FROM FATHER STEPHEN MORRIS: “YOU GAVE THEM BREAD FROM HEAVEN. CONTAINING IN ITSELF ALL SWEETNESS.”

Dom Basil Nixen, OSB writes in The Last Communion of Saint Jerome:

… the Eucharist is perhaps the greatest expression of God’s extravagant love for us. As the enduring memorial of his Passion and Death on the Cross, it not only makes present for us the Christ who suffered, but fills those who worthily partake of the Eucharistic banquet with the water and blood which flowed from the pierced side of Christ. He asks us for nothing else in return than that we bear his “easy yoke” and “light burden,” i.e. that we avoid anything that separates us from him and seek that which unites us to him.

What does it mean to “worthily partake” of the Eucharistic banquet of Christ’s Body and Blood? The Book of Common Prayer 1979 asks each of us to examine our lives in the light of God’s commandments and acknowledge how we have departed from his ways, determine how to amend our life, making restitution—if needed—for the injuries or wrongs we have caused. The BCP invites us to forgive anyone who has offended us as well. “And then, being reconciled with one another, come to the banquet of that most heavenly Food.”

This kind of rigorous self-examination and reconciliation might seem overwhelming but the celebration of Corpus Christi—the celebration and festivity which announces the authentic presence of Christ in the Holy Gifts of the Eucharist—gives us the opportunity to bring ourselves into alignment with what we claim to believe. Our actions will always speak louder than our words. We say that we receive the Body of Christ each week but does our behavior reflect that? Do we “put our money where our mouth is?”

One of the most telling ways we fail to live in alignment with our claims to receive Christ’s Body is our lack of joy. Fr. Alexander Schmemann writes that Christianity is incomprehensible without joy.

It is only as joy that the Church was victorious in the world, and it lost the world when it lost that joy, and ceased to be a credible witness to it. Of all accusations against Christians, the most terrible one was uttered by Nietzsche when he said that Christians had no joy. (For the Life of the World, chapter 2)

In the aftermath of Holy Week and Easter is was easy to let some of our regular spiritual practices slide. But Corpus Christi gives us the chance to get back on track and re-experience the joy of Christ’s authentic presence. We have the chance to forgive others and ask others to forgive us. We have the chance to realign our behavior with our claims to believe that God’s extravagant love for us is more than just words. We have the chance to take up Christ’s easy yoke and light burden again.

Now is our chance to enter the joy of our Lord (Matt. 25:21). — SM

At Saint Mary’s, we transfer Corpus Christi from the Thursday after Trinity Sunday to the Sunday that follows. Join us for Solemn Mass at 11:00 AM on Sunday, June 7. Weather permitting, we will process with the Blessed Sacrament to Times Square, following Holy Communion, and then return to the parish for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The Sunday of Corpus Christi concludes our program year.

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 of Rwanda, in the Anglican cycle of prayer.

We pray for those who are preparing for ordination, especially Alden and Andrew; and Monica Clare, religious.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Marva, Heather, Maria, Elise, Jeff, Sara, Joe, Derick, Harley, John, Malany, Jim, Phil, Laura, Marley, Sue, Sumar, Christine, Emilie, Sharon, Monique, Cassius, Lisa, Sue, Ruth Ann, Rosemary, Holly, Becky, Bill, Grady, Chris, Violet, Pat, Allen, Nadia, Giovanna, Ronald, Jose, Ben, Russell, Robert, Sandy, Desarae, David, Tony, Jan, Carlos, Quincy, Leroy, Margaret, Bob, and Robert; James, Victoria, and Laura Katherine, religious; Lind, deacon; and Luigi, Beth, Jay, and Stephen, priests.

We pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died, especially Catherine; and Barton, priest, and for those whose year’s mind is on May 31: Fannie Mills Prentice (1891), Percy St. George Townshend (1913), Rebecca Morgan Adams (1919), Herbert Guppy (1934), and Louis Stephen Stancill (1995).

AROUND THE PARISH

Visitation of the BVM — The Feast of the Visitation is transferred to Monday, June 1, since May 31 falls on a Sunday this year. Morning Prayer will be said at 8:00 AM. Our 12:10 PM Mass in the Lady Chapel will be offered as a Sung Mass. In the evening, a High Mass with a Quartet from the Choir will be celebrated at 6:00 PM.

Corpus Christi — Mark your calendars for Sunday, June 7, when we will celebrate Corpus Christi. Weather permitting, we will process with the Blessed Sacrament to Times Square at the conclusion of the 11:00 AM Solemn Mass.

Young Saint Marians Picnic — Pack your favorite picnic blanket and join us for an afternoon in the sun! The Young St. Marians will be having a casual afternoon picnic on Sunday, June 28. We plan to meet in the Lady Chapel immediately following the Rosary Guild after the 11:00 AM Mass and walk down to Bryant Park together, weather permitting.  Don't forget to bring your bagged lunch! Feel free to email youngstmarians@gmail.com with any questions.

AIDS Walk deadline — Thank you to everyone who supported our 2026 AIDS Walk Team. We have raised $62,560! Donations can still be made on our team page until June 12!

Neighbors in Need — As we enter warmer weather, you may have lost interest in your winter coat, but we have not. We can store coats until next winter—and we would love to! Please bring us your lightly-used coats and jackets. We accept all kinds of casual clothing: jackets, pants, tops and shoes, but we do not need professional clothing or children’s clothing. Thanks to many wonderful cash donations, we are able to purchase toiletries and underwear. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Marie Rosseels for more information or send an email to neighbors@stmvnyc.org.

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

Ordination of Sr. Monica Clare, CSJB — Good friend of the parish and former residential member of our community, Sr. Monica Clare, CSJB, will be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, June 20, at 10:00 AM at the Community of Saint John Baptist’s convent in Mendham, NJ. All Saint Marians are welcome to attend, but please do RSVP via email to Sr. Monica Clare, CSJB, so that the convent can prepare.

The Debut of Dr. Hurd’s concert opera at Trinity Wall Street on May 31 — Commissioned by Trinity for the 250th birthday of the United States, Great Awakenings: John Henry Hobart and America is a powerful new concert opera by acclaimed composer (and former Trinity organist) David Hurd. With a libretto by Christopher Dylan Herbert, a former member of the Trinity Choir, the work brings to life a pivotal era in American religious and civic history by celebrating the visionary leadership of Bishop Hobart (1775–1830), Trinity’s seventh rector (1816-1830). Click here for more details and to RSVP. Dr. Hurd notes that while the website refers to it as an oratorio, it is in fact a concert opera.

Pride at the Cathedral — The Cathedral will host a Pride Evensong service on Sunday, June 21, at 4:00 PM featuring LGBTQIA+ composers and performance by the Cathedral Community Choir. No registration required. On Pride Sunday, June 28, the celebrant at the 10:30 AM liturgy will be The Very Reverend Winnie Varghese, Dean, and the preacher will be The Reverend Paul Raushenbush.

ABOUT THE MUSIC ON TRINITY SUNDAY

Sunday’s organ prelude is inspired by the ancient Latin hymn Te Deum laudamus and played in recognition of Trinity Sunday. The authorship of this great hymn traditionally had been assigned to Saints Ambrose and Augustine, the legend being that they improvised it at the latter’s baptism. A somewhat more plausible author of this text might have been Nicetas, fifth-century bishop of Remisiana, although his authorship too has been questioned by scholars. While the authorship of this hymn is uncertain, its antiquity is generally agreed to have extended back to the fourth century. From the first edition in 1549 of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, Te Deum has been appointed as a canticle for Morning Prayer and occasions of festive celebration. The roots of the traditional chant melody for Te Deum reach back at least to the sixth century. This chant has also been the foundation of numerous other musical compositions, both choral and instrumental, which can be powerfully expressive even when the words are not sung.

Danish-born Dieterich Buxtehude was probably the most influential composer in Germany of the generation immediately before Johann Sebastian Bach. His organ Te Deum laudamus, BuxWV 218, is a work of five-movements or versets, four of which are based upon verses of the Latin hymn. This set of pieces begins with a free introduction or Praeludium. In the second movement, Primus versus, the traditional chant melody is introduced as a cantus firmus played in long tones alternately below and above a second more animated accompanying voice. This same chant fragment is later played in long tones on the pedals and finally used in imitative counterpoint at the moment’s conclusion. These first two movements are played as the prelude. 

The setting of the Mass is Mass Euge bone by Christopher Tye (c.1505–c.1573). Tye was probably born in Cambridge, England, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1536. He served as a lay clerk at Kings College before being named master of the choristers at Ely Cathedral around 1543. In 1545 he was awarded the Doctor of Music degree by the University of Cambridge. Tye had a strong connection to Dr. Richard Cox, tutor of Prince Edward and later bishop at Ely. This led to Tye’s becoming the music teacher of King Edward VI and, doubtless, to his eventual ordination as a priest in 1561. Tye resigned from Ely and became rector of Doddington, Cambridgeshire, where he served the remainder of his life. The origins of Tye’s Mass Euge bone are uncertain, but it is believed that this setting may date from the composer’s early years at Ely, perhaps in connection with his doctoral degree. The music of the mass is related to Tye’s earlier prayer motet Quaesumus omnipotens Deus which also is composed for six voices and includes both imitative counterpoint and rich choral textures.

Sunday’s communion motet is O beata Trinitas, coaequalis by Jacob Handl (1550–1591). This motet for four voices was first published 1587 in Opus musicum Jacob Handl Volume 3 (of 4), number 19. Jacob Handl, also known as Jacobus Gallus, is credited with over five hundred compositions, both sacred and secular, including twenty Masses and hundreds of motets. Slovenian by birth, his compositions incorporate the influences of the leading Franco-Flemish and Venetian musical schools of his time.

Following the administration of Communion, the canticle Te Deum laudamus will be sung while incense is offered. The choir will sing this canticle to the customary plainsong in alternation with verses played on the organ. This manner of presenting liturgical texts, called in alternatim, has often been applied to portions of the Mass and Office in past time. Alternatim performance practice was well established throughout Europe from the seventeenth century, documented in part by many organ versets which were composed for this purpose by prominent composers. It is also not uncommon for organists to improvise verses in alternation with those sung to chant, as will be done on Sunday.

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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.