“Our All-Holy Lady is the most loving person to have passed through this world”, emphasised His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, in front of hundreds of faithful believers at the celebrating Holy Church of the Dormition of Our Lady, in the suburb of Altona North, Melbourne.
On Wednesday evening, 14 August 2024, His Eminence who officiated at the Great Vespers, and was joined by the Their Graces, Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne and Bishop Themistocles of Nicopolis, from the Patriarchate of Alexandria, during his sermon focused especially on the prototype of storgic love (storge), as found in the holy person of the Virgin Mary, and, by contrast, on the prototype of justice, which is usually accompanied by the tendency to constantly control our fellow human beings and by acquiring feelings of anger.
Addressing parents in particular, he asked them to surround their children with affection, avoiding pressured control and excessive suggestions, which usually produce the opposite of the desired results. “What is missing from the world, from our families and from our children, is affection”, he underlined and added: “This is what the Virgin Mary showed and continues to show. So therefore make a place for affection in your life. This is what I want you to keep from today’s feast day.”
Also, the Archbishop referred to the deep reverence shown by all Orthodox Christians and in particular the Greeks towards the person of the Mother of God, an example of which, as he pointed out, is the fact that a large number of Greek Orthodox churches have been dedicated to her – greater, by comparison, than any other Saint- erected by the Greek immigrants in Australia.
This is justified, as His Eminence explained, because, firstly, the Virgin Mary is the Mother of our God and, secondly, she became the person who united earth with heaven. “Before the Virgin Mary came into the world and accepted to give birth to the Son and Word of God, the door of Paradise was closed”, he underlined. In addition, His Eminence reminded that especially, the Greek Nation has tasted countless times the blessings and miraculous interventions of the Virgin Mary, throughout its history.
Concluding his sermon, Archbishop Makarios welcomed the presence of the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Mr. Emmanuel Kakavelakis, while he thanked the Parish Priest of the Church of the Dormition of Our Lady in Altona North, Father Dimitrius Catrinei, and the President of the Parish – Community Mr. Christos Dimitriadis. He expressed his paternal satisfaction for the continuous progress of the Parish-Community and congratulated Fr. Dimitrius, Mr. Dimitriadis and all their associates.
For his part, the Parish Priest, Father Dimitrius extended a warm welcome to His Eminence, on behalf of all the parishioners, thanking him for his presence at the Holy Feast Day, as well as for his loving care and for the God-pleasing work he is conducting in Australia. “May Our Lady protect you constantly”, He wished the Archbishop, “and strengthen your physical and spiritual health, so that you may take care of our guidance towards the Kingdom of God”.
