Service for Sunday 6th October – 19th after Trinity

St Paul’s Athens

Celebrant and Preacher: Fr. Benjamin Drury

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

New English Hymnal numbers (tunes):

Entrance: 388 (Truro) Jesus shall reign, where’er the sun

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 128

Gradual: 387 (Quem Pastores) Jesus, good above all other

Offertory: 471 (Quam Dilecta) We love the place, O God

Post Communion: 307 (Divine Mysteries) Sweet Sacrament Divine

Recessional: 413 (Nun Danket) Now thank we all our God

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.

Please remember that the chaplaincy in Athens neither receives funding from the British Government nor from the Church of

England. All donations are, therefore, very gratefully received.

A Reading from the Book of Genesis (2: 18-24)

The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helpmate.’ So from the soil the Lord God fashioned all the wild beasts and all the birds of heaven. These he brought to the man to see what he would call them; each one was to bear the name the man would give it. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of heaven and all the wild beasts. But no helpmate suitable for man was found for him. So the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep. And while he slept, he took one of his ribs and enclosed it in flesh. The Lord God built the rib he had taken from the man into a woman, and brought her to the man. The man exclaimed:

‘This at last is bone from my bones,

and flesh from my flesh! This is to be called woman, for this was taken from man.’

This is why a man leaves his father and mother and joins himself to his wife, and they become one body.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Psalm 128: (Response): May the Lord bless you all the days of your life.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord, and walk in his ways.

You shall eat the fruit of the toil of your hands;

it shall go well with you, and happy shall you be. (Response)

Your wife within your house shall be like a fruitful vine;

your children round your table, like fresh olive branches.

Thus shall the one be blest who fears the Lord. (Response)

The Lord from out of Zion bless you,

that you may see Jerusalem in prosperity all the days of your life.

May you see your children’s children,

and may there be peace upon Israel. (Response)

A Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (2: 9-11)

We see in Jesus one who was for a short while made lower than the angels and is now crowned with glory and splendour because he

submitted to death; by God’s grace he had to experience death for all mankind.

As it was his purpose to bring a great many of his sons into glory, it was appropriate that God, for whom everything exists and through whom everything exists, should make perfect, through suffering,

the leader who would take them to their salvation. For the one who sanctifies, and the ones who are sanctified, are of the same stock;

that is why he openly calls them brothers.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, 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 Mark (10: 2-16)

Glory to you, O Lord.

(after the Gospel reading):

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus 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. (Book of Common Prayer)

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

Weds. 9th October.: 10 a.m. Low Mass; liturgy followed by refreshments

Sun. 13th October.: 10 a.m. Sung Mass; liturgy followed by refreshments

Choral Evensong: Sundays: 27th Oct.; 24th Nov.; 22nd Dec. (6:00 p.m.)

Harvest Festival: Sunday 20th October (contributions of food are sought: please speak to Lynn Stavrou).

Quiz Night: Friday 11th October (Swedish Community Building, Apollonos 6, Athens, 105 57, 7:30 p.m.) (details from Jean Mertzanakis)

Visiting Choir: Los Angeles Episcopal Choral (Sunday 13th October); performance at 12:00 p.m. after the liturgy.

Remembrance Sunday: 10th November (10:00 a.m. at Church);

Armistice Day: 11th November (Phaleron War Cemetery, Alimos)

Study Group: details from Fr. Benjamin 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.

Priest Chaplain: Fr. Benjamin Drury frbenjamindrury@gmail.com;

Home tel.: 210 72 14 906

Deacon Christine Saccali : (Day Off: Friday)   697 737 7655  anglican@otenet.gr (Church email address)

Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling  694 6072428

Facebook @AnglicanAthens                    www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

Service for the 29th september 2024 – Feast of St Michael and All Angels

Celebrant and Preacher: Fr. Benjamin Drury

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

New English Hymnal numbers (tunes):

Entrance: 190 (Coelites Plaudant) Christ, the fair glory of the holy angels

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 138

Gradual: 9 (Helmsley) Lo! he comes with clouds descending

Offertory: 336 (Angel Voices) Angel-voices ever singing

Post Communion: 295 (Picardy) Let all mortal flesh keep silence

Recessional: 478 (Laast Uns Erfreuen) Ye watchers and ye holy ones All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.

