Speaking of the Orthodox Youth of South Australia conference on Saturday, Archbishop Makarios of Australia stressed the importance of staying close to the Church and building strong Christian families. The event in which Makarios was joined by the newly elected Bishop of Adelaide Silouan was held at the Church of Prophet Elias in Norwood was attended by over 200 attendees.
“Stay in the Church. Because ‘being in the Church’ means ‘being in the harbour.’ And when someone is in the harbour, they don’t suffer shipwrecks. Therefore, whatever happens in your life, stay close to the Church. And build beautiful Christian families, because this is what society needs and what we expect from you,” he urged.
The conference provided a platform for engaging presentations and spiritually beneficial discussions on developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
“The Church is not a place where we simply learn about God. The Church is not a place where we believe in certain ideas or philosophies. The Church is the place where we develop a personal relationship with this specific Person, Jesus Christ, who is our model, is real to us, and whom we love. We know Him and experience His existence through the Holy Mysteries and generally through the life of the Church. This is very important to understand because if we think of the Church as anything else, we will not be able to withstand the difficulties in our lives or face the many challenges that will come our way,” Makarios said.
Concluding his address he urged the youth to continue communicating with each other beyond the conference, not only online and through social media but in person and through prayer. He promised to keep them in his prayers and asked them to do the same for him.
More photos below:
