Service Sheet for Sunday 7th December - 2nd Sunday of Advent - St. Paul’s Anglican Church

03/12/2025

Service Sheet for Sunday 7th December – 2nd Sunday of Advent

Celebrant: Fr Benjamin Drury

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

Processional: 5 (Merton) Hark! a herald voice is calling

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 72

Gradual: 3 (Cross of Jesus) Come, thou long-expected Jesus Offertory: 1 (Conditor Alme) Creator of the stars of night Communion: 170 (Lindeman) Lo, in the wilderness a voice Recessional: 10 (Personent Hodie) Long ago, prophets knew

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.

Please remember that the chaplaincy in Athens neither receives funding from the British Government nor from the Church of

England. All donations are, therefore, very gratefully received

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (11: 1-10)

A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse, a scion thrusts from his roots: on him the spirit of the Lord rests, a spirit of wisdom and insight,

a spirit of counsel and power, a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. (The fear of the Lord is his breath.) He does not judge by appearances, he gives no verdict on hearsay, but judges the wretched with integrity, and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land.

His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless, his sentences bring death to the wicked. Integrity is the loincloth round his waist, faithfulness the belt about his hips.

The wolf lives with the lamb, the panther lies down with the kid,

calf and lion feed together, with a little boy to lead them. The cow and the bear make friends, their young lie down together. The lion eats straw like the ox. The infant plays over the cobra’s hole; into the viper’s lair the young child puts his hand. They do no hurt, no harm, on all my holy mountain, for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters swell the sea. That day, the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples.

It will be sought out by the nations and its home will be glorious.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 72: In his days justice shall flourish, and peace till the moon fails.

O God, give your judgement to the king, to a king’s son your justice,

that he may judge your people in justice

and your poor in right judgement. (Response)

In his days justice shall flourish and peace till the moon fails.

He shall rule from sea to sea,

from the Great River to earth’s bounds. (Response)

For he shall save the poor when they cry and the needy who are helpless.

He will have pity on the weak

and save the lives of the poor. (Response)

May his name be blessed for ever and endure like the sun.

Every tribe shall be blessed in him,

all nations bless his name. (Response)

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans (15: 4-9)

Everything that was written long ago in the scriptures was meant to teach us something about hope from the examples scripture gives of how peo- ple who did not give up were helped by God. And may he who helps us when we refuse to give up, help you all to be tolerant with each other, fol- lowing the example of Christ Jesus, so that united in mind and voice you may give glory to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It can only be to God’s glory, then, for you to treat each other in the same friendly way as Christ treated you. The reason Christ became the

servant of circumcised Jews was not only so that God could faithfully car- ry out the promises made to the patriarchs, it was also to get the pagans to give glory to God for his mercy, as scripture says in one place: For this I shall praise you among the pagans and sing to your name.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God.

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia!

Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight,

and all mankind shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia! The Lord be with you. And also with you.

+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (3: 1-12)

Glory to you, O Lord.

In due course John the Baptist appeared; he preached in the wilderness of Judaea and this was his message: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’ This was the man the prophet Isaiah spoke of when he

said: A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.

This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusa- lem and all Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him,

and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. But when he saw a number of Pharisees and Sadducees coming for

baptism he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers, who warned you to f ly from the retribution that is coming? But if you are repentant, produce the appro-

priate fruit, and do not presume to tell yourselves, “We have Abraham for our father,” because, I tell you, God can raise children for Abraham from these stones. Even now the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that

any tree which fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire. I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who follows

me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his

hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.’

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, O Christ

The setting of the Nicene Creed is on page 562 in the New English Hymnal.

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may in such wise hear them,

read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer Collect; Second Sunday in Advent)

Church Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments

Wednesday 10th December: 10 a.m.; Low Mass

Sunday 14th December: 10 a.m.; Sung Mass (Advent III) Sunday 14th December: 6 p.m.; All-Age Carol Service Wednesday 17th December: 10 a.m.; Low Mass & Rosary

Bishop’s Advent Appeal: Al-Ahli Anglican Hospital, Gaza; details on how to donate are to be found on the notice board, or may be had from treasurer Nelly Paraskevopoulou.

Mission to Seafarers: collection for Christmas boxes for seafarers: leaflets are available.

Please refer to the notice board for the dates and times of Advent and Christmas services.

The Friends of St. Paul’s: please speak to Dimitris Ramantanoglou about becoming a Friend of St. Paul’s Church.

Study group & pilgrimage walking group: details from Fr. Benjamin

Servers’ Group: details from Fr. Benjamin or Oliver Knight