On Saturday 23 October, the 2021 Seminar Series hosted by the Greek Orthodox Christian Society on the theme “O God, You are my protector, Your mercy shall go before me” (Psalm 58: 10-11) concluded with a seminar given by the Very Reverend Father Dimitri Kokkinos, Parish Priest of the Parish of Saint Ioannis at Parramatta.
The title of Father Dimitri’s talk, ‘“Comfort one another” – Taking on the suffering of others and the power of prayer’, was taken from St Paul’s First Epistle to the Thessalonians. In his usual humble manner, Father Dimitri started off by explaining that the purpose of life is to come to communion with Christ. Even though each person has a different specific calling, all people are called to love.
This love is expressed in the service of others, and is to be pursued in spite of the many thoughts and temptations that try to ensnare the faithful. This requires us to come out of our comfort zones, deny ourselves, and be there for others in their times of need. To be there for others, we need to give people time and listen to them – and ensure that our hearts are soft and not hardened towards God and our neighbour.
The talk can be viewed below: