Lent Web

Service for the Second Sunday of Lent – 25th February 2024

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens.  Please stay and have coffee after the liturgy. 

 

The presiding priest and preacher is Fr Marcus Ronchetti. The Assistant is Lay Reader Nelly Paraskevopoulou

 

Entry Greeting  

Minister: Give us true repentance; forgive us our sins of negligence and ignorance and our

deliberate sins: and grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit to amend our lives

according to your holy word.

All:             Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.]

 

Entrance Hymn     445 (Petra) Rock of ages, cleft for me

 

Priest:     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen

The Lord be with you.

 All:         and also with you

 

The priest then welcomes the people of God and the assistant leads us into Confession.

 

Silence and stillness follows for a few moments

Assistant: We confess to you our selfishness and lack of love: fill us with your Spirit.

Kyrie eleison

All:             Kyrie eleison

Assistant: We confess to you our fear and failure in sharing our faith: fill us with your Spirit.

Christe eleison

All:            Christe eleison

Assistant:  We confess to you our stubbornness and lack of trust: fill us with your Spirit.

Kyrie eleison

All:             Kyrie eleison

Priest:       May Almighty God, who sent his Son into the world to save sinners, bring you

his pardon and peace.

All:             Amen.

 

Collect:  Let us pray    (remain standing as the priest prays the Collect of the Day)   

Almighty God, by the prayer and discipline of Lent may we enter into the mystery of Christ’s sufferings, and by following his Way may we come to share in his glory; through Jesus Christ our

Lord.  Amen.

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sermon news

Notes for contemplation from the Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent -18th February 2024

Fr. Marcus Ronchetti – St Paul’s Athens

 

  • The Gospel, representation of the Trinity – This is my Son with whom I am well pleased.
  • Blessings Abound
  • Then into the Wilderness. Thinking, being tempted, focussing. How best to share what he has, what he knows, who he is? Decides to tell stories, and in so doing changes the world.
  • Stories mean stuff. They convey truths and take us deeper into all of our relationships. So here are a couple for you as we begin Lent.
  • Stop car to watch beautiful sunset. Sense of awe and wonder, and you focus on God.
  • Time passes. Car, shopping, ready meals, crap tv, mind numbing! bookface / tictoc. Gossip with friends about your other friends, and before you know it you are making judgements.
  • Why do I let myself get spun out to the edges of my enjoyment and fill my time with ‘Stuff, when I absolutely know where there is Bliss.
  • Inherit a beautiful mansion. Brilliant specifications, beautifully furnished and decorated. Big four poster beds, wonderfully appointed kitchen etc etc. Go and look – absolute joy – but you don’t have keys.
  • Live in a tent round the back.
  • Weekend, BBQ friends and relatives come and look. Beautiful.
  • Ladder up to look in the bedroom windows. Wow. So nice. Yes, well I like it – but i don’t have the keys.
  • Later on, speaking to your Spiritual director or whoever. And you tell them all about it. They say, what do you mean you don’t have the keys. You live in the mansion. Oh, I am not worthy to even think about living in there. But you do. Confusion. Jesus calls it darkness.
  • It is not the real you. Your shadow self. Your ego that drags you down.

The real you is made in the image of God, and he loves you, and continues to love you day by day. Our Lenten task is to accept who we are and how much we are loved and perhaps to try and let go of the things that get in the way

Heading Blog

Report on 388th meeting of Chaplaincy Council held on Sunday 19th November in church at 12 noon

Visiting priest Father Terry Hemming had been invited to attend the meeting, which proceeded as follows:

Matters arising from the previous minutes

Following a presentation by Cosmo Murray, organiser of the Mazi hostel for homeless immigrants, Council agreed to donate the remaining 2,000 Euros of the 2023 refugee fund to pay for 3 months rent and prevent closure (the Refugee Fund is financed only by donations towards specific causes). Representatives of the organisations “Melissa” and “Creative Hands” would be invited to give a presentation in 2024. Any member of the congregation can put forward the name of an organisation that needs support and it will be considered by Council.  

Standing Committee Report on 8th October meeting

As part of our Safeguarding duty of care, members of this Committee (Assistant Chaplain, Wardens, Hon. Treasurer, Hon. Secretary) had met with the organiser of a small group currently caring for a member of the congregation. The care programme, assistance from Council members and other issues were discussed and lines of communication would be kept open, with further meetings arranged if necessary.

Financial Report

Members had received copies of the accounts and Nelly distributed “Funding our Future”, a Diocesan leaflet. St. Paul’s current income of 1,345 Euros per week did not cover costs and a further 233 per week were needed. There were 50 regular contributors and an increase to 70 would be extremely useful. Council agreed that a “Giving Day” should take place once a year, with a presentation and a sermon on “the grace of giving” (St. Paul, Corinthians 2).

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Lent Web

Service for the 1st Sunday in Lent – 18th February 2024

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens.  Please stay and have coffee after the liturgy. 

 

The presiding priest and preacher is Fr. Marcus Ronchetti. The deacon is The Revd. Deacon Christine Saccali.

 

Entrance Hymn     376 (Kingsfold) I heard the voice of Jesus say

Priest:     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen

The Lord be with you.

     All:         and also with you

 

The priest then welcomes the people of God and the deacon leads us into Confession.

