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.
First Reading: Exodus 2, 1-10
Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him. The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,” she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
Reader: This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God
Congregational Psalm: Psalm 127 (Newbury)
If God to build the house deny,
The builders work in vain;
And towns, without his wakeful eye,
A useless watch maintain.
Before the morning beams arise,
Your painful work renew;
And till the stars ascend the skies,
Your tiresome toil pursue;
Short be your sleep, and coarse your fare;
In vain, till God has blessed;
But if his smiles attend your care,
You shall have food and rest.
Nor children, relatives, nor friends,
Shall real blessings prove;
Nor all the earthly joys he sends,
If sent without his love
Second Reading 2 Corinthians 1. 3-7
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God
Gospel Hymn 184 (Beatitudo) Shall we not love thee, Mother dear
The Gospel
Deacon: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you.
Deacon: Hear the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to St.John (Jn 19, 25-27)
All: Glory to you, O Lord.
Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.
Deacon: This is the Gospel of the Lord
All: Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon: Fr Marcus Ronchetti
Profession of Faith (please stand)
Priest: Let us affirm our faith in Jesus Christ.
Priest: Do you believe and trust in God the Father,
source of all being and life,
the one for whom we exist?
All: I believe and trust in him.
Priest: Do you believe and trust in God the Son,
who took our human nature,
died for us and rose again?
All: I believe and trust in him.
Priest: Do you believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit,
who gives life to the people of God
and makes Christ known in the world?
All: I believe and trust in him.
Priest: This is the faith of the Church.
All: This is our faith.
We believe and trust in one God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Intercessions (please sit or kneel)
Lord in your mercy: reply ‘hear our prayer’
The Peace (please stand)
Priest: Christ is our peace.
He has reconciled us to God in one body by the cross.
We meet in his name and share his peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: and also with you.
Offertory Hymn 77 (University) The God of love my Shepherd (the collection is taken)
Liturgy of the Sacrament (please stand)
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation;
you bring forth bread from the earth.
All: Blessed be God for ever.
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation;
you create the fruit of the vine.
All: Blessed be God for ever.
All: Jesus the host washes your feet
makes you his guest and lays on a feast.
This is the table of Christ,
come if you’re rich, come if you’re poor,
come if the church stops you at the door,
come and eat bread, come and drink wine.
This is the table of Christ.
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 continues until Prayer B on p188
Sanctus: 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 priest continues with the Great Thanksgiving Prayer B p189
Deacon: Great is the mystery of faith:
All: Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again.
At the end of the Great thanksgiving all say together:
All: Amen.
Please kneel or sit
Priest: As our Saviour taught us, so we pray:
All: 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.
All: 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.
Priest: God’s holy gifts
for God’s holy people.
All: Jesus Christ is holy
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Priest: Eat and remember Jesus the one
Who gave up his life so you could belong,
This is the table of Christ.
Come if you’re thirsty, come and be filled
Come and be clean, come and be healed
Come and be held in the presence of God.
This is the table of Christ.
The Communion
All are invited to come forward and receive Holy Communion; if you wish you can receive a blessing.
Communion Hymn 304 (Albano) Once, only once, and once for all
Priest: Loving God, as a mother feeds her children at the breast
you feed us in this sacrament with the food and drink of eternal
life: help those who have tasted your goodness to grow in grace
within the household of faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All: Faithful God,
in baptism you have adopted us as your children,
made us members of the body of Christ
and chosen us as inheritors of your kingdom:
we thank you that in this Eucharist
you renew your promises within us,
empower us by your Spirit to witness and to serve,
and send us out as disciples of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessing of the Flowers:
Heavenly Father, your Son Jesus admired the lilies of the field and taught us to imitate them by trusting in your love. Bless these flowers. Accept them as a sweet fragrance, and fill the hearts of those who receive them with your love. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. The posies will now be distributed.
Post-Communion hymn : Give me oil in my lamp [SHEET]
- Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning,
give me oil in my lamp, I pray;
give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning,
keep me burning till the break of day.
Refrain:
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
sing hosanna to the King of kings!
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
sing hosanna to the King!
- Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising,
give me joy in my heart, I pray;
give me joy in my heart, keep me praising,
keep me praising till the break of day. [Refrain]
- Give me peace in my heart, keep me loving,
give me peace in my heart, I pray;
Give me peace in my heart, keep me loving,
keep me loving till the break of day. [Refrain]
- Give me love in my heart, keep me serving,
give me love in my heart, I pray;
Give me love in my heart, keep me serving,
keep me serving till the break of day. [Refrain]
Priest: May God, who in Christ gives us a spring of water
welling up to eternal life,
perfect in you the image of his glory.
And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
All: Amen.
Dismissal
Deacon: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
All: In the name of Christ. Amen
Deacon Chris: Day off – Friday Home tel. 22950 53164
Swedish Church: contact Fr. Bjorn on 694 607 2428
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. The Minutes of the 2021 APCM are now on the noticeboard.
–please look after your personal belongings as thieves are known to operate in this area
–Weekly Prayer Tuesday 09.00 on-line. Check the website for the details.
-Holy Week (Great Week): Holy Wednesday Liturgy: 10.00hrs
Holy Thursday Liturgy: 19.30hrs
Good Friday Liturgy: 14.00hrs
Holy Saturday Liturgy: 20.00hrs
-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.
-Coffee Morning 14th March 2024 at St. Paul’s 10.30-12.30
ask Anne Dedes for information
https://www.facebook.com/AnglicanAthens/
@AthensAnglican
Liturgical material © the Archbishops’ Council
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