“We owe our salvation to our Virgin Mary,” emphasised Archbishop Makarios of Australia, addressing the faithful of the Parish of Saint Spyridon in Kingsford, Sydney, following the service of the Second Stasis of the Salutations (Akathist Hymn) to the Most Holy Theotokos, on the evening of Friday, 6 March.
His Eminence presided over the solemn service, concelebrating with the Parish Priest, Fr Stylianos Skoutas, and the Assistant Priest, Fr Stavros Ivano. Among those in attendance were Athanasios Lambrou, Communications Advisor at the Office of Public Diplomacy of the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney, representing the Consul General, Georgios Skemperis; the President of the Parish, Ilias Oikonomou; the Head of St Spyridon College, Amelia Katsogiannis; students of the Greek Orthodox school; and many other devout faithful who filled the Church.
At the end of the service, the Archbishop delivered an engaging address in which he presented the historical background of the Akathist Hymn (Salutations), which is chanted in parts every Friday during the first four weeks of Lent and in its entirety on the Friday of the fifth week.
Among other things, he reminded the faithful that this year marks 1,400 years since the miraculous deliverance of Constantinople during its siege by the Avars in 626 AD. On that occasion, the hymn “To the Champion Leader the victorious praises” was chanted for the first time while standing in the Church of the Theotokos of Blachernae.
“This hymn was loved by the people,” he noted, “and this is why, even though fourteen centuries have passed, it continues to be chanted and remains part of our liturgical life.” “The Salutations to the Virgin Mary,” he continued, “are a hymn, a doxology, and an expression of thanksgiving to our Virgin Mary. It is a text that expresses the gratitude of the human race toward the Mother of all Christians.”
Focusing on the reasons why we are called to honor and glorify the Theotokos, His Eminence emphasized that above all she “led us back into Paradise.” “If the Virgin Mary had not accepted the message of the Archangel Gabriel and given birth to Christ,” he added, “humanity could not have been saved. Therefore, we owe everything to our Virgin Mary. We owe our salvation to our Virgin Mary.”
Concluding his sermon, he urged the faithful in a fatherly manner to develop a closer relationship with the Virgin Mary: “Seek her intercessions when you face difficulties. Ask her to help you in your daily life. Mothers should ask for her help in raising their children. And our young people should pray that the Virgin Mary enlighten them so that they may make the right choices in life.”
Finally, Archbishop Makarios expressed his satisfaction with the continued spiritual progress of the Parish of Saint Spyridon and warmly congratulated the clergy, Fr Stylianos and Fr Stavros, the President Mr Oikonomou and the members of the Parish Council, as well as the Principal of Saint Spyridon College, Ms Katsoyianni.
After thanking everyone for their constant support of the initiatives of the Holy Archdiocese, he conveyed his wishes for the remainder of the Holy and Great Lent and concluded with the exhortation: “Have courage and hope in our Panagia, and know that we are not alone. We have the Panagia, who is the mother and helper of us all.”
