On Sunday, 5 January, the eve of the Great Feast Day of the Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia visited the Parish of Saint Stylianos, in the Sydney suburb of Gymea, where he liturgised and preached the holy sermon in the midst of a large congregation, and at the end of which, conducted the service of the Great Sanctification of the Waters.

Taking as an example the tendency that people have at the beginning of each new calendar year to set new goals and envision new destinations, His Eminence underlined the decisive role of the Church, which, through the teachings of the Gospel, the Apostles and the holy God-bearing Fathers, presents us with the appropriate signposts, so that we do not lose our orientation.

A prerequisite for the successful outcome of our journey, as he pointed out, also citing the apostolic reading of the day (“I have run the course, I have kept the faith” [2 Timothy]), is our unwavering faith in God. “The Christian’s journey cannot be completed without faith in God,” he emphasised, adding: “Because if we do not have faith in God, it means that we are walking without a destination.”

In conclusion, the Archbishop paternally implored the faithful to transform the affirmation of the Apostle Paul (“I have kept the faith”) into a question (“have I kept my faith?”), which they will ask themselves daily in order to examine whether they are journeying correctly in their lives. In conclusion, His Eminence wished everyone to successfully complete their path and reach their main destination, which is the Kingdom of God, while he expressed warm thanks to the Parish Priest Fr. Constantine Varipatis, the Parish Council and all their co-workers, who work zealously for the progress of the Parish of St. Stylianos in Gymea. “I am truly proud and delighted and very proud of the progress and upward trajectory of this parish,” he noted in closing.