On Saturday, 14 September 2024, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia visited the Monastery of the Holy Cross, in the Mangrove Mountain region of New South Wales, on the occasion of the Feast of the Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. His Eminence officiated during the Matins and the Service of the Elevation of the Sacred Cross and, following this, presided over the Divine Liturgy, at the end of which, He elevated Father Nicholas Skordilis, Parish Priest of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Newcastle, to the rank of Protopresbyter.
The Archbishop’s address was most moving, as he focused on how today’s human person, who despise toil and difficulty and seeks comfort and bliss, must face the sorrows and trials of life. After emphasising that each person takes up their own cross, he pointed out that we Christians should learn to take up our cross voluntarily and not passively. “Let us take up our cross with joy and not with sadness, because every person’s cross is part of their salvation. There is no salvation without the cross. The cross is the “key” to the Kingdom of Heaven”, he noted characteristically and urged people to love the effort required and the cross, not to abhor difficulty, not to be afraid of sadness, not to be disappointed in illness. “Take up your cross with joy and not passively and involuntarily because you have no other choice,” he emphasised in conclusion.
After the Divine Liturgy, a traditional monastic meal followed, while before his departure His Eminence had the opportunity to inspect the works of the Holy Monastery, for the progress of which he congratulated Gerontissa Filothei and her monastic sisterhood.
