Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria and Exarch of Hungary presided over the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Monastery Church of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle on Sunday, August 23, 2026, for the Leave-taking of the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos.
The service was attended by pilgrims and visitors from Hungary who had participated in a two-day conference organized by the Exarchate of Hungary on the theme “Noetic Prayer in the Tradition of Our Church.”
In his homily, Metropolitan Arsenios reflected on Christ’s encounter with the rich young man and his question, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
The Metropolitan stressed that Christ’s invitation to follow Him lies at the heart of the Gospel. “Eternal life is communion with Christ Himself,” he said, emphasizing that eternal life is not a religious prize awarded in return for moral achievement.
He explained that Christ calls the young man to shift the center of his existence “from possession to relationship, from self-sufficiency to trust, from things to the person.” At the same time, Christ respects human freedom, since genuine love cannot exist without it.
Metropolitan Arsenios also underlined that salvation is neither self-justification nor a purely human achievement, but the fruit of divine grace and humanity’s free response to God.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the Metropolitan tonsured Deák Lukács as a reader. Lukács serves as a chanter at the Parish of Saints Hierotheos and Stephen in Budapest.
The service was followed by monastic hospitality, during which the faithful had the opportunity to discuss spiritual matters with Metropolitan Arsenios and the fathers of the monastery.
