08/04/2020
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07/04/2020
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Meditation for Tuesday in Holy Week
‘Look, the world has gone after him’ (John 12, 19)
‘Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour. ‘ (John 12, 20-26)
If only everything was neat and tidy. It is not the case. On Sunday we celebrated Palm Sunday and the Entry into Jerusalem. Yesterday we were in Bethany at the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. This latter event is recorded in St. John’s gospel before the Entry into Jerusalem. Then John tells of the Palm Sunday event. If that seems a little complicated just forget it.
We are in Jerusalem and the palm branches have been laid before Jesus. St. John keeps up the pressure on the authorities though. He mentions specifically that Lazarus is with Our Lord. Lazarus is an open wound to the temple authorities and religious teachers, because people had heard about the miraculous event just over the Kidron Valley in Bethany. Naturally enough the crowds are curious, curious not only to see a man alive who had been dead, but if we are right this is a man who had been suffering from leprosy, not only a desperately painful and fatal illness, but a socially isolating illness. No rubber gloves and designer face masks in those days!
06/04/2020
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Meditation for Monday in Holy Week
Meditation for Monday in Holy Week 2020
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus. John 12, 1-11.
04/04/2020
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Palm Sunday Worship – 5th April 2020
The Anglican Church in Greece
Palm Sunday (April 5th)
Great (Holy) Week begins today in the ‘Latin Calendar’. We would usually begin outside with the blessing of palm crosses and process into church. On account of the Corona virus the church of St. Paul’s is closed for worship. This printed text can be used by you at home to help guide you through this week. On the website other Holy Week liturgies and voice recordings of sermons are available.
Liturgy of Palms (in the Garden)
All: Hosanna to the Son of David, the King of Israel. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Priest: Behold your king comes to you, O Zion, meek and lowly, sitting upon an ass. Ride on in the cause of truth and for the sake of justice. Your throne is the throne of God, it endures for ever; and the sceptre of your kingdom is a righteous sceptre. You have loved righteousness and hated evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
All: Hosanna to the Son of David, the King of Israel. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Priest: Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, during Lent we have been preparing by works of love and self-sacrifice for the celebration of our Lord’s death and resurrection. Today we come together to begin this solemn celebration in union with the Church throughout the world. Christ enters his own city to complete his work as our Saviour, to suffer, to die, and to rise again. Let us go with him in faith and love, so that, united with him in his sufferings, we may share his risen life.
The people hold up palms or branches while this prayer is said by the priest
God our Saviour, whose Son Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem as Messiah to suffer and to die; let these palms + be for us signs of his victory and grant that we who bear them in his name may ever hail him as our King, and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
We now process around the church, and as we do so we sing:
We have a King who rides a donkey, we have a King who rides a donkey
We have a King who rides a donkey, and his name is Jesus.
Jesus the King is with us, Jesus us the King is with us, Jesus the King is with us
Riding on a donkey.
03/04/2020
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Sermons & Services
Sermon for Palm Sunday 5th April 2020: Matthew 21, 1-9. (also read Isaiah 50, 4-9 and Zechariah 9, 9-12).
Fr Leonard Doolan Kolonaki, Athens
Some people like to keep a diary. I understand that Queen Elizabeth II keeps a daily diary. How interesting would that be to read, if it is ever published in the future. Keeping a diary is such a brilliant idea in marking all the significant events or people in your life. It is such a brilliant idea, I wish that I had done it!
Keeping a diary, or in its more contemporary form nowadays, a journal, has become a common feature in the life of those exploring the possibility of being ordained or being licensed to an authorized ministry like Reader ministry.
It is a solid base for recording events, people, reactions, reflections, and emotions. Journalling is an effective tool for any serious personal development. It records information, contributes to formation, and hopefully, by God’s grace, results in some form of transformation. Any Christian could do this very fruitfully.
Thankfully, ‘journal keeping’ also gives us insights into the past, especially when the journal holds valuable information that connects with events years, decades, even centuries later. Such a journal is illuminatory.
02/04/2020
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Audio Sermon for Palm Sunday – 5th April 2020
Fr Leonard Doolan – Kolonaki Athens
02/04/2020
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A Letter from Fr Leonard to the St Paul’s Community
The Anglican Church in Greece (Church of England) St. Paul’s Church
1st April 2020
Dear Friends,
I hope that you are well, and keeping safe under these extraordinary circumstances. We feel bereft of St. Paul’s church for our worship, and the proximity of friends and fellow worshippers. If you have the need for a conversation with someone please don’t hesitate to phone me or Deacon Chris. These are challenging times, and although ‘social isolation’ is for the greater good, we are not created to be alone, and the church is a ‘body’ or a fellowship, not a building. We will get through this however, and we know already that the cost will be great. We pray daily for the sufferers of COVID-19, and those who have died. We pray also for those in our health care system at this demanding time for them, and Lynne and I have appeared a couple of times on the balcony on Sunday evenings to clap with others in the street, for the gratitude we have for all health care workers. We should be thankful too for those who keep our food supplies going, right through the food chain. The staff at Kritikos in Irodotou have been great with us while we have had a complete 14 day quarantine imposed on us because we flew back into Greece on March 22nd after my dad’s funeral.
28/03/2020
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Sermons & Services
Audio Sermon Passion Sunday 29 March 2020: John 11, 1 – 45
Fr Leonard Doolan – Kolonaki, Athens