“There is no greater pain, no deeper anguish than to attempt to construct a false image of yourself,” said Archbishop Makarios of Australia in a message shared on Instagram.
He emphasized that “a profound achievement in your life to be liberated from the tyranny of appearances—from the anxiety about what others might say about you: how you may seem in their eyes; and how you might win their favourable impressions.”
“Love the truth if you desire to gain peace within your soul,” the Archbishop urged, adding: “Do not sacrifice your inner serenity for any concern over what people may think of you.”
He concluded with a reminder: “And never forget: judgment by others is not the criterion of your salvation.”
The Archbishop’s full video message accompanied the post:
