Archbishop Makarios of Australia extended a paternal wish and exhortation for the thousands of Greek Australians who, on Saturday, January 6, gathered en masse at the pier in the suburb of Frankston in Melbourne.
He urged them to ‘dive deep into the waters of our faith and follow Christ with unwavering devotion’ during the ceremony of the Blessing of the Waters and the Diving of the Holy Cross.
Archbishop Makarios presided over the service after earlier leading the Divine Liturgy at the Church of The Holy Epiphany in Frankston, where he conducted the Great Blessing of the Waters.
He then led a magnificent procession, accompanied by Bishops Kyriakos of Sozopolis, Evmenios of Kerasous, and Themistocles of Nikopolis (Patriarchate of Alexandria), clergymen of the Archdiocesan Districts of Melbourne and of Northcote, and many believers, including the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis. The procession ended at Frankston Pier, where the ceremony commemorating the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River unfolded.
During the ceremonial throwing of the cross into the sea, about 50 Greek Australians dived to retrieve it. The Cross was retrieved by Konstantinos Kopsavtis, who received Archbishop’s blessing, along with the other swimmers.
In his concise address during the ceremony, the Archbishop first delved into the significance of the significant Despotic Feast of the Holy Epiphany. “It serves as a potent reminder of the cleansing and transforming power of the Holy Spirit, renewing and purifying both the elements of nature and our souls,” he stressed. He went on to say:
“Just as the waters of the Jordan embraced Christ, becoming sanctified, so are we called to embrace Him in our hearts, reaffirm our faith in the Holy Trinity, and undergo transformation and renewal through His grace.”
The Archbishop urged everyone, as they establish goals for the new year and make corresponding decisions, to prioritize committing themselves to strengthening their connection with Christ.
The Archbishop urged, ‘Put Christ at the center of your life,’ emphasizing that our faith in the Lord and our identity as Orthodox Christians must not be marginalized by secular priorities and aspirations.
“May the throwing of the Holy Cross into the waters serve as an opportunity to rekindle our desire to dive deep into the waters of our faith and follow Christ with unwavering devotion,” he concluded.
