On Meatfare Sunday, February 23rd, Archbishop Makarios of Australia officiated at the Holy Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Sydney, accompanied by the Chancellor of the Holy Archdiocese and Dean of the Cathedral, Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne Fr. Christoforos Krikelis, as well as his fellow clergyman, Archimandrite Fr. Stephanos Tinikasvili.
After the Divine Liturgy, the Archbishop conducted the Blessing of the Waters to mark the beginning of the new catechetical period and bestowed his paternal blessing upon the catechists who serve with dedication in the catechetical mission of the local Church.
In his address, the Archbishop expressed heartfelt gratitude to the attending catechists, the President, Dr. Ioannis Psaromatis, and all members of the Christian Union, describing them as “Simon of Cyrene” figures for the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, sharing in its great responsibility to keep the flame of faith and Greek Orthodox traditions alive in the hearts of Greek children in the fifth continent. “The work carried out in our catechetical schools is an ecclesiastical and, above all, an apostolic mission,” he emphasized, adding: “This is precisely what the Apostles did. They traveled from place to place, from home to home, and from neighborhood to neighborhood to preach the Word of God. And today, under different circumstances and conditions, we are called to offer the Word of God to the children who come to church—children who, we must never forget, are our future. Through the catechetical schools, we are planting the seed so that it may bear fruit many years later. We could say that we are investing—an investment not of financial nature, but a spiritual one. An investment in our language, our faith, our customs, and our traditions.”
Elsewhere in his speech, Archbishop Makarios reminded the faithful that the Orthodox Church has two lungs—the Holy Gospel and the Holy Canons. “The Church cannot breathe without these two lungs,” he stressed, urging the catechetical teachers: “Never forget that everything you teach and say must pass through this filter of the Church’s lungs.”
Concluding, the Archbishop conveyed to the catechists that “when the children grow up, they may not remember exactly what you told them, but they will remember that they had a kind and noble teacher, someone who approached them with love, understanding, and tenderness—someone who instilled in them feelings of spiritual joy and security.” To fulfill this mission, he urged them to teach primarily through their lives and example. “What we seek is not merely knowledge,” he pointed out, “because if knowledge were the most important aspect of the spiritual life, we would simply tell the children, ‘Go online and read—knowledge is abundant there.’” Instead, he emphasized, “what truly matters is your presence and your witness—a presence and a witness of holiness, a presence and a witness of Christ.”
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
