Last Sunday after Trinity (Bible Sunday) 25th October 2020
Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. Welcome if you are joining us on Zoom. Please take this sheet away with you to use during the week. Our Harvest celebration has been postponed. The presiding priest and preacher is The Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan. The deacon is the Revd. Christine Saccali. Covid 19 restrictions apply in the church AND in the garden.
Entrance The organ will play
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:
Deacon: You delight in Creation, its colour and diversity; yet we have misused the earth and
plundered its resources for our own selfish ends.
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Deacon: You have brought order out of chaos, light in darkness, but we have preferred
darkness in word and deed which dishonour God’s holy name.
Christe eleison
All: Christe eleison
Deacon: You have showered us with blessings, but we have been grudging towards others
and lacking in generous words and deeds.
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Absolution we hear the words of God’s forgiveness to those who are truly penitent
Gloria: (said)
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God, the glory of God the Father. Amen. AMEN
Collect: Let us pray (remain standing as the priest sings the Collect of the Day)
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: help us so to hear them, to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word, we may embrace and for ever hold fast the hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
First Reading (please sit) (Neh 8, 1-4, 8-12)
All the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had given to Israel. Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. The scribe Ezra stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the purpose. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen,’ lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, ‘This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our LORD; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.’ So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, ‘Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.’ And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
Reader: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches
All: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Reading
Deacon: Alleluia, Alleluia! Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
All: Alleluia
Deacon: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
Deacon: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (Matt 24, 30-35)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘The sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see “the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven” with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. ‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.’
Deacon: This is the gospel of the Lord
All: Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon (Please sit) The sermons is available in print and on the website as a pre-recording
Creed (please stand as we declare our historic faith in the Trinitarian God)
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father: through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Intercessions: (kneel or sit) Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer
Intercessor: Jean Mertzanakis
The Peace: (please stand)
The priest introduces the peace then says,
The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: and also with you
Offertory: the organ will play. Please put your collection in the envelope provided and hand it in as you leave.
The Great Thanksgiving Prayer (please remain standing for this)
Priest: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
Priest: Lift up your hearts
All: We lift them to the Lord
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
All: It is right to give thanks and praise
The priest then continues saying the prayer to which we all listen with prayerful hearts until
‘for evermore praising you and saying’…
All: Holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, heav’n and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O lord most high. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
The prayer continues until the Acclamation:
Deacon: Great is the mystery of faith
All: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
At the end of the Thanksgiving Prayer Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer: (to be prayed in your own language)
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Priest: We break this bread to share in the body of Christ
All: Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.
Said: Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, bearer of our sins, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Redeemer of the world, grant us peace
Invitation to Holy Communion
Priest: Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; happy are
those who are called to his supper.
All: Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word, and I shall be healed
All baptized Christians may come forward to receive the body of Christ. If you wish you may receive a blessing.
Communion The organ will play during the distribution of Holy Communion
Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)
Priest: God of all grace, your Son Jesus Christ fed the hungry with the bread of his life
and the word of his kingdom: renew your people with your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness sustain us by your true and living bread; who is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen
All: Almighty God, we thank you for feeding us with the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ. Through him we offer you our souls and bodies to be a living sacrifice. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory. Amen
Please sit for the Notices
The Blessing and Dismissal
Deacon: Go in the peace of Christ
All: Thanks be to God.
Next Week’s Readings: (All Saints) Rev 7, 9-end; Matthew 5, 1-12
Clergy Contacts
Fr. Leonard’s usual Day Off – Monday (in emergencies contact Deacon Christine)
Home tel : 210 72 14 906; email anglican@otenet.gr
Deacon Chris: 22950 53164: Day Off Friday
Swedish Church: contact Fr. Bjorn.
The Anglican Church in Greece (including St. Paul’s) is self financing, and receives no income other than from the generosity of those who worship here. We are a legal body and we pay tax. Our tax number is 997073090. If you wish to donate direct to our bank (IBAN) the account with Piraeus Bank is: The Anglican Church in Greece, St. Paul’s Athens GR 820172 0500 0050 5008 6327 479 Swift code is PIRB GRAA
Notices:
- Easter – Virtual and Viral A book of sermons preached by Fr. Leonard during the first weeks of lockdown is available. Cost €5,00 – all income from sales will go to St. Paul’s Church.
- All Saints: next Sunday is All Saints Day. We will read the names of the departed loved ones. See sheet to add names.
- Remembrance Sunday: restrictions permitting we will have a service at 10.15. Poppies are now on sale in church. The ceremony at Alimos is invitation only this year (however it is a big open space so no one can stop you entering!)
- Harvest Festival: we will celebrate this when numbers can be increased.
- Churchwardens: Trevor Kamuzonde and Lynn Stavrou were elected as Churchwardens at the Annual Meeting. Council Members: newly elected- Noelle Barkshire, Sue Stephos, Banji Ipensokan, Matilda Amartey.
- Leonard will be on Leave from Monday 26th – Sat 31st October. There will be no Wednesday Liturgy on 28th October (Occhi Day)
- Please do check the website for any updates on Covid related changes to our schedule.
https://www.facebook.com/AnglicanAthens/
@AthensAnglican
No Comments