Service Sheet for Sunday 2nd November – All Saints (Hallowmas)

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

Processional: 226 (Deerhurst) Hark! the sound of holy voices

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 24

Gradual: 341 (Franconia) Blest are the pure in heart

Offertory: 197 (Sine Nomine) For all the saints, who from their labours rest

Communion: 500 (Irish) Thy kingdom come! on bended knee

Recessional: 231 (All Saints) Who are these, like stars appearing

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.

The setting of the Gloria is on page 559 in the New English Hymnal

A reading from the Apocalypse of St. John the Theologian (7: 2-4, 9-14) I, John, saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.

After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and hold- ing palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’

One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord.’ Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.’

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 24: Blessed those men who seek your face, O Lord

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, the world and all its peoples.

It is he who set it on the seas;

on the waters he made it firm. (Response)

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?

Who shall stand in his holy place?

The man with clean hands and pure heart,

who desires not worthless things. (Response)

He shall receive blessings from the Lord

and reward from the God who saves him.

Such are the men who seek him,

seek the face of the God of Jacob. (Response)

A reading from the first letter of John (3: 1-3)

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children;

and that is what we are.

Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us.

My dear people, we are already the children of God

but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is, that when it is revealed

we shall be like him

because we shall see him as he really is.

Surely everyone who entertains this hope

must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.

The word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia!

Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest, says the Lord. Alleluia!

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (5: 1-12a)

Glory to you, O Lord.

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them: ‘How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the king-

dom of heaven. Happy the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage. Happy those who mourn: they shall be comforted. Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be satis-

fied. Happy the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them. Hap- py the pure in heart: they shall see God. Happy the peacemakers:

they shall be called sons of God. Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be

glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’

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

The setting of the Nicene Creed is on page 562 in the New English Hymnal.

O Almighty and most merciful God, of thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech thee, from all things that may hurt us;

that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accom- plish those things that thou wouldest have done; through Jesus

Christ our Lord. Amen. (Twentieth Sunday after Trinity; BCP)

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

Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments Monday 3rd November: 10 a.m.; Low Mass (Faithful Departed) Wednesday 5th November: 10 a.m.; Low Mass

Sunday 9th November: 10 a.m.; Sung Mass (Remembrance Sunday)

Christmas Bazaar: Sunday, 23rd November (Caravel Hotel). Volunteers sought for all manner of tasks; please speak to either of

the churchwardens if you are able to assist on the day.

Donations Welcome!

We’d love your donations of books, toys, women’s clothing, bric-a-brac, and gifts to support our upcoming church event.
The church will be open to receive items from Monday, 17 November, to Saturday, 22 November.

Please kindly wait until Monday, 17 November to bring your donations, as we don’t have space to store them beforehand.

Thank you so much for your generosity and support — it truly makes a difference! 💛

Community Connect Coffee Morning: Thursday 13th Nov. Apollo- nos 6 (Swedish Community Building) (10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.)

Mission to Seafarers: Christmas boxes for seafarers; unused toilet- ries collected for mariners. Details from Nelly Paraskevopoulou

The Friends of St. Paul’s: please speak to Dimitris Ramantanoglou about becoming a Friend of St. Paul’s Church.

Study group & pilgrimage walking group: details from Fr. Benjamin

Servers’ Group: details from Fr. Benjamin or Oliver Knight

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 SSC

frbenjamindrury@gmail.com;

Home tel.: 210 72 14 906

Church email address:   anglican@otenet.gr

Assistant Chaplain: Deacon Christine Saccali: 697 737 7655

Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling: 694 6072428

Facebook @AnglicanAthens                    www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

saintpaulsathens.bsky.social

Service Sheet for Sunday 26th October 2025 – 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

Processional: 391 (Gwalchmai) King of glory, King of peace

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 34

Offertory: 498 (Everton) Son of God, eternal Saviour

Communion: 492 (King’s Lynn) O God of earth and altar

Recessional: 436 (Praise, My Soul) Praise, my soul, the King of heaven

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 Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) (35: 12-14, 16-19)

The Lord is a judge

who is no respecter of personages.

He shows no respect of personages to the detriment of a poor man, he listens to the plea of the injured party.

He does not ignore the orphan’s supplication, nor the widow’s as she pours out her story.

The man who with his whole heart serves God will be accepted, his petitions will carry to the clouds.

The humble man’s prayer pierces the clouds, until it arrives he is inconsolable,

nor will he desist until the Most High takes notice of him, acquits the virtuous and delivers judgement.

