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.
First Reading (please sit) Jeremiah 31.31-34
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.
Reader : This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.
Resp. Psalm: 119: 9-16
9 How shall young people cleanse their way
to keep themselves according to your word?
10 With my whole heart have I sought you;
O let me not go astray from your commandments.
11 Your words have I hidden within my heart,
that I should not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
O teach me your statutes.
13 With my lips have I been telling
of all the judgements of your mouth.
14 I have taken greater delight in the way of your testimonies
than in all manner of riches.
15 I will meditate on your commandments
and contemplate your ways.
16 My delight shall be in your statutes
and I will not forget your word.
Second Reading (please sit) Hebrews 5. 5-10
So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest but was appointed by the one who said to him,
“You are my Son;
today I have begotten you”;
as he says also in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.”
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered, and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God
Gospel Hymn 393 (Mannheim) Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us
Deacon: Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory. The Lord is a great God, O that today you would listen to his voice. Harden not your hearts.
All: Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.
Deacon: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
Deacon: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John (John 12. 20-33)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew, then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.
“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say: ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people[a] to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
Deacon: This is the gospel of the Lord
All: Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.
Sermon (Please sit) Fr. Marcus Ronchetti
Affirmation of Faith (please stand as we declare our historic faith in the Trinitarian God)
Priest: Let us declare our faith in God.
All: We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.
We believe in God the Son, who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with power from on high.
We believe in one God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Intercessions: (kneel or sit) Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer
The Peace: (please stand)
Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ who has given us access to his grace. The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: and also with you
Hymn 84 (Herongate) It is a thing most wonderful (During this hymn the collection will then be taken and offered at the altar for God’s blessing.)
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
All: Through your goodness we have this bread to offer. Fruit of the field and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life. Blessed be God for ever!
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
All: Through your goodness we have this wine to offer. Fruit of the field and work of human hands, it will become for us the cup of salvation. Blessed be God for ever!
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
Priest: It is right to praise you, Father, for all your goodness and your love. When we
turned away you did not reject us. You came to meet us in your Son.
All: You welcomed us as your children and prepared a table where we might sit and
eat with you.
Priest: In Christ you shared our life that we might live in him and he in us.
All: He opened wide his arms upon the cross and, with a love stronger than death he
made for all a perfect sacrifice for sin.
Priest: On the night before he died he came to table with his friends and taking bread, he
gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to them saying: Take, eat: this is my body
which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.
All: Lord Jesus, we bless you: you are the bread of life.
Priest: At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine he gave you thanks, and said: Drink this,
all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you for
the forgiveness of sins; do this in remembrance of me.
All: Lord Jesus, we bless you: you are the true vine.
Priest: Praise to you, Lord Jesus
All: Dying you destroyed our death,
Rising you restored our life;
Lord Jesus, come in glory.
Priest: Father, send your Holy Spirit on us now; may this bread and this wine, be to us
the body and blood of your dear Son. As we eat and drink these holy gifts make
us, who know our need of grace, one in Christ, our risen Lord. With your whole
Church throughout the world we offer you this sacrifice of praise and lift our voice
to join the song of heaven for ever praising you and saying:
All: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of
your glory. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the
Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
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: Every time we eat this bread and drink this cup (the bread is broken)
All: we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Sung: 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, grant us peace.
Invitation to Holy Communion
Priest: Draw near with faith. Receive the body of our Lord Jesus Christ which he gave for you, and his blood which he shed for you. Eat and drink in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.
All baptized Christians may come forward to receive the body and blood of Christ. If you wish you may receive a blessing.
Communion Hymn: 82 (Song 46) Drop, drop, slow tears
Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)
Lord Jesus Christ, you have taught us that what we do for the least of our sisters and brothers we do also for you: give us the will to be the servant of others as you were the servant of all, and gave up your life and died for us, but are alive and reign, now and for ever. Amen.
All: Father of all, we give you thanks and praise, that when we were still far off you met us in your Son and brought us home. Dying and living, he declared your love, gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory. May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life; we who drink his cup bring life to others; we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world. Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us, so we and all your children shall be free, and the whole earth live to praise your name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Post Communion Hymn: 79 (Gonfalon Royal) The royal banners forward go
(This hymn looks ahead to next Sunday, the Great or Holy Week, which culminates in cross and empty tomb)
Priest: Christ crucified draw you to himself, to find in him a sure ground for faith, a firm support for hope, and the assurance of sins forgiven; and the blessing…
Priest: Go in the peace of Christ
All: Thanks be to God.
Next Week is Palm Sunday; we will assemble outside for the Blessing of Palms and process round St. Paul’s
Deacon Chris – Day Off Friday: 22950 53164:
Swedish Church: contact Fr. Bjorn on 694 607 2428
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. Please use our monthly envelope scheme if you can – ask Nelly Paraskevopoulou.
Notices:
-Easter this year is March 31st (Orthodox Easter is 5th May) – there will be an Easter Breakfast in the garden after the Liturgy. Contact Jane Mandalios if you can help.
-Once again we can remember our loved ones at this special time of year by donating beautiful lilies to be placed in church and having their names recorded on a special list. Speak to Terri Kreid if you want to donate a lily
-The Annual Parochial Church Meeting is on April 14th. We elect the Wardens and some of the Council members, and receive the Annual Accounts. Electoral Roll forms are available in church or on our church website. Election forms are available from Jean Mertzanakis.
-please look after your personal belongings as thieves are known to operate in this are
–A POS is available so you can make your Sunday donation by card
-A QR code is now functioning, you can donate simply by scanning it.
See noticeboard.
-There is a weekly ‘online’ Prayer Group. Speak to Lay Reader Nelly Paraskevopoulou or Deacon Chris about the details. Zoom login is on our website.
Holy Week (Great Week): Holy Wednesday Liturgy: 10.00hrs
Holy Thursday Liturgy: 19.30hrs
Good Friday Liturgy: 14.00hrs
Holy Saturday Liturgy: 20.00hrs
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Liturgical material © the Archbishops’ Council
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