Service Sheet for Sunday 8th November 2026 – Rembrance Sunday

Celebrant Fr. Benjamin Drury

Sung Mass for Remembrance Sunday

Processional: 417 (St Anne) O God, our help in ages past Resp. Psalm: Ps. 63

Offertory: 435 (St Gertrude) Onward, Christian soldiers

Communion: 492 (King’s Lynn) O God of earth and altar

Communion II: 493 (Wareham) Rejoice, O land, in God thy might Recessional: 354 (Melita) Eternal Father, strong to save

All are welcome to remain for refreshments after the liturgy

The Mass setting is John Marbecke’s 1550 setting, found at number 542 in the New English Hymnal

A reading from the Book of Wisdom (6: 12-16) Wisdom is bright, and does not grow dim. By those who love her she is readily seen, and found by those who look for her.

Quick to anticipate those who desire her, she makes herself known to them.

Watch for her early and you will have no trouble; you will find her sitting at your gates.

Even to think about her is understanding fully grown;

be on the alert for her and anxiety will quickly leave you.

She herself walks about looking for those who are worthy of her and graciously shows herself to them as they go,

in every thought of theirs coming to meet them.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God.

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 63: For you my soul is thirsting, O God, my God.

O God, you are my God, for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting.

My body pines for you

like a dry, weary land without water. (Response)

So I gaze on you in the sanctuary

to see your strength and your glory.

For your love is better than life,

my lips will speak your praise. (Response)

So I will bless you all my life,

in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,

my mouth shall praise you with joy. (Response)

On my bed I remember you.

On you I muse through the night for you have been my help;

in the shadow of your wings I rejoice. (Response)

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Service Sheet for Sunday 1st November – All Saints Day

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Sung Mass for All Saints

Processional: 197 (Sine Nomine) For all the Saints who from their labours rest

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 24

Gradual: 231 (All Saints) Who are these, like stars appearing

Offertory: 204 (Westminster Abbey) Blessed City, heavenly Salem

Communion: 226 (Deerhurst) Hark! the sound of holy voices

Recessional: 229 (Genevan Psalm 42) Joy and triumph everlasting

All are welcome to remain for refreshments after the liturgy

The Mass setting is Sir James Macmillan’s ‘St. Anne’s Mass’

A reading from the Apocalypse of St. John the Theologian (7: 2-4, 9-14)

I, John, saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.

After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’

One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord.’ Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.’

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God.

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 24: Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,

the world and all its peoples.

It is he who set it on the seas;

on the waters he made it firm.(Response)

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?

Who shall stand in his holy place?

The man with clean hands and pure heart,

who desires not worthless things. (Response)

He shall receive blessings from the Lord

and reward from the God who saves him.

Such are the men who seek him,

seek the face of the God of Jacob. (Response)

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Service Sheet for Sunday 25th October – Harvest Festival

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Sung Mass for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Processional: iii (Wir Pflugen) We plough the fields, and scatter

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 18

Gradual: xi (Vienna) Praise to God, immortal praise

Offertory: i (St. George’s Windsor) Come, ye thankful people, come

Communion: xiv (Bread of Heaven) Bread of heaven, on thee we feed

Communion II: viii (England’s Lane) For the beauty of the earth

Recessional: vi (Lux Eoi) Alleluya! Alleluya!

The Mass setting is Sir James Macmillan’s ‘St. Anne’s Mass’

A reading from the Book of Exodus (22: 20-26)

The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell the sons of Israel this: ‘“You must not molest the stranger or oppress him, for you lived as strangers in the land of Egypt. You must not be harsh with the widow, or with the orphan; if you are harsh with them, they will surely cry out to me, and be sure I shall hear their cry; my anger will flare and I shall kill you with the sword, your own wives will be widows, your own children orphans. ‘“If you lend money to any of my people, to any poor man among you, you must not play the usurer with him: you must not demand interest from him. ‘“If you take another’s cloak as a pledge, you must give it back to him before sunset. It is all the covering he has; it is the cloak he wraps his body in; what else would he sleep in? If he cries to me, I will listen, for I am full of pity.

”’ The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God.

