Holy Diocese of Chora: The Third Stanza of the Salutations to the Theotokos at the Church of Our Lady ‘Axion Esti’, Northcote
On Friday, 21 March 2025, at the Archdiocesan Church of Our Lady ‘Axion Esti’ in Northcote, Melbourne, in the Holy Diocese of Chora, the Service of the Third Stanza of the Salutations to the Most Holy Theotokos took place with particular reverence, and was officiated by His Grace Bishop Evmenios of Chora.
His Grace conveyed the heartfelt wishes and paternal blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, to all those present.
In his short sermon, His Grace Bishop Evmenios referred with particular sensitivity to the inseparable relationship between the Theotokos and the Holy Cross. He emphasised that this period is deeply founded within the Holy Cross, not only because of the feast of the Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross, but also because the entire path towards Easter is shaped by the invitation to take up our own cross with patience, hope and faith.
The Virgin Mary, he pointed out, always stands by the believer, as she stood by her Crucified Son. She is the Mother of consolation, the Hope of the hopeless and the support of those who are tested. Similarly, the Cross of Christ is not only a symbol of sacrifice, but also of triumph, not only pain, but also glory, as through it came the Resurrection.
Concluding, His Grace urged the faithful to gaze upon the Cross with faith and turn to the Virgin Mary with trust, knowing that both lead with certainty to the victory of Life over death.
