Abp. Makarios of Australia: Miracles Should Not Be the Driving Motive for Faith
In Melbourne, he emphasized that Christians are in the Church out of love for Christ and the saints, not because of supernatural signs.
MELBOURNE — “If we believe only because of miracles, that is not faith, but a deal.” With these words, Archbishop Makarios of Australia addressed the faithful at the Church of the Presentation of Our Lord in Melbourne on August 7, after presiding over the Festal Supplicatory Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos, concelebrating with Bishops Evmenios of Kerasia and Kyriakos of Sozopolis, according to the Orthodox Times.
The Archbishop led the service together with the two bishops, parish priest Fr. Leonidas Ioannou, and other clergy from the dioceses of Kerasia and Melbourne.
At the conclusion of the service, after thanking the faithful for their strong presence, he spoke about the deep reverence that Orthodox Christians—and especially Greeks—have toward the Mother of God.
“Each of us has built a personal relationship with the Most Holy Theotokos,” the Archbishop said, “and turns to her for strength, courage, comfort, and protection. And each of us has personal testimonies of the interventions and miracles of the Mother of God in our lives.”
However, he stressed that “the experience of a miracle should not be the primary motive that leads us to faith.” “Because if we believe in Christ, in the Most Holy Theotokos, and in the saints only because they perform miracles, that is not faith—it is a deal,” Archbishop Makarios noted.
He reminded the faithful that Christ Himself, during the Crucifixion, did not respond to the mockery of His accusers, who challenged Him to come down from the Cross to prove He was God: ‘Let Him now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe’ (Mark 15:32). “Christ could have come down—but He did not—because faith based on miracles has no value,” the Archbishop said.
In conclusion, he explained that while the Church accepts miracles, they should not be the ultimate goal in a Christian’s life. “We come to church and honor the Most Holy Theotokos not because she works miracles—though she does—but above all because we love her, we love Christ, and we love the saints.
“We are in the Church not because it delivers us from sorrows, but because it teaches us how to live with them—how to be courageous and face our trials head-on. Because we all know that in this world we are sojourners and strangers. We know it, but often we don’t want to accept it—because, as the folk poet says, ‘life is sweet.’ But life in the age to come is sweeter, more beautiful, more radiant—and that is life with Christ. And it cannot be compared with any joy or comfort in this world.”
At the end, Archbishop Makarios extended his blessings to Fr. Leonidas and all members of the Church of the Presentation of Our Lord, gifting each attendee an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos for their blessing.
Previously, UOJ reported on statements made by Archbishop Makarios that Orthodoxy and Hellenism are "two wings of the same body... united and inseparable."
