“We are ready for the future!” exclaimed approximately 200 Orthodox youth, who participated in the 2024 Youth Conference of the Archdiocese of Perth, held on Saturday, July 13, in the capital of Western Australia. Their enthusiasm, zeal, and determination were further fueled by the spiritual words of their shepherd, Archbishop Makarios of Australia, at the opening of the conference.
“There is nothing to fear when we have Christ with us,” assured the Archbishop in an inspiring speech that vividly described to the young audience how those who “labor and are heavy laden” find rest near God. The aptest example he could give the young people was none other than their grandparents, people, who have toiled much, who have faced and continue to face trials, but whose souls remain at peace because of their deep faith in God. “No matter how many difficulties they face and how many things do not go according to their plans, those who are meek and humble are neither disturbed nor troubled by the events of life. Yes, they hurt and feel the weight and sorrow of the situation, but in the depths of their hearts there is a blessed peace, there is security and comfort because they have Christ with them who supports them,” the archbishop noted.
Conversely, people who are far from God may enjoy worldly comforts and pleasures, but they are never fully satisfied, never at peace. As the Archbishop explained: “We can be at home all day, or even on a tropical island, doing nothing, and yet we have this uncomfortable feeling that something is missing. We experience a void that cannot be filled by all the pleasures of life or by anything that money can buy”.
Unfortunately, the desperate attempt to fill this inner void leads many people, especially the youth, to the delusions offered by narcotics, which Archbishop Makarios specifically addressed: “People who use drugs and alcohol feel the need to use them to live happily. They want to believe the lie that it will bring them happiness and joy. But in reality, it has led them down the wrong path. Unfortunately, this is what often happens in our modern society. What begins as recreational drug use to feel a fleeting sense of happiness quickly leads to complete drug addiction.”
Emphasizing that all worldly pleasures can only temporarily cover the emptiness we experience and can sometimes trap us and lead us into painful situations, the Archbishop told the young people that “only Christ can reach the depths of our being. For this reason, he urged them to place Christ in their hearts and minds and to make him the priority of their lives, assuring them that “the Church will always welcome you with open arms and its doors will never close because God is the head and the Church is your home, the Archbishop is your spiritual father and he loves you very much”.
It should be noted that the organization of the Youth Conference of the Archdiocese of Perth was part of the centenary celebrations of the establishment of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia. Before the beginning of the Conference, a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in English was celebrated in the adjacent Church of St. Nectarios. The Divine Liturgy was presided over by Archbishop Makarios, accompanied by Bishops Elpidios of Kyanea and Eumenios of Kerasounta, Archdiocesan Vicars of Perth and Northcote respectively, and sung by a large choir of the Christian Union of Sydney. After the conference, a luncheon was held with the participation of all the participants.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
