In an atmosphere of deep contemplation and emotion, the Vespers of the Descent from the Cross were celebrated at St. Nicholas Church in Marrickville, Sydney, officiated by the Archbishop of Australia Makariou.
At the end of the Sequence, Archibishop spoke to the faithful about the events that took place during Holy Week, the way to the climax of the Divine Drama, pointing that everyone who became persecutors of Christ, had a inglorious end and remained in obscurity.
He also referred to the Cross, which, while is an instrument of torture, became an instrument of sanctification, from the moment that Christ stretched out His hands and shed His blood.
The Archbishop then addressed the faithful with the request: “When we worship the Cross, we should think that Christ was crucified by people like us”. And the reason, as he explained, was the fact that in their souls they had hatred and passion. “When someone has hate and empathy on his soul, he is the one who is putting God on the Cross,” he said.
The Archbishop then presented the example of crucified love, which is the sacrificial Christ on Golgotha, to emphasize that “there is nothing greater than this love, which holds nothing for itself.” ”
This is the love of the Church, to love the other one with all our being and not be afraid to give of ourselves,” he added. “Love of the Church”, he added, “it is each of us to reduce ourselves, to reduce ourselves, to humiliate ourselves, in order to give space to the face of our neighbor”.
Among the dozens of faithful in the church of Agios Nikolaos, in the suburb of Marrickville, was the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in Australia, Martha Mavrommati.