Archbishop Makarios of Australia highlighted, in his homily, the important role that prayer plays in the spiritual life of every Orthodox Christian, at the Parish of the Resurrection of Christ, in the Church of Panagia Myrtidiotissa and Saint Elessa in Kogarah, a suburb of southern Sydney.
It is recalled that the Orthodox Church commemorates today Venerable Martyr Elessa. Furthermore, in his homily, the Archbishop of Australia focused on the fact that Venerable Martyr Elessa was the fruit of the persistent prayer of her mother, Eugenia, at the time when she could not have a child. That is why, when her prayer was heard, Eugenia insisted on giving her daughter the name Elessa, because God showed mercy on her and gave her everything she asked for. The Archbishop said that we should bear in mind her example and pointed out that prayer in the life of every Orthodox Christian was invaluable.”
“Prayer for every Orthodox believer is the oxygen for his or her soul,” he stressed. He added that it was not enough to go to church on Sundays, light a candle at home, do charity or just be a good person. “Prayer is an integral part of the essence of orthopraxis,” he said and urged the faithful to pray in their daily lives.
In addition, the Archbishop reminded that prayer should be deemed as the virtue of patience and that it was wrong to be disappointed, when we lose courage, and to stop praying when we do not get right away the answer we wait from the Lord.
