Sermon preached for the feast of Mary Magdalene (July 21st 2026)

Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan

This Sermon will be preached for the online congregation of Skopje on the Eve of the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene (July 21^st 2026)

July 22^nd is universally observed as the feast to celebrate the life and witness of Mary of Magdala. Magdala is located on the NE shore of the Sea of Galilee. Her name Mary comes from the Hebrew Miriam or in Aramaic Maryam (which I will use). The Catholic west refers to her as Apostle to the Apostles, referring to her function of reporting the empty tomb to Peter and John. In the Eastern Church she has the title ‘Equal to the Apostles’ (Isapostolos) a quite remarkable reference to her status.

Maryam of Magdala is one of those gospel personalities that we would love to know more about, but of course, we can’t, because of the scant information we are given in the Canonical books of the New Testament. Apocryphal books might offer us more but we dare not use these as equal to the approved books – they are ancient, but largely considered to be based on legend or elaborated traditions.

Personally I would love to know more about her, along with John the Baptizer, and Lazarus. We can piece together a little bit more about John because he features a little more than the others, but more about Lazarus would be great. I have a particular interest in Lazarus because when I was the Vicar of Cirencester, in that magnificent church there was a chapel where the stained glass windows were a brief series of images of what little we know about Lazarus from the gospel narratives.

However, returning to the saintly lady in question I would like to take us back into history before her time, to the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 43,1

‘But now, thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine’.

Here of course the reference is not to the country we now know as Israel, but to Jacob himself. It was at the River Jabbok that Jacob fights with a stranger whom it turns out is a manifestation of God. God renames Jacob as Israel, which means ‘he who wrestles with God.’ (Genesis 32, 28). God renames Jacob whom he has known from his formation, that is, from the womb.

In another example, an earlier one, Abram, the Father of the Nations is renamed by God as Abraham; a small change perhaps but important to recognition, identity, and calling.

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Service Sheet for Sunday 19th July – Seventh Sunday after Trinity

Choral Mattins

Preacher – Deacon Christine Saccali

Choral Mattins for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity

Entrance: 259 (St. George’s Windsor) Come, ye thankful, people come

Invitatory: 334 (Old Hundredth) All people that on earth do dwell

Office: 149 (Coelites Plaudant) Father, we praise thee, now the night is over

Psalmody: Ps. 24, 25, 26 (page 166-169 in the Prayer Book)

Hymn: 297 (Living Lord) Lord, Jesus Christ

Final: 486 (Fulda) We have a gospel to proclaim

The order for Morning Prayer begins at page 5 in the Shorter Prayer Book.

Here begins the twenty-sixth verse of the eighth chapter of the letter of St. Paul to the Romans

The Spirit comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself express­es our plea in a way that could never be put into words, and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means, and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God.

Here ends the first lesson.

Here begins the twenty-fourth verse of the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew.

Jesus put another parable before the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heav­en may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all

among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel appeared as well. The owner’s servants went

to him and said, “Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?” “Some enemy has done this” he answered. And the servants said, “Do you want us to go and weed it out?” But he said, “No, because when you weed out

the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn.”’

He put another parable before them: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. It is

the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the biggest shrub of all and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and shelter in its branches.’

He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like

the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.’

In all this Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; indeed, he

would never speak to them except in parables. This was to fulfil the prophecy:

I will speak to you in parables

and expound things hidden since the foundation of the world.

Then, leaving the crowds, he went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, ‘Explain the parable about the darnel in the field to us.’ He said in reply, ‘The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reap-ers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that provoke offences and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

Here ends the second lesson.

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Audio Sermon preached via live stream to the Congregation of the Church of St Thomas in Crete on Sunday 12th July, Pentecost 6

Revd. Canon Fr Leonard Doolan

Sermon preached via Live Zoom to Crete on Sundsay 12th July 2026 – Matthew 13, 1-9, 18-23

Revd Leonard Doolan

Around the end of June and beginning of July the Church universal is usually very busy with ordinations of deacons and priests, and newly ordained priests presiding at the Holy Liturgy for the first time. It can seem a bit ‘clergy heavy’ so we have to keep a keen eye on the whole people of God, ordained and lay together. Whichever we are, our primary calling to be Christ-like is an awesome calling.

At the first Mass of a young priest, the great priest-scholar Austin Farrer, in a sermon called Walking Sacraments, reminds everyone present that we are ‘pygmies in giants’ armour’. Juest imagine you and I are called to be ‘mini-me’s’ of Christ! Gulp!

I wonder how many of you know what a Hirax is? It is a funny little creature that you find in parts of north and east Africa. Strangely enough you also find them around the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Hiraxes are a little bigger than guinea pigs, have special padded feet that allow them to climb on rocks and they are very good at jumping. They entertain tourists and pilgrims effectively when they visit Galilee. So far you might think I’m making it up, but the best is yet to come. Although this little mammal is like a large guinea pig the nearest animal to it genetically in the animal kingdom is the elephant. There you are – now you are convinced I’m telling you a pack of lies.

Well, actually I’m not. The hirax is related to the elephant, and if you ever visit Galilee, you’ll see them. It seems bizarre that something so small can be related to one of the biggest animals on earth.

In this section of St. Matthew’s gospel Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God. What a huge reality the Kingdom of God must be – greater than we can imagine, understand, accept and explain – too big for us mere mortals. Yet Jesus tells us about it plainly and clearly in a way that we can relate to. Forget the big stuff. Focus!

To help us focus, our Lord uses parables to explain the nature, the qualities, the substance of the Kingdom; small examples to give us an insight into how we should be related to God, his Kingdom, and with each other.  These are as the hyrax is to the elephant – different in scale, but related in identity.

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Service Sheet for Sunday 12th July, Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Sung Mass for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Processional: 338 (Evelyns) At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 65

Gradual: 370 (Falcon Street) Help us, O Lord, to learn

Offertory: 440 (Lobe den Herren) Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

Communion: 399 (Rochester) Light of the lonely pilgrim’s heart

Recessional: 235 (Song 34) Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go

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 Prophet Isaiah (55: 10-11)

Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the heav­ens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and

giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so

the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God.

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 65: Some seed fell into rich soil and produced its crop.

You care for the earth, give it water, you fill it with riches.

Your river in heaven brims over

to provide its grain. (Response)

And thus you provide for the earth;

you drench its furrows;

you level it, soften it with showers; you bless its growth. (Response)

You crown the year with your goodness.

Abundance flows in your steps,

in the pastures of the wilderness it flows. (Response)

The hills are girded with joy,

the meadows covered with flocks, the valleys are decked with wheat.

They shout for joy, yes, they sing. (Response)

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans (8: 18-23)

I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us. The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons. It was not for any fault on the part of

creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was made so by God; but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its

slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God. From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly

as we wait for our bodies to be set free.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! Speak, Lord, your servant is listen­ing: you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (13: 1-23)

Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gath-

ered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.

He said, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others

fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came

up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away.

Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Oth­ers fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

Then the disciples went up to him and asked, ‘Why do you talk to them in parables?’ ‘Because’ he replied, ‘the mysteries of the kingdom of heav­en are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them. For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from an­yone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled:

You will listen and listen again, but not understand, see and see again, but not perceive. For the heart of this nation has grown coarse, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, for fear they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed by me.

‘But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.

‘You, therefore, are to hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the evil one comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the man who received the seed on the edge of the path. The one who received it on patches of rock is the man who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But he has no root in him, he does not last; let some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, and he falls away at once.

The one who received the seed in thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this world and the lure of riches choke the word and so he produces nothing.  And the one who received the seed in rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.’ The Gospel of the Lord: praise to you, O Christ.

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Sermon for Sunday 5th July 2026 – Mark 6: 53

Preacher: Fr Benjamin Drury – St Paul’s Athens

Saint Mark’s Gospel today, together with the Book of Wisdom, invites us to look honestly at our hearts and souls.

In the ritual practices of the Pharisees, we see what may seem to us a strange and unfamiliar preoccupation with purity. They observed many careful outward rules so that they would not be defiled: not by what they ate or drank, not by what they touched, and not by those with whom they kept company.

Many of these careful rules were once connected with hygiene and devotion. Seen in another light, however, they may remind us of some of the more unusual regulations introduced during Covid.