Please remember that the chaplaincy in Athens neither receives funding from the British Government nor from the Church of

England. All donations are, therefore, very gratefully received

A Reading from the prophet Daniel (7: 9-10, 13-14)

As I looked, thrones were placed and one that was ancient of days took his seat; his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him;

a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.

I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.  And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Psalm 138: (Response): Before the angels I will bless you, O Lord

1 I thank you, Lord, with all my heart, you have heard the words of my mouth.

2 In the presence of the angels I will bless you.

I will adore before your holy temple. (Response)

I thank you for your faithfulness and love which excel all we ever knew of you.

3 On the day I called, you answered:

you increased the strength of my soul. (Response)

4 All the earth’s kings shall thank you

when they hear the words of your mouth. 5 They shall sing of the Lord’s ways:

‘How great is the glory of the Lord!’ (Response)

7 You stretch out your hand and save me, your hand will do all things for me.

8 Your love, O Lord, is eternal,

discard not the work of your hands. (Response)

A Reading from the Revelation to St. John the Divine (12:7-12)

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.

And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.  And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.  And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Rejoice then, O heaven and you that dwell therein! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Give thanks to the Lord, all his hosts,

his servants who do his will. Alleluia!

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John (1: 47-51)

Glory to you, O Lord.

(after the Gospel reading):

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

O everlasting God, who hast ordained and constituted the services of Angels and men in a wonderful order: Mercifully grant that, as thy holy Angels alway do thee service in heaven, so by thy appointment they may succour and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)

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

Weds. 2nd October.: 10 a.m. Low Mass; liturgy followed by refresments

Sun. 6th October.: 10 a.m. Sung Mass; liturgy followed by refreshments

Choral Evensong: Sunday 27th Oct.; Sunday 24th Nov.; Sunday 22nd Dec. (6:00 p.m.)

Harvest Festival: Sunday 20th October (contributions of food are sought: please speak to Lynn Stavrou).

Quiz Night: Friday 11th October (Swedish Community Building, Apollonos 6, Athens, 105 57, 7:30 p.m.) (details from Jean Mertz- anakis)

Study Group: details from Fr. Benjamin 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.

Priest Chaplain: Fr. Benjamin Drury frbenjamindrury@gmail.com;

Home tel.: 210 72 14 906

Deacon Christine Saccali : (Day Off: Friday)           697 737 7655 anglican@otenet.gr (Church e-mail address)

Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling  694 6072428

Facebook @AnglicanAthens                    www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

Service Sheet for the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity – 22nd September 2024

Anglican Church Athens

Celebrant and Preacher: Fr. Benjamin Drury

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass) New English Hymnal numbers (tunes):

Entrance: 439 (Billing) Praise to the Holiest in the height;

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 54

Gradual: 383 (Aberystwyth) Jesu, Lover of my soul

Offertory: 420 (Wolvercote) O Jesus, I have promised

Post Communion: 406 (St Hugh) Lord, teach us how to pray aright

Recessional: 368 (Cwm Rhondda) Guide me, O thou great redeemer

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy. Please remember that the chaplaincy in Athens neither receives funding from the British Government nor from the Church of England. All donations are, therefore, very gratefully received

A Reading from the Book of Wisdom (2:12, 17-20)

The godless say to themselves: ‘Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man, since he annoys us and opposes our way of life, reproaches us for our breaches of the law and accuses us of playing false to our upbringing. ‘Let us see if what he says is true, let us observe what kind of end he himself will have. If the virtuous man is God’s son, God will take his part and rescue him from the clutches of his enemies. Let us test him with cruelty and with torture, and thus explore this gentleness of his and put his endurance to the proof. Let us condemn him to a shameful death since he will be looked after – we have his word for it.’

