Archbishop Makarios of Australia visited the Holy Cross Monastery in Mangrove Mountain, New South Wales, on Saturday, September 14, for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross.
The Archbishop presided over the Orthros and the ceremony of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and then led the Divine Liturgy. At the end of the service, he ordained Fr. Nikolaos Skordilis, the Hierarchical Head of the Newcastle Parish of the Holy Apostles, as Protopresbyter.
The Archbishop was moved by the speech, which focused on how today’s man, who detests toil and difficulty and seeks comfort and bliss, must confront the sorrows and trials of life.
After emphasizing that each person bears their own cross, he pointed out that as Christians, we should learn to take up our cross voluntarily rather than passively.
“Let us bear our cross with joy, not with sorrow, for the cross each person carries is a part of their salvation. There is no salvation without a cross. “The cross is the ‘key’ to the Kingdom of Heaven,” he noted, urging people to embrace toil and the cross, not to resent difficulty, not to fear sorrow, and not to be disheartened by illness. “Take up your cross with joy, not passively or unwillingly because you have no other choice,” he said.
After the Divine Liturgy, a solemn meal followed. Before his departure, the Archbishop took the opportunity to inspect the ongoing works at the Monastery and congratulated Gerontissa Filothei and her entourage on their progress.