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 18: I love you, Lord, my strength I love you, Lord, my strength, my rock, my fortress, my saviour. My God is the rock where I take refuge; my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold. The Lord is worthy of all praise, when I call I am saved from my foes.(Response)

Long life to the Lord, my rock! Praised be the God who saves me, He has given great victories to his king and shown his love for his anointed. (Response)

A reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians (1: 5-10) You observed the sort of life we lived when we were with you, which was for your instruction, and you were led to become imitators of us, and of the Lord; and it was with the joy of the Holy Spirit that you took to the gospel, in spite of the great opposition all round you. This has made you the great example to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia since it was from you that the word of the Lord started to spread – and not only throughout Macedonia and Achaia, for the news of your faith in God has spread everywhere. We do not need to tell other people about it: other people tell us how we started the work among you, how you broke with idolatry when you were converted to God and became servants of the real, living God; and how you are now waiting for Jesus, his Son, whom he raised from the dead, to come from heaven to save us from the retribution which is coming.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! Open our heart, O Lord, to accept the words of your Son. Alleluia!

The Lord be with you. And also with you. +

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (22: 34-40)

Glory to you, O Lord.

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees they got together and, to disconcert him, one of them put a question, ‘Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ Jesus said, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.

’ The Gospel of the Lord: praise to you, O Christ.

Grant, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace; that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP Collect: Twentieth-First Sunday after Trinity)

Church Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments

Wednesday 28th October: 10 a.m.; Low Mass

Sunday 1st November: 10 a.m.; Sung Mass (All Saints)

Monday 2nd November: 8:30 p.m.; Sung Mass (All Souls)

A Requiem Mass for All Souls will be sung on Monday, 2nd November, at 8:30 p.m. There will be a sheet in the church for names of the faithful departed, but do please endeavour to attend the service also.

We are seeking regular volunteers for our coffee mornings, which occur once a month either at church or, in the winter, in the Swedish community centre at Apollonos 6. Please speak to Anne Dedes or Oliver Knight if you are able to help.

Study Group: Friday, 20th November, 6:30 p.m., on the Greek Popes. For further particulars communicate with Fr. Benjamin.

Christmas Bazaar: Sunday, 6th December, Caravel Hotel

Pilgrimage walking group: details from Fr. Benjamin

Donate electronically by scanning the QR code;

the Church does not receive any funding from the Church of England or the British Government

and is reliant on the goodwill of congregants and visitors.

We thank you for your support

Senior Chaplain: Fr. Benjamin Drury SSC

frbenjamindrury@gmail.com

Home tel.: 210 72 14 906

Assistant Chaplain: Deacon Christine Saccali: 697 737 7655

Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling: 694 6072428

Facebook @AnglicanAthens        www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

saintpaulsathens.bsky.social

anglican@otenet.gr

Service Sheet for Sunday 18th October – Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Sung Mass for the twenty-ninth Sunday in ordinary time

Processional: 346 (Richmond) City of God, how broad and far Resp. Psalm: Ps. 96

Gradual: 360 (Sussex) Firmly I believe, and truly

Offertory: 52 (Was Lebet) O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness

Communion: 431 (Hereford) O thou who camest from above

Recessional: 499 (St Cecilia) Thy kingdom come, O God

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.

The Mass setting is Sir James Macmillan’s ‘St. Anne’s Mass’

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (45: 1, 4-6)

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whom he has taken by his right hand

to subdue nations before him and strip the loins of kings, to force gateways before him

that their gates be closed no more:

‘It is for the sake of my servant Jacob, of Israel my chosen one,

that I have called you by your name,

conferring a title though you do not know me. I am the Lord, unrivalled;

there is no other God besides me.

Though you do not know me, I arm you

that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that, apart from me, all is nothing.’

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God.

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 96: Give the Lord glory and power.

O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord all the earth.

Tell among the nations his glory

and his wonders among all the peoples. (Response) The Lord is great and worthy of praise,

to be feared above all gods;

the gods of the heathens are naught.

It was the Lord who made the heavens, (Response) Give the Lord, you families of peoples,

give the Lord glory and power;

give the Lord the glory of his name.

Bring an offering and enter his courts. (Response) Worship the Lord in his temple.

O earth, tremble before him.

Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’

He will judge the peoples in fairness. (Response)

A reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians (1: 1-5)

From Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the Church in Thessalonika which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We always mention you in our prayers and thank God for you all, and constantly remember before God our Father how you have shown your faith in action, worked for love and persevered through hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ.