And the Lord will not be slow,

nor will he be dilatory on their behalf.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 34: This poor man called; the Lord has heard him.

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)

The Lord turns his face against the wicked

to destroy their remembrance from the earth.

The just call and the Lord hears

and rescues them in all their distress. (Response)

The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;

those whose spirit is crushed he will save. The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants.

Those who hide in him shall not be condemned. (Response)

A reading from the second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy (4: 6-8, 16-18)

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 first time I had to present my defence, there was not a single witness to support me. Every one of them deserted me – may they not be held accountable for it. But 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!

God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,

and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled. Alleluia! The Lord be with you. And also with you.

+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (18: 9-14)

Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else: ‘Two men

went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I

thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.” The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

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

The setting of the Nicene Creed is on page 562 in the Hymnal.

——————-

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. (BCP Collect: Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity)

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

Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments

Wednesday 29th October: 10 a.m.; Low Mass

Sunday 2nd November: 10 a.m.; Sung Mass (All Saints)

Christmas Bazaar: Sunday, 23rd November (Caravel Hotel). Volunteers sought for all manner of tasks; please speak to either of the churchwardens if you are able to assist on the day.

Mission to Seafarers: collection for Christmas boxes for seafarers: details to be announced.

Community Connect Coffee Morning: Thurs. 13th November

(Swedish Community Building, Apollonos 6, 105 57)

The Friends of St. Paul’s: please speak to Dimitris Ramantanoglou about becoming a Friend of St. Paul’s Church.

Study group & pilgrimage walking group: details from Fr. Benjamin

Servers’ Group: speak to Fr. Benjamin or Oliver Knight.

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 SSC

frbenjamindrury@gmail.com;

Home tel.: 210 72 14 906

anglican@otenet.gr

Assistant Chaplain: Deacon Christine Saccali: 697 737 7655

Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling: 694 6072428

Facebook @AnglicanAthens                    www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

saintpaulsathens.bsky.social

Service Sheet for Sunday 19th October 2025 – 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

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

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 121

Gradual: 358 (Rievaulx) Father of heaven, whose love profound

Offertory: 188 (Daily Daily) Ye who own the faith of Jesus

Communion: 383 (Aberstywyth) Jesu, Lover of my soul

Recessional: 466 (Moscow) Thou whose almighty word

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 Exodus (17: 8-13)

The Amalekites came and attacked Israel at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, ‘Pick out men for yourself, and tomorrow morning march out to engage Amalek. I, meanwhile, will stand on the hilltop, the staff of God in my hand.’ Joshua did as Moses told him and marched out to engage Amalek, while Moses and Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill. As long as Moses kept his arms raised, Israel had the ad- vantage; when he let his arms fall, the advantage went to Amalek. But Moses’ arms grew heavy, so they took a stone and put it under him and on this he sat, Aaron and Hur supporting his arms, one on one side, one on the other; and his arms remained firm till sunset. With the edge of the sword Joshua cut down Amalek and his people.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 121: Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall come my help?

My help shall come from the Lord

who made heaven and earth. (Response)

May he never allow you to stumble!

Let him sleep not, your guard.

No, he sleeps not nor slumbers, Israel’s guard. (Response)

The Lord is your guard and your shade;

at your right side he stands.

By day the sun shall not smite you

nor the moon in the night. (Response)

The Lord will guard you from evil,

he will guard your soul.

The Lord will guard your going and coming

both now and for ever. (Response)

A reading from the second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy (3: 14 – 4: 2)

You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teachers were, and how, ever since you were a    child, you have known the holy scriptures – from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people’s lives and teaching them to be holy. This is how the man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work.  Before God and before Christ Jesus who is to be judge of the living and the dead, I put this duty to you, in the name of his Appearing and of his kingdom: proclaim the message and, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, call to obedience – but do all with patience and with the intention of teaching.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our mind,

so that we can see what hope his call holds for us. Alleluia!

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (18: 1-8)

Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. ‘There was a judge in a certain town’ he said ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, “I want

justice from you against my enemy!” For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, “Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.”’

And the Lord said ‘You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’

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

The setting of the Nicene Creed is on page 562 in the Hymnal.

