Service for the Second Sunday of Lent – 25th February 2024
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.
The presiding priest and preacher is Fr Marcus Ronchetti. The Assistant is Lay Reader Nelly Paraskevopoulou
Entry Greeting
Minister: 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 445 (Petra) Rock of ages, cleft for me
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 assistant leads us into Confession.
Silence and stillness follows for a few moments
Assistant: We confess to you our selfishness and lack of love: fill us with your Spirit.
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Assistant: We confess to you our fear and failure in sharing our faith: fill us with your Spirit.
Christe eleison
All: Christe eleison
Assistant: 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)
Almighty God, by the prayer and discipline of Lent may we enter into the mystery of Christ’s sufferings, and by following his Way may we come to share in his glory; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
First Reading (please sit) Genesis 17. 1-7, 15-16
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you and will make you exceedingly numerous.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her and also give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.
Resp. Psalm: Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 22 (vs. 23-31) My God, my God, why have your forsaken me?
Refrain:
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
23) Praise the Lord, you that fear him;
O seed of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, O seed of Israel.
24) For he has not despised nor abhorred the suffering of the poor;
neither has he hidden his face from them;
but when they cried to him he heard them.
25) From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
I will perform my vows in the presence of those that fear you.
26) The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord shall praise him;
their hearts shall live for ever.
27) All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.
28) For the kingdom is the Lord’s
and he rules over the nations.
29) How can those who sleep in the earth
bow down in worship,
or those who go down to the dust kneel before him?
30) He has saved my life for himself;
my descendants shall serve him;
this shall be told of the Lord for generations to come.
31) They shall come and make known his salvation,
to a people yet unborn, declaring that he, the Lord, has done it.
2nd Reading Romans 4. 13-end
For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
For this reason the promise depends on faith, in order that it may rest on grace, so that it may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (who is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”), in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
All: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Hymn: 476 (Paderborn) Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim
Gospel Reading
Assistant I ask your blessing that I may worthily proclaim this holy gospel
All: May the Lord be on your lips, in your mind and in your heart that you
may worthily proclaim to us this holy gospel]
Assistant: 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.
Assistant: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
Assistant: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Mark (Mark 8. 31-end)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes and be killed and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
He called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Assistant: This is the gospel of the Lord
All: Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.
Sermon (Please sit) Fr. Marcus Rochetti
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
(The offering of the people, bread and wine, is then brought to the table: signs of our work and giving to God)
Priest: God of wisdom, may the light of your eternal Word, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, lead us to holiness and guide us to glory; we ask this in his name. Amen.
Offertory Hymn: 69 (St. Philip) Lord, in this thy mercy’s day (The collection is taken)
(The offering of the people, bread and wine, are placed the table: signs of our work and giving to God)
Priest: God of wisdom, may the light of your eternal Word, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, lead us to holiness and guide us to glory; we ask this in his name. 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
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.
Assistant: 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 baptized Christians may come forward to receive the body and blood of Christ. If you wish you may receive a blessing.
Communion Hymn: 64 (Abridge) Be thou my guardian and my guide
Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)
Priest: Almighty God, you see that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we might be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus 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: 148 (Leoni) The God of Abraham praise (vs. 1, 4, 6, 7, 8)
Priest: Christ Give you grace to grow in holiness, to deny yourselves, take up your
Cross and follow him, and the blessing…
Assistant: Go in the peace of Christ
All: Thanks be to God.
Deacon Chris: Day off – Friday Home tel. 22950 53164
Swedish Church: contact Fr. Bjorn on 694 607 2428
Notices:
-Book sale on Saturday 2nd March in the church garden from 10 am to 1 pm. There will also be refreshments, preserves and handmade greeting cards for sale.
-Electoral Roll Forms are available – if you live in the Athens area, have attended services regularly for six months and wish to be included on our Electoral Roll please complete one of these and hand it to Jane Mandalios or, if she is not available, Jean Mertzanakis. Inclusion on the Roll gives the right to vote at our Annual Meeting or stand for election to Council or as a Churchwarden.
-Quiz Nights – these are held 5 or 6 times a year – listen out for dates or have a look at our notice boards. Let Jean Mertzanakis know if you wish to come along.
–Farewell service for Bishop David
A service of Evening Prayer, Thanksgiving and Sending Out will be held on Wednesday 28th February. Everyone is very welcome to join.
This is an occasion for everyone in the diocese to give thanks and say farewell to Bishop David and to Revd Canon Deacon Frances on their retirement.
On Zoom and on YouTube – Wednesday 28 February from 1800 – 1900 cet (1700–1800 gmt) https://www.youtube.com/@dioceseineurope_cofe
–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.
–A POS is available so you can make your Sunday donation by card
-Coffee Morning 14th March 2024 in the Swedish Centre 10.30-12.30 ask Anne Dedes for information
https://www.facebook.com/AnglicanAthens/
@AthensAnglican
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