We know, brothers, that God loves you and that you have been chosen, because when we brought the Good News to you, it came to you not only as words, but as power and as the Holy Spirit and as utter conviction.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! Your word is truth, O Lord: consecrate us in the truth. Alleluia!

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (22: 15-21)

Glory to you, O Lord.

The Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap Jesus in what he said. And they sent their disciples to him, together with the Herodians, to say, ‘Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in an honest way, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you. Tell us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’ But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied, ‘You hyp­ocrites! Why do you set this trap for me? Let me see the money you pay the tax with.’ They handed him a denarius, and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they replied. He then said to them, ‘Very well, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’

The Gospel of the Lord: praise to you, O Christ.

O Almighty and most merciful God, of thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things that thou wouldest have done; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP Collect: Twentieth Sunday after Trinity)Church Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments Wednesday 21st October: 10 a.m.; Low Mass

Sunday 25th October: 10 a.m.; Sung Mass at Kokotos Estate (see below)

Wednesday 28th October: 10 a.m.; Low Mass

Sunday 1st November: 10 a.m.; Sung Mass (All Saints) Monday 2nd November: 7:30 p.m.; Sung Mass (All Souls)

Harvest Festival at the Kokotos estate (Sunday, 25th October). There shall not be Mass at church next Sunday. The coach for Stamata departs at ten o’ clock (10 a.m.). Please do bring contribu­tions for the harvest lunch (salads, cheese &c), if you are able.

We are seeking regular volunteers for our coffee mornings, which occur once a month either at church or, in the winter, in the Swed­ish community centre at Apollonos 6. Please speak to Anne Dedes or Oliver Knight if you are able to help.

Pilgrimage walking group: details from Fr. Benjamin.

Donate electronically by scanning the QR code

the Church does not receive any funding from the

Church of England or the British Government and is reliant on the goodwill of congregants and visitors. We thank you for your support.

Senior Chaplain: Fr. Benjamin Drury SSC

frbenjamindrury@gmail.com; Home tel.: 210 72 14 906

anglican@otenet.gr

Assistant Chaplain: Deacon Christine Saccali: 697 737 7655 Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling: 694 6072428

Facebook @AnglicanAthens                    www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

saintpaulsathens.bsky.social

Service Sheet for Sunday 11th October 2026 – Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Sung Mass for the twenty-eighth Sunday in ordinary time

Processional: 443 (Gopsal) Rejoice, the Lord is King!

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 23 Gradual: 279 (Farley Castle) Come, risen Lord, and deign to be our guest

Offertory: 432 (Regnator Orbis) O what their joy and their glory must be

Communion: 282 (Pastor Pastorum) Faithful shepherd, feed me

Recessional: 381 (Ewing) Jerusalem the golden

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy. The Mass setting is Sir James Macmillan’s ‘St. Anne’s Mass

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (25: 6-10) On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines, of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines. On this mountain he will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nations, he will destroy Death for ever. The Lord will wipe away the tears from every cheek; he will take away his people’s shame everywhere on earth, for the Lord has said so. That day, it will be said: See, this is our God in whom we hoped for salvation; the Lord is the one in whom we hoped. We exult and we rejoice that he has saved us; for the hand of the Lord rests on this mountain.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God.

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 23: In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit. (Response)

He guides me along the right path;

he is true to his name.

If I should walk in the valley of darkness

no evil would I fear.

You are there with your crook and your staff;

with these you give me comfort. (Response)

You have prepared a banquet for me

in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

my cup is overflowing. (Response)

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

for ever and ever. (Response)

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (4: 12-14, 19-20)

I know how to be poor and I know how to be rich too. I have been through my initiation and now I am ready for anything anywhere: full stomach or empty stomach, poverty or plenty. There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength. All the same, it was good of you to share with me in my hardships. In return my God will fulfil all your needs, in Christ Jesus, as lav ishly as only God can. Glory to God, our Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! The Word was made flesh and lived among us: to all who did accept him he gave power to be come children of God. Alleluia!

The Lord be with you. And also with you. +

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (22: 1-14) Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus began to speak to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come. Next he sent some more servants. “Tell those who have been invited” he said “that I have my banquet all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding.” But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them. The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town. Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, go to the crossroads in the town and invite everyone you can find to the wedding.” So these servants went out on to the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment, and said to him, “How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?” And the man was silent. Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.” For many are called, but few are chosen.’

