Archbishop Makarios of Australia: “‘Christmas’ means birth and life, but also the prospect of the Kingdom of God”

On Saturday afternoon, 21 December 2024, a beautiful event, with joyful and at the same time devout melodies, and full of love, hope and spiritual joy, was hosted in the courtyard of the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady, in Redfern, Sydney. This was the annual “Christmas Carols” event of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, an event which, for the Greek Orthodox community of Sydney, has been established as a forerunner of the great and saving event of the Birth of the God-Man, Our Lord Jesus Christ. The large audience at the event enjoyed a rich musical program, which included traditional Christmas and New Year’s carols, as well as church hymns and a multitude of other songs, which are intertwined with the festive period of the Holy Twelve Days of Christmas.

The carols were attended by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, who, being delighted and moved by the wonderful event, during his closing remarks extended warm thanks and congratulations to all those who participated.

His Eminence also referred to the upcoming great feast day of Christmas, which, as he pointed out, is an opportunity to realise that “humankind does not live for this life, but has an eschatological destination.” “‘Christmas’ means birth, life, joy and hope, but it also means a prospect,” he emphasised and explained: “The birth of Christ did not take place without a reason. It took place to give humankind a purpose. And this purpose is that we start from this present life, but we have as our destination the Kingdom of God.”

Concluding his address and after thanking the local Greek community, who embraced the “Christmas Carols” event for another year, he paternally implored everyone to remain close to Christ and the Church. “Because there is no more beautiful life than a life close to Christ and the Church,” he stated with emphasis and intense emotion. It is noted that in the audience were Archons of the Holy Great Church of Christ and Mr. Athanasios Lambrou, Second General Counsellor at the Public Diplomacy Office of the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney, as a representative of the Consul-General Mr. Ioannis Mallikourtis.

The event – ​​an institution of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia was organised by the Central Youth GO Youth NSW and GO Family & Friends Ministry, under the guidance of His Grace Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia, Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Holy Archdiocese, and Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne Christophoros Krikelis, Chancellor and Dean of the Cathedral. The event was presented and coordinated flawlessly by Youth MC’s Vasilios Manis and Nikoleta Spyropoulos, while the Australian Byzantine Choir, the “Melisma” Choir under the direction of choirmaster Dimitrios Koumbaroulis, the youth choirs of the Greek Orthodox Christian Society in Sydney, the Pontian Association of NSW “Pontoxeniteas” with the kemenche (Pontian lyra) player Konstantinos Papoulidis, and children’s choirs from the Sunday School of the Parish – Community of the Resurrection of Christ in Kogarah and from the Parish – Community of All Saints in Belmore all took part.