On Wednesday, August 5th, the eve of the great feast of the Transfiguration of Christ the Saviour, Archbishop Makarios of Australia visited the namesake Holy Church of the Diocese of Chora in Thomastown, Melbourne, and presided over the Great Festal Vespers, flanked by Metropolitan Iezekiel of Dervis, Bishop Evmenios of Chora, Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne, and Bishop Themistoklis of Nikopolis (Patriarchate of Alexandria), together with a host of clergy from the two Dioceses of the State of Victoria.
Among the many devout faithful who gathered at the church on its feast day were Archons of the Great Church of Christ Mr Marios Kalogiannis and Mr Antonios Tsourdalakis, the Ecumenical Patriarch’s brother Mr Nikolaos Archontonis with his wife Aikaterini, as well as students from the Thomastown branch of the Greek school “Saint Cosmas of Aetolia.”
Before the conclusion of the festal service, Archbishop Makarios spoke with theological depth about the feast being celebrated, explaining that the Transfiguration essentially concerns the Disciples of the Lord — Peter, John and James — who were with Him on Mount Tabor and were found worthy to behold the uncreated light of God. “Christ showed the splendour of His divine glory,” he underlined, clarifying: “He showed it, He revealed it, but He was not suddenly transfigured and made God. For He was God and is God.” By contrast, he noted, it was the three Disciples who experienced the event who “were themselves transfigured and changed, for they saw not only Christ as He truly was, that is, God of glory, but also two figures associated with the last things, the Prophets Moses and Elijah.”
In conclusion, the Archbishop stressed that the feast of the Transfiguration relates more to the persons of the Disciples, and by extension to human beings, and therefore represents a great challenge for all of us: to strive to be spiritually transfigured and to undergo the “good change,” so that we too may be able to see what the Disciples saw — Christ as the true God in His glory.
The Archbishop then thanked the hierarchs for their presence at the service and gave the floor to the Bishop of Nikopolis, whom he also congratulated and praised for his missionary work in Sierra Leone, Africa. Bishop Themistoklis focused especially on and expanded upon the words of God the Father heard during the event of the Transfiguration: “This is my beloved Son; hear Him” (Luke 9:28–36).
Turning to the great problems and manifold crises facing humanity today, he observed that these are linked to the weakness of faith and the atheism that strongly characterise modern societies — that is, people’s estrangement from the word and teaching of Christ. In closing, he urged the faithful to study the Gospel and the Holy Scriptures and to apply divine teaching in their lives, aiming not only at their own personal transfiguration but also at conveying the Truth to their fellow human beings. “Mission work is not only in Africa, but here as well,” he noted characteristically, pointing out that “those of you who believe have a mission: to re-evangelise the world.”
