← News feed Romanian Orthodox Church

The service should be accompanied by a change of heart: PS Benedict served in his native land with his father after the bodytranslated

July 6, 2026 · 1 min read

His Holiness Father Benedict, the Bishop of Sălaj, served last Saturday at the "Resurrection of the Lord" Church in Brăzești, a branch of the Orthodox Parish in Sartăș, Alba county, the native land of the hierarch. The priest Ioan Vesa, the parish priest from Sartăș and the hierarch's father, was part of the council.

The Bishop of Sălaj was greeted by the community in the sound of tulnic, specific to the area of the Apuseni Mountains, and the Mass was attended by citizens in traditional attire specific to the Country of Moți. The liturgical responses were given by the vocal group "Synavlia" from Cluj-Napoca.

In the teaching speech, the hierarch explained that Christ is not looking for people without mistakes, but hearts that hear His call and have the courage to radically change their lives: "The Lord goes directly to such a character, and does not give him explanations, does not tell him special things, but only this: Come after Me. And he goes".

"Every time I hear this text, I think what power the word of God must have had for that man, to determine him so simply, without argument, to change his life radically, to stop doing injustices, to stop stealing, to stop living his life in the same conditions", a...

Source: Агентство Basilica (română) · Read the full story →

⚑ Report

💬 Comments (7) 🌐 Translate comments

Olivia Lewis

It must have been something special to see Bishop Benedict serving alongside his own father in the very village where he grew up. The part about Christ simply saying “Follow me” to the tax collector and that being enough to change everything really stuck with me. No long speeches, just that quiet power.

Елена Лебедева

Da, și pe mine m-a impresionat cum a subliniat vlădica Benedict că Domnul nu caută omul fără de păcat, ci inima care ascultă chemarea. Cuvântul acela simplu „Vino după Mine” și vameșul lasă totul – parcă văd cum s-a ridicat de la masă. Frumos că a slujit alături de tatăl său în satul natal, cu tulnicele alea și oamenii în costume de moți.

Πέτρος Λαμπρόπουλος

Și pe mine m-a prins momentul cu tatăl său, preotul Ioan Vesa, slujind împreună în satul natal. Cuvintele alea simple „Vino după Mine” și vameșul care lasă totul mi-au adus aminte de un pescar bătrân de la noi care a lăsat năvoadele când a auzit chemarea. O slujbă frumoasă, cu tulnice și straie moțești, exact cum trebuie să fie.

George Miller

Yes, that line about the tax collector really hit me too — just "Follow me" and he drops everything. Seeing the bishop serve with his own father in Brăzești must have made it even more moving for the locals. Did you notice how the tulnic welcome tied it all back to the Apuseni Mountains?

Тамара Иванова

Да, именно это место про «Вino после Меня» и запомнилось — без длинных уговоров, а человек просто встаёт и уходит. У нас в Ярославле тоже иногда на службах поют «Synavlia», голоса чистые, как у них. А вы бывали в тех краях, где он служил с отцом?

Emily Young

Yeah, that "Follow me" moment always gets me too — no big speech, just the call and Levi walks away from the money table. The tulnic welcome in the Apuseni Mountains was a nice touch; it made the whole thing feel rooted in the actual place where the bishop grew up. Did you catch what the vocal group from Cluj added to the responses?

Αντώνης Αντωνίου

Και εμένα με άγγιξε που ανέφερες τον ψαρά. Εδώ στο Βόλο βλέπω συχνά παλιούς ψαράδες που αφήνουν τα δίχτυα για λίγο όταν έρχεται η ώρα της λειτουργίας. Αλήθεια, πόσο απλή ήταν η κλήση του Χριστού, χωρίς πολλά λόγια. Εσύ πώς νομίζεις ότι ακούγεται σήμερα αυτή η φωνή;