sermon news
26/03/2021 In Sermons & Services, Uncategorized

Sermon for the second Sunday in Lent – 28th Marach 2021: Romans 4, 13 – end; Mark 8, 31 – end

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

 

Lent 2021.  Readings: Romans 4, 13-end; Mark 8, 31-end

We begin by recognizing a few current factors. First of all, congratulations to the Greek nation and people on the 200th Anniversary of Independence from Ottoman rule. Καλή Επανάσταση – Happy Revolution. I notice that part of that second word ‘epanastasi’ incorporates the word Greek uses for  resurrection.

We note also that in the Latin, or Western Calendar, today is Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week – even though Anglicans in Greece are observing the Orthodox date for this year only, so our Holy Week is some time off yet.

Thirdly we offer our prayerful solidarity with our Jewish friends, in particular the Jewish Community here in Athens. This week is the Passover Week. The Chief Rabbi, Gabriel Negron, preached in St. Paul’s Church in January 2020, and he preached so well, and was so popular that I will make sure he does NOT get a second invitation! I spoke with him last week, and he reminded me that we have an outstanding invitation for me to preach at the Athens Synagogue, and that we agreed our congregation would have a visit to the Synagogue when the lifting of restrictions will permit it.  Kosher and joyous Passover.

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sermon news
22/03/2021 In Sermons & Services

Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent – 21st March 2021: GENESIS 9:8-17, MARK 1;9-15

Wilderness Story –  Deacon Christine Saccali

May God be on my lips and in all our hearts Amen

 

The desert waits

ready for those who come,

we who come obedient to the Spirit’s leading

or who are driven

because they will not come any other way.

The desert always waits,

ready to let us know who we are-

the place of self discovery.

And whilst we fear, and rightly,

the loneliness and emptiness and harshness,

we forget the angels,

whom we cannot see for our blindness,

but who come when God decides

that we need their help,

when we are ready

for what they can give us.

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sermon news
15/03/2021 In Sermons & Services

Sermon for Sunday 14th March 2021- Mothering Sunday: Exodus 2, 1-10; John 19, 25-27)

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

 

There are so many different strands or themes to this Sunday. In the churches of the United Kingdom it is Mothering Sunday – an example of a social custom that was ‘Christianized’ to great effect, and under normal circumstances this is a Sunday that lends itself to very good evangelization, especially among young families. As well as being a special opportunity to give thanks for our mothers, and maybe spoil them a bit, it also lends itself to the memory of mothers now departed, mothers estranged, mothers never known, mothers who did not live up to expectations. This Mothering Sunday is a flexible day in terms of its function. It can be, as Shakespeare hinted, a ‘bitter sweet’ day.

The church can also link the nation’s focus on mothers with the image of the motherhood of the church – nurturing, guiding, comforting, supporting, encouraging the household of faith, just as a good mother would her children.

So too can we reflect on Mary, the Mother of Christ, Theotokos, as she is known in the Orthodox Church.

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07/03/2021 In Sermons & Services

Sermon for Sunday 7th March 2020: Romans 8, 18-25; Matthew 6, 25-34)

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

 

Greece has many wonderful traditions. Some are deeply connected to religious festivals; some are not, and some fall in between. All of them touch in one way or another on family celebration or community gathering, which is why a second year of denial because of the pandemic is particularly challenging. Government restrictions to fight the virus are the very antithesis of everything it means to be Greek or to be living alongside Greek social customs. This is no criticism of the Government by the way, as they seem left with precious few choices than to prevent us all gathering socially.

This annual round of family, community and religious observances create the very character, spirit and identity of Greeks. Such observances are particularly frequent as we approach Lent, Holy Week and Easter, and this year because of the pandemic, we as Anglicans are observing the Greek Orthodox dates for these, rather than the Western church dates.

Thursday (4th March) was tsiknopempti – which could be translated as ‘charcoal Thursday’. On this day there is a chance to celebrate meat – not a day aimed at vegetarians or vegans. Even in central Athens barbecue grills will appear by the roadside, various meats or souvlaki will be grilled and shared with those who pass by. In villages the whole community will gather around a huge spit roast, bringing whatever is needed to accompany the meat. It may be called ‘Charcoal Thursday’, but this is not to be confused in any way with what may know as Ash Wednesday.

Today, the 2nd Sunday before Lent is referred to as ‘Meat Fare Sunday’. This Sunday introduces a gradual approach to the rigours of Lent, for from today onwards there is an abstention from eating meat. It is a step of preparation, so that the full immersion into fasting is not too much of a shock. It is also known as ‘Judgement Sunday’.

Stage 2 in this process is next Sunday, ‘Cheese Fare Sunday’, also the Sunday named ‘Forgiveness Sunday’. During the week between these two Sundays there have been two full Lenten Fasting days, Wednesday and Friday, and on these days even the Eucharist is not celebrated, hinting at the personal denials that are just around the corner.

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sermon news
27/02/2021 In Sermons & Services

Sermon for Sunday 28th February 2021: 1 Samuel 3, 1-10; Mark 2, 23-3,6.

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

 

‘The word of the Lord was rare in those days’ (1 Sam 3, 1) words that begin the story of the calling of Samuel.

We often have bible studies here in Athens, for the last year provided by Zoom gatherings, but previously in person. We invariably use a method of sitting with the scriptures called in Latin Lectio Divina. It is a method that allows silent reading of a passage of scripture, then reading it aloud, each person reading one or two verses each, then some silence, followed by each participant deciding on a single word or very brief phrase, which we then go on as a group to develop in conversation. It is a good, inclusive method of looking at scripture together. It allows us to ‘dig down’ into scripture, a helpful phrase that Deacon Christine gave us last week in her sermon.

This method of digging down into scripture originates in the monastic tradition, but is now commonplace in parish life for study groups.

If we applied this method of Lectio Divina to the passage from 1 Samuel, our OT reading for this Sunday, it would be interesting to see which word, or short phrase each person would chose.

I prefer when people just choose one word, but some latitude is needed, so for me, I would chose this short phrase, ‘The word of the Lord was rare in those days’.

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sermon news
23/02/2021 In Sermons & Services

Sermon for Sunday 21st February 2021: ISAIAH 43: 18-25, MARK 2 :1-12

Deacon Chris Saccali – St Paul’s Athens

 

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

In difficult times it is wise to think outside the box, I do not mean illegally, but to work with others for the common good and our own well-being. That premise stood well this week in the snow lockdown in our little cul-de-sac. When a few of us heard the bulldozer come to clear the road, we rushed out some with shovels others with grit to make sure the snow was not dumped in front of anyone’s gate so we could all eventually get out. Once we start thinking exclusively introspectively and selfishly, we have lost the ability to see the bigger picture and gain perspective and help ourselves and others.

 

In the all too familiar story of the paralysed man we heard today as recorded by Mark but also narrated in Matthew and Luke, we hear of four friends thinking laterally, out of the box. In this case, through the roof, literally digging down, the Greek verb  εξορυξαντες, the root of the word  ορυχειο mine, for there was no way they could enter the house in Capernaum through the door.

Presumably it was the same house belonging to Peter mentioned in the previous chapter where he healed the leper, to which Jesus had returned because of the crowds. And these pals were encumbered by carrying  their incapacitated friend on a stretcher. How could they circumvent this and get near the healer, whose reputation was rapidly spreading despite his insistence and instructions to keep things secret? This time the house had been turned into a teaching area with huge numbers listening in. Then someone or all of them had a bright idea. Lower the stretcher through the skylight. I don’t really think this was a big deal as there were probably steps up to the roof but it would certainly grab everyone’s attention and it would need steady, strong  hands and working in co-operation. This would also attract Jesus, the rabbi, expounding below and divert the listeners.

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