The Gospel of the Lord: praise to you, O Christ

O God, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant, that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP Col lect: Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity)

Church Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments

Wednesday 14th October: 10 a.m.; Low Mass, Sunday 18th October: 10 a.m.  Sung MassSunday 18th October: 6 p.m.; Choral Evensong (Schola Cantorum)

Harvest Festival at the Kokotos estate (Sunday, 25th October). Please speak to churchwardens Oliver Knight or Lynn Stavrou about reserving a place on the coach. Mass shall not be sung at church on that Sunday morning.

Pilgrimage walking group: details from Fr. Benjamin.

Short prayer booklets (Prime and Compline) are available, please speak to Oliver Knight

For the diary: Christmas Bazaar at the Caravel Hotel: Sunday, 6th December

Donate electronically by scanning the QR code;

the Church does not receive any funding from the Church of England

or the British Government and is reliant on the goodwill of congregants and visitors.

We thank you for your support.

Senior Chaplain: Fr. Benjamin Drury SSC

frbenjamindrury@gmail.com Home tel.: 210 72 14 906

anglican@otenet.gr

Assistant Chaplain: Deacon Christine Saccali: 697 737 7655

Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling: 694 6072428

Facebook @AnglicanAthens

www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

saintpaulsathens.bsky.social

Service Sheet for Sunday 4th October 2026 – Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant: Fr Benjamin Drury

Sung Mass for the twenty-seventh Sunday in ordinary time

Processional: 292 (Eisenach) Jesu, thou joy of loving hearts Resp. Psalm: Ps. 80

Gradual: 254 (Melita) Come, let us with our Lord arise

Offertory: 263 (Lasst Uns Erfreuen) All creatures of our God and King Communion: 205 (Urbs Beata) Christ is made the sure foundation Recessional: 427 (Laudate Dominum) O praise ye the Lord

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.

The Mass setting is Sir James Macmillan’s ‘St. Anne’s Mass’

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (5: 1-7)

Let me sing to my friend the song of his love for his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.

He dug the soil, cleared it of stones and planted choice vines in it. In the middle he built a tower, he dug a press there too.

He expected it to yield grapes, but sour grapes were all that it gave. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,

I ask you to judge between my vineyard and me.

What could I have done for my vineyard that I have not done?

I expected it to yield grapes. Why did it yield sour grapes instead? Very well, I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard:

I will take away its hedge for it to be grazed on,and knock down its wall for it to be trampled on. I will lay it waste, unpruned, undug; overgrown by the briar and the thorn. I will command the clouds to rain no rain on it.

Yes, the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the House of Israel, and

the men of Judah that chosen plant. He expected justice, but found bloodshed, integrity, but only a cry of distress.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God.

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 80: The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

You brought a vine out of Egypt;

to plant it you drove out the nations. It stretched out its branches to the sea,

to the Great River it stretched out its shoots. (Response)

Then why have you broken down its walls?

It is plucked by all who pass by.

It is ravaged by the boar of the forest,

devoured by the beasts of the field. (Response)

God of hosts, turn again, we implore,

look down from heaven and see.

Visit this vine and protect it,

the vine your right hand has planted. (Response)

And we shall never forsake you again;

give us life that we may call upon your name.

God of hosts, bring us back;

let your face shine on us and we shall be saved. (Response)

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (4: 6-9)

There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise. Keep doing all the things that you learnt from me and have been taught by me and have heard or seen that I do. Then the God of peace will be with you.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! I chose you from the world to go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last, says the Lord. Alleluia! The Lord be with you. And also with you.

+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (21: 33-43)

Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, ‘Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third. Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt with them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son” he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his inheritance.” So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They answered, ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him when the season arrives.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures:

It was the stone rejected by the builders that became the keystone.

This was the Lord’s doing and it is wonderful to see?

‘I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and giv­en to a people who will produce its fruit.’

The Gospel of the Lord: praise to you, O Christ.

Lord, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP Collect: Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

Church Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments Wednesday 7th October: 10 a.m.; Low Mass

Friday 9th Oct.: 7:30 p.m.; Evensong (St. John Henry Newman) (Church Choir)

Sunday 11th October: 10 a.m.; Sung Mass

Harvest Festival at the Kokotos estate (Sunday, 25th October). Please speak to churchwardens Oliver Knight or Lynn Stavrou about reserving a place on the coach. Mass shall not be sung at church on that Sunday morning.