————————–

Lord, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP Collect: Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity)

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

Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments

Sunday 19th October: 6 p.m.; Choral Evensong (Schola Cantorum S. Pauli)

Wednesday 22nd October: 10 a.m.; Low Mass

Sunday 26th October: 10 a.m.; Sung Mass

Christmas Bazaar: Sunday, 23rd November (Caravel Hotel). Volunteers sought for all manner of tasks; please speak to either of the churchwardens if you are able to assist on the day. The church will be open to receive donations during the week prior to the bazaar.

Mission to Seafarers: collection of toiletries for Christmas boxes for seafarers: details to be announced.

The Friends of St. Paul’s: please speak to Dimitris Ramantanoglou about becoming a Friend of St. Paul’s Church.

Study group & pilgrimage 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 SSC

frbenjamindrury@gmail.com;

Church email address: anglican@otenet.gr

Home tel.: 210 72 14 906

Assistant Chaplain: Deacon Christine Saccali: 697 737 7655

Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling: 694 6072428

Facebook @AnglicanAthens                    www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

saintpaulsathens.bsky.social

Service Sheet for Sunday 12th October 2025 – 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

Processional: 374 (St. Peter) How sweet the name of Jesus sounds

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 98 (535 in the New English Hymnal)

Gradual: 324 (St. Matthew) Thine arm, O Lord, in days of old

Offertory: 378 (Bishopthorpe) Immortal love for ever full

Communion: 385 (St. Botolph) Jesu, the very thought of thee

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

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 second Book of Kings (5: 14-17)

Naaman the leper went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, as Elisha had told him to do. And his flesh became clean once more like the flesh of a little child.

Returning to Elisha with his whole escort, he went in and stood before him. ‘Now I know’ he said ‘that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. Now, please, accept a present from your servant.’

But Elisha replied, ‘As the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing.’ Naaman pressed him to accept, but he refused.

Then Naaman said, ‘Since your answer is “No,” allow your servant to be given as much earth as two mules may carry, because your servant will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any god except the Lord.’

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 98 (text at 535 in the New English Hymnal)

A reading from the second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy (2: 8-13)

Remember the Good News that I carry, ‘Jesus Christ risen from the dead, sprung from the race of David’; it is on account of this that I have my own hardships to bear, even to being chained like a criminal – but they cannot chain up God’s news. So I bear it all for the sake of those who are chosen, so that in the end they may have the salvation that is in Christ Jesus and the eternal glory that comes with it. Here is a saying that you can rely on:

If we have died with him, then we shall live with him. If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him.

If we disown him, then he will disown us.

We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful

for he cannot disown his own self.

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 Luke (17: 11-19)

Glory to you, O Lord.

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one of the villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood some way off and called to him,

‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.’ When he saw them he said, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ Now as they were going away they were cleansed. Finding himself cured, one of them turned back

praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. This made Jesus say, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.’

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

The setting of the Nicene Creed is on page 562 in the Hymnal.

——————————-

Lord, we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and folow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP Collect: Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity).

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

Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments

Wednesday 15th October: 10 a.m.; Low Mass

Sunday 19th October: 10 a.m.; Sung Mass

Harvest Festival: Saturday, 18th October (Kokotos Estate, Stamata)

There is a sign-up sheet in church for those who wish to attend: please also indicate thereon if you wish to travel with the coach.

The coach will depart from church at 10:00 a.m. and, after the

festivities, leave Stamata at 4:30 p.m. If you are able to contribute towards the food for the luncheon, please speak to Lynn Stavrou.

Dried goods and other imperishables will be collected for donation.

Christmas Bazaar: Sunday, 23rd November (Caravel Hotel)

Mission to Seafarers: collection for Christmas boxes for seafarers: details to be announced.

The Friends of St. Paul’s: please speak to Dimitris Ramantanoglou about becoming a Friend of St. Paul’s Church.

Study group & pilgrimage 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

anglican@otenet.gr (Church e-mail address)

Assistant Chaplain: Deacon Christine Saccali: 697 737 7655

Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling: 694 6072428

Facebook @AnglicanAthens                    www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

saintpaulsathens.bsky.social

Service Sheet for Sunday 5th October 2025 – 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant The Rt. Rev’d Dr Robert Innes

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

Processional: 495 (Benson) God is working his purpose out

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 95

Gradual: 431 (Hereford) O thou who camest from above

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

Communion: 280 (Schmucke Dich) Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness

Recessional: 392 (Sandon) Lead, kindly Light

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 Habakkuk (1: 2-3, 2: 2-4)

How long, O Lord, am I to cry for help while you will not listen; to cry ‘Oppression!’ in your ear and you will not save?

