“The cross is a point of pain, but also a source of life”, was one of the central messages of the sermon delivered by the Archbishop Makarios of Australia at the Holy Cross Monastery in Mangrove, New South Wales, where he officiated on Monday morning, September 14. In the celebrating Holy Monastery, the Archbishop officiated during the Orthros Service and preceded the Ceremony of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.
In his sermon, he spoke in detail about the great feast of the Orthodox Church, describing firstly the historical events connected with the finding, the ascent and the return of the Holy Cross to Constantinople, after being taken away by the Persians. Concluding the description, he urged the congregation to know the events related to the feasts of our Church, in order to consolidate that our faith is neither a philosophy nor an idea, but it is a reality that is proven by historical facts”.
Subsequently, the Archbishop focused on the challenge of the great Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Recalling that man has an eschatological orientation, he stressed that “the cross is a challenge to philosophize the way we live.” “The cross is the point of pain, where Jesus Christ was crucified and suffered,” he observed, “but at the same time we are convinced within ourselves that the cross is the source of life.” “And we know that man cannot reach the Resurrection”, he pointed out, “unless he goes through Good Friday”. “This is the focus of the message of our Church”, he continued, “which is that this personal Good Friday should be lived voluntarily. Should be lived thankfully. Should be lived with our will, being aware that it is the only way to the Kingdom of God”.
Before concluding his speech, the Archbishop referred to monasticism as a decisive factor in spiritual renewal, expressing previously his joy for his visit to the Holy Cross Monastery.