Service for the Second Sunday of Easter – 24th April 2022
Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. We have a POS facility so you can make a donation by card. There is coffee in the garden after the Liturgy.
The presiding priest and preacher this morning is The Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan.
Entrance Hymn 375 I danced in the morning
Priest: Alleluia! Christ is risen
All: He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
The priest then welcomes the people of God and then leads us into Confession.
Silence
Assistant: Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life.
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Assistant: Lord Jesus, you forgive us our sins.
Christe eleison
All: Christe eleison
Assistant: Lord Jesus, you feed us with the living bread.
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Absolution: May the God of love and power forgive you and free you from your sins, heal and strengthen you by his Spirit, and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gloria: Glory in the highest to the God of heavens:
Peace to all your people through the earth be given.
Mighty God and Father, thanks and praise we bring,
Singing Alleluia! To the heavenly King.
Jesus Christ is risen, God the Father’s Son;
With the Holy Spirit, you are Lord alone.
Lamb once killed for sinners, all our guilt to bear,
Show us now your mercy, now receive our prayer.
Christ the world’s true Saviour, high and holy one,
Seated now and reigning from your Father’s throne:
Lord and God, we praise you! Highest heaven adores:
In the Father’s glory, all the praise be yours!
Collect: Let us pray (remain standing as the priest prays the Collect of the Day)
Risen Christ, for whom no door is locked, no entrance barred: open the door of our hearts that we may seek the good of others and walk the joyful road of sacrifice and peace, to the praise of God the Father. Amen.
First Reading (please sit) Acts 5, 27-32 (Jane Mandalios)
When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God. Alleluia!
Psalm: 531 Jesus reigns, our God and King
2nd Reading Revelation 1, 4-8 (Oliver Knight)
John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God. Alleluia!
Gospel Hymn 124 Ye choirs of new Jerusalem
Gospel Reading
Assistant: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! The Lord is risen. Alleluia!
All (sung): Alleluia
Assistant: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
Assistant: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John (John 20, 19-31)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
At the end of the Gospel
Assistant: This is the gospel of the Lord, Alleluia!
All: (Sung) Alleluia
Sermon (Please sit) Most sermons are available on the website
Creed (Please stand)
Priest: Do you believe and trust in God the Father?
All: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
Priest: Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?
All: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
Priest: Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?
All: I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Intercessions: (kneel or sit) Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer
Peace: Alleluia! Alleluia! The risen Lord came among his disciples and said, ‘Peace be with you’. Then were they glad when they saw the Lord! Alleluia!
Priest: Alleluia! Alleluia! The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: And also with you. Alleluia!
Offertory Hymn 119 The strife is o’er (The Collection will be taken)
Priest: Be present, be present Lord Jesus Christ, our risen high priest: make yourself known in the breaking of bread. Amen.
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 singing the prayer to which we all listen with prayerful hearts until
‘for evermore praising you and singing’…
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 prayer continues until the Acclamation:
Assistant: Let us proclaim 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 the risen Christ.
All: Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.
Invitation to Holy Communion
Priest: Alleluia! Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us
All: Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia!
Sung: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
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: 307 Sweet sacrament divine
Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)
Lord God our Father, through our Saviour Jesus Christ you have assured your children of eternal life, and in baptism have made us one with him; deliver us from the death of sin and raise us to new life in your love, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
All: You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ, and you have made yourself known in the breaking of bread. Abide with us, we pray, that blessed by your royal presence, we may walk with you all the days of our life, and at its end behold you in the glory of the eternal Trinity, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Post Communion Hymn: 105 (2nd tune) Christ the Lord
Priest: God, who through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ has given us the victory, give you joy and peace in your faith. And the blessing…
Assistant: Go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!
All: Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Next Week’s Readings (3rd of Easter): Acts 9, 1-6; Rev 5, 11-14; John 21, 1-19
NOTICES
Fr. Leonard’s usual Day Off – Monday (in emergencies contact Deacon Christine)
Home tel : 210 72 14 906; email anglican@otenet.gr
Deacon Chris: Day Off – Friday
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
- Advance Notice – the ‘Jubilee’ Bazaar will be on Saturday 4th June. Speak to Lynn Stavrou about how you can help.
- Weekly Giving: if you would like to make your weekly giving to the church by our envelope scheme (which we would encourage) please speak to Nelly Paraskevopoulou.
- Wednesday Worship – please note that there will be no Liturgy on Wednesday 4th or 11th May. Fr. Leonard is on leave.
- Sunday 8th May 10.00 – Deacon Chris will lead a Service of the Word.
- Church Council – meeting on Saturday 30th April. Speak to Jean Mertzanakis about details.
- Advance Notice: The Bishop of Truro will be in Athens for a few days. Part of his programme will include presiding at the Wednesday Liturgy on Wednesday 25th May.
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