Archbishop Makarios of Australia: “Let us rekindle the Holy Spirit within us”
On the Monday of the Holy Spirit, 24 June 2024, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia liturgised at the Cathedral of Saint Sophia (Wisdom of God) in Adelaide, and was joined by Their Graces, Bishop Silouan of Sinope and Bishop Bartholomew of Charioupolis, and also by the clergy from the capital city of South Australia. Among the congregation were the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, His Excellency Mr. Stavros Venizelos, along with his wife, Ms. Larissa Tikaidi, and the Consul General of Greece in Adelaide, Mr. Georgios Psiachas.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence spoke theologically and in an inspired way about the third hypostasis of the Holy Trinity, clarifying ecclesiological aspects which are not so discernible for a large part of the Christ-loving people. His Eminence pointed out that while most believers revere and honour, en masse and with all their hearts, Christ, the Virgin Mary and the Saints of our Church, they do not experience the same reverence and do not show the same zeal during the feast of the Holy Spirit.
However, the Holy and life-creating Spirit, as the Archbishop explained in simple and understandable words, is behind every miracle of our Saints and in every manifestation of the sacramental life of the Church. “All the miracles that the Saints have done, have been done with the grace of the Holy Spirit”, he underlined, among other things, and described how the Holy Spirit has a transformative effect during the celebration of the Mysteries of the Holy Eucharist, Baptism, Confession, Holy Unction etc. His Eminence pointed out that the Holy Spirit indwells in every person after their baptism, but remains “buried” as long as the Christian does not know about it and does not invoke it in their prayers.
Finally urging the faithful to reveal within themselves and rekindle the Holy Spirit, he referred to a great new Saint of our Church, Saint Nektarios, Bishop of Pentapolis, who anguished profusely over how to strengthen the ecclesiological mindset of the faithful regarding the Holy Spirit. St. Nektarios often spoke about it in his sermons, while exhorting Christians to pray to the Holy Spirit. With the same exhortation, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia concluded his address, imploring those present to include in their daily lives the short and comprehensive prayer: “Holy Trinity, God, have mercy on the sinner”.
