Service Sheet for Sunday 15th March, fourth Sunday in Lent – Mothering Sunday
Celebrant Fr. Benjamin Drury
Sung Mass for the Fourth Sunday in Lent (Mothering Sunday)
Processional: 185 (Abbot’s Leigh) Sing we of the Blessed Mother
Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 23
Gradual: 389 (Westminster) Jesus, these eyes have never seen
Offertory: Sheet (New Britain) Amazing grace! how sweet the sound
Communion: 444 (Ein’ Feste Burg) Rejoice to-day with one accord
Recessional: 188 (Daily Daily) Ye who own the faith of Jesus
All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.
The setting of the Nicene Creed is on page 562, the Sanctus-Benedictus
page 567, the Agnus Dei page 569, in the New English Hymnal.
The setting of the Nicene Creed is on page 562, the Sanctus-Benedictus
page 567, the Agnus Dei page 569, in the New English Hymnal.
A reading from the first book of Samuel (16: 1, 6-7, 10-13)
The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen myself a king among his sons.’ When Samuel arrived, he caught sight of Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed stands there before him,’ but the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Take no notice of his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him: God does not see as man sees: man looks at appearances but the Lord looks at the heart.’ Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen these.’ He then asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’ He answered, ‘There is still one left, the youngest; he is out looking after the sheep.’ Then Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down to eat until he comes.’ Jesse had him sent for, a boy of fresh complexion, with fine eyes and pleasant bearing. The Lord said, ‘Come, anoint him, for this is the one.’ At this, Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him where he stood with his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord seized on David and stayed with him from that day on.
The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God.
Psalm: Ps. 23
The Lord is my shepherd: therefore can I lack nothing.
He shall feed me in a green pasture: and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort. He shall convert my soul: and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness, for his Name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for
thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me: thou hast anoint- ed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.
But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians (5: 8-14)
You were darkness once, but now you are light in the Lord; be like children of
light, for the effects of the light are seen in complete goodness and right living
and truth. Try to discover what the Lord wants of you, having nothing to do with the futile works of darkness but exposing them by contrast. The things which are done in secret are things that people are ashamed even to speak of; but anything exposed by the light will be illuminated and anything illuminated turns into
light. That is why it is said:
Wake up from your sleep,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.
Gospel acclamation: Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory! I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life. Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John (9: 1-41)
Glory to you, O Lord.
As Jesus went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples
asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, for him to have been born blind?’ ‘Neither he nor his parents sinned,’ Jesus answered ‘he was born blind so
that the works of God might be displayed in him. ‘As long as the day lasts I must carry out the work of the one who sent me; the night will soon be here when no one can work. As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.’
Having said this, he spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, ‘Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (a name that means ‘sent’). So the blind man went off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored.
His neighbours and people who earlier had seen him begging said, ‘Isn’t this
the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some said, ‘Yes, it is the same one.’ Others said, ‘No, he only looks like him.’ The man himself said, ‘I am the man.’ So they said to
him, ‘Then how do your eyes come to be open?’ ‘The man called Jesus’ he answered ‘made a paste, daubed my eyes with it and said to me, “Go and wash at Siloam”; so I went, and when I washed I could see.’ They asked, ‘Where is he?’ ‘I don’t know’ he answered.
They brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. It had been a sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man’s eyes, so when the Phari- sees asked him how he had come to see, he said, ‘He put a paste on my eyes, and I washed, and I can see.’ Then some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man cannot be from God: he does not keep the sabbath.’ Others said, ‘How could a sinner produce signs like this?’ And there was disagreement among them. So they spoke to the blind man again, ‘What have you to say about him yourself, now that he has opened your eyes?’ ‘He is a prophet’ replied the man. However, the Jews would not believe that the man had been blind and had gained his sight, without first sending for his parents and asking them, ‘Is this man really your son who you say was born blind? If so, how is it that he is now able to see?’ His parents answered, ‘We know he is our son and we know he was born blind, but we do not know how it is that he can see now, or who opened his eyes. He is old enough: let him speak for himself.’ His parents spoke like this out of fear of the Jews, who had already agreed to expel from the synagogue anyone who should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ. This was why his parents said, ‘He is old enough; ask him.’
So the Jews again sent for the man and said to him, ‘Give glory to God! For our part, we know that this man is a sinner.’ The man answered, ‘I don’t know if he is a sinner; I only know that I was blind and now I can see.’ They said to him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ He replied, ‘I have told you once and you wouldn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it all again? Do you want to be- come his disciples too?’ At this they hurled abuse at him: ‘You can be his disciple,’ they said ‘we are disciples of Moses: we know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.’ The man replied, ‘Now here is an astonishing thing! He has opened my eyes, and you don’t know where he comes from! We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but God does listen to men who are devout and do his will. Ever since the world began it is unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of a man who was born blind; if this man were not from God, he couldn’t do a thing.’ ‘Are you trying to teach us,’ they replied ‘and you a sinner through and through, since you were born!’ And they drove him away. Jesus heard they had driven him away, and when he found him he said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied ‘tell me who he is so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said, ‘You are looking at him; he is speaking to you.’ The man said, ‘Lord, I believe’, and worshipped him. Jesus said: ‘It is for judgement that I have come into this world, so that those without sight may see and those with sight turn blind.’ Hearing this, some Pharisees who were present said to him, ‘We are not blind, surely?’ Jesus replied: ‘Blind? If you were, you would not be guilty, but since you say, “We see,” your guilt remains.’
The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, O Christ
Church Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments
Sun. 15th March: 6 p.m.; Choral Evensong (Schola Cantorum S. Pauli)
Weds. 18th March: 10 a.m.; Morning Prayer (BCP) & Stations of the Cross Sunday
22nd March: 10 a.m.; Choral Mattins (Passion Sunday) Weds.
25th March: 10 a.m.; Morning Prayer (BCP) & Holy Rosary Sunday
29th March: 10 a.m.; Sung Mass (Palm Sunday)
Service times for Holy Week & Easter are given on the notice board in the church.
Bishop’s Lent Appeal: Vale Silves Community Centre, Portugal; de- tails about this cause and how to donate on the notice board.
Easter lilies in memory of the departed: please communicate with Mariea Detsi.
Electoral roll forms: please speak to the verger, Virginia Stevens, if you are a regular worshipper at this church but are not yet on the roll.
Donate electronically by scanning the QR code. 
the Church does not receive any funding from the
Church of England or the British Government and is reliant on the goodwill of congregants and visitors. We thank you for your support.
Senior Chaplain: Fr. Benjamin Drury SSC
Home tel.: 210 72 14 906
anglican@otenet.gr
Assistant Chaplain: Deacon Christine Saccali: 697 737 7655
Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling: 694 6072428
Facebook @AnglicanAthens www.anglicanchurchathens.gr
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