Bishop of Brisbane: The highest purpose of life is union with Christ

Bishop Bartholomew of Brisbane presided over the Great Festal Vespers for the feast of the Holy Glorious Great Martyr Paraskevi at the parish dedicated to the saint in North Brisbane.

In his homily, he reflected on the importance of the saints in the life of the Orthodox Church, emphasizing that they are living examples of the Gospel, our intercessors before God, and models of holiness who inspire the faithful to grow in Christ and strive to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

On the feast day itself, Bishop Bartholomew presided over Matins and the festal Divine Liturgy at the same church. Concelebrating with him were the parish priest, Fr. Theophylaktos Loizou, together with Deacons Timotheos Mavromatis and Porphyrios Angelis.

During his sermon, Bishop Bartholomew reflected on the life and witness of St. Paraskevi, stressing that the supreme purpose of her life was complete union with Christ. Even before offering her life through martyrdom, she had already offered her heart entirely to God.

The Bishop noted that although Christians in Australia are blessed to live without persecution and are free to practice their faith, the Gospel continues to call every believer to the same…