14/01/2023
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Sermons & Services
Audio Sermon for the 2nd Sunday of Epiphany – 15th January 2023
Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens
12/01/2023
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Sermons & Services
Service for the 2nd Sunday of Epiphany – 15th January 2023
Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. God’s blessings for you in 2023.
We now have a POS facility so payments can be made to the church via your bank card. The presiding priest and preacher is The Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan. The deacon is Deacon ChrisSaccali. Follow the service sheet online – wifi password gu5uX8mmtgb8egak
[Minister: We will go unto the altar of God
All: Even unto the God of our Joy and gladness
Minister: Our help is in the name of the Lord
All: Who has made heaven and earth.
Minister: O Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
All: Let the whole earth stand in awe of him]
Entrance Hymn 148 (omit all * verses) The God of Abraham praise
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 then the deacon leads us into Confession.
Silence
Assistant: God be gracious to us and bless us, and make his face to shine upon us:
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Assistant: May your ways be known on earth, your saving power among the nations.
Christe eleison
All: Christe eleison
Assistant: Lord, you have made known your salvation, and reveal your justice in the sight of the
Nations. Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Absolution we hear the words of God’s forgiveness to those who are truly penitent
08/01/2023
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Sermons & Services
Sermon for Epiphany Sunday – 8 January 2023 :Matthew 2, 1-12
Most of the well – known Christmas narratives come from St. Luke’s gospel, but for the Feast we call Epiphany, Christ being revealed to the Magi, or Wise Men, we look to St. Matthew for the sharing of the details.
These visitors to the crib are a stark contrast to the shepherds, not only in wealth and background, but also in the slow astronomical calculations that lead them to the place where Christ is born. The shepherds heard the message of the angels in the sky and ran; the Magi spotted a significant star and plotted their course. There is, if you like, a message to each of us in the response of these two groups. Some people find the pathway to faith quite natural and trouble free; others are slower for faith to mature, and the intellectual processes create an arduous, even tortured, journey into belief.
So it is. What matters is that we are journeying towards the same Christ who is the Word of God who comes among us, and the same Christ whose cross is the point of our reconciliation with God our Creator. There is no harm in a mystery being exciting; there is no harm in a mystery demanding much thoughtful debate. Quite the opposite, there is only joy waiting to be discovered.
08/01/2023
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Sermons & Services
Audio Sermon for Epiphany Sunday – 8th January 2023
Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens
06/01/2023
In
Sermons & Services
Service for Epiphany Sunday – 8th January 2023
Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. God’s blessings for you in 2023. Happy New Year! Follow the service sheet on-line: wifi password gu5uX8mmtgb8egak
The presiding priest and preacher is The Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan, assisted by Deacon Christine.
Entrance Hymn 47 As with gladness
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 then the deacon leads us into Confession.
Silence
Deacon: God be gracious to us and bless us, and make his face to shine upon us:
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Deacon: May your ways be known on earth, your saving power among the nations:
Christe eleison
All: Christe eleison
Deacon: Lord, you have made known your salvation, and reveal your justice in the sight of the
nations:
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Absolution we hear the words of God’s forgiveness to those who are truly penitent
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 glory of God the Father. Amen. AMEN
Collect: Let us pray (remain standing as the priest sings the Collect of the Day)
Creator of the heavens, who led the Magi by a star to worship the Christ-child: guide and sustain us, that we may find our journey’s end in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
First Reading (please sit) Isaiah 60, 1-6 (Reader: Oliver Knight)
Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.
Psalm: 535 All the ends of the earth have seen; the salvation of our God.
Second Reading: Ephesians 3, 1-12 (Reader: Jean Mertzanakis)
This is the reason that I, Paul, am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you gentiles, for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access in boldness and confidence through faith in him.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God
Gospel Hymn: We three kings of orient are: bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.
O Star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.
Born a King on Bethlehem plain, gold I bring to crown him again,
King for ever, ceasing never, over us all to reign.
Frankincense to offer have I, Incense owns a deity nigh.
Prayer and praising, all are raising, worship him god most high.
Myrrh is mine it’s bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in a cold stone tomb.
Glorious now behold him arise, King and God and sacrifice
‘Alleluia, alleluia’ earth to heaven replies.
Gospel Reading
Deacon: Alleluia! Alleluia! We have seen his star at its rising, and have come to pay him
homage. Alleluia!
All: Alleluia! (sung)
Deacon: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
Deacon: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Luke (Matthew 2, 1-12)
All: Glory to you, O Lord.
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet, ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Deacon: This is the gospel of the Lord
All: Praise to you, O Christ
Sermon: please sit (some sermons appear on our website both in print and podcast)
Affirmation of Faith (please stand as we declare our historic faith in the Trinitarian God)
We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and earth is named.
We believe in God the Son, who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with power from on high.
We believe in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Intercessions: (kneel or sit) Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer (Nelly Paraskevopoulou)
The Peace: (please stand)
Priest: Our Saviour Christ is the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and
and of peace there shall be no end.
The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: and also with you
Offertory Hymn 50 (tune 338) From the eastern mountains (The Collection will be taken)
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to offer. Fruit of the field and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.
All: Blessed be God for ever!
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this wine to offer. Fruit of the field and work of human hands, it will become for us the cup of salvation.
All: Blessed be God for ever!
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: All honour and praise be yours always and everywhere, mighty Creator, ever-living God,
through Jesus Christ your only Son our Lord: for at this time we celebrate your glory made present in our midst. In the coming of the Magi the King of all the world was revealed to the nations. In the waters of baptism Jesus was revealed as the Christ, the Saviour sent to redeem us. In the water made wine the new creation was revealed at the wedding feast. Poverty was turned to riches, sorrow into joy. Therefore with all the angels of heaven we lift our voices to proclaim the glory of your name and sing our joyful hymn of praise.
All: Holy, holy, Lord, God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Priest: We praise and bless you loving Father, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; and as we obey his command, send your Holy Spirit, that broken bread and wine outpoured may be for us the body and blood of your dear Son. On the night before he died he had supper with his friends and, taking bread, he praised you. He broke the bread, gave it to them and said, Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.
When supper was ended he took the cup of wine. Again he praised you, gave it to them 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 your drink it, in remembrance of me.
So Father, we remember all that Jesus did, in him we plead with confidence his sacrifice made once for all upon the cross. Bringing before you the bread of life and cup of salvation, we proclaim his death and resurrection until he comes in glory.
Deacon: Great is the mystery of faith
All: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Priest: Lord of all life, help us to work together for that day when your kingdom comes and justice and mercy will be seen in all the earth. Look with favour on your people, gather us in your loving arms and bring us with the Holy Mother of God, Paul and all the saints to feast at your table in heaven. Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory are yours, O loving Father, for ever and ever. All: 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 Christ
All: Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.
Sung: Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, bearer of our sins, have mercy on us.
Jesus, redeemer of the world, grant us peace, grant us peace.
Invitation to Holy 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 and blood of Christ. If you wish you may receive a blessing. Please let the Sidespeople guide you forward.
Communion Hymn: 51 Hail, thou source of every blessing
Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)
Priest: Lord God, the bright splendour whom the nations seek: may we who with the wise men have been drawn by your light discern the glory of your presence in your Son, the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All: Almighty God, we thank you for feeding us with the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ. Through him we offer you our souls and bodies to be a living sacrifice. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory. Amen
Notices: see below
Post Communion Hymn 52 O worship the Lord
The Blessing and Dismissal
Priest: Go in the peace of Christ
All: Thanks be to God.
Fr. Leonard’s usual Day Off – Monday and Tuesday
Home tel : 210 72 14 906; email anglican@otenet.gr
Deacon Chris: 22950 53164: Day off – Friday
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
At the start of this new year we encourage people to use the monthly envelope scheme – please ask for details.
- Quiz Nights – look out for the monthly dates
- Coffee Mornings (now on Thursdays!!!): Jan 12th, Feb 9th, March 9th, April 13th, May 11th, June 8th, July 13th. These are in the Swedish Centre (Winter time) or Church Garden (Spring and Summer)
- This year’s online Christmas – Epiphany fundraiser features the Herald Angels in the sky over Bethlehem. With each donation one more angel is added to the heavenly host. For more details visit our website.
- The new church history and guide book ‘OPENING the DOORS’ is now available at the cost of €10,00.
- A POS is available so you can make your Sunday donation by card
- View our Website: www.anglicanchurchathens.gr
- https://www.facebook.com/AnglicanAthens/
- Twitter @AthensAnglican
- e-Mag – see website for a copy of our bi-monthly e-Mag
02/01/2023
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Sermons & Services
Sermon for New Year’s Day – 1 January 2023: NUMBERS 6:22-27, LUKE 2: 15-21
HOLY HABITS NEW YEAR A CIRCUMCISION AND NAMING
May God be on my lips and in all our hearts.“
Happy New Year ! How do you feel entering the year of our Lord 2023? Christmas is over – done and dusted you may feel but Epiphany season and the Baptism of Christ looms large. Last year was a significant one in terms of world events and their impact on us all and the ripples they caused are still reverberating around the world.
The Good News is that of Jesus Christ, who did not come to earth just at Christmas, but is with us all year round and everywhere through His resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. And I have even more good news, if you are not a fan of New Year and its accompanying traditions, our new liturgical year started at Advent. I don’t know about you but we usually have a quiet new year with traditional family food and phone calls to friends who are celebrating their name day Vasso, Vassilis. After or during lunch we settle down to listen to the New Year’s Day concert from Vienna. What traditions do you have and how do you manage to keep them in changing circumstances both personal and social?
30/12/2022
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Sermons & Services
Service for the first of January 2023 – Feast of St Basil
(Circumcision of Jesus)
Happy New Year! Welcome to St Paul’s Athens, especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. Deacon Christine leads our worship today, and is the preacher. Fr. Leonard is at the Orthodox Cathedral for the Doxology of St. Basil.
To make a donation by card to St. Paul’s we have a POS. Please come to coffee in the garden after the Liturgy.
Opening Hymn: 25 God rest you merry gentlemen
Minister: Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you
All: and also with you.
Minister: O Lord, open our lips
All: and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Minister: Give us the joy of your saving help
All: and sustain us with your life-giving Spirit.
The minister then welcomes people informally.
Prayers of Penitence
Minister: As we come to the Lord at the start of this New Year, let us seek his grace to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom as we confess our sins in penitence and faith.
All: Lord God, we have sinned against you;
we have done evil in your sight.
We are sorry and repent.
Have mercy on us according to your love.
Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin.
Renew a right spirit within us and restore us to the joy of your salvation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Minister: May the Father of all mercies cleanse us from our sins, and restore us
in his image to the praise and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
All: Amen
25/12/2022
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Sermons & Services
Sermon for Christmas morning – 25th December 2022: Isaiah 9, 2-7; Luke 2, 1-14.
Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens
‘He is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’. (Is 9, 2-6). ‘To you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, who is the messiah, the Lord’. (Luke 2, 11)
Both the prophet Isiah and St. Luke the Evangelist present to us what we might expect. The language, the vision, the expectation fits with the sort of power and authority that religious people want to see in and from God.
Then unexpectedly, ‘You will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ (Luke 2, 11). The contrast is stark and should take us by complete surprise were it not all so familiar in the annual Christmas story.
The paradox at the heart of our faith is that God becomes flesh and face in a baby – Jesus, born in Bethlehem. ‘Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us’ we say in the prayer called the Trisagion.
It is one enormous risk that God takes – perhaps even greater than the risk of creating man and woman. God’s glory has the setting of straw and smell; God’s eternity has time and place and person; God’s mightiness cries in the night and needs the love and care of a mum and dad. God’s immortality is moving immediately, relentlessly towards the mystery of the cross.
Even when we read the Christmas story, the story of the Passion of Jesus is never far away as the main sub-text of the child born in a manger. It doesn’t seem possible on Christmas Day, yet this is how it is.
If this paradox is so with God, then it is also with us – humanity made in his image. Our faith demands the dexterity of receiving the truths around the crib, but also the truths around the cross. These are not two different and separate truths, but part of one and the same truth, born in Jesus the Christ, who is the Light of the World.
It is he of whom Isaiah speaks when he says, ‘The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined.’ (Is 9, 2).
And it is he of whom St. John speaks when he says ‘What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.’ (John 1, 4).
On this Christmas Day, as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we reflect on the world’s current condition; climate change, massive migration, virus infections and viral anxiety, tensions between nations, inequalities exposed, mistrust in political systems and political leadership. Any one of these would be enough, but altogether they leave us feeling fragile, and perhaps even humble.
So we can better understand the fragility, risk-full-ness, that God shared with us in the genesis of his glory in a baby’s birth – he is a God who touches us and our condition. This is a sure sign of hope – hope for the nations, hope for the peoples, hope for us, for you and me. ‘We have seen his glory, the glory of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth’. May God in Christ bless you in this holy season.
25/12/2022
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Liturgy for the Nativity of Christ
Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens for Christmas. Happy Christmas! The presiding priest and the preacher is Fr. Leonard. The deacon is Deacon Christine
Entrance Hymn 36 The first Nowell
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
Priest: Christ the light of the world has come to dispel the darkness of our hearts. Let us turn to the light and confess our sins. A period of silent stillness follows
Deacon: God our Father, you sent your Son, full of grace and truth: forgive our failure to
receive him.
Kyrie eleison.
All: Kyrie eleison.
Deacon: Jesus our Saviour, you were born in poverty and laid in a manger: forgive our
greed and rejection of your ways.
Christe eleison.
All: Christe eleison
Deacon: Spirit of love, your servant Mary responded joyfully to your call: forgive our
hardness of heart.
Kyrie eleison.
All: Kyrie eleison
Absolution we hear the words of God’s forgiveness to those who are truly penitent
Song for the Gloria Angels from the realms of glory
wing your flight through all the earth;
heralds of creation’s story
now proclaim Messiah’s birth
Come and worship
Christ the new born King;
Come and worship,
worship Christ the new born King.
Shepherds in the field abiding,
watching by your flocks at night,
God with man is now residing:
see, there shines the infant light. Refrain
Wise men, leave your contemplation
brighter visions shine afar:
seek in him the hope of nations,
you have seen his rising star. Refrain
Though an infant now we see him
He will share his father’s throne,
gather all the nations to him:
every knee shall then bow down. Refrain
21/12/2022
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Carol Service for the Eve of the Nativity of Christ 2022
Introduction
Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done; in 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.
Carol 1 It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, good will to men,
from heaven’s all-gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
to hear the angels sing.
2 Still through the cloven skies they come
with peaceful wings unfurled,
and still their heavenly music floats
o’er all the weary world;
above its sad and lowly plains,
they bend on hovering wing,
and ever o’er its Babel sounds
the blessed angels sing.
3 And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,
whose forms are bending low,
who toil along the climbing way
with painful steps and slow,
look now! for glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
and hear the angels sing!
4 For lo! the days are hastening on,
by prophet seen of old,
when with the ever-circling years
shall come the time foretold
when peace shall over all the earth
its ancient splendors fling,
and the whole world send back the song
which now the angels sing.