Why do you set injustice before me, why do you look on where there is tyranny? Outrage and violence, this is all I see, all is contention, and discord flourishes.

Then the Lord answered and said, ‘Write the vision down, inscribe it on tablets to be easily read, since this vision is for its own time only: eager for its own fulfilment, it does not deceive; if it comes slowly, wait, for come it will, without fail. See how he flags, he whose soul is not at rights, but the upright man will live by his faithfulness.’

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 95: O, that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.’

Come, ring out our joy to the Lord; hail the rock who saves us.

Let us come before him, giving thanks,

with songs let us hail the Lord. (Response)

Come in; let us bow and bend low;

let us kneel before the God who made us: for he is our God and we

the people who belong to his pasture,

the flock that is led by his hand. (Response)

O that today you would listen to his voice!

‘Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as on that day at Massah in the desert

when your fathers put me to the test;

when they tried me, though they saw my work.’ (Response)

A reading from the second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy (1: 6-8, 13-14) I am reminding you to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. So you are never

to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord, or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but with me, bear the hardships for the sake of the

Good News, relying on the power of God.

Keep as your pattern the sound teaching you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. You have been trusted to look after something precious; guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

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 Luke (17: 5-10)

Glory to you, O Lord.

The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this

mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.

‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and

have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I

eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with

you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’

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

The setting of the Nicene Creed is on page 562 in the Hymnal.

O Lord, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP Collect: Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity)

• Church Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments
• Wednesday 8th October: 10am Low Mass; Sunday 12th October: 10am Sung Mass
• Coffee Morning: Thurs. 9th October; 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (churchyard gardens)
• Harvest Festival: Saturday, 18th October (Kokotos Estate, Stamata) There is a sign-up sheet in church for those who wish to attend: please also indicate if you wish to travel with the coach.  The coach will depart from church at 10:00 a.m. and, after the festivities, leave Stamata at 4:30 p.m. If you are able to contribute towards the food for the luncheon, please speak to Lynn Stavrou.   Donations of Dried goods and other imperishables for the Harvest Festival will be gratefully received.
• Christmas Bazaar: Sunday, 23rd November (Caravel Hotel)
• Mission to Seafarers: collection for Christmas boxes for seafarers: details to be announced.
• The Friends of St. Paul’s: please speak to Dimitris Ramantanoglou about becoming a Friend of St. Paul’s Church.
• Study group & pilgrimage 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 SSC frbenjamindrury@gmail.com;

Home tel.: 210 72 14 906

anglican@otenet.gr (Church e-mail address)

Assistant Chaplain: Deacon Christine Saccali: 697 737 7655

Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling: 694 6072428

Facebook @AnglicanAthens                    www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

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Sevice Sheet for Sunday 28th September 2025 – 26th Sunday in Ordinary time

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Welcome to our liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

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

Responsorial Psalm:  Ps 146

Gradual: 481 (Vienna), Jesus Lord we look to thee

Offertory: 406 (Melita): O Christ the Lord, O Christ the King

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

Recessional: 377 (St Denio),  Immortal Invisible, God only Wise

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 Amos (6: 1, 4-7)

The almighty Lord says this:

Woe to those ensconced so snugly in Zion and to those who feel so safe on the mountain of Samaria, those famous men of this first of nations to whom the House of Israel goes as client. Lying on ivory beds and sprawling on their divans, they dine on lambs from the flock, and stall-fattened veal; they bawl to the sound of the harp, they invent new instruments of music like David, they drink wine by the bowlful, and use the finest oil for anointing themselves, but about the ruin of Joseph they do not care at all. That is why they will be the first to be exiled; the sprawlers’ revelry is over.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 146: My soul, give praise to the Lord.

It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever,

who is just to those who are oppressed.

It is he who gives bread to the hungry,

the Lord, who sets prisoners free. (Response)

It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind, who raises up those who are bowed down.

It is the Lord who loves the just,

the Lord, who protects the stranger. (Response)

The Lord upholds the widow and orphan

but thwarts the path of the wicked.

