Easter Vigil Liturgy – Saturday 30th March 2024

We gather outside in the church garden for the Service of Light.

Introduction

Blessing of the new Paschal Candle

Priest:  May the light of Christ, rising in glory, banish all darkness from our hearts and minds.

As we enter the church with the priest carrying the candle:

Priest: The light of Christ   All: Thanks be to God  (three times as the peoples’ candles are lit.)

When the Paschal Candle has been placed in the stand the priest sings:

The Exultet  (this is an ancient hymn that records God’s saving action in Christ)

Priest: As we await the risen Christ, let us hear the record of God’s saving deeds in history recalling how he saved his people in ages past, and in the fulness of time, sent his Son to be our Redeemer: and let us pray that through this Easter celebration God may bring to perfection in each of us the saving work he has begun. As we keep vigil we receive and respond to scriptural readings that tell of ‘renewal’ that comes from God.

Readings: (please sit) Between each reading the priest prays a Collect.

Genesis 22:1-18

Collect: Almighty God,

whose chosen servant Abraham

faithfully obeyed your call

and rejoiced in your promise

that, in him, all the families of the earth should be blessed:

give us a faith like his,

that, in us, your promises may be fulfilled;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.

All   Amen.

Exodus 14. 10-31

Collect : Lord God our redeemer,

who heard the cry of your people

and sent your servant Moses to lead them out of slavery:

free us from the tyranny of sin and death

and, by the leading of your Spirit,

bring us to our promised land;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All   Amen.

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Liturgy for Good Friday – 29th March 2024

We gather at the Altar of Repose in the church garden. The Sacrament was placed here last night and is the ‘pre-sanctified’ bread for today’s Holy Communion.

The Clergy and people enter the church in silence, a Minister carrying the Sacrament of the ’pre-sanctified’ and placing it on the altar.

Priest: Almighty Father, look with mercy on this your family for which our Lord  Jesus Christ was content to be betrayed and given up into the hands of wicked men and to suffer death upon the cross: who is alive and glorified with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

First Reading: (please sit)   Isaiah 52, 13- 53: 12

See, my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. Just as there were many who were astonished at him—so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals—so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.  Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper. Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Reader: This is the word of the Lord

All:         Thanks be to God

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Service for Holy Thursday – 28th March 2024

Holy Thursday Liturgy

19.30 hrs

Entrance Hymn   271 (Hyfrydol) Alleluya, sing to Jesus

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 introduces the Liturgy of the day.

Assistant: Have mercy on us, O God in your great goodness.

Kyrie Eleison.

All:          Kyrie Eleison

Assistant: Against you only have we sinned

Christ Eleison.

All:         Christe Eleison

Assistant: Purge us from our sins and we shall be clean

Kyrie Eleison

All:         Kyrie Eleison

All:         Holy God,

               Holy and strong,

               Holy and immortal,

               Have mercy upon us.

Priest:    Almighty God, who forgives all those who truly repent, have mercy upon you; pardon and deliver you from all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness, and bring to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

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Service for Palm Sunday – 24th March 2024

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens.  We will begin outside with the blessing of palm crosses and process into church.  Do stay for coffee in the church garden after the Liturgy.

The presiding priest is Fr Marcus Ronchetti. The deacon is The Revd. Deacon Christine Saccali.

 Liturgy of Palms (in the Garden)

All:  Hosanna to the Son of David, the King of Israel. Blessed is he who comes in the name of      the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Priest:  Behold your king comes to you, O Zion, meek and lowly, sitting upon an ass. Ride on in the cause of truth and for the sake of justice. Your throne is the throne of God, it endures for ever; and the sceptre of your kingdom is a righteous sceptre. You have loved righteousness and hated evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.

All:   Hosanna to the Son of David, the King of Israel. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Priest: Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, during Lent we have been preparing by works of love and self-sacrifice for the celebration of our Lord’s death and resurrection. Today we come together to begin this solemn celebration in union with the Church throughout the world. Christ enters his own city to complete his work as our Saviour, to suffer, to die, and to rise again. Let us go with him in faith and love, so that, united with him in his sufferings, we may share his risen life.