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Psalm 54: (Response): I will praise your name, for it is gracious.

1 Save me, O God, by your name And vindicate me by your power. 2 Hear my prayer, O God; give heed to the words of my mouth. (Response)

3 For strangers have risen up against me, and the ruthless seek after my life; they have not set God before them. (Response)

4 Behold, God is my helper; It is the Lord who holds up my life. 5 May evil rebound on those who lie in wait for me; destroy them in your faithfulness. (Response)

6 An offering of a free heart will I give you and praise your name, O Lord, for it is gracious. 7 For he has delivered me out of all my trouble, and my eye has seen the downfall of my enemies. (Response)

A Reading from the Letter of James (James 3:16-4:3)

Wherever you find jealousy and ambition, you find disharmony, and wicked things of every kind being done; whereas the wisdom that comes down from above is essentially something pure; it also makes for peace, and is kindly and considerate; it is full of compassion and shows itself by doing good; nor is there any trace of partiality or hypocrisy in it. Peacemakers, when they work for peace, sow the seeds which will bear fruit in holiness. Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn’t it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves? You want something and you haven’t got it; so you are prepared to kill. You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy; so you fight to get your way by force. Why you don’t have what you want is because you don’t pray for it; when you do pray and don’t get it, it is because you have not prayed properly, you have prayed for something to indulge your own desires.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. I am the light of the world, says the Lord; anyone who follows me will have the light of life. Alleluia!

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

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark (9: 30-37) Glory to you, O Lord.

(after the Gospel reading): The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Post Communion Prayer

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

NOTICES

• Church Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Weds. 25th Sept.: 10 a.m. Low Mass; liturgy followed by refresments
• Sun. 29nd Sept.: 10 a.m. Sung Mass; liturgy followed by refreshments
• Choral Evensong: Sunday 27th Oct.; Sunday 24th Nov.; Sunday 22nd Dec. (6:00 p.m.)
• Autumn Bazaar: Saturday 28th September (10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m)
• Harvest Festival: Sunday 20th October (contributions of food are sought: please speak to Lynn Stavrou).
• Study Group: details from Fr. Benjamin 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.

Priest Chaplain: Fr. Benjamin Drury frbenjamindrury@gmail.com; Home tel.: 210 72 14 906 Deacon Christine Saccali : (Day Off: Friday) 697 737 7655 anglican@otenet.gr (Church e-mail address)

Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling 694 6072428

Facebook @AnglicanAthens             www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

Service Sheet for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity – 1st September 2024

.  

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass) New English Hymnal numbers (tunes): Entrance: 285 (England’s Lane) For the beauty of the earth Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 15 Gradual: 500 (Irish) Thy kingdom come! on bended knee Offertory: 436 (Praise, My Soul) Praise, my soul, the King of heaven Post Communion: 456 (Sandys) Teach me, my God and King Recessional: 381 (Ewing) Jerusalem the golden All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy

A Reading from Deuteronomy (Deutoronomy 4: 1-2, 6-8) Moses said to the people: ‘Now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you. You must add nothing to what I command you, and take nothing from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God just as I lay them down for you. Keep them, observe them, and they will demonstrate to the peoples your wisdom and understanding. When they come to know of all these laws they will exclaim, “No other people is as wise and prudent as this great nation.” And indeed, what great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation is there that has laws and customs to match this whole Law that I put before you today?’

