“We will overcome this trial with the help of our Holy Lady,” Archbishop Makarios of Australia said on the occasion of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Theotokos and the celebration of the Greek Revolution of 1821.
In accordance with the measures taken by the government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the Divine Liturgy and the Doxology were performed today behind closed doors at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Sydney.
However, Archbishop Makarios delivered his sermon addressing the thousands of believers who were watching online. Moreover, the Archbishop associated the great celebration of Orthodoxy with the celebration of the Greek Revolution of 1821. “We often wonder how is it possible for a small number of poor people, the Greeks, to revolt and succeed in gaining their freedom. The answer is ‘the Theotokos’. All Greeks should show gratitude towards our Holy Lady. The Theotokos has supported us, helped us, protected us, and has guided us in order to gain our freedom and create a state,” he said.
Archbishop Makarios stressed the need to maintain and strengthen our faith in Christ and the Church during the difficult period of the pandemic. He also pointed out, “The church is empty at the moment. However, there are a lot of people, who want to come to the Church, but they must not as conditions so require. We are forced to celebrate the liturgies without the faithful. We are experiencing a very difficult period. Nevertheless, it is high time we proved our faith, our love for Christ, our devotion to the Church and our commitment to His will. We are now going through a ‘period of crucifixion’, my brothers and sisters, but Jesus Christ will give us the ‘gift of the Resurrection’.”
Finally, Archbishop Makarios asked the faithful to be patient until the end of the trial and to have faith in the Church, the decisions of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Archdiocese of Australia, as well as in the guidelines provided by scientists and state authorities. At the same time, he urged the faithful to pray from their homes having in mind that “prayers bring Heaven to Earth.”