The people hold up palms or branches while this prayer is said by the priest

God our Saviour, whose Son Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem as Messiah to suffer and to die; let these palms +  be for us signs of his victory and grant that we who bear them in his name may ever hail him as our King, and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Service for Passion Sunday – 17th March 2024

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. There is coffee in the garden after the liturgy.

The presiding priest and preacher is Fr. Marcus Ronchetti. The deacon is Deacon Christine Saccali.

At the door (please turn)

Priest:    Give us true repentance; forgive us our sins of negligence and ignorance and our

deliberate sins: and grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit to amend our lives

according to your holy word.

All:           Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.]

Entrance Hymn    62 (Herzliebster Jesu) Ah, holy Jesu, how hast thou offended

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 and stillness follows

Deacon: We confess to you our selfishness and lack of love: fill us with your Spirit.

Kyrie eleison

All:          Kyrie eleison

Deacon:  We confess to you our fear and failure in sharing our faith: fill us with your Spirit.

Christe eleison

All:          Christe eleison

Deacon: We confess to you our stubbornness and lack of trust: fill us with your Spirit.

Kyrie eleison

All:          Kyrie eleison

Absolution:  Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you your sins, and bring you to everlasting life.  Amen.

Collect:  Let us pray    (remain standing as the priest prays the Collect of the Day) 

Most merciful God, who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ delivered and saved the world: grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross we may triumph in the power of his victory: through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

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Service for the 4th Sunday in Lent – 10th March 2024

Mothering Sunday

Welcome to St. Paul’s. If you are visiting, or here

for the first time please do stay behind for coffee

in the church garden after the Liturgy. Today we celebrate Mothering Sunday.

Presiding Priest and preacher: Fr. Marcus Ronchetti      

Deacon: Revd Deacon Christine Saccali

Entrance Hymn  381 (Ewing) Jerusalem the golden

Priest:            In the name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

All:                  Amen.                                                                                                                      

Priest:            The Lord be with you

All:                  And also with you

Welcome

Words by Jonny Baker, taken from the book: ‘The Hospitality of God’ by Michael Perham

Deacon:        All are invited, all are included

All are made welcome, none are excluded

This is the table of Christ

Come if you’re young, come if you’re old

Come if you’re broken, come if you’re whole

Come if you’re weary of the trials of life

This is the table of Christ.

Introduction

The priest welcomes everyone and introduces the service – all are invited to receive Holy Communion.

Confession

There will be a short moment of silence as we bring to mind our wrongdoings

Deacon:        Lord, you are gracious and compassionate:

Lord, have mercy.

All:                  Lord, have mercy.

Deacon:        You are loving to all and your mercy is over all your creation:

Christ, have mercy.

All:                  Christ, have mercy.

Deacon:        Your faithful servants bless your name and speak of your glory:

Lord, have mercy.

All:                  Lord, have mercy.

Absolution   (as we hear the words of God’s forgiveness)

May Almighty God, who sent his Son into the world to save sinners, bring you his pardon and peace.

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Service for the Third Sunday in Lent- 3rd March 2024

SERVICE FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT – 3rd MARCH 2024

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens.  Please stay and have coffee after the liturgy. 

The presiding priest and preacher is Fr Marcus Ronchetti. The deacon is Deacon Christine Saccali.

Entry Greeting  

Minister: Give us true repentance; forgive us our sins of negligence and ignorance and our deliberate sins: and grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit to amend our lives according to your holy word.

All:             Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.

Entrance Hymn    74 (Stockton) O for a heart to praise my God

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 the deacon leads us into Confession.

Silence and stillness follows for a few moments

Deacon:    We confess to you our selfishness and lack of love: fill us with your Spirit.

Kyrie eleison

All:             Kyrie eleison

Deacon:    We confess to you our fear and failure in sharing our faith: fill us with your Spirit.

Christe eleison

All:             Christe eleison

Deacon:    We confess to you our stubbornness and lack of trust: fill us with your Spirit.

Kyrie eleison

All:             Kyrie eleison

Priest:       May Almighty God, who sent his Son into the world to save sinners, bring you his pardon and peace.

All:             Amen.

Collect:  Let us pray    (remain standing as the priest prays the Collect of the Day)   

Eternal God, give us insight to discern your will for us, to give up what harms us, and to seek the perfection we are promised in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

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Service for the Second Sunday of Lent – 25th February 2024

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens.  Please stay and have coffee after the liturgy. 

