With ecclesiastical splendour and profound reverence, the Holy Archdiocese of Australia celebrated the feast of our Venerable and God-bearing Father Paisios the Athonite, the Guardian and Protector of the Orthodox Church of the Fifth Continent and of Australia.
The centre of the liturgical celebrations held in his honour on Sunday, 12 July, was the Holy Diocese of Chora, specifically the Cathedral of Our Lady “Axion Estin” in Northcote, where His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia presided at the Divine Liturgy, concelebrating with Their Graces Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne and Bishop Evmenios of Chora. Participating in the festal Divine Liturgy were clergy from throughout Victoria, together with the visiting Patriarchal Deacon Fr Evlogios Tsatsas, Codifier of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Among the large congregation were Ms Dimitra Georgantzoglou, Consul General of Greece in Melbourne; Archons of the Ecumenical Throne, Mr Tony Tsourdalakis and Mr Mario Kalogiannis; Mr Nicholas Archontonis, the brother of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, together with his wife, Mrs Aikaterini Archontonis; and Mr Marinis Pirpiris, representing the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria.
Speaking from the heart about the life, spiritual gifts, and enlightened character of the Saint, Archbishop Makarios also shared personal recollections of his visits to Mount Athos during his years as a student at the Rizarios Ecclesiastical School, and later as a newly ordained deacon.
At the outset of his homily, His Eminence observed that “the first thing Saint Paisios teaches us is that holiness is not something distant or unattainable.” He emphasised that holiness is a living reality in every age, accessible to every person, and dependent upon the personal relationship that each individual cultivates with God. “We can all follow the path of holiness,” he underlined.
Referring to the many spiritual gifts of Saint Paisios, the Archbishop noted that “with simple words he was able to express the great theological truths and teachings of our Church.” At the same time, he stressed that “Saint Paisios, who lived during difficult years on Mount Athos, a time marked by disputes, controversies and temptations, never once considered turning against the Church, against the Bishops, or against the Patriarch. Not only did he never oppose him, but he always said that God had sent the right Patriarch at the right time.”
Archbishop Makarios also reminded the faithful that Saint Paisios rejected the passion of judging others and would never disturb the inner peace of those who came seeking his guidance.
“People would go to Saint Paisios, sit beside him, and never want to leave. This was because they experienced freedom and spiritual joy simply by being in the presence of a man who did not judge them, even though he knew exactly who they were. People today have the unfortunate habit of judging others without truly knowing them. Such an attitude, however, is incompatible with holiness.”
Concluding his address, His Eminence warmly welcomed the visiting Patriarchal Deacon Fr Evlogios to the Archdiocese, describing him as “a young clergyman who gives all of us confidence that he will honour both his priestly calling and the sacred legacy entrusted to him by our Ecumenical Patriarch.”
Wishing Fr Evlogios a blessed and spiritually enriching stay in Australia, the Archbishop asked him, upon his return to Constantinople, to convey to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew the love, respect, honour and, above all, the unwavering devotion of the Christ-loving faithful of the Fifth Continent.
