Service for the Third Sunday after Trinity – 16th June 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.
A very warm welcome to our new senior chaplain Fr. Benjamin Drury
The presiding priest this morning is Fr. Benjamin Drury, who is also preaching. The deacon is Revd. Deacon Christine Saccali
Entrance Hymn Introit: 408 (Blaenwern) Love divine, all loves excelling
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
The priest then welcomes the people of God and then the deacon leads us into Confession.
Silence
Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
In your mercy forgive what we have been,
Help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be;
That we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God.
Amen.
Absolution: May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.. Amen.
Gloria Glory to God in the highest, peace to his people on earth
Glory to God in the highest, peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ only Son of the Father, Lord God , Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us,
have mercy on us, you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father,
Amen,
In the glory of God the Father. AMEN
Collect: Let us pray (remain standing as the priest prays the Collect of the Day)
God our Saviour, look on this wounded world in pity and power; hold us fast to your promises of peace won for us by your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
First Reading (please sit) Ezekiel 17. 22-end
Thus says the Lord God:
I myself will take a sprig
from the lofty top of the cedar;
I will set it out.
I will break off a tender shoot
from the topmost of its young twigs;
I myself will transplant it
on a high and lofty mountain.
On the mountain height of Israel
I will transplant it,
and it will produce boughs and bear fruit
and become a noble cedar.
Under it every kind of bird will live;
in the shade of its branches will nest
winged creatures of every kind.
All the trees of the field shall know
that I am the Lord.
I bring low the high tree;
I make high the low tree;
I dry up the green tree
and make the dry tree flourish.
I the Lord have spoken;
I will accomplish it.
Reader: the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Psalm: Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 92; 1-4, 12-15 (Psalm 92 | The Church of England)
It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord ♦
and to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
To tell of your love early in the morning ♦
and of your faithfulness in the night-time,
Upon the ten-stringed instrument, upon the harp, ♦
and to the melody of the lyre
For you, Lord, have made me glad by your acts, ♦
and I sing aloud at the works of your hands.
The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, ♦
and shall spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon.
Such as are planted in the house of the Lord ♦
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bear fruit in old age; ♦
they shall be vigorous and in full leaf;
That they may show that the Lord is true; ♦
he is my rock,
and there is no unrighteousness in him.
2nd Reading 2 Corinthians 5. 6-10, 14-17
So we are always confident, even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive due recompense for actions done in the body, whether good or evil.
For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for the one who for their sake died and was raised.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view;[b] even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view,[c] we no longer know him in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there[d] is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!
Reader: the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Hymn Gradual: 341 (Franconia): Blest are the pure in heart
Gospel Reading
Deacon: Your word, O Lord, is a lantern to our feet, and a light to our path. Alleluia.
All (sung): Alleluia
Deacon: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
Deacon: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Mark (Mark 4. 26-34)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle because the harvest has come.”
He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
At the end of the Gospel
Assistant: The gospel of the Lord
All: Praise to you, O Christ
Sermon (Please sit) Fr. Benjamin Drury
Creed (Please stand)
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father: through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Intercessions: (kneel or sit) Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer
Peace: The Kingdom of God is a Kingdom of justice, love and peace.
Priest: The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: And also with you.
Offertory Hymn 484 (Aurelia): The Church’s one foundation (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 Priest completes additional personal preparatory rites, and the people rise as he says: Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his Holy Church.
Then the Priest says the Prayer over the Offerings, at the end of which the people acclaim: 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: All glory and honour be yours always and everywhere, mighty creator, ever-living God. We give you thanks and praise for your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, who for love of our fallen race humbled himself, was born of the Virgin Mary by the power of your Spirit, and lived as one of us. In this mystery of the Word made flesh you have caused his light to shine in our hearts, to give knowledge of your glory in the face of Jesus Christ. In him we see our God made visible and so are caught up in the love of the God we cannot see. Therefore with all the angels of heaven we lift our voices to proclaim the glory of your name and sing our joyful hymn of praise:
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.
Priest: How wonderful the work of your hands, O Lord! As a mother tenderly gathers her children you embraced a people as your own. When they turned away and rebelled
your love remained steadfast. From them you raised up Jesus our Saviour, born of Mary,
to be the living bread, in whom all our hungers are satisfied. He offered his life for sinners
and with a love stronger than death he opened wide his arms on the cross. On the night before he died, he came to supper 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.
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 and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
Deacon: Christ is the bread of life
All: When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus,
until you come in glory.
Priest: Father, we plead with confidence his sacrifice made once for all on the cross: we remember his dying and rising in glory, and we rejoice that he prays for us at your right hand. Pour out your Holy Spirit as we bring before you these gifts of your creation; may they be for us the body and blood of your dear Son. As we eat and drink these holy things in your presence, form us in the likeness of Christ, and build us into a living temple to your glory. Remember Lord your Church in every land. Reveal her unity, guard her faith, and preserve her in peace with our Bishop Robert and all the congregations of this diocese; bring your church at the last with the Holy Mother of God, Paul, and all the saints to the vision of that eternal splendour for which you have created us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom and with whom and in whom, with all who stand before you earth and heaven, we worship you in songs of everlasting praise;
All: Blessing and honour and glory and power be yours for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer: (to be prayed in the language of your own 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: 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.
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: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sin of the world. Blessed are we who are called to the supper of the Lamb.
All: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but speak the word only and my soul shall be healed.
All baptized Christians may come forward to receive the body and blood of Christ. If you wish you may receive a blessing.
Communion Hymn: 312 (Schutz) Where the appointed sacrifice
Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)
O God, whose beauty is beyond our imagining and whose power we cannot comprehend: show us your glory as far as we can grasp it, and shield us from knowing more than we can bear until we can look on you without fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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.
Notices
Post Communion Hymn: 394 (Luckington) Let all the world in every corner sing
Priest: The Blessing
Deacon: Go in the peace of Christ
All: Thanks be to God
Deacon Chris: Day Off – Friday 697 737 7655
Swedish Church: Fr. Bjorn 694 6072428
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
–our new senior chaplain Fr Benjamin Drury will be licensed on Sunday 23rd June during the service at 10 a.m. by the Venerable Leslie Nathaniel, Archdeacon of the East.
- Church History and Guidebook ‘Opening Doors’ available for sale. €10,00 a copy,
- Tuesday Morning Zoom Prayer Connect – see the website for details
- Community Connect Coffee Mornings , July 11th, 10.30-12.30 in the Church Garden ask Anne Dedes for info. These are in the Church Garden
- -Check out our new contactless card reader if you would like to make a donation
- -please look after your personal belongings as thieves are known to operate in this area
- –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. It can be found at the back of the church and on the noticeboard.
Liturgical Material Copyright of the Archbishops’ Council
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