More than 250 young men and women from the State of Queensland exclaimed: “We are ready for the future” before their Shepherd, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, during the opening ceremony of the Youth Conference of the Holy Diocese of Brisbane.
The two-day Conference began on Saturday morning, 7 December 2024, at the premises of the Parish of the Dormition of Our Lady, Mt Gravatt, in Brisbane. Archbishop Makarios delivered the keynote address and then took questions from the young people, answered their queries and had a sincere and fruitful discussion with them, regarding the ways in which the slogan “We are ready for the future” can be translated into substantial progress of the local Church and the transmission of the “treasures” of the Orthodox faith to the wider Australian society.
Right from the beginning, His Eminence explained that “in order to be truly prepared for the future, we must first recognise the foundation on which we stand.” “This foundation,” he was quick to point out, “is none other than Jesus Christ, our rock and refuge.” “The Church,” he added, “is not a place where we believe in certain ideas, nor is it a philosophy of life. It is the place where we develop a personal relationship with Christ, who is very real to us and whom we love. The Church is nothing other than the miraculous presence of Christ among us.”
Based on the above, the Archbishop’s first message to the young audience was that “we are ready for the future, when we are ready to make our lives Christ-centred and to live with Christ”. However, in the future envisioned by the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, now on the threshold of its second century of life, there is no room for introversion and isolationism. Hence the second message that His Eminence Makarios sent to the young people was: “Having made our lives Christ-centred, let us share this hope, this joy, this light, that is, Christ, with others”. “Having received the light of Christ, we must share it with those around us”, he pointed out and continued: “We cannot be invisible disciples. “Being a Christian is much more than going to church on Sunday morning. Christians are to be torchbearers in a dark world. Our goal is to inspire others, to draw them to the source of life.”
Finally, the Archbishop spoke to the youth about the history of the local Church, remembering the pioneer immigrants who spread to the fifth continent and preserved with great reverence the Orthodox faith and Greek Orthodox traditions. His Eminence also made special mention of the recent blessed visit of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Australia, who brought the new Constitution of the Holy Archdiocese and, most importantly, “left us his personal example of love and ministry as an inspiration for our own personal journey as we walk towards the future.”
In addition to His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, the opening ceremony of the Youth Conference of the Holy Diocese of Brisbane was honoured with the presence of, among others, Their Graces, Bishop Bartholomew of Brisbane and Bishop Silouan of Adelaide and the Honorary Consul-General of Greece in Brisbane Mr. George Mastrocostas. In fact, Mr. Mastrocostas announced, during his address, the granting of an annual scholarship for youth from Queensland who wish to study at Saint Andrew’s Theological College in Sydney. The proceedings of the Conference continued with interesting speeches, discussions, and workshops.
