Service for the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 15th August 2021
Anglican Church in Greece – St Paul’s Athens
Fr. Leonard will lead the worship and preach. The deacon is Deacon Christine. Before our worship begins the organ will play.
Opening Hymn: 185 (tune Abbot’s Leigh)
Priest: Blessed be the kingdom of God.
All: Now and for ever.
Priest: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
Priest: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
All: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of
our death.
The deacon invites us into a short time of silence and stillness
All: Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be: that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.
Priest: Almighty God, who forgives all those who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal, through Jesus Christ our Lord . Amen.
Gloria: Glory in the highest to the God of heavens:
Peace to all your people through the earth be given.
Mighty God and Father, thanks and praise we bring,
Singing Alleluia! To the heavenly King.
Jesus Christ is risen, God the Father’s Son;
With the Holy Spirit, you are Lord alone.
Lamb once killed for sinners, all our guilt to bear,
Show us now your mercy, now receive our prayer
Christ the world’s true Saviour, high and holy one,
Seated now and reigning from your Father’s throne:
Lord and God, we praise you! Highest heaven adores:
In the Father’s glory, all the praise be yours!
Collect: Let us pray (Collect of the Day)
Almighty God, who looked upon the lowliness of the Blessed Virgin Mary and chose her to be the mother of your only Son; grant that we who are redeemed by his blood my share with blessed Mary in the glory of your eternal kingdom to which she was received by you; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. All: Amen.
First Reading please sit Revelation 11, 19-12, 6,10
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth. 3Then another portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 5And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne; 6and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that there she can be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming, ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down.
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God
Second Reading Galatians 4, 4-7
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir,
through God.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Sung: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia The gospel book is brought from the altar
Please STAND
Deacon: Alleluia, alleluia. My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour
All: Alleluia
Deacon: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
Deacon: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Luke (Lk 1, 46-55)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
Mary said “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Deacon: This is the gospel of Christ
All: Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon: Fr. Leonard (sermon available on website in recorded and printed version)
Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Intercessions: (kneel or sit) Lord in your mercy; All: hear our prayer
Peace: The kingdom of God is a Kingdom of love, joy, and peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: And also with you.
As the table is prepared with bread and wine, the collection will be taken. The organ will play for a few minutes.
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life.
All: Blessed be God for ever
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become for us the cup of salvation.
All: Blessed be God for ever.
Priest: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
Priest: Lift up your hearts
All: we lift them to the Lord
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
All: it is right to give thanks and praise
Priest: It is indeed right and good, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. We give you thanks and praise that the Virgin Mary heard with faith the message of the angel, and by the power of your Holy Spirit conceived and bore the Word made flesh. From the warmth of her womb to the stillness of the grave he shared our life in human form. In him new light has dawned upon the world and you have become one with us that we, like blessed Mary, might become one with you in your glorious kingdom. Therefore earth unites with heaven to sing a new song of praise: we too join with angels and archangels as they proclaim your glory without end:
All: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes, comes in the
name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Priest: Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
Deacon: Great is the mystery of faith
All: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross, his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world; rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory, we celebrate this memorial of our redemption. As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cup and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom all who share this one bread and one cup, so that we, in the company of the Holy Mother of God, St. Paul, and all the saints, may praise and glorify you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord; by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer: (to be prayed in whichever language you chose)
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Priest: We break this bread to share in the body of Christ
All: though we are many we are one body, because we all share in one bread
Sung: Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us. Jesus bearer of our sins, have mercy on us.
Jesus, redeemer of the world, grant us peace, grant us peace.
Invitation to Communion
Priest: Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Happy are those
who are called to his supper.
All: Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed
All baptized Christians may receive the Holy Communion. Communion: the organ will play during the distribution of Holy Communion
Prayers after Communion
Priest: God most high, whose handmaid bore the Word made flesh: we thank you that in this sacrament of our redemption you visit us with your Holy Spirit and overshadow us by your power; strengthen us to walk with Mary the joyful path of obedience and so to bring forth the fruits of holiness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. All: Amen.
All: Father of all, we give you thanks and praise, that when we were still far off you met us in your son and brought us home. Dying and living, he declared your love, gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory. May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life; we who drink his cup bring life to others; we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world. Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us, so we and all your children shall be free, and the whole earth live to praise your name: through Christ our Lord. Amen
Hymn: 186 (tune: Woodlands)
Blessing and sending out
Priest: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
Priest: Almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen
Assistant: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
All: In the name of Christ. Amen.
Christmas Bazaar: Advance notice! If regulations at the time allow it, there will be a Christmas Bazaar on Sunday December 5th. It will be held at the War Museum in Rizari.
Fr. Leonard’s usual Day Off – Monday (in emergencies contact Deacon Christine)
Home tel : 210 72 14 906; email anglican@otenet.gr
Deacon Chris: 22950 53164: Day off – Friday
Swedish Church: contact Fr. Bjorn on 694 607 2428 (Swedish Sunday Mass at St. Paul’s at 12 Noon)
The Anglican Church in Greece (including St. Paul’s) is self-financing, and receives no income other than from the generosity of those who worship here. We are a legal body and we pay tax. Our tax number is 997073090. If you wish to donate direct to our bank (IBAN) the account with Piraeus Bank is: The Anglican Church in Greece, St. Paul’s Athens GR 820172 0500 0050 5008 6327 479 Swift code is PIRB GRAA
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