6th Sunday after Trinity (July 19th 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.

Fr. Bjorn Kling, Pastor of the Swedish Church is presiding this morning.

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

The priest then welcomes the people of God 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) 

Creator God, you made us in your image: may we discern you in all that we see, and serve you in all that we do; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Reading    (please sit)                                                             Genesis Romans 8, 12-25

So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Reader: This is the word of the Lord

All:         Thanks be to God.

As the gospel book is processed the organ will play.

Gospel Reading        (turn towards the gospel book)

Priest:     Alleluia! Alleluia! The word of the Lord endures for ever. The word of the Lord is good news announced to you.  Alleluia!

All:           Alleluia            

Priest:      The Lord be with you

All:            and also with you

Priest:      Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Matthew

(Mt. 13, 24-30, 36-43)

All:            Glory to you, O Lord

He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

At the end of the Gospel

Priest:     This is the gospel of the Lord

All:           Praise to you, O Christ.

Homily  (Please sit)  Most sermons are available on the website in printed or audio format

Creed   (Please stand)

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:  (please sit)   Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer.

                            (Intercessor Magdalen Imarghiagbo)

Peace:  God is love, and those who live in love live in God and God lives in them. Th epeace of the Lord be always with you.

All:        And also with you.

We are then invited us to acknowledge our neighbours but without a handshake.

As the altar is prepared the organ will play.

(The bread and wine, signs of work and life are brought to the altar and received with the words)

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.

Priest:     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)

God of our pilgrimage, you have led us to the living water: refresh and sustain us as we go forward on our journey, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

All: You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ, and you have made yourself known in the breaking of bread. Abide with us, we pray, that blessed by your royal presence, we may walk with you all the days of our life, and at its end behold you in the glory of the eternal Trinity, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Notices

Blessing and Dismissal

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.

Priest:     Go in peace to love and serve the Lord

All:           In the name of Christ. Amen.

Next Week’s Readings:  (Deacon Christine with a Service of the Word) Rom 8, 26-end; Mt 13, 31-33, 44-52)

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: Please avoid contacting Chris on Fridays.

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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