On Wednesday, February 26, Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided over a Doxology service at St. Andrew’s Theological College in Sydney to mark the beginning of the new academic year.
As this service marked the beginning of the 40th year of operation of the College – a proud institution and spiritual cornerstone of the Orthodox Church in Australia – Archbishop Makarios expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his predecessor, the late Archbishop Stylianos of Australia, the founder of the College. “It was his vision to establish a theological college on the fifth continent,” he noted, “and he achieved this through hard work and wise leadership. May his memory be eternal.
He went on to acknowledge the divine providence that the milestone of the College’s 40th anniversary coincides with its impending move to new, modern facilities. As he pointed out, these new premises will allow for the integration of traditional theological study in a highly contemporary environment, fully in keeping with the needs and educational standards of our time. “I am fully aware,” he assured, “of the importance of providing our future clergy, teachers and leaders with the best possible resources so that they are thoroughly prepared to serve and inspire our people to follow Christ. In a rapidly changing world, full of distractions that often neglect the spiritual dimension of the human person, this investment is more important than ever”.
On the occasion of this year’s spiritual journey into the world of theology, the Archbishop and Dean of the College also offered words of spiritual edification to both returning and newly enrolled students. Drawing on a saying of St. Silouan the Athonite – that “it is one thing to talk about God and quite another to know God” – the Archbishop emphasized that the study of theology “can never be limited to the mere acquisition of facts about God”. Addressing the students, he stressed, “Your engagement with theology will not be a purely intellectual endeavor.” He added, “Theology demands a deeper engagement that not only informs the mind but also shapes and transforms the heart through redemptive truths.”
As part of his inspiring address, Archbishop Makarios vividly explained that experiential knowledge of God requires the attraction of the grace of the Holy Spirit, which in turn is achieved through humility. “We truly come to know God,” he concluded, “when we set humility as our goal and allow ourselves to be humbled and emptied. In this way, we make room for the inexhaustible grace of God to fill our emptiness completely – and to transform that very emptiness into the place where we encounter Christ, our Lord.”
Among those present at the doxology for the new academic year of St. Andrew’s Theological College were Metropolitan Seraphim of Sevasteia, clergy from the city of Sydney, Professor Philip Kariatlis, Associate Dean of the College, and other members of the faculty.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
