On Sunday, 16 October 2022, in the Holy Church of Saint Spyridon, in the suburb of Kingsford, Sydney, His Eminence Metropolitan Andreas of Forty Churches, officiated at the Divine Liturgy of the 4th Sunday of Luke, who, these days, is in the fifth continent, as a representative of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, for the first Pan-Australian Clergy Synaxis which will take place on the 18th and 19th of this month.
The distinguished visitor was welcomed by the Proistamenos of the Church of Saint Spyridon, Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne Very Rev Fr. Steven Scoutas, who presented to the large congregation the biography of His Eminence and his contribution to the Great Church so far.
Afterwards, Metropolitan Andreas of Forty Churches, after thanking Father Steven, spoke with warm words referring to His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, remembering the many years of ecclesiastical friendship that connects them and thanking him for his hospitality and his blessing to liturgise at the Church of Saint Spyridon.
During his sermon, His Eminence Metropolitan Andreas analysed the gospel reading of the day, the parable of the Good Sower, stressing that we must cultivate the field of our soul so that the word of God may flourish and the Holy Spirit may abide in our hearts. “Let us take care to cultivate this field away from the weeds of sin and the devil”, he characteristically urged, “so that the word of God will bear fruit and we will become people of light, Christians of light, for our neighbour and for the whole world”.
At the same time, His Eminence Metropolitan Andreas urged the faithful to remain united and close to the Church and to continue to observe the morals and customs, as well as the sacred traditions of our Nation. Finally, he did not fail to convey the wishes and blessing of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, as well as the paternal interest of His All-Holiness for the local Church of Australia.
