Service for the First Sunday in Lent – 26th February 2023
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. We have a POS facility now, so payments can be made to the church by bank cards. Follow the service sheet online – wifi password gu5uX8mmtgb8egak
The presiding priest and preacher is Fr. Leonard (Chaplain). The deacon is The Revd. Deacon Christine Saccali.
Entrance Hymn 333 All my hope on God is founded
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 forty days of Lent to grow in wisdom and prayer that we may witness to your saving love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
First Reading (please sit) Genesis 2, 15-17; 3, 1-7 (Magdalene Amargiagbe)
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Psalm: 533 (Green Hymn Book) O God, you are my God, for you my soul is athirst
Second Reading Romans 5, 12-19 (Jean Mertzanakis)
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned— for sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam, who is a pattern of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. And the gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Hymn 337 As pants the heart
Gospel Reading
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. Matthew (Matt. 4, 1-11)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Deacon: This is the gospel of the Lord
All: Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.
Sermon (Please sit) sermon is available in printed copy on the website, and pre-recording
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 (Nelly Paraskevopoulou)
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
Offertory Hymn 297 Lord Jesus Christ (The collection is then taken)
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.
Deacon: 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 singing:
All: (Sung) 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 the language of your choice)
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
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.
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 he died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.
All: We do not presume to come this your table, merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table. But you are the same Lord whose nature is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
All baptized Christians may come forward to receive the body and blood of Christ. If you wish you may receive a blessing. Please let the Sides-people guide you forward.
Communion Hymn: 64 Be thou my guardian
Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)
Priest: Lord God, you have renewed us with the living bread from heaven; by it you nourish our faith, increase our hope, and strengthen our love: teach us always to hunger for him who is the true and living bread, and enable us to live by every word that proceeds from your mouth; through Christ our Lord. 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: 67 Forty days and forty nights
Priest: Christ Give you grace to grow in holiness, to deny yourselves, take up your
Cross and follow him, and the blessing…
Deacon: Go in the peace of Christ
All: Thanks be to God.
Fr. Leonard’s usual Day Off – Monday
Home tel : 210 72 14 906; email anglican@otenet.gr
Deacon Chris: Day off – Friday Home tel. 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 ask about our monthly envelope scheme.
Notices:
- Angelos Palioudakis – please keep Angelos in your prayers. In March he has a Bishops Advisory Panel to decide if he will train for the Anglican priesthood.
- Confessions – if anyone would like to make a Sacramental Confession before or during Lent, please contact Fr. Leonard.
- Annual Parochial Church Meeting: Sunday 26th March after the Liturgy. Please consider and pray about putting your name forward as a Churchwarden or Council Member. We are particularly keen to elect one Council member with a heart for the environment who could also be our ‘Local Environmental Officer’.
- Electoral Roll Forms are available – if you are regularly at St. Paul’s please complete one of these and hand it in, preferably a couple of weeks before the Annual Meeting.
- Bishop’s Lent Appeal for the chaplaincy in Rabat, Morocco. See notice board and website for details.
- Earthquake relief – the Diocese recommends you donate through Caritas, the Roman Catholic global aid organisation.
- Monthly Giving envelopes – it is never too late to join this scheme. Just ask about it.
- Confirmation: The Bishop of Truro will be with us on March 12th for a local programme. There will also be a Confirmation Service. Potential candidates should contact Fr. Leonard
- Coffee Mornings (now on Thursdays!!!): March 9th, April 6th, May 11th, June 8th, July 13th. These are in the Swedish Centre (Winter time) or Church Garden (Spring and Summer)
- Quiz Nights – these are monthly. Listen out for the dates!
- We are glad to have welcomed you to St Paul’s today but remember you can keep in touch with us wherever you are you are in the world. See our e-mag on the website.
https://www.facebook.com/AnglicanAthens/
@AthensAnglican
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