4th Sunday after Trinity (July 5th 2020)
Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here
for the first time or visiting Athens. Hand sanitizing and social distancing is required at the present time. We are advised not to sing. Only the ‘holy bread’ of Communion is being distributed. There is no Sunday School yet, and no refreshments after the Liturgy.
The presiding priest and preacher is Fr. Leonard. The deacon is The Revd. Deacon Christine Saccali.
(At the door)
Priest: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
All: Blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen
Priest: There is one body and one spirit.
All: There is one hope to which we are called
Priest: one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
All: one God and Father of all.
Priest: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you.
The organ will play for the clergy to enter.
The priest then welcomes the people of God and the deacon leads us into Confession.
Silence and stillness follows
All: Father eternal, giver of light and grace, we have sinned against you and against our neighbour, in what we have thought, in what we have said and done, through ignorance, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We have wounded your love, and marred your image in us. We are sorry and ashamed, and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past; and lead us out from darkness to walk as children of light. Amen.
Absolution: Almighty God, who forgives all 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 to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father; receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Collect: Let us pray (remain standing as the priest prays the Collect of the Day)
Gracious Father, by the obedience of Jesus you brought salvation to our wayward world; draw us into harmony with your will, that we may find all things restored in him, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
First Reading (please sit) Romans 7, 15-25
I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
As the deacon processes the Gospel Book the organ will play
Gospel Reading (turn towards the gospel book)
[Deacon: I ask your blessing that I may worthily proclaim this holy gospel
All: May the Lord be on your lips, in your mind and in your heart that you may worthily
proclaim to us this holy gospel]
Deacon: Alleluia! Alleluia! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God, who was, and is, and is to come, the Almighty.
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. Matthew (Mt 11, 16-19, 25-end)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
At the end of the Gospel
Deacon: This is the gospel of the Lord
All: Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon (Please sit) Most sermons are available on the website in printed and audio format
Affirmation of Faith (Please stand)
Priest: Do you believe and trust in God the Father?
All: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
Priest: Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?
All: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
Priest: Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?
All: I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Peace: God has made us one in Christ. He has set his seal upon us and, as a pledge of what is to come, has given the Spirit to dwell in our hearts. The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: And also with you. The deacon then invites us to acknowledge each other in peace, but with no hand-shake.
The bread and wine are offered as a sign of the life and work of God’s people
Priest: Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, give us the bread of everlasting life,
and make us branches of the true vine.
All: Amen.
The Great Thanksgiving Prayer (Please remain standing for this)
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: Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God, our light and our salvation; to you be glory and praise for ever! From the beginning you have created all things and all your works echo the silent music of your praise. In the fullness of time you made us in your image, the crown of all creation. You give us breath and speech that with angels and archangels and all the powers of heaven we may find a voice to sing your praise:
All: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord most high. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Priest: How wonderful the work of your hands, O Lord! As a mother tenderly gathers her children you embraced a people as your own. When they turned away and rebelled
your love remained steadfast. From them you raised up Jesus our Saviour, born of Mary,
to be the living bread, in whom all our hungers are satisfied. He offered his life for sinners
and with a love stronger than death he opened wide his arms on the cross. On the night before he died, he came to supper with his friends, and taking bread, he gave you thanks.
He broke it and gave it to them, saying: Take eat: this is my body which is given for you, do this in remembrance of me.
At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine, he gave you thanks, and said: 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: Christ is the bread of life
All: When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus,
until you come in glory.
Priest : Father, we plead with confidence his sacrifice made once for all on the cross: we remember his dying and rising in glory, and we rejoice that he prays for us at your right hand. Pour out your Holy Spirit as we bring before you these gifts of your creation; may they be for us the body and blood of your dear Son. As we eat and drink these holy things in your presence, form us in the likeness of Christ, and build us into a living temple to your glory. Remember Lord your Church in every land. Reveal her unity, guard her faith, and preserve her in peace with our Bishop Robert and all the congregations of this diocese; bring her at the last with the Holy Mother of God, Paul, and all the saints to the vision of that eternal splendour for which you have created us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom and with whom and in whom, with all who stand before you earth and heaven, we worship you in songs of everlasting praise;
All: Blessing and honour and glory and power be yours for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer: (to be prayed in your own language)
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 the risen Christ.
All: Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.
Said: Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world, 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 come forward to receive the body of Christ. If you wish you may receive a blessing. Please let the Sides-people guide you forward.
During the distribution of Holy Communion the organ will play
Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)
Eternal God, comfort of the afflicted and healer of the broken, you have fed us at the table of life and hope; teach us the ways of gentleness and peace, that all the world may acknowledge the kingdom of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All: We thank you, Lord, that you have fed us in this sacrament, united us with Christ, and given us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet prepared for all peoples. Amen.
Notices – please see the separate sheet.
Priest: The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in
the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; and the
blessing…. Amen.
Deacon: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
All: In the name of Christ. Amen.
Next Week’s Readings: Romans 8, 1-11; Matthew 13, 1-9, 18-23
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
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 income other than from the generosity of those who worship here.
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