| On the 8th of July, ACOY Victoria gathered for an English Divine Liturgy at St. Mary’s Annunciation Antiochian Orthodox Church in Yarraville. Concluding the Liturgy, St Mary’s Parishioner and ACOY Committee Member, Joseph Khalil, delivered a youth talk on “Learning to Love like Christ”
In the talk, Joseph highlighted the importance of loving in a Christ-like manner, describing love as the centre of the Orthodox Church. Joseph pointed out that as Orthodox Christians, we place love at the centre of our thoughts, actions, feelings and relationships. This includes learning to love all, avoiding idle talk or “gossiping tea,” and extending “love to all without exception.” Whilst in today’s society, we tend to prioritise gossip and idle talk rather than to love in a manner like Christ and open our hearts to all without judgement. Joseph stated that to “Love like Christ,” we must put aside pride, envy, hatred, and opinions about one another to make room for the Holy Spirit to work in us. Joseph highlighted that “Love like Christ” allows us to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The Parable of the Prodigal Son teaches us that Christ never calls us to judge, but to seek Christ in every person. We, as Orthodox Christians, are told to open our arms and embrace others, just as Christ opens his arms and embraces us when we repent and turn back to him. Following the talk, everyone gathered in the Church Hall for Fellowship and Light Refreshments. We pray that this talk encourages and inspires us to reflect on our own understanding of love and “Loving in a Christ-like Manner”. May God grant us wisdom and humility to love all of those around us, as he loves us, to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit. |