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Psalm 15: Response: O Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? 1 Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? Who may rest upon your holy hill? 2 Whoever leads an uncorrupt life And does the thing that is right; (Response) 3 Who speaks the truth from the heart and bears no deceit on the tongue; 4 Who does no evil to a friend and pours no scorn on a neighbour; (Response) 5 In whose sight the wicked are not esteemed, but who honours those who fear the Lord. 6 Whoever has sworn to a neighbour and never goes back on that word; (Response) 7 Who does not lend money in hope of gain, nor take a bribe against the innocent; 8 Whoever does these things Shall never fall. (Response)

A Reading from the Letter of James (James 1: 17-18, 21-22, 27)   It is all that is good, everything that is perfect, which is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow of a change. By his own choice he made us his children by the message of the truth so that we should be a sort of first-fruits of all that he had created. Accept and submit to the word which has been planted in you and can save your souls. But you must do what the word tells you, and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves. Pure, unspoilt religion, in the eyes of God our Father is this: coming to the help of orphans and widows when they need it, and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world. The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life: you have the message of eternal life.

The Lord be with you. And also with you. + A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark (7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23) Glory to you, O Lord.

(after the Gospel reading): The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Prayer after communion: Lord, you renew us at your table with the bread of life. May this food strengthen us in love and help us to serve you in each other.

For our Prayers: All affected by the recent fires, for Peace with Justice in the Sudan, Ukraine and Russia, and Gaza. For the sick: Julia, Sherry, Helena, Jennifer, Jane, George Halkidis, Eva, Austin, Linda, Theodore, Sue, Guy, Margarita, Marcus, Christina, Theresa, Lodo, Dimitri, Fran, Nicholas, Eleftheria, and Christina and Daphne and for their carers

Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)

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

Weds. 4th September: 10 a.m. Low Mass; liturgy followed by refreshments

Sun. 8th September 10 a.m. Sung Mass; liturgy followed by refreshments

Coffee Morning: 12th September (Thursday) (10:00 a.m.)

Choral Evensong: Saturday 14th September; Sunday 27th October; Sunday 24th November; Sunday 22nd December (6:00 p.m.)

Autumn Bazaar: Saturday 28th September

Harvest Festival: Sunday 20th October

Study Group: details from Fr. Benjamin;  Walking Group: 7th September (details from Fr. Benjamin)

Donate via card by scanning the QR code, thank you for supporting St Paul’s Church

Priest Chaplain: Fr. Benjamin Drury frbenjamindrury@gmail.com; Home tel.: 210 72 14 906 Deacon Christine Saccali : (Day Off: Friday) 697 737 7655 Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling 694 6072428 Facebook @AnglicanAthens www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

Readings for Sunday 18th August 2024, The Blessed Virgin Mary, (Feast of the Assumption)

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)
New English Hymnal numbers (tunes):
Entrance: 478 (Laast uns Erfreuen) Ye watchers and ye holy ones
Canticle: 186 (Woodlands) Tell out, my soul (Magnificat)
Gradual: 185 (Abbot’s Leigh) Sing we of the blessed Mother
Offertory: 188 (Daily Daily) Ye who own the faith of Jesus
Post Communion: 180 (Ave Maris Stella) Hail, O Star that pointest
Recessional: 181 (Puer Nobis Nascitur) The Lord whom earth and sea and sky
All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.

A Reading from the Revelation of St. John the Divine (Rev. 11:19-12:6,10)

19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his cove- nant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

12 And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth,

in anguish for delivery. 3 And another portent appeared in heaven; behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems upon his heads. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought it forth; 5 she brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which to be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

A Reading from the Letter of St Paul to the Galatians (Gal. 4:4-7)

4 But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because

you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, cry- ing, “Abba! Father!” 7 So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Mary has been taken up into heaven; all the choirs of angels are rejoicing.

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 1: 46- 55) Glory to you, O Lord.

46 And Mary said “My soul magnifies the Lord,

47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,

48 for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

50 And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation.

51 He has shown strength with his arm,

he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, 52 he has put down the mighty from their thrones,

and exalted those of low degree;

53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.

54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,

55 as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.”

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

For our Prayers: The world-wide Church & the homeless, those struggling with addiction and in recovery. For Peace with Justice in: Palestine-Israel, Armenia, Ukraine, Sudan, all Refugees and Aid Agencies. The Church in Gaza, all victims of war. All those affected by fires and natural disasters.

