Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided over the Divine Liturgy on the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent, March 22, dedicated to Saint John Climacus, at the Church of Saint Eustathios in Melbourne.
He was concelebrated by Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne and Bishop Eumenios of Chora, while Metropolitan Ezekiel of Dervis participated in prayer. Among those in attendance were representatives of the Greek community and officials, including the Ambassador of Greece to Australia and the Consul General in Melbourne.
In his sermon, Archbishop Makarios focused on the spiritual legacy of Saint John Climacus and his renowned work, The Ladder of Divine Ascent. He noted that the work is the fruit of the saint’s lifelong ascetic struggle, prayer, fasting, and cultivation of virtues, presenting a spiritual “ladder” of thirty steps leading the faithful toward union with God.
Reflecting on the virtues described in the Ladder, the Archbishop placed particular emphasis on love, which stands at the highest step. He observed that although the word “love” is widely used today, it is often difficult to live out in its true sense. “There are many forms of love in society,” he said, “but there is one love that surpasses all others—the love of Christ, the true love that gives everything without conditions.”
Inviting the faithful to contemplate the meaning of genuine love, he encouraged them to look to Golgotha as the ultimate example of self-sacrificial, unconditional love, contrasting it with superficial expressions that lack depth and permanence.
Concluding his homily, Archbishop Makarios urged all to strive to cultivate this divine love in their lives and wished them strength in their spiritual journey during the remaining period of Great Lent.