The presiding priest and preacher is Fr Marcus Ronchetti. The Assistant is Lay Reader Nelly Paraskevopoulou

Entry Greeting  

Minister: Give us true repentance; forgive us our sins of negligence and ignorance and our

deliberate sins: and grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit to amend our lives

according to your holy word.

All:             Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.]

Entrance Hymn     445 (Petra) Rock of ages, cleft for me

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 the assistant leads us into Confession.

Silence and stillness follows for a few moments

Assistant: We confess to you our selfishness and lack of love: fill us with your Spirit.

Kyrie eleison

All:             Kyrie eleison

Assistant: We confess to you our fear and failure in sharing our faith: fill us with your Spirit.

Christe eleison

All:            Christe eleison

Assistant:  We confess to you our stubbornness and lack of trust: fill us with your Spirit.

Kyrie eleison

All:             Kyrie eleison

Priest:       May Almighty God, who sent his Son into the world to save sinners, bring you

his pardon and peace.

All:             Amen.

Collect:  Let us pray    (remain standing as the priest prays the Collect of the Day)   

Almighty God, by the prayer and discipline of Lent may we enter into the mystery of Christ’s sufferings, and by following his Way may we come to share in his glory; through Jesus Christ our

Lord.  Amen.

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Notes for contemplation from the Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent -18th February 2024

Fr. Marcus Ronchetti – St Paul’s Athens

• The Gospel, representation of the Trinity – This is my Son with whom I am well pleased.
• Blessings Abound
• Then into the Wilderness. Thinking, being tempted, focussing. How best to share what he has, what he knows, who he is? Decides to tell stories, and in so doing changes the world.
• Stories mean stuff. They convey truths and take us deeper into all of our relationships. So here are a couple for you as we begin Lent.

• Stop car to watch beautiful sunset. Sense of awe and wonder, and you focus on God.
• Time passes. Car, shopping, ready meals, crap tv, mind numbing! bookface / tictoc. Gossip with friends about your other friends, and before you know it you are making judgements.
• Why do I let myself get spun out to the edges of my enjoyment and fill my time with ‘Stuff, when I absolutely know where there is Bliss.

• Inherit a beautiful mansion. Brilliant specifications, beautifully furnished and decorated. Big four poster beds, wonderfully appointed kitchen etc etc. Go and look – absolute joy – but you don’t have keys.
• Live in a tent round the back.
• Weekend, BBQ friends and relatives come and look. Beautiful.
• Ladder up to look in the bedroom windows. Wow. So nice. Yes, well I like it – but i don’t have the keys.
• Later on, speaking to your Spiritual director or whoever. And you tell them all about it. They say, what do you mean you don’t have the keys. You live in the mansion. Oh, I am not worthy to even think about living in there. But you do. Confusion. Jesus calls it darkness.
• It is not the real you. Your shadow self. Your ego that drags you down.

The real you is made in the image of God, and he loves you, and continues to love you day by day. Our Lenten task is to accept who we are and how much we are loved and perhaps to try and let go of the things that get in the way

Service for the 1st Sunday in Lent – 18th February 2024

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens.  Please stay and have coffee after the liturgy. 

The presiding priest and preacher is Fr. Marcus Ronchetti. The deacon is The Revd. Deacon Christine Saccali.

Entrance Hymn     376 (Kingsfold) I heard the voice of Jesus say

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 the deacon leads us into Confession.

Silence and stillness follows for a few moments

Deacon: We confess to you our selfishness and lack of love: fill us with your Spirit.

Kyrie eleison

All:          Kyrie eleison

Deacon:  We confess to you our fear and failure in sharing our faith: fill us with your Spirit.

Christe eleison

All:          Christe eleison

Deacon:  We confess to you our stubbornness and lack of trust: fill us with your Spirit.

Kyrie eleison

All:          Kyrie eleison

Priest:    May Almighty God, who sent his Son into the world to save sinners, bring you

his pardon and peace.

All:          Amen.

Collect:  Let us pray    (remain standing as the priest prays the Collect of the Day)   

Heavenly Father,

your Son battled with the powers of darkness,

and grew closer to you in the desert:

help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayer

that we may witness to your saving love

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

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