Sermon for the 2nd Sunday in Advent – 5th December 2021: Malachi 3, 1-4; Luke 3, 1-6.

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

The homily this morning is shorter than usual because the Christmas Bazaar is being held today, and it opens at 11.00, so many members of the regular congregation are already there setting up their stalls.

Jesus says (Luke 7, 28) ‘Among those born of women no one is greater’. He is speaking of the one we know as John the Baptist, or as some prefer, John the Baptizer because baptizing people for repentance was perhaps his most note-worthy dynamic action.

What a remarkable character this John the Baptizer must have been. His appearance was described for us – wild and woolly we might say. His courage is described for us – he challenges Herod for his immorality, and pays the price for challenging him, for Herod has him beheaded. His attraction is described for us – for he gathers around him his own disciples, his own followers. We are told much more besides, but yet never enough. He is a tantalizing persona in the gospel narratives, and we are left wanting to know more about him.

READ MORE

Sermon for Advent Sunday – 28th November 2021: Jer 33, 14-16; 1 Thess 3, 9-end; Luke 21, 25-36).

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

This ancient hymn is based on the Advent Antiphons – or introductions – to the Song of Mary, the Magnificat – that begin on the Feast Day called in the Book of Common Prayer calendar, O Sapientia, translated from Latin as ‘O Wisdom’.

Each daily antiphon is an invocation, so begins with ‘O’, as the verse goes on to address some epithet of Jesus Christ.

So we have ‘O Sapientia’; O Wisdom associating Christ with his very presence in Creation, and the first biblical man – Adam.

‘O Adonai’; a Hebrew name associating Christ with God who reveals himself in majesty to Moses, granting to humanity the ancient law – the Ten Commandments.

‘O Root of Jesse’ – Radix Jesse – Jesse is father of King David whose historic hometown is Bethlehem and of the tribe of Judah.

‘O Clavis David’ – O Key of David – the first King of Israel, introducing royalty into the life of the Hebrews. The royal doors open to announce the coming of another king in the line of David, and Jesus too is born in Bethlehem, the city of Joseph.

‘O Oriens’ – O Rising Star – Christ is the light coming into the world, and is called Sun of Righteousness.

King of the Nations – Rex Gentium – the kingly reign begins in Christ’s birth, and the reversal of our Fall from Grace, and our expulsion from Paradise.

Lastly – O Emmanuel – ‘God with us’ in Hebrew. St. Matthew’s gospel uses this name in the message of the angel of the Lord to Joseph.

READ MORE

Audio Sermon for Advent Sunday – 28th November 2021

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

Audio Sermon for the Feast of Christ the King – 21 November 2021

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

Sermon preached at St Paul’s Athens for Remembrance Sunday – 14th November 2021

Fr Leonard Doolan

Sermon for the Third Sunday before Advent – 7th November 2021: Jonah 3, 1-5, 10; Hebrews 9, 24-end; Mark 1, 14-20

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

Sunday 14^th Nov: Remembrance Sunday.

 Sunday 5^th Dec: Christmas Bazaar – 11.00-16.30

 at the foyer of the War Museum Amphitheatre)

Few bible stories are more vivid than that of Jonah. Much loved by Sunday School teachers, and their children, the graphic details of Jonah and his encounter with the whale enables many drawing, cutting and sticking, and story – telling activities. There are elements of mythological story telling in the details of Jonah’s encounter with a huge sea-beast.

All well and good – but what is the story of Jonah actually about. There is more to it than just the memorable episode much loved of children – and equally loved by adults.

The story is really an exercise in refusing to respond to God’s call. Each of us is made in the image of God – hence God is a God of unity in diversity – and each of us is called by God to become who we truly are, by God’s grace. In baptism we are each commissioned into ministry as members of the Body of Christ, and some will go on to respond positively to that call, and others will obtusely stand against it, dispassionately ignorant of who God calls them to become, or even being defiant.

The lesson from Jonah is about defiance, conversion, and obedience. Initially Jonah is called to witness to divine truth in the great city of Nineveh. The remains of this ancient city are on the borders of Mosul in the modern state of Iraq. Jonah is having none of this. He turns his back on God and runs away. While sailing to Tarshish, one of the ancient trade sea routes to Spain, a great storm blows up and when the sailors realize why Jonah is a travelling companion they throw him overboard.

