On the Fourth Sunday of Lent, April 3, 2022, Archbishop Makarios of Australia visited and presided over the Church of the Resurrection in the suburb of Kogarah, Sydney, accompanied by Bishop Elpidios of Kyanea, Archiepiscopal Vicar of Perth, and Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia, Hierarchical Proistamenos of the Parish of Kogerah.
In a crowded church, Archbishop Makarios spoke about the virtues of faith, prayer, and fasting, analyzing the Gospel passage of the day which describes the miracle of the healing of the demon-possessed young man by Jesus Christ.
The Archbishop first explained to the congregation that miracles are not performed in a magical way, but in an existential way: “Both he who expects to heal and he who heals must have immediate existential unity with Christ, who is the source of miracles.
And a necessary condition for every miracle, is faith “. As he pointed out, selfishness and selfishness undermine and open the window of faith from the human soul, and a necessary presupposition for every miracle, is faith”.
As Archbishop Makarios pointed out, egoticism and selfishness undermine and throw away this faith from the human soul.
Furthermore, the Archbishop referred to the instruction that Christ gave to his disciples about prayer and fasting, clarifying on this occasion that sins are not distinguished in spiritual and physical terms, but all sins are psychosomatic, that is, that in every fall the whole human being participates.
For this reason, he stressed that “in order to get rid of sins and progress in our spiritual life, we must strive both spiritually and physically.”
Furthermore, Archbishop Makarios of Australia made special mention of Saint John of Sinai, who is honored by our Church on the Fourth Sunday of Great and Holy Lent, and especially for his book, “Klimax – The ladder”, where the virtues that can lead us to God are presented as steps.
The Archbishop focused and analyzed before the faithful the first and the last step of “The Ladder”. The first, as he explained, refers to “renouncement”, ie the virtue that allows man to deny his desires, passions, and will, that is, all those that keep him attached to earthly things and do not allow him to walk towards the Kingdom of Heaven.
At the top of “The ladder” is the virtue of love – not philosophical or emotional love, as presented by the modern world – but sacrificial love, as taught by Christ during Great and Holy Week.
“Not the love of words, but the love of deeds, the love without recompense and without selfishness”, underlined Archbishop Makarios.
“Sacrificial and crucified love,” he added, urging the congregation to seek this virtue on Golgotha, under the Cross of Christ.
In closing, the Archbishop emphasized that our struggle for a spiritual life must be constant, pointing out that rest and procrastination are works and success of the devil.
For this reason, along with his wishes for a “Good Resurrection”, addressed the faithful with a request, leaving the church to try to apply in their lives and daily life everything they heard about faith, prayer, and fasting.
