Austria Arsenios: Salvation is not moral improvement, but participation in the life of Godtranslated

On the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the 4th Ecumenical Synod, July 19, 2026, the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Austria Mr. Arsenios presided over the High Priestly Divine Liturgy at the Holy Trinity Church in Vienna. Protopresbyter Nikolaos Rappert and Archdeacon of the Holy Diocese of Austria George Meleshko collaborated, while a large number of believers enthusiastically participated in the Divine Liturgy. Interpreting the Gospel passage of the day, His Holiness underlined that Christ, calling His disciples to become light, extends the same invitation to all believers throughout the ages, in order to participate in the mystery of the Church and become bearers of the divine Light. Christ is the only and true Light and, by calling His disciples "the light of the world", he reveals that whoever unites with Him also becomes bright.

The man who communes with God becomes by grace a god, holy and alive, because he partakes of his Holy and Light nature. Continuing his sermon, His Holiness emphasized that salvation does not constitute a moral improvement, but the participation of man in the life of God. Man is saved because God dwells in him and transforms the whole...