More than 250 young people from the State of Queensland declared, “We are ready for the future,” before their shepherd, Archbishop Makarios of Australia, during the opening ceremony of the Youth Conference of the Holy Diocese of Brisbane.
The two-day conference began on the morning of Saturday, December 7, at the premises of the Dormition Parish in Mt Gravatt, Brisbane.
Archbishop Makarios delivered the keynote speech, after which he engaged with the young people by answering their questions and holding an open and fruitful discussion on how the slogan “We are ready for the future” can be transformed into meaningful progress for the local Church and the transmission of the “treasures” of the Orthodox faith to the wider Australian society.
From the outset, His Eminence emphasized that “to be truly ready for the future, we must first recognize the foundation on which we stand.” “This foundation,” he quickly pointed out, “is none other than Jesus Christ, our rock and refuge.”
“The Church,” he added, “is not a place where we simply believe in certain ideas, nor is it a philosophy of life. It is the place where we cultivate a personal relationship with Christ, who is very real to us and whom we love. The Church is nothing less than the miraculous presence of Christ among us.”
Building on the above, the Archbishop’s first message to the young audience was: “We are ready for the future when we are ready to make our lives Christ-centered and live with Christ.”
In the future envisioned by the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, now on the threshold of its second century, there is no place for introversion or isolationism. Thus, the second message Archbishop Makarios conveyed to the young people was: “Having made our lives Christ-centered, let us share this hope, this joy, this light—that is, Christ—with others.”
“Having received the light of Christ, we must share it with those around us,” he emphasized, adding, “We cannot be invisible disciples.” Being a Christian is much more than simply attending church on Sunday mornings. Christians must be torchbearers in a dark world. Our goal is to inspire others and draw them to the source of life.”
Finally, the Archbishop addressed the young people about the history of the local Church, honoring the pioneering immigrants who came to the fifth continent and preserved the Orthodox faith and Greek Orthodox traditions with great devotion.
He also made special reference to the recent blessed visit of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Australia, during which he promulgated the new Constitution of the Holy Archdiocese and, above all, “left us his personal example of love and service as an inspiration for our own journey into the future.”
In addition to Archbishop Makarios, the opening ceremony of the Youth Conference of the Holy Diocese of Brisbane was attended by Bishops Bartholomew of Adelaide and Silouan of Brisbane, as well as the Honorary Consul of Greece in Brisbane, George Mastrokostas.
During his address, Mastrokostas announced the annual granting of a scholarship for young people from Queensland who wish to study at the Theological School of Apostle Andrew in Sydney. The conference continued with engaging speeches, discussions, and workshops.