The Lord will reign for ever,

Zion’s God, from age to age. (Response)

A reading from the first Letter of St. Paul to Timothy (6: 11-16)

As a man dedicated to God, you must aim to be saintly and religious, filled with faith and love, patient and gentle. Fight the good fight of the faith and win for yourself the eternal life to which you were called when you made your profession and spoke up for the truth in front of many witnesses. Now, before God the source of all life and before Christ, who spoke up as a witness for the truth in front of Pontius Pilate, I put to you the duty of doing all that you have been told, with no faults or failures, until the Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who at the due time will be revealed by God, the blessed and only Ruler of all, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who alone is immortal, whose home is in inaccessible light, whom no man has seen and no man is able to see: to him be honour and everlasting power. Amen.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

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Sermon for Sunday 21st September 2025 – Feast of St Matthew: READINGS 2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-6, MATT 9:9-13

Deacon Chris Saccali -St Paul’s Athens

ST MATTHEW’S BACK TO BASICS

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

Happy Feast of St Matthew – Apostle, Writer and Evangelist. We will come back to those attributes later. He is generally depicted in icons with a writing implement and his gospel is long and very organised into sections. It was written definitely later than Mark even though it is first of the four gospels in the bible. Less definite is his identity and we are not going to delve into that here. Chapter 9 describes his call and mission as well as his Jewish background and profession of tax collector which had a decisive influence on his writing and aims.

I have had connections to various churches in UK who were named St Matthew’s and they are all very different. Perhaps you have connections to Matthew or you know someone of that name? Let me start with St Matthew’s, Smethwick in a multicultural part of Birmingham where my late friend Reverend Pamela  ( Pam), who led some services here a while back, was vicar for about ten years. There was also a school attached to the parish and next to the church. They are now celebrating their 170 anniversary what different times that church must have been through with their priests and faithful.

Then while I was serving on Bishop’s Council as part of Diocesan Synod for many years we would worship at St Matthew’s Westminster which was high church and very different to what I was used to and brought up in which is middle of the road. For many years the Service of the Friends of the Diocese was held there in conjunction with the timing of Bishop’s Council in October. There are adjoining meeting rooms and once I even stayed in a room in St Matthew’s vicarage which they let out.

Thirdly, I follow online St Matthew’s Burnley in the north of England  in whose parish I did a placement at the local hospice. I was supervised by the hospice Chaplain who was Methodist and also had connections with Alex Frost , a former manager of Argos the retail chain and now vicar of St Matthew’s. He is known for social justice campaigns especially for vocations to the clergy for working class and a campaign against the drug ketamine  being used by people. All this has landed him on General Synod  and he has written a book from Argos to Altar. He also has a podcast called, wait for it God Cast. Again a very different setting. Let us pray for them all and those churches which are celebrating their patronal festival today.

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Service Sheet for Sunday 21st September 2025 – Feast of St Matthew – Choral Matins

Preacher Deacon Christine Saccali

Welcome to our Liturgy of Choral Mattins
Entrance: 214 (Deus Tuorum Militum) Let the round world with songs rejoice
Psalmody: Psalm 119: 65-72 (pp. 283-284 in the Prayer Book)
First Canticle: (Sheet) (Grosser Gott) Holy God, we praise thy name

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

Hymn: 189 (Illsley) He sat to watch o’er customs paid
Final: 215 (Harts) Captains of the saintly band
All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.
Please remember that the chaplaincy in Athens neither receives no funding from the British Government nor from the Church of
England. All donations are, therefore, very gratefully received.

First Lesson: 2 Corinthians 4: 1-6
1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose
heart. 2 We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways; we
refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the
open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to every
man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is
veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the
god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep
them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who
is the like- ness of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but
Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is
the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in
our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in
the face of Christ.
The text for the Te Deum [in a metrical paraphrase] is overleaf
Second Lesson: St. Matthew 9: 9-13
9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sit-
ting at the tax office; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose
and followed him.
10 And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors
and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. 11
And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why
does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But
when he
heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician,
but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire
mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but
sinners.”
The homily follows the second lesson. Then the second canticle
(Jubi- late Deo) is sung in a metrical paraphrase, followed by the
Apostles’ Creed on page 12 of the Prayer Book.