 

Silence and stillness follows for a few moments

 

Deacon: We confess to you our selfishness and lack of love: fill us with your Spirit.

Kyrie eleison

All:          Kyrie eleison

Deacon:  We confess to you our fear and failure in sharing our faith: fill us with your Spirit.

Christe eleison

All:          Christe eleison

Deacon:  We confess to you our stubbornness and lack of trust: fill us with your Spirit.

Kyrie eleison

All:          Kyrie eleison

Priest:    May Almighty God, who sent his Son into the world to save sinners, bring you

his pardon and peace.

All:          Amen.

Collect:  Let us pray    (remain standing as the priest prays the Collect of the Day)   

Heavenly Father,

your Son battled with the powers of darkness,

and grew closer to you in the desert:

help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayer

that we may witness to your saving love

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Service for the Sunday Next Before Lent – 11th February 2024

A very warm welcome to Fr. Marcus Ronchetti and his wife Sandra, who will be with us until April.

 

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here

for the first time or visiting Athens.  After the Liturgy we all gather in the church garden for coffee and refreshments.  The presiding priest and preacher is Fr Marcus Ronchetti. The deacon is the Revd. Deacon Christine Saccali.

 

Introit: 494 (Nun Danket) Christ is the world’s true Light

 

Priest:    Blessed be the kingdom of God

     All:         Now and for ever

Priest:    The Lord be with you

     All:         And also with you

 

The priest then informally welcomes the people of God and the deacon leads us into Confession.

(A short period of stillness and silence)

 

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, peace to his people on earth. Glory to God in the highest, 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 aways the sin of the world, have mercy on us, 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. In the glory of God the Father. AMEN

 

Collect:  Let us pray    (remain standing as the priest prays the Collect of the Day) 

Almighty Father,

whose Son was revealed in majesty

before he suffered death upon the cross:

give us grace to perceive his glory,

that we may be strengthened to suffer with him

and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.    Amen.

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Community Connect meets every month in Athens and Kifissia

Community Connect Athens, Valentine’s Coffee Morning

Valentines Day

Community Connect Athens

Valentine

Coffee & Cake Morning

February 8th 10:30 until 12:30

Come along one & all

At the Swedish Center,

Sortiros 7, Plaka

Hearts

On sale will be Books,Preserves

Good quality second-hand clothing,

Handmade Greeting cards for all occasions.

Mini Bingo & Lucky chair.

Community Connect Athens

Is the second Thursday of every month.

See you there!

Coffee Valentine

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Bishop’s Lent Appeal – Anglican Centre in Rome

February 2024

 

It is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity as I write, and it seems an appropriate time to be

asking for your support in the Annual Lent Appeal, because the focus of our efforts this Lent

will be the Anglican Centre in Rome.

In a world that seems ever more divided and fragmented, all work for unity is precious and

valued. The unity in truth of Christ’s church is his gift, but it is a gift to be treasured and

nurtured – during the recent “Synod on Synodality” of the Roman Catholic church, the

Centre was buzzing with visitors and hosted structured conversations that could have taken

place nowhere else.

Founded in 1966, just after the second Vatican Council, it remains as a bastion of hope for

full visible unity. We now recognise each other’s baptism, our priests can preside together

when Anglicans and Roman Catholics are married, we have travelled far towards agreement

in the matters of the Eucharist and Justification by faith in Christ; and the Centre smooths

the path for discussions on the important issues ahead.

Crucially, and recently, the Centre has been a hub of activity as the Roman church has held

its recent Synod. The Roman Catholic church is looking to increase its own sense of

inclusion of all Christians in the mission of the church, and it recognises the learning that is

available from the Anglican Communion in this.

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Service for Sunday 2nd Before Lent – 3 February 2024

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here

for the first time or visiting Athens.  After the Liturgy we all gather in the church garden for coffee and refreshments. 

 

Presiding Priest:         Fr. Bjorn Kling 

Deacon:  Revd. Deacon Christine Saccali                     

Preacher:  Licensed Reader Nelly Paraskevopoulou

Entrance Hymn:   Introit: 349 (Nativity) Come, let us join our cheerful songs

Priest:    Blessed be the kingdom of God

     All:         Now and for ever

Priest:    The Lord be with you

     All:         And also with you

 

The priest then informally welcomes the people of God and leads us into Confession.

(A short period of stillness and silence)

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.

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Candlemass

Service for Candlemass Sunday – 28th January 2024

Welcome to St. Paul’s Church. All are invited to come forward to receive bread and wine at the table of Christ. This Feast is properly kept on Feb 2nd.

Please join us for refreshments after the service.

 

Presiding Priest:         Fr. Bjorn Kling                               

Deacon & Preacher:  Revd Deacon Christine Saccali

 

Introit: 156 (Diva Servatrix) Sing how the age-long promise of a Saviour

 

Priest:       In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit

All:            Amen

Priest:       The Lord be with you

All:            and also with you

 

Introduction

 

Priest:            Dear friends, some 40 days ago we celebrated the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now we recall the day on which he was presented in the Temple, when he was offered to the Fatherand shown to his people. As a sign of his coming among us, his mother was purified, and we now come to him for cleansing. In their old age Simeon and Anna recognized him as their Lord, as we today sing of his glory. In this eucharist, we celebrate both the joy of his coming and his searching judgement, looking back to the day of his birth and forward to the coming days of his passion.

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