On Sunday, August 11, Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Kogarah, Sydney. During the service, he also led the ordination of Deacon Socrates Dokos as Presbyter, who serves the parish and is an Associate Professor and Deputy Director of the Postgraduate School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia, the Hierarchical Head of the Parish of the Resurrection of Christ, along with Archimandrite Eusebius of the Ecumenical Throne, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Panagia Pantanassa and spiritual father of the newly ordained Presbyter, joined Archbishop Makarios in concelebrating the Divine Liturgy. Several other clergy from the city of Sydney also participated in the service.
Among the congregation in the crowded church were notable figures such as Stylianos Magdalopoulos, Director of the Welfare Center of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia; Ioannis Psaromatis, President of the Christian Youth Association; Nikolaos Varvaris, President of the Parish-Community of Kogarah; and relatives of Fr. Socrates, including his wife, now Presbytera, Anna.
The newly ordained presbyter received words of paternal edification and admonition from the Archbishop.
The Archbishop emphasized from the outset that ordination marks a profound turning point in the life of the one who receives the gift of the priesthood. “From today,” he emphasized, “your life becomes completely different, even though you have spent all your years within the Church, close to your good spiritual father, Fr. Eusebius, near the Monastery of Pantanassa, alongside Fr. Stephanos, and actively involved in the Christian Youth Association.”
“Now we turn to the next chapter,” he added, “a new stage that is blessed, sanctifying, filled with grace and spirituality, yet also challenging and demanding.” You should know that the devil battles clergymen more intensely than any other person.”
The Archbishop urged the new presbyter to meet the Church’s expectations and honor his role through devoted and virtuous service. He advised him to maintain the spirit of humility that defines him, saying, “Soon, we will hear the cry of ‘Worthy’ from the holy clergy and the congregation.
This ‘Worthy’ spoken during the ordinations of deacons, presbyters, and bishops does not imply that we are truly ‘worthy’. It is a desire and aspiration to become worthy; a reminder that the ultimate goal of the priesthood is to continually strive towards worthiness! Moreover, in every Divine Liturgy, you will confess that ‘No one is worthy who is bound by carnal desires and pleasures to approach or serve You, King of Glory.'” Never forget that every good, every advancement, every step forward begins with the fact that God created everything ‘very good.’
And if we accomplish something good, it is because we have entrusted it to God. So we start from God and end with God. And all good things belong to God, who made everything ‘very good.'”
In concluding his homily, the Archbishop directed the new Presbyter to the words of the Lord: “According to your faith let it be done to you,” from the Gospel passage of the day, which recounts Christ’s healing of two blind men.
He stressed, “The issue of faith is a significant chapter in both the spiritual life of a person and the life of the Church.” He pointed out, “Orthodox spirituality is not merely a philosophy or theory; it is a matter of faith, and faith means experience.” He also cautioned about the danger, even for the clergy, of becoming too familiar with the divine and performing their duties without fully grasping the significance of the sacred act they are involved in.
In conclusion, he expressed his confidence that Fr. Socrates would not only sustain his fervent faith but also deepen it throughout his ministry, for the glory of Christ and the salvation of souls.