1. Holy God, we praise thy name!
Lord of all, we bow before thee!
All on Earth thy sceptre claim,
All in Heav’n above adore thee;
Infinite thy vast domain,
Everlasting is thy reign.
2. Hark! the loud celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising!
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising,
Fill the heav’ns with sweet accord;
Holy, holy, holy, Lord!
3. Lo! the apostolic train
Join thy sacred name to hallow!
Prophets swell the loud refrain,
And the white-robed martyrs
follow,
And from morn to set of sun,
Through the Church the song
goes on.
4. Holy Father, holy Son,
Holy Spirit, Three we name thee,
Though in essence only one,
Undivided God we claim thee;
And adoring bend the knee,
While we own the mystery.
5. Thou art King of glory, Christ!
Son of God, yet born of Mary;
For us sinners sacrificed,
And to death a tributary;
First to break the bars of death,
Thou hast opened Heav’n to
faith.
6.From thy high celestial home,
Judge of all, again returning,
We believe that thou shalt come
On the dreadful doomsday morning,
When thy voice shall shake the
earth,
And the startled dead come forth.
7. Spare thy people, Lord, we
pray,
By a thousand snares surrounded;
Keep us without sin today;
Never let us be confounded!
Lo! I put my trust in thee;
Never, Lord, abandon me.
This metrical setting of the Te-Deum is a translation by C. A.
Walworth (d. 1900) of the paraphrase by Ignace Franz (d. 1790)

Collect of the Day:
O Almighty God, who by thy
blessed Son didst call Matthew
from the receipt of custom to be
an Apostle and Evangelist: Grant
us grace to forsake all covetous
desires and inordinate love of
riches, and to follow the same thy
Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and
reigneth with thee and the Holy
Ghost, one God, world without
end. Amen.

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
Collect: Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity)
Church Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments
Wednesday 24th September: 10 a.m.; Morning Prayer (BCP)
Sun. 28th September: 10 a.m.; Sung Mass
Study group & pilgrimage walking group: details from Fr. Benjamin
Harvest Festival: Saturday, 18th October (Kokotos Estate, Stamata)
There is a sign-up sheet in church for those who wish to attend:
please also indicate thereon if you wish to travel with the coach.
Contributions towards the food are needed. Please speak to Lynn
Stavrou.
Christmas Bazaar: Sunday, 23rd November (Caravel Hotel)
Volunteers sought: please speak to either of the churchwardens.
The Friends of St. Paul’s: please speak to Dimitris Ramantanoglou
about becoming a Friend of St. Paul’s Church.
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
saintpaulsathens.bsky.social

Sermon preached on Sunday 14th September 2025 – The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

I invite you to exercise your olfactory function this morning. Don’t worry it means ‘smelling’. For a moment just close your eyes and try to imagine your are moving your hand slowly, gently, through the bright green leaves of a basil plant. Try to recapture that wonderful deep scent that wafts from the leaves, filling the air around you with freshness and sweet pungency. Walking away you smell your fingers where the scent of the basil lingers longer. The amazing affect of the king of herbs, basil.

I’m calling it the king of herbs, because basil in Greek – vasilikos – means royal.

In my front garden on the island of Aegina I have a basil plant the size of a bush. I know I don’t have long legs, but when I stand beside the bush, in its elegantly shaped terra cotta pot, it stands higher than my shoulder.  Lynne and I have sent photographs of it to friends, and it has been praised from as far away as Connecticut. I will try to put the picture on the church website and Facebook. Basil, the royal herb! I’ll return to the basil in a few minutes.

One of my dear friends, who sadly passed to eternal rest some years ago, at far too early an age, was a monk at a Benedictine Abbey, and a very fine cantor, and an outstanding Guestmaster to those visiting the abbey for spiritual rebooting.

I recall disagreeing with him only once. Our disagreement was about the feast that the universal church celebrates on this day, September 14^th, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Fr. Norbert argued that there was no place for this feast day, and that it detracted from the emphasis of the cross on Good or Great Friday. For him that’s the day of the Holy Cross

I didn’t agree. Of course the Cross has its central place on Good Friday, it is the ‘crux’ of that day’s salvation event. However Good Friday is so loaded with emotion for Christians, with so many layers of conflicting feelings, devotional meditations and powerful symbolism it can feel overwhelming. On Good Friday too, the preacher has a great responsibility in attempts to share with the faithful some worthy thoughts on what it is that Christ has done for us, wrestling with the often conflicting theories of Atonement – that’s a word that refers to the purpose and outcome of Christ’s death – ransom, victory, satisfaction, penal substitution, governmental, scapegoat. How can the preacher do justice to what God is doing in Christ on that day, and how can God’s action be reduced to a theory – whichever one suits your theological aptitude best?

So much to say, to do, to contemplate – and then there are those who revel in the pain and the suffering side of the Crucifixion. My goodness the options are endless.

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Sermon for the Sunday 14th September 2025 – The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens