The Feast Day of Saint Evmenios, Bishop of Gortyna, the wonderworker, was celebrated in the Holy Diocese of Chora with due ecclesiastical splendor. The center of the feast day was at the Holy Monastery of Our Lady “Axion Esti”, in Northcote, Melbourne, and was presided over by Bishop Evmenios of Chora, who celebrated his Name Day.
Specifically, Bishop Evmenios officiated at the Vespers service on the eve of the feast, on Tuesday, 17 September 2024, while he officiated at the Matins service and presided over the Divine Liturgy on the main day of the feast, on Wednesday, 18 September. The holy Clergy of the Holy Diocese of Chora participated in the celebrations, as well as many faithful believers, including students of Saint John’s College, Preston, who duly wished a blessed name day to Bishop Evmenios of Chora.
For his part, Bishop Evmenios conveyed to everyone the wishes and blessing of Archbishop Makarios of Australia and spoke from the heart about his patron saint, Saint Evmenios the wonderworker, speaking of “an example of faith, sacrifice, and devotion to the Lord”. “It is a great blessing for me that this day also marks my name day feast,” he noted and added: “Thus I am given the opportunity to reflect on the deep spiritual legacy that our Saint has left us.”
“This feast day,” he pointed out, “is closely connected with the great feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which we celebrated just four days ago. Because the Cross and the life of Saint Evmenios are interconnected. The Cross of Christ is the source of our strength and hope, and the life of the Saint we honor today is a living testimony to this truth. Christ’s victory over death through the Cross became the victory of our Saint, as he walked the difficult path of faith, sacrificing himself for the good of his flock”.
“The Cross, which we recently elevated with reverence,” continued Bishop Evmenios, “is not just a symbol of Christ’s suffering and sacrifice. It is the sign of our salvation, the power and source of victory over sin and death. The Cross reminds us that Christ, with His humility and sacrifice, defeated the darkest things in the world. This is the same message that the life of Saint Evmenios teaches us. Like our Lord, so also the Saint we celebrate today, took up his cross with patience, faith, and devotion to God.”
Bishop Evmenios added that the life of Saint Evmenios was an example of humility and unwavering faith, and explained: “As Bishop of Gortyna, in a time full of challenges and difficulties, this Saint endured all his trials with calmness and trust in God. As the Lord tells us: ” “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24).
This invitation to take up our cross and follow Christ is the essence of the Christian life. Brothers and sisters, the message of the Cross is not just a message of sacrifice, but also a message of hope and victory. As Christ triumphed through the Cross, Saint Evmenios also triumphed through the temptations and difficulties of his life. He teaches us that the trials and crosses we bear in our lives are not in vain, but are the means by which God perfects us in His faith and love.”
Then, citing the words of Saint John Chrysostom: “Through the Cross we are victorious , through the Cross we are strengthened, through the Cross we become invincible”, the Bishop of Chora pointed out that “this power of the Cross was the same that strengthened Saint Evmenios. It teaches us that when we trust God and surrender to His holy will, even the greatest trials can become a source of grace.”
Concluding his Homily, Bishop Evmenios of Chora urged the faithful to imitate the honored Saint and to see the Cross in their lives as a means of regeneration and salvation. “Through every pain, through every cross, God leads us to resurrection and glory,” he underlined.
Bishop Evmenios then warmly thanked those who attended the two-day celebrations, noting among other things that “your presence is testimony to the living faith we share and our unity as a Christian community.” He also thanked Archbishop Makarios for his leadership, his wisdom, and the blessings he has given to the local Church, which, he noted, “has experienced great growth under his pastoral care, and we are deeply grateful for his dedication to our spiritual progress.”
Finally, Bishop Evmenios mentioned the upcoming blessed visit of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Australia, stressing that “his presence among us is a sign of our unity with the Mother Church of Constantinople and with the entire Orthodox Church”. “His visit will be a time of renewal and strengthening of our faith,” he added while concluding with the exhortation: “Let us prepare our hearts to welcome him with joy and gratitude.”