Church Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Weds. 21st August: 10 a.m. Low Mass

Sun. 25th August 10 a.m. Sung Mass; liturgy followed by refreshments

Dates for the diary

Coffee Morning: 12th September

Choral Evensong (in September (date to be confirmed))

Priest Chaplain: Fr. Benjamin Drury

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

Deacon Christine Saccali : Day Off – Friday          697 737 7655 Swedish Church: Fr. Bjorn 694 6072428

Facebook @AnglicanAthens,  www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

Donate via card by scanning the QR code, thank you for supporting St Paul’s Church

Sermon for the Eighth Sunday after Trinity – 2 KINGS 4:42-44, EPHESIANS 3: 14-21, JOHN 6: 1-21

Deacon Chris Saccali – St Paul’s Athens

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

I don’t know when and if you do your supermarket shopping, you take any notice of to kalathi tis voikokipas / ou . It should not be a gendered social issue but that’s the Greek language for you.  The English supermarkets and some here have a list of basic or essential products to fit everyone’s  trolley or basket . However, what should be on our essential list and which items can we all agree on? Maybe bread or some kind of rusk is a basic  one if we remember also to include those who have special dietary requirements. When Cliff and I  were on holiday earlier in the month in Kefalonia, we were quite surprised to find that tavernas didn’t automatically bring a basket of bread as they would in our usual haunts here. You had to ask for it or they asked you. I take any leftovers with me for home or to feed the ducks.

READ MORE

Readings for the 11th Sunday after Trinity – 11 August 2024

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

New English Hymnal numbers (tunes):

Entrance: 443 (Gopsal) Rejoice, the Lord is King

Congregational Psalm: 417 (St Anne) O God, our help in ages past (Ps.90) Gradual: 434 (University College) Oft in danger, oft in woe

Offertory: 470 (Oriel) To the name that brings salvation Post Communion: 297 (Living Lord) Lord Jesus Christ Recessional: 373 (Coe Fen) How shall I sing that majesty

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy

A Reading from the First Book of the Kings (1 Kings 19: 4-8)

4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree; and he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree; and behold, an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And

the angel of the Lord came again a second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, else the journey will be too great for you.” 8 And

he arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

A Reading from the Letter of St Paul to the Ephesians (Eph. 4:25 – 5:2)

25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need. 29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

If anyone loves Me he will keep My Word, and My Father will love him, and We shall come to him

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John ( John 6:35, 41-51) Glory to you, O Lord.

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.

41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this

Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus an-

swered them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Every one who has heard and

learned from the Father comes to me. 46 Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am

the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness,

and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

For our Prayers: The world-wide Church & the homeless, those struggling with addiction and in recovery. For Peace with Justice in: Palestine-Israel, Armenia, Ukraine, Sudan, all Refugees and Aid Agencies. The Church in Gaza, all victims of war. All those affected by fires.

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Audio Sermon for the 10th Sunday after Trinity – 4th August 2024

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

Sermon for the 10th Sunday after Trinity – 4th August 2024: Exodus 16, 2-4, 9-15; Ephesians 4, 1-16; John 6, 24-35

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

‘Lord, give us this bread always’. (Jn 6,34)

Around the year 270AD Anthony, from the city of Koma in Lower Egypt, left his home and travelled deep into the desert to find space and freedom for contemplating God. Not the first to lead an ascetic life, nonetheless Anthony is considered the first of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. His desert life is depicted in many works of art through history, not least by Hieronymous Bosch.

We could discuss his life more fully, but we must press to the question, ‘why go into the desert?’ Part of the motivation for these desert monks and nuns was to find solitude, and partly to escape the metropolitan fleshpots – to turn their backs on the cities, full of noise and the babbling of people, to escape the moral corruption that is characteristic of city life. Where ate the fleshpots of Athens, I can hear you saying?

One of the adverse consequences of seeking this solitude, is that people from the fleshpots wanted to hear the spiritual advice of such saintly men and women – so far from getting the peace they wanted, the clamour of spirit-hungry humanity followed them. It was not so easy to escape from the fleshpots.

Moses has a slightly different situation to deal with. Having escaped from their slavery in Egypt, the People of Israel have had enough of the desert wandering – their patience in the search for the Promised Land is wearing thin. It is reported that the people are grumbling – a common theme in the scriptures – and that compared to all this freedom and lack of certainty, hunger, scarcity of comforts, endless travelling with seemingly no destination in sight – they lament the sort of lives they had in the fleshpots of Egypt.

Please, let us go back to them. We had everything there, and here we have nothing. How can this be better? What is God up to? Why are we following you, Moses and Aaron? Give us fleshpots any time.

The grumbling of the people is heard; their lament is noted. It is OK to grumble to God, to lament, to complain about how God might be responsible for our lamentable condition. There is a lovely verse in Psalm 56 (vs 8) ‘You have counted up my groaning; put my tears into your bottle; are they not written in your book?’ A beautiful image – our plight recorded in God’s book; our tears, the weeping of humanity, collected in his bottle and kept precious.

God hears their cries and God responds according to his nature, his essence. God gives of his bounty; God overflows with his graciousness; he gives not out of superior largesse, the noblesse oblige, but as an outpouring of himself.

Those essentials that the people associated with living in their past circumstances are provided – God provides, Yahweh Yireh.

We are told that the people are provided with quails, and the following morning with a ‘flake-like thing’, fine as hoarfrost. It is their bread. We of course would say it was their manna from heaven. The people’s needs are provided for by their God. ‘It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.’ Says Moses.

Jesus refers to this happening. He goes to the very heart of the event. It is not a human being like Moses who provided for the people, but God. It is God who provides – it is God who gave them their heavenly manna’ ‘Lord, give us this bread always’ is their response. These words resonate in the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, a prayer than nourishes us now and countless billions of the faithful down through the Christian centuries, ‘Give us this day, our daily bread.’

In our eucharist we take bread, and we take wine, and we affirm our belief that the bread is the body of Jesus, the wine the blood of Jesus. ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.’

The eucharist is at the heart of our faith and practice – but our understanding of our daily bread widens beyond just our physical needs – our daily sustenance. God provides also for his whole church. He sustains us with the daily calling of his people –  each one of us, with no exceptions – that we may each sustain and nourish each other; our daily bread to sustain us in our faithful witness, both within and beyond our sacred gathering.

By God’s divine provision God calls us into ministry to feed one another spiritually, to feed the world spiritually. We are literally, each of us, bread for the world. Our bread is God’s grace – give us this daily, Father in heaven.

St. Paul informs us that ‘grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.’ (Eph 4,7). The divine gift is Christ’s very church – and this is you and me (and a good many other people besides). God takes us as we are and by his glorious alchemy he calls us into being ‘apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors teachers’ not for the sake of the individuals who have such ministries, but, as St. Paul says ‘to equip the saints (that’s you and me in St. Paul’s language) for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ’ so that we may grow together ‘to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.’ (Eph 4, 13). This is the real thing. This is not some dainty confectionary, but the bread of life for the feeding of the body of Christ. ‘Lord, give us this bread always’.

As we go through life – sometimes faithful, sometimes grumbling, sometimes having a clear vision sometimes cloudy, sometimes going through real personal sacrifice sometimes yearning for those fleshpots (that rather dubious place preferred by the grumbling Israelites), we pray and yearn for our daily bread that we may be sustained and nourished from the boundless generosity of our God.

To bring us to a close I would like us to sing that great and rousing hymn as we reflect on the bread of heaven.

Guide me, O thou great Redeemer,

Pilgrim through this barren land;

I am weak, but thou art mighty,

Hold me with thy powerful hand.

Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,

Feed me now and evermore.