27/03/2021
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Sermons & Services
Audio Sermon for the 2nd Sunday in Lent: 28th March 2021
Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens
26/03/2021
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Sermons & Services, Uncategorized
Sermon for the second Sunday in Lent – 28th Marach 2021: Romans 4, 13 – end; Mark 8, 31 – end
Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens
Lent 2021. Readings: Romans 4, 13-end; Mark 8, 31-end
We begin by recognizing a few current factors. First of all, congratulations to the Greek nation and people on the 200th Anniversary of Independence from Ottoman rule. Καλή Επανάσταση – Happy Revolution. I notice that part of that second word ‘epanastasi’ incorporates the word Greek uses for resurrection.
We note also that in the Latin, or Western Calendar, today is Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week – even though Anglicans in Greece are observing the Orthodox date for this year only, so our Holy Week is some time off yet.
Thirdly we offer our prayerful solidarity with our Jewish friends, in particular the Jewish Community here in Athens. This week is the Passover Week. The Chief Rabbi, Gabriel Negron, preached in St. Paul’s Church in January 2020, and he preached so well, and was so popular that I will make sure he does NOT get a second invitation! I spoke with him last week, and he reminded me that we have an outstanding invitation for me to preach at the Athens Synagogue, and that we agreed our congregation would have a visit to the Synagogue when the lifting of restrictions will permit it. Kosher and joyous Passover.
24/03/2021
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Blog News
Zoom service for the Second Sunday in Lent – 28th March 2021
St Paul’s Athens
We have permission from our bishop to follow the Greek calendar date for Easter (this year only) so today is Lent 2. Καλή Σαρακοστή. After the worship we can have a short chat together.
The Sunday worship login remains the same until the end of April. Always double check for information on our website. This year we are aligned to the Greek Orthodox date for Easter.
Fr. Leonard will lead the worship today and preach. Christina Antoniadou is playing the keyboard. Please see ‘Chat’ on the day, to see the pieces Christina is playing.
If you are printing off this service or reading it online before Sunday 28th – remember to put your clock forward one hour!!!
Priest: Blessed be the Kingdom of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
All: Now and for ever.
Priest: Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
All: and also with you.
1 My God, how wonderful thou art,
thy majesty how bright!
How beautiful thy mercy seat,
in depths of burning light!
2 Wondrous are thine eternal years,
O everlasting Lord,
by holy angels day and night
unceasingly adored!
3 O how I fear thee, living God,
with deepest, tend’rest fears,
and worship thee with trembling hope
and penitential tears!
22/03/2021
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Sermons & Services
Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent – 21st March 2021: GENESIS 9:8-17, MARK 1;9-15
Wilderness Story – Deacon Christine Saccali
May God be on my lips and in all our hearts Amen
The desert waits
ready for those who come,
we who come obedient to the Spirit’s leading
or who are driven
because they will not come any other way.
The desert always waits,
ready to let us know who we are-
the place of self discovery.
And whilst we fear, and rightly,
the loneliness and emptiness and harshness,
we forget the angels,
whom we cannot see for our blindness,
but who come when God decides
that we need their help,
when we are ready
for what they can give us.
20/03/2021
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Friday Night Bible Studies through Lent
Each week we will be studying an aspect of Galatians – All the texts have been uploaded and are available to view online. They may then be personally downloaded or printed if necessary.
20/03/2021
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Night Prayer (Compline) for the Lent Season
The Lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. All Amen.
Our help is in the name of the Lord
All who made heaven and earth.
A period of silence for reflection on the past day may follow.
All Most merciful God, we confess to you, before the whole company of heaven and one
another, that we have sinned in thought, word and deed and in what we have failed
to do. Forgive us our sins, heal us by your Spirit and raise us to new life in Christ. Amen.
O God, make speed to save us.
All O Lord, make haste to help us.
All Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
The following or another suitable hymn may be sung
- Before the ending of the day, Creator of the world, we pray
That you, with steadfast love, would keep Your watch around us while we sleep.
- From evil dreams defend our sight, From fears and terrors of the night;
Tread underfoot our deadly foe That we no sinful thought may know.
- O Father, that we ask be done Through Jesus Christ, your only Son;
And Holy Spirit, by whose breath, Our souls are raised to life from death.
16/03/2021
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Zoom Service for the First Sunday in Lent – 21st March 2021
St Paul’s Athens
We have permission from our bishop to follow the Greek calendar date for Easter (this year only) so today is Lent 1. Καλή Σαρακοστή. After the worship we can have a short chat together.
The Sunday worship login remains the same until the end of April. Always double check for information on our website. This year we are aligned to the Greek Orthodox date for Easter.
Fr. Leonard will lead the worship today and Deacon Christine is the preacher. Christina Antoniadou is playing the keyboard. Please see ‘Chat’ on the day, to see the pieces Christina is playing. Clary Read will sing the John Rutter version of the blessing at the close of our worship. The Annual Meeting will take place online at 13.00. ALL papers for the meeting are on the website.
Priest: Blessed be the Kingdom of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
All: Now and for ever.
Priest: Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
All: and also with you.
1 Now is the healing time decreed (tune Gonfalon Royal)
For sins of heart and word and deed,
When we in humble fear record
The wrong that we have done the Lord
2 Who, always merciful and good,
Has borne so long our wayward mood,
Nor cut us off unsparingly
In our so great iniquity.
3 Therefore with fasting and with prayer,
Our secret sorrow we declare,
With all good striving seek his face,
And lowly-hearted plead for grace.
4 Cleanse us, O Lord, from every stain,
Help us the gifts of grace to gain,
Till with the angels, linked in love,
Joyful we tread thy courts above.
5 We pray thee, holy Trinity,
One God, unchanging Unity,
That we from this our abstinence
May reap the fruits of penitence. Amen.
15/03/2021
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Sermons & Services
Audio Sermon for Sunday 14th March – Mothering Sunday.
Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens
15/03/2021
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Sermons & Services
Sermon for Sunday 14th March 2021- Mothering Sunday: Exodus 2, 1-10; John 19, 25-27)
Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens
There are so many different strands or themes to this Sunday. In the churches of the United Kingdom it is Mothering Sunday – an example of a social custom that was ‘Christianized’ to great effect, and under normal circumstances this is a Sunday that lends itself to very good evangelization, especially among young families. As well as being a special opportunity to give thanks for our mothers, and maybe spoil them a bit, it also lends itself to the memory of mothers now departed, mothers estranged, mothers never known, mothers who did not live up to expectations. This Mothering Sunday is a flexible day in terms of its function. It can be, as Shakespeare hinted, a ‘bitter sweet’ day.
The church can also link the nation’s focus on mothers with the image of the motherhood of the church – nurturing, guiding, comforting, supporting, encouraging the household of faith, just as a good mother would her children.
So too can we reflect on Mary, the Mother of Christ, Theotokos, as she is known in the Orthodox Church.
11/03/2021
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Zoom service for Sunday next before Lent: 14th March 2021 – Mothering Sunday
St Paul’s Athens
After the worship we can have a short chat together. The hymns and other shared texts you might know by heart, or you can print out this service, or you may have a hymn book at home, or you may be happy to listen in silence. In the UK today is kept as Mothering Sunday, so we are observing this celebration today.
The Sunday worship login remains the same until the end of April. Always double check for information on our website. This year we are aligned to the Greek Orthodox date for Easter.
Fr. Leonard will lead the worship today and is the preacher. The Deacon is Deacon Christine. Christina Antoniadou is playing the keyboard. Please see ‘Chat’ on the day, to see the pieces Christina is playing.
Priest: Blessed be the Kingdom of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
All: Now and forever.
Priest: Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
All: and also with you.
For I’m building a people of power
And I’m making a people of praise
That will move through this land by My Spirit,
And will glorify My precious name.”
Build Your church, Lord,
Make us strong, Lord,
Join our hearts, Lord, through Your Son.
Make us one, Lord,
In Your Body,
In the kingdom of Your Son.
The deacon leads us into a short period of silence, followed by Confession.
Deacon: Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Deacon: Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me
Christe eleison
All: Christe eleison
Deacon: Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Priest: May the God of love and power forgive you and free you from your sins, heal and strengthen you by his Spirit, and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.