They are set before us as a contrast with what truly defiles a person. What really damages the soul is not something external, but what is within and then comes out. This accords with the Book of Wisdom: “God is witness of their inmost feelings, and a true observer of their hearts, and a hearer of their tongues.”

What defiles us, what is truly evil, is what lies within: evil intentions and all those things listed in Mark’s Gospel.

Christ is often referred to as Wisdom, or as the Wisdom of God. With this in mind, we may hear the Book of Wisdom’s warning more deeply:

“Wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul,

or dwell in a body enslaved to sin.”

Think of Holman Hunt’s famous painting of Christ knocking at the door: “Lo, I stand at the door and knock.” Christ enters the heart and soul at our invitation, through our free will and our cooperation with him.

We therefore need to learn how to discipline our spirit so that we may welcome him in.

As the Book of Wisdom says:

“For a holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit,

and will leave foolish thoughts behind,

and will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness.”

Of course, we need God’s help to cleanse and heal our souls, and to form us into the likeness of Christ. Yet the responsibility also lies with us. It is our task to respond to the call of God. As he has invited us to his heavenly banquet, so we invite him to the humble altar of our hearts.

Mark’s Gospel speaks of what defiles. In more modern English, perhaps we might say: that which damages the soul.

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Service Sheet for Sunday 5th July,fifty Sunday after Trinity, Choral Mattins

Choral Mattins for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity

Entrance: 478 (Lasst uns Erfreuen) Ye watchers and ye holy ones

Office: 149 (Coelites Plaudant) Father, we praise thee, now the night is over

Psalmody: Ps. 24, 25, 26 (page 166-169 in the Prayer Book)

Hymn: 470 (Oriel) To the name that brings salvation

Final: 437 (Austria) Praise the Lord, ye heavens adore him

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.

The order for Morning Prayer begins at page 5 in the Shorter Prayer Book.

Here begins the first chapter of the Book of Wisdom

Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth, think of the Lord with uprightness,

and seek him with sincerity of heart;

because he is found by those who do not put him to the test, and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him.

For perverse thoughts separate men from God,

and when his power is tested, it convicts the foolish; because wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul,

nor dwell in a body enslaved to sin.

For a holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit, and will rise and depart from foolish thoughts,

and will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness.

For wisdom is a kindly spirit

and will not free a blasphemer from the guilt of his words; because God is witness of his inmost feelings,

and a true observer of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue. Because the Spirit of the Lord has filled the world,

and that which holds all things together knows what is said;

therefore no one who utters unrighteous things will escape notice, and justice, when it punishes, will not pass him by.

For inquiry will be made into the counsels of an ungodly man, and a report of his words will come to the Lord,

to convict him of his lawless deeds;

because a jealous ear hears all things,

and the sound of murmurings does not go unheard. Beware then of useless murmuring,

and keep your tongue from slander;

because no secret word is without result, and a lying mouth destroys the soul.

Do not invite death by the error of your life,

nor bring on destruction by the works of your hands; because God did not make death,

and he does not delight in the death of the living. For he created all things that they might exist,

and the generative forces of the world are wholesome, and there is no destructive poison in them;

and the dominion of Hades is not on earth. For righteousness is immortal.

But ungodly men by their words and deeds summoned death; considering him a friend, they pined away,

and they made a covenant with him,

because they are fit to belong to his party.

Here ends the first lesson

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Sermon preached on Sunday 28th June 2026 – Feast of SS Peter and Paul

Preacher: Deacon Christine Saccali

PETER AND PAUL  YEAR A  28/06/26

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit AMEN

Do you remember that nursery rhyme Two little dickey birds sitting on the wall, One named Peter, One named Paul? I certainly do from my nana sticking stamp edging ( those were the days ) on two of her fingers as she hid them only to fly them back. I did the same as much as I could with my granddaughter.

Now I am going to tell you a true story of Peter and Paul here in Athens. I am referring, of course, to the Anglican churches in the city. I wonder if you can see any evidence of  a mention of St Peter’s?  Anyone?  There is the plaque dedicated to  Stephen Saunders gunned down over 25 years ago churchwarden of St Peter’s what a time that was for the congregations, the Embassy and of course his family and friends plus the wider and international community.

St Peter’s was set up in the eighties to the north in Kifissia when there were many expats and foreign companies in the area. It flourished. That also seems a distant memory now for by the millennium many multinationals had left along with their employees to cheaper European countries to invest and work in. The northern church used to meet in St Catherine’s school until it was closed down about 12 years ago when it was decided to concentrate all our efforts in the centre at St Paul’s.

My vocation emerged from that small group and the wider community in Kifissia first as Reader then with discernment towards ordination and the diaconate. Community Connect was born as outreach in about 2009 and that also flourished and met in several venues in Kifissia a hotel, a taverna and lastly Loida Home for the Elderly until COVID put a stop to that. However, Community Connect Athens is still flourishing and the community of former members of St Peter’s is still a caring one- dwindling and not all able to physically attend church but they still contribute to life at St Paul’s in various ways. We have fond memories of Sherry our former Reader now residing in the very same Loida and being well cared for.

I was ordained ten years ago at Petertide here in St Paul’s and as we pray for those being ordained this Petertide in the steps of the first Apostle We give thanks for the two churches of Peter and Paul here in Athens, forever intertwined and for all who attended and built them up. We think of Christine Kypriotou whose funeral was held here last week and who loved St Paul’s.

Peter has always been my favourite disciple because he is loyal, impetuous and blurts out exactly what he is thinking and is on his heart. You are the Messiah. Brave yet foolish. Wobbly as he tries to walk on water and yet firm as Petros the Rock on which the church is built. He holds the Keys to the Kingdom.

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Service Sheet for Sunday 28th June – Feasts of St Peter & Paul

Celebrant: Fr. Benjamin Drury

Sung Mass for Saint and Saint Paul

Processional: 213 (Gonfalon Royal) The eternal gifts of Christ the King

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 34

Gradual: 172 (Gopsal) Thou art the Christ, O Lord

Offertory: 171 (Annue Christe) With golden splendour and with roseate hues

Communion: 276 (Bread of Heaven) Bread of heaven, on thee we feed

Recessional: 215 (Harts) Captains of the saintly band

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 Acts of the Apostles (12: 1-11)

King Herod started persecuting certain members of the Church. He beheaded James the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he decided to arrest Peter as well. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread, and he put Peter in prison, assigning four squads of four soldiers each to guard him in turns. Herod meant to try Peter in public after the end of Passover week. All the time Peter was under guard the Church prayed to God for him unremittingly.

On the night before Herod was to try him, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with double chains, while guards kept watch at the main entrance to the prison. Then suddenly the angel of the Lord stood there, and the cell was filled with light. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him. ‘Get up!’ he said ‘Hurry!’ –and the chains fell from his hands. The angel then said, ‘Put on your belt and sandals.’ After he had done this, the angel next said, ‘Wrap your cloak round you and follow me.’ Peter followed him, but had no idea that what the angel did was all happening in reality;

he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed through two guard posts one after the other, and reached the iron gate leading to the city. This opened of its own accord; they went through it and had walked the whole length of one street when suddenly the angel left him. It was only then that Peter came to himself. ‘Now I know it is all true’ he said. ‘The Lord really did send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happen to me.’

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God.

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 34: From all my terrors the Lord set me free

I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise always on my lips;

in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.

The humble shall hear and be glad. (Response)

Glorify the Lord with me.

Together let us praise his name.

I sought the Lord and he answered me;

from all my terrors he set me free. (Response)

Look towards him and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed.

This poor man called, the Lord heard him

and rescued him from all his distress. (Response)

The angel of the Lord is encamped

around those who revere him, to rescue them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

He is happy who seeks refuge in him. (Response

A reading from the second letter of St. Paul to Timothy (4: 6-8, 17-18)

My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.

The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue  me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heaven­ly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God.

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. Alleluia!

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (16: 13-19)

Glory to you, O Lord.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’

And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that re-

vealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates

of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’

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

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Audio Sermon preached at a Zoom service with the congregation of Skopje in the Republic of N. Macedonia. Service is for the 4 th Sunday of Pentecost

Readings: Gen 21, 8-21; Rom 6, 1-11; Matt 10, 24-39

Preacher: Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan