Service for the Third Sunday in Lent- 3rd March 2024
SERVICE FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT – 3rd MARCH 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 deacon is Deacon Christine Saccali.
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 74 (Stockton) O for a heart to praise my God
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)
Eternal God, give us insight to discern your will for us, to give up what harms us, and to seek the perfection we are promised in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
First Reading (please sit) Exodus 20. 1-17
Then God spoke all these words,
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before[a] me.
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation[b] of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
“Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.
“Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
“You shall not murder.[c]
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
“You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female slave, ox, donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.”
Reader: This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.
Resp. Psalm: Psalm 19 (vs. 7-14) [SHEET]
Psalm 19; 7-14
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure
and gives wisdom to the simple.
8 The statutes of the Lord are right and rejoice the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure
and gives light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean and endures for ever;
the judgements of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
more than much fine gold,
sweeter also than honey
dripping from the honeycomb.
11 By them also is your servant taught
and in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can tell how often they offend?
O cleanse me from my secret faults!
13 Keep your servant also from presumptuous sins
lest they get dominion over me;
so shall I be undefiled,
and innocent of great offence.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
2nd Reading 1 Corinthians 1, 18-25
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of the proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews ask for signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Hymn: 431 (Hereford) O Thou who camest from above
Deacon: 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]
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. John (John 2. 13-22)
All: Glory to you, O Lord.
The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, with the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken
Deacon: This is the gospel of the Lord
All: Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.
Sermon Fr. Marcus Ronchetti (Please sit)
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)
Priest: 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: 73 (Solomon) My God, I love thee, not because (The collection is then 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.
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 baptized Christians may come forward to receive the body and blood of Christ. If you wish you may receive a blessing.
Communion Hymn: 414 (Caithness) O for a closer walk with God
Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)
Priest: Merciful Lord, grant your people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow you, the only God; 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: 333 (Michael) All my hope on God is founded
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.
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 want to 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.
-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.
-Weekly ‘online’ Prayer Group on Tuesdays at 9 am. Zoom login is on our website.
-Holy Week (Great Week): Holy Wednesday Liturgy: 10.00hrs
Holy Thursday Liturgy:
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/
@Liturgical material © the Archbishops’ Council
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