On the evening of Friday, August 8, Archbishop Makarios of Australia officiated at the Small Supplicatory Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos, held at the Church of Saint Paraskevi, Saint John the Merciful, and Saint Barbara, in the suburb of St Albans, Melbourne.
Present at the service, praying together with him, were the local Bishop Eumenios of Chora and the Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne.
In his homily, the Archbishop focused on the closeness in time between the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Savior Jesus Christ and that of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos – through which, as he noted, the constant and unbroken companionship of Christ and the Virgin Mary is revealed. “There could be no more beautiful combination in this period we are going through,” he observed, “for it is through the Theotokos, within the life of the Church, that a person is transformed. His ‘good alteration’ takes place, and he becomes different, he becomes better, he rises above his own nature.”
“This ‘good alteration,’” he was quick to stress, “is not only about ourselves, but also about how we treat the people around us.” Noting that in modern society people easily reject and marginalize their neighbor – especially when they think he lacks talents or has some flaw – he countered emphatically that “in the Church, there is room for everyone.” By way of example, he referred to the sinful woman of the Gospel, the Prodigal Son, the tax collector, and the thief, underlining that “we all have a place in the Church when we believe in Christ.” “And not only do we all have a place,” he added, “but we can all become useful and be put to good use.”
In conclusion, the Archbishop urged the faithful to cooperate in bringing about the “good alteration” in their fellow human beings – whoever they may be, whatever strengths or weaknesses they may possess. He exhorted them, with fatherly care, to treat their neighbor with love, understanding, and leniency, and to give him opportunities to improve and to contribute to society as a whole.
Finally, Archbishop Makarios congratulated and thanked the Parish Priest, Fr. Demosthenis Nikolaou, for his ministry, and also congratulated the Parish Council and its President, Mr. Marios Kalogiannis, Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. “Amid the many challenges faced by this parish, you are making a blessed effort,” he acknowledged, concluding with the wish: “May you all, under the inspired guidance of the Bishop of Chora, go forward united and strong.”
Among those present in the congregation was the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Ms. Dimitra Georgantzoglou.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
