Archbishop Makarios of Australia: “Let us start the day by making the sign of the cross and not by looking at the mobile phone”
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, urged those present at the official cutting ceremony of the Vasilopita of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, to adopt a blessed habit in the new year 2025, which took place on Thursday, 2 January 2025, at the crowded Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady in Sydney.
“I cannot imagine for the Greek Orthodox Christians who belong to our flock that a day will pass when they do not make the sign of the cross,” His Eminence noted in his introductory remarks and urged: “For 2025, I ask you every morning when you wake up, before you pick up the mobile phone, to make the sign of the cross. Let our day begin with the sign of the cross. Simply, humbly, humanly and ecclesiastically. This is what I want you to do and you will see that your day will change. And your life will change. You will see that you will feel something different and it will become a blessed habit, which will follow you throughout your life. I ask you all to acquire this habit. It is not difficult, it is not expensive, it is not time-consuming, it is not tiring. It only requires a little thought and dedication.”
The paternal appeal of Archbishop Makarios was accompanied by his heartfelt wishes to all those present at the cutting of the Vasilopita, Hierarchs, clergy and faithful. Among them were His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Sevasteia, Their Graces, Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis and Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia, Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod, Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne Christophoros Krikelis, Chancellor of the Holy Archdiocese and Dean of the Cathedral, Mr. Ioannis Mallikourtis, Consul General of Greece in Sydney, and the Criminologist from Greece, Mr. Athanasios Kehagioglou, Archon Dikaiophylax of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Before delivering his message and wishes for the new year, His Eminence blessed and cut the traditional Vasilopita, then named the first cut pieces and described the symbolism of each of them. He particularly focused on the piece dedicated to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, looking back with emotion to the recent blessed visit of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Australia. “He visited us last October and we had the opportunity to stand next to him, to see him, to touch him, to receive his blessing and to truly feel the grace of the Holy Spirit. We are very fortunate to have this great Patriarch in our days,” he said of the venerable person of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, while noting that the Holy Archdiocese of Australia owes, throughout time, much gratitude to the Mother Church of Constantinople. “If we did not have our Ecumenical Patriarchate, I cannot imagine what the Church here in Australia would be like today,” he noted characteristically.
During the service, greetings were also delivered by Metropolitan Seraphim, Their Graces Bishop Iakovos and Bishop Christodoulos, and the Consul General of Greece, Mr. Mallikourtis. The Vasilopita coin was found by Father Dimitrios Kokkinos, Parish Priest of the Church of Saint Ioannis, in the suburb of Parramatta, Sydney.
