Assistant Bishop Sofian of Brașov said on Sunday at Cernica Monastery that holiness represents “the health of the soul and body” as God intended human beings to live.
The assistant bishop to the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Germany, Austria and Luxembourg celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the monastery’s St Nicholas Church, where he spoke about the universal call to holiness.
“Holiness means the health of the soul and the body. It means a state of health as God conceived it for us.”
He explained that holiness is not reserved for a select few but is the vocation of every Christian.
“To live in holiness means to live according to the order God has given us for the good of all.”
St Calinic Helps Preserve Ties with Romania
Bishop Sofian noted the special bond between the Romanian Orthodox community in the Munich area and Cernica Monastery, recalling that Patriarch Daniel designated St Callinicus of Cernica as one of the patron saints of the Romanian Orthodox Church Centre in Munich.
This was done, he explained, “to maintain a closer connection both with the saint and with this monastery, with the faithful here, and with Romania in general—with everything that constitutes our Romanian Orthodox spirituality. This is our life, our nourishment, our destiny, and in it lies our future.”
Love of Neighbour
Reflecting on the Christian life, the bishop stressed that the love of neighbour is inseparable from the love of God.
“When God comes first in our lives, our love for those around us is also ordered according to God’s will.”
He encouraged the faithful to support life, goodness and unity among people by following the example of the saints.
“This is our calling: in the name of God, to uphold life, to support those around us, to support everything that can be done for good, and to work for the unity of all.”
“Christianity Is Life”
The bishop referred to St Callinicus of Cernica, St George of Cernica, St Dumitru Stăniloae and other saints of the Church, emphasising that all Christians are called to walk the same path of holiness.
“Let us be good people, people of faith, and people who understand what they are called to do.”
He concluded with a saying attributed to St Seraphim the Enduring of Sâmbăta de Sus: “Christianity is life, not ice.”
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Archimandrite Vasile Pîrjol, abbot of Cernica Monastery, presented the bishop with an icon of St Dumitru Stăniloae, whose relics are preserved in the monastery’s St Nicholas Church.
Together with a small group of Romanian faithful from the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Germany, Austria and Luxembourg, Bishop Sofian had undertaken a pilgrimage to monasteries throughout Romania. The journey concluded on Sunday with visits to Cernica and Pasărea monasteries in Ilfov County.