It is at this point that the Sunday School teachers chuckle with delight. Jonah is swallowed by a large fish. Get out your scissors, coloured pencils, and felt tips, and get creative!

The episode allows for rich allegory – especially for those of us who know the Christian narrative. Indeed some four hundred years after the writing of the Book of Jonah, when the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth ask for signs, Jesus himself cross-references them to the story of Jonah in the sea creatures belly – an allegorical reference to the three days that Christ would himself spend in the tomb after his death, and ‘out of the belly of Sheol [or hell] I cried, and you heard my voice.’ (Jonah 2, 1)

Jonah’s predicament was caused by him not responding to God’s calling; he was disobedient. Mercifully the sea creature was more obedient, for the Lord speaks to the fish and he is spewed out on to dry land. This whole alarming incident was the crucible in which Jonah’s faithlessness is turned into faithful obedience.  His witness to the population of the huge city is successful – the people repent of their ways, and God spares their city.

The ending of this strange story, whose central activity prefigures so easily the days between cross and empty tomb, ends rather abruptly and obliquely. Is the story complete? Is a real ending missing? Who knows, but read the whole of this short book and you will see what I mean.

Jesus has rather more success on his mission of calling people into his service. The gospel tells us in just a matter of a couple of sentences how four key players respond to his call. Jesus is fishing among fishermen for ‘fishers of men’. From their nets he invites Simon (better known to us as Peter), and Andrew, and James, and John. In just one fishing trip Jesus hooks a third of his apostolic catch – 4 out of the twelve we call the apostles.

READ MORE

Sermon preached for All Saints Sunday – 31st October 2021

Deacon Chris Saccali – St Paul’s Athens

May I speak in the name of the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit AMEN

In one of his daily reflections Pope Francis said recently: ‘ Allow me to say we are all saints then we become sinners but fundamentally we are all saints.’ Now how hard is that to take on board not only for ourselves but for others. Let me repeat it:

Recently, there was a meeting of nowadays saints at Archdeaconry Synod in Corfu. We had failed to gather last year and some clergy and lay representatives were or felt unable to attend earlier in the month, but about 35 of us met face to face, albeit keeping health and safety precautions. And what a joy it was to be together again. That joyous feeling was palpable. It was our Archdeacon Leslie’s first Synod of the East but he had come almost directly from the Nordic and Baltic Synod. Bishop Robert and his wife Helen had come from the Northern countries’ Synod previously held in Belgium. A cluster of synods and saints whose members lay and clergy keep the Diocese in Europe churches going especially in these strange times we are living in.

READ MORE

Sermon for the 19th Sunday after Trinity – 10th October 2021: Amos 5, 6-7, 10-15; Hebrews 4, 12-end; Mark 10, 17-31.

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

Please note: there is no sermon from me on 17^th October because I am at the Archdeaconry Synod in Corfu. On Oct 24^th the Harvest service is at Kokotos Vineyard so there is NO service in St. Paul’s!

I am often asked by Greek Orthodox faithful if we have saints in the Church of England. I could embark on the long answer about who and what saints are, and how St. Paul uses the word ‘saint’ for all the believers in the Christian communities to which he writes letters.

However, I know that this is not the question I am being asked. I’m being asked if we have saints in a canonical understanding of the word, women and men designated with the title ‘saint.

Gladly I can answer confidently with a ‘yes’ because the Church of England, the worldwide Anglican Church, has a calendar of saints, or a Sanctorale to give it its Latin title. These would be days classified as festa rather than feria – feast days rather than ordinary days.

In the Church of England Calendar of Saints there is a core of names of holy women and men, whose days are celebrated by the whole church, but each diocese is encouraged to have its own additional days to celebrate more local or regional saints, who are not in the national calendar.  Many of these saints, both local and national, ascribe their names to parish churches. This week is a good example.

READ MORE

Audio Sermon for the 19th Sunday after Trinity – 10th October 2021

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

Audio Sermon for the 18th Sunday after Trinity – 3rd October 2021

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens