning at 2:00 AM when clocks are turned ahead one hour.

Adult Formation — Adult Formation continues this Sunday with Service Stories. Ms. Elizabeth Wood will share her experience in a program to provide university-level courses to women in prison during her time as a student at Rhodes College. We meet in Saint Joseph’s Hall at 9:45 AM, between the two Sunday Masses. Click here for more details about what we have planned for this semester at Adult Formation. All are welcome!

Flowers donors needed for March — Altar flower donations are needed 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.

The Annunciation — The Annunciation of Our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary will be on Wednesday, March 25. At 12:10 PM, we will have a Sung Mass in the Lady Chapel. At 5:30 PM, Ms. Eva Sze from the Church of Saint Agnes and New York University will offer an organ recital. Solemn Mass follows at 6:00 PM. Father Peter Anthony from All Saints’ Margaret Street will be our guest preacher at Solemn Mass.

Supper and Conversation in Lent — On Wednesday evenings in Lent, Fr. Stephen Morris is leading a discussion series over supper entitled, “Why on This Night? The Old Testament and the Easter Vigil.” Remaining dates: March 11: Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22); March 18: Moses (Exodus 1-15). Mass at 6:00 PM, followed by soup and bread and conversation at 6:30 PM. All are welcome! Please RSVP to Fr. Wood.

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.

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.

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

Community Service Project, Education, & Fellowship with Hudson Link — On Thursday, March 12, 5:00 PM, at the Church of the Heavenly Rest, join Episcopal Connections: The Church Club of New York for an evening of meaningful service and community building with Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison. Participants will assemble care packages for individuals transitioning from incarceration back into their communities, providing essential supplies including job search tools, toiletries, and personal care items that support successful and healthy reentry. These kits are a critical demonstration of care for Hudson Link alumni. Click here to learn more and register and purchase tickets.

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.

2026 Vocations Day: Listening Hearts Retreat — On Saturday, April 25, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM at Christ Episcopal Church (20 Carroll Street, Poughkeepsie, NY), join us for an intentional gathering to help those who are beginning to discern a call to lay or ordained leadership in the life of the Church. Seekers will hear from the Bishop and members of the Commission on Ministry about the ministry of the Laity and Clergy, the expectations of the Commission on Ministry for those seeking ordination, and clear and practical next steps. There will be prayer, a plenary session, breakout groups, and lunch. Break out groups will include sessions exploring priesthood, the diaconate, and discerning lay leadership for your community’s needs. Seekers are encouraged to attend with their clergy person, and the expectation is that participants will be present the whole day. Parking is available. Click here to register and learn more.

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

Sunday’s organ voluntaries are from the Clavierübung III (Keyboard Practice) of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), one of the most remarkable and important collections of organ music by a single composer ever compiled. This third part of the Clavierübung, published in 1739, contains the “Catechism” chorales; pairs of extended settings and settings for manuals alone of chorales most closely associated with the liturgy. The first three chorales constitute the Kyrie of the Mass with tropes referencing the three persons of the Trinity. The melodies are derived from the Gregorian Kyrie summum bonum: Kyrie fons bonitatis (Mass II in the Liber Usualis). The prelude is the first of the larger chorales: Kyrie, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit, BWV 669). The chorale melody is played in long tones as the highest part of the four-voice texture. The text of this chorale from Luther’s Deutsche Messe translates as:

O Lord the Father for evermore!
We Thy wondrous grace adore;
We confess Thy power, all worlds upholding.
Have mercy, Lord.

The postlude is the third of the large settings: Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist, (BWV 671). It is a grand setting in five voices with the chorale melody sounding in long tones in the bass register. The text of this chorale translates as:

Holy Lord, God the Holy Ghost!
Who of life and light the fountain art,
With faith sustain our heart,
That at the last we hence in peace depart.
Have mercy, Lord.

Most notable in this setting is its highly chromatic final phrase

On most occasions, the musical setting of the Ordinary of the Mass at Saint Mary’s is the work of a single composer or is derived from a single source. This Sunday, however, the setting is a composite from three different sources.

The Kyrie is from the Missa Brevis of Dieterich Buxtehude (1637–1707). Buxtehude is easily the most important composer of organ works in the generation before Johann Sebastian Bach. His fame as organist of the Marienkirche in Lübeck was amplified by his presentation of the pre-Christmas Abendmusiken. He is known to have composed substantial works, unfortunately now lost, for those legendary annual public concerts at the Marienkirche. Buxtehude’s Missa Brevis, BuxWV 114, is described as in stile antico because, rather than reflecting the emerging musical styles of seventeenth century Germany, it is fashioned after the imitative vocal polyphony of the Italian high renaissance. The vocal writing is in five voices with two soprano parts. Although it would have been appropriate for instruments to double the vocal parts and provide basso continuo, Buxtehude’s Missa Brevis can be rendered effectively a cappella.

In keeping with the norm for a seventeenth century Lutheran Mass, Buxtehude composed only Kyrie and Gloria for his Missa Brevis. The Sanctus on Sunday, therefore, will be from another distinguished German source. Johann Sebastian Bach’s collected chorales include a harmonization titled Heilig in one place and Sanctus in another. This setting bears the classification BWV 325 but lacks definitive and complete text underlay for either the implied Latin or the German texts. On Sunday at Mass an adaptation of Bach’s BWV 325 including the traditional Latin Sanctus et Benedictus texts will be sung.

The Agnus Dei setting is from an English source—Thomas Morley’s 1597 treatise A Plain and Easy Introduction to Practical Music—where it was meant to stand as an example of his principles of composition. Morley’s Agnus Dei appears in the treatise as a motet, rather than as a setting for the Mass, due to its slightly variant text. For our purposes, Morley’s liturgically irregular text has been conformed to the traditional liturgical Latin words.

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525–1594) is generally recognized as the composer whose work, more than that of any other single composer, defined the summit of renaissance polyphony, and established canons for evaluating appropriate church music which remain in place to our time. The motet sung during the administration of Communion is Palestrina’s Sitivit anima mea, which is the second part of his well-known Sicut cervus. Of Palestrina’s more than three hundred motets, his Sicut cervus for four voices is particularly beloved for its elegant simplicity and accessibility, and the broad devotional appeal and liturgical application of Psalm 42. The less often sung seconda pars of this motet, Sitivit anima mea, continues two more verses into Psalm 42, amplifying the longing expressed by the psalmist in Palestrina’s more frequently performed prima pars.

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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 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.