Holiness is accessible to every person regardless of their life circumstances, Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniel said during a Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Saint Nedelya in Sofia on the Sunday of All Saints, according to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).

In his sermon, the primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church called on the faithful to preserve purity of heart, struggle against selfishness, and strive to fulfill the will of God. He emphasized that the Church commemorates all saints — both known and unknown — in the first Sunday after Pentecost, honoring those who responded to the grace of the Holy Spirit through their lives.

According to Patriarch Daniel, holiness became possible through the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is divine grace, he said, that enables people to overcome sin, keep the commandments, and grow in love for God and neighbor.

“The Lord has given us His grace so that we may fully fulfill the commandments of love,” the Patriarch said.

He also addressed the widespread perception that holiness is unattainable for ordinary people. Rejecting this view, he stressed that among the saints were not only monks and ascetics, but also married people, physicians, soldiers, rulers, and individuals from all walks of life.

“Salvation is possible for every person, regardless of their life situation,” Patriarch Daniel noted.

He underlined that holiness is not reduced to outward piety or formal observance of religious rites. Instead, it is rooted in sincere repentance, struggle against passions, humility, and purification of the heart.

The Patriarch also reminded the faithful that many saints remain unknown to history. He cited an account from the life of Saint Macarius of Egypt about two simple women who attained deep spiritual life through meekness, peace, and restraint, despite living unnoticed by the world.

Patriarch Daniel encouraged believers to understand that even in the modern world, a living relationship with God is possible through faithfulness, sincerity, and perseverance in spiritual life.

Concluding his sermon, the head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church urged the faithful to abandon self-will and self-love in order to learn to follow the will of God.

The Sunday of All Saints is observed on the first Sunday after Pentecost. On this day, the Orthodox Church commemorates all righteous people — from Old Testament figures and apostles to martyrs, hierarchs, monastics, and countless unnamed saints whose identities, according to tradition, are known only to God.