On Holy Tuesday, 11 April 2023, the Service of the Bridegroom was solemnly conducted at the Holy Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady, in Sydney, officiated by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.
The reverent hymns were offered by the chanters of the Cathedral, while His Eminence, during his lively sermon to the congregation, emphasised the great challenge that we all have to love God despite our passions and weaknesses.
“The absence of love distances us from God and not our passions”, he underlined and pointed out: “You see in what our Church presents to us today, the harlot becomes a saint because she had love for God. And Christ told her that ‘your many sins are forgiven because you loved greatly’. On the other hand, the disciple who had been privileged to see so many miracles and had heard a wonderful teaching, did not love Christ sincerely. His love for himself and his passions prevailed in this relationship and thus he betrayed Him. But is it possible for this to happen? And yet! A disciple becomes a traitor and a harlot gains the kingdom of God.”
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia concluded with the exhortation: “Let all of us who are disciples of Christ take care, do not forget, do not get carried away and do not end up becoming traitors to God’s love. This is something we avoid.”
