Archbishop Makarios of Australia at St Demetrius Parish in St Marys, Sydneytranslated

In the crowded Holy Church of Agios Demetrius, in the suburb of StMarys, Sydney, the Most Reverend Archbishop of Australia Mr. Makarios officiated on Sunday morning, November 1. His Eminence received a warm welcome from the pious believers of the Parish and reciprocated with heartfelt paternal wishes, invoking the embassies of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius for the protection and sanctification of themselves and their families. During his sermon, he presented and analyzed theologically the parable of the rich man and the poor Lazarus (Luke 16, 19-31), from the Gospel reading of the day. Focusing on the deeper message of the parable, he clarified that neither wealth nor poverty are in themselves criteria for our salvation, but it depends on our attitude towards God and our fellow man.

"The rich man is not condemned because of his wealth," he observed, but because "he was indifferent and hard-hearted toward poor Lazarus and every fellow man in need." "It is not wealth per se that condemns the rich man," he pointed out, "but his hardness of heart, his indifference to his neighbor and his refusal to offer even the slightest help...