“I pray that God may grant you the gift of keeping your hearts pure for as long as possible throughout your lives,” Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina told around 1,000 participants in the Meeting of Orthodox Youth from Moldavia on Tuesday.
His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan addressed the young people following the Divine Liturgy celebrated on the esplanade of the Princely Court in Piatra Neamț.
“I would compare you, during these days and at other moments in your lives, to a clear mountain spring. A spring with two sources, both pure: God above, who gives us our soul, and your parents here below — since we are speaking about the family — who gave you your body and your blood.”
His Eminence emphasised that, to preserve this purity, people should do what is good in their relationship with both God and others.
“What are the things that are good in the sight of other people? The Lord Christ also took them from the commandments God gave to Moses: do not kill, do not steal, tell the truth, do not commit sexual immorality, love your father and your mother.”
Advice to young people
Metropolitan Teofan stressed that, in addition to observing God’s commandments, young people should be characterised by several qualities.
“Do well in your studies at school; strive towards a profession in life and become good professionals. Whether you become doctors, drivers, diplomats, businesspeople, priests or bishops, prepare yourselves well for this work, because a young Christian should be a person who has faith in God and is well prepared for the profession he or she has chosen,” His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan urged them.
“And by fulfilling these things and bringing together what is good in the sight of God and what is good in the sight of other people, we hope to remain a clear spring, flowing gently through our lives and through the lives of your families, which I encourage you to establish at an appropriate age,” His Eminence concluded.
During the Divine Liturgy, theologian Mihai Baciu was ordained to the diaconate. Fr Andrei Budeanu, coordinator of the Association of Romanian Orthodox Youth in Piatra Neamț, received the ecclesiastical rank of Oeconomos in recognition of his work with young people.
Following the hierarchical service, participants had breakfast and visited the city’s History and Art Museums, as well as the Calistrat Hogaș Memorial House.
Photo: Doxologia / Flavius Popa