Community connect coffee morning: Thursday, 8th October, 10:30 a.m. in the churchyard.

The Friends of St. Paul’s: please speak to Dimitris Ramantanoglou, or Father Benjamin, about becoming a Friend of the church.

Pilgrimage walking group: details from Fr. Benjamin.

Short prayer booklets (Prime and Compline) are available, please speak to Oliver Knight

Donate electronically by scanning the QR code 

the Church does not receive any funding from the

Church of England or the British Government and is reliant on the goodwill of congregants and visitors. We thank you for your support.

Senior Chaplain: Fr. Benjamin Drury SSC

frbenjamindrury@gmail.com; Home tel.: 210 72 14 906; anglican@otenet.gr

Assistant Chaplain: Deacon Christine Saccali: 697 737 7655 Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling: 694 6072428

Facebook @AnglicanAthens                    www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

saintpaulsathens.bsky.social

Sermon Preached on Sunday 20th September 2026 – ISAIAH 55:6-7 , PSALM 145, PHILIP. 1 20-24, 27. MATT 20: 1-16.

Deacon Chris Saccali – St Paul’s Athens

CREATIONTIDE – AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH

May we look with our eyes , listen with our ears, comprehend with our mind and turn and be healed, O God our Creator and Redeemer and sustainer AMEN

It has been quite the summer this year across Europe, hasn’t it? We may not have had the heatwaves here that we have become used to until late August but boy did Northern Europe experience them and the drought and fires that accompany them. I have been  told by friends in the uk that the scorched grass has turned quickly green again after the first rains. We have been warned for years about global warming, climate change and their devastating effects but still people deny them.

Farmers are directly affected but also so are we as we rely on crops for food and good harvests and have become used to expect choice and relatively cheap options. And what about farm workers, they are often the marginalised behind the scenes foreign workers drafted in to do jobs that the locals do not want to carry out?

I remember back in the early nineties when we were building in the village and the Albanian border had opened for the first time in years since Communism and young men mainly waited in the village square and on corners of main roads for a day’s work – merokamato. You don’t tend to see that nowadays with the dominance of social media and mobile phones; I suspect and see that they gather outside the coffee shops now.

Today in our gospel reading we have yet another agricultural parable and a puzzling one at that, unique to Matthew. Probably from Jesus ands not made up by Matthew. We all have a strong sense of fairness – ‘it’s not fair’ is a cry we learn, make and hear from childhood but also whenever we feel we have been treated unjustly , it can stir deep frustration whatever our age and circumstances.

Likewise, when we witness injustice in our world, our instinct is to put things right. It is this natural human instinct that makes today’s parable so challenging. Isn’t it  so easy to sympathise with the labourers who worked all day and felt aggrieved when those who had worked only for one hour received exactly the same wage? Yet the heart of the parable is not about fairness as we understand it. The landowner oikodespotis in Greek – householder, does not break any agreement with those who started at dawn he pays them exactly what he had promised. What surprises us is not His justice but his generosity then. Jesus is pointing out that God’s ways are not our ways to quote Isaiah , they cannot be measured by human calculations. His mercy and justice overflow the limits of what we think humans deserve. And here is the punchline -everyone is equally valued.   Forgiveness and eternal life is on offer to all not based on righteousness or anything we can do. The same for everyone, we are equal.

This is both comforting and humbling because we realise that we are no better than anyone or anything else in the created order. We are not entitled to lord it over others or creation in fact we have a responsibility to tend and care for them. This is an uncomfortable and inconvenient truth – we can’t simply push the blame on others or turn our backs to all that is happening on our doorstep, further away on planet Earth and beyond.

Creationtide is a season in our Anglican cycle and also in Catholic and Protestant churches  especially in Orthodox church. It runs from 1^st September until 4^th October St Francis day. Living Water is the title of this year’s Season of Creation based on Ezekiel 47:1-12 and the prophet’s vision of living streams flowing from  God’s temple transforming desolate places.

What a contrast to the scenes of destruction flowing out of Nepal and Tibet recently and in the face of El Nino we are warned of more climate emergencies and disasters to come especially in vulnerable places where the Earth’s resources are being exploited by the wealthy with no heed to warnings or guidelines. That is neither fair nor just in the face of plenty and abundance for all.

Our hearts and spirits have dried up like the land. The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said on 1^st September World Environment Day: ‘Humanity must stop pretending it does not know what it is doing to the Earth.’ In July General Synod decreed first Sunday in September as the Feast Of Creation – actually everyday should be a celebration  of Creation and a reckoning of and with it acknowledging its generosity and our abuse of it.

This may feel all too much to bear and listen to and we can be tempted to bury our heads once again .

So let us listen to the late Wendell Berry’s response in this poem:

When despair for the world grows in me

And I wake in the night at the least sound

In fear of what my life and my children’s life may be

I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water

And the great heron feeds

I come into the peace of wild things

Who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief

I come into the presence of still water

And I feel above me the day blind stars

Waiting with their light

For a time I rest in the Grace of the world and am free.

And I would like to end on a positive note especially since the world seems to think that joy and hope are species that are becoming extinct. This year we saw a monk seal at our nearest beach , on the Euboean Gulf and others saw a pod of dolphins. In our area there were devastating fires two years ago destroying neighbours’ olive groves their crops and livelihoods handed on from generation to generation. But a former student of mine trained in horticulture is teaching farmers how to restore the trees from the inside out and bring new life. My neighbours who has 60 years experience tells me that is what nature does renews itself of its own accord in time.

Christ is our new life and Creation Son of a generous God whose abundance knows no limits if we share and share alike as is intended.

AMEN

Service Sheet for Sunday 27th September 2026 – Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant Fr. Malcolm Bradshaw

Sung Mass for the twenty-sixth Sunday in ordinary time

Processional: 352 (Diademata) Crown him with many crowns Resp. Psalm: Ps. 25

Gradual: 393 (Mannheim) Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us

Offertory: 398 (All Souls) ‘Lift up your hearts!’ We lift them, Lord, to thee

Communion: 307 (Divine Mysteries) Sweet Sacrament divine

Recessional: 420 (Thornbury) O Jesus, I have promised

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.

The Mass setting is Sir James Macmillan’s ‘St. Anne’s Mass’

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (18: 25-28)

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘You object, “What the Lord does is unjust.” Listen, you House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin and dies because of this, he dies because of the evil that he himself has committed. When the sinner renounces sin to become law-abiding and honest, he

deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins; he shall certainly live; he shall not die.’

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God.

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 25: Remember your mercy, Lord.

Lord, make me know your ways.

Lord, teach me your paths.

Make me walk in your truth, and teach me: for you are God my saviour. (Response)

Remember your mercy, Lord,

and the love you have shown from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth.

In your love remember me,

because of your goodness, O Lord. (Response)

The Lord is good and upright.

He shows the path to those who stray, He guides the humble in the right path,

He teaches his way to the poor. (Response)

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (1:20-24, 27)

If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy. There must be no competition among you, no conceit; but  everybody is to be self-effacing. Always consider the other person to be better than your-

self, so that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead. In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus:

His state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself

to assume the condition of a slave, and became as men are;

and being as all men are, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross.

But God raised him high and gave him the name which is above all other names

so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld,

should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every tongue should acclaim

Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God.

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him. Alleluia!

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (21: 28-32)

Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people, ‘What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first, “My boy, you go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not go,” but afterwards thought better of it and went. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered, “Certainly, sir,” but did not go. Which of the two did the father’s will?’ ‘The first’ they said. Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the king­dom of God before you. For John came to you, a pattern of true righteousness, but you did not believe him, and yet the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Even after seeing that, you refused to think better of it and believe in him.’

The Gospel of the Lord: praise to you, O Christ.

Lord, we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP Collect: Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity)

Church Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments Wednesday 30th September: 10 a.m.; Low Mass

Sunday 4th October: 10 a.m.; Sung Mass

There shall be a short meeting for those who serve refreshments – or those who wish to join the ‘tea rota’ after the service today.

Quiz evening: Friday, 2nd October, at 7:30 p.m., at Apollonos 6.

Please speak to Jean Mertzanakis or Oliver Knight for further particulars.

For the diary: harvest festival at the Kokotos estate (Sunday, 25th October). Please speak to churchwardens Oliver Knight or Lynn Stavrou about reserving a place on the coach.

The Friends of St. Paul’s: please speak to Dimitris Ramantanoglou, or Father Benjamin, about becoming a Friend of the church.

Short prayer booklets (Prime and Compline) are available, please speak to Oliver Knight

Donate electronically by scanning the QR code 

the Church does not receive any funding from the

Church of England or the British Government and is reliant on the goodwill of congregants and visitors. We thank you for your support.

Senior Chaplain: Fr. Benjamin Drury SSC

frbenjamindrury@gmail.com; Home tel.: 210 72 14 906

anglican@otenet.gr

Assistant Chaplain: Deacon Christine Saccali: 697 737 7655 Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling: 694 6072428

Facebook @AnglicanAthens                   www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

saintpaulsathens.bsky.social

Audio Sermon for Monday 21st September – online with the Anglicans connected to Skopje

Fr Leonard Doolan

Service Sheet for Sunday 19th September 2026 – Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Sung Mass for the twenty-fifth Sunday in ordinary time
Processional: 436 (Praise, My Soul) Praise, my soul, the King of heaven
Resp. Psalm: Ps. 145
Gradual: 402 (St. Mary) Lord, it belongs not to my care
Offertory: 465 (Margaret) Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly home
Communion: 331 (Eventide) Abide with me, fast falls the eventide
Recessional: 413 (Nun Danket) Now thank we all our God
All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.
The Mass setting is Sir James Macmillan’s ‘St. Anne’s Mass’

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (55: 6-9)
Seek the Lord while he is still to be found,
call to him while he is still near.
Let the wicked man abandon his way,
the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him,
to our God who is rich in forgiving;
for my thoughts are not your thoughts,
my ways not your ways – it is the Lord who speaks.
Yes, the heavens are as high above earth
as my ways are above your ways,
my thoughts above your thoughts.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God.

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 145:

The Lord is close to all who call him
I will bless you day after day
and praise your name for ever.
The Lord is great, highly to be praised,
his greatness cannot be measured. (Response)

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures. (Response)

The Lord is just in all his ways
and loving in all his deeds.
He is close to all who call him,
who call on him from their hearts. (Response)

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (1:20-24, 27)
Christ will be glorified in my body, whether by my life or by my
death. Life to me, of course, is Christ, but then death would bring
me something more; but then again, if living in this body means
doing work which is having good results – I do not know what I
should choose. I am caught in this dilemma: I want to be gone and
be with Christ, which would be very much the better, but for me to
stay alive in this body is a more urgent need for your sake.
Avoid anything in your everyday lives that would be unworthy of
the gospel of Christ.
The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God.

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! Blessings on the King who
comes, in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the
highest heavens! Alleluia!
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (20: 1-16)
Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a land-
owner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and
sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, “You go
to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage.” So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out
and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing round, and he said to them, “Why have
you been standing here idle all day?” “Because no one has hired us” they answered. He said to them, “You go into my vineyard too.” In
the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals
and ending with the first.” So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When
the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner. “The
men who came last” they said “have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy
day’s work in all the heat.” He answered one of them and said, “My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius?

Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own?
Why be envious because I am generous?” Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.’
The Gospel of the Lord: praise to you, O Christ.

O Lord, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend
thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy
succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP Collect: Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity)
Church Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments
Wednesday 23rd September: 10 a.m.; Low Mass
Sunday 27th September: 10 a.m.; Sung Mass
For the diary: harvest festival at the Kokotos estate (Sunday, 25th
October). Please speak to churchwardens Oliver Knight or Lynn
Stavrou about reserving a place on the coach.
The Friends of St. Paul’s: please speak to Dimitris Ramantanoglou,
or Father Benjamin, about becoming a Friend of the church.
Pilgrimage walking group: details from Fr. Benjamin.
Short prayer booklets (Prime and Compline) are available, please
speak to Oliver Knight

Donate electronically by scanning the QR code;
the Church does not receive any funding from the  
Church of England or the British Government and is
reliant on the goodwill of congregants and visitors.
We thank you for your support.
Senior Chaplain: Fr. Benjamin Drury SSC
frbenjamindrury@gmail.com; Home tel.: 210 72 14 906
Assistant Chaplain: Deacon Christine Saccali: 697 737 7655
Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling: 694 6072428
Facebook @AnglicanAthens www.anglicanchurchathens.gr
saintpaulsathens.bsky.social anglican@otenet.gr