His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian: We can become members of the body of the Church

only through the work of the Holy Spirit

On the occasion of the feast of the Holy Trinity, which this year also coincided with the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, HG Bishop Ioan Casian, the Roman Orthodox Bishop of Canada, served among the faithful in St. Demetrius the New Parish in Montreal, Québec. Along with him served a group of priests which included: Fr. Grigorie Tapuc - Archpriest of Eastern Canada, Fr. Ioan Ceaușu - parish priest, Fr. Adrian Manea, Fr. Constantin Ciubotariu, Fr. Ciprian Purcarea, Fr. Daniel Ungureanu, Fr. Ioan Iancu and Fr. Valerian Badan.

In the sermon delivered at the end of the service, the hierarch shared with those present some of aspects of the confession of faith in the Church :

"The true force of the Church, of the first community of the Holy Apostles, of the entire early Church  which, as we know, was not numerous at all, came from the force of the grace of the Holy Spirit. This alone is the one who can do everything and direct things to God against the contrary 'material evidence' in numbers. Therefore, as Christians we must continue this renewal of the Church through the work of the Holy Spirit. If we think about the first three centuries after Christ, the number of Christians was tiny compared to the population of the Roman Empire, but through the power of their faith and confession at the cost of their lives they managed to change and transfigure the face of an entire empire.

At the same time, we can observe that the decisions of the Holy Fathers at the Ecumenical councils, their efforts in faith or of Emperor Constantine after his conversion, left deep traces and influenced society from their time until today. Thus, the celebration of Sunday as a day of rest was established in the Roman Empire in the year 321 and is a decision of Emperor Constantine. The method of calculating the date of Easter was established at the First Ecumenical Synod. There were other measures such as the easing of prison sentences and the partial elimination of capital punishment in the Byzantine Empire also date from those times."

Speaking about the importance of the example of the saints and the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church, the hierarch said:

"The highest way to present the Church and the Christian life is to talk about the Holy Martyrs. Let's remember that at the consecration of a church in Saint Antimision on which the Divine Liturgy is celebrated, as well as in the foot of the Holy Table, relics of martyrs are placed. Thus, the martyrs become our contemporaries, regardless of the time in which they lived and professed the Christian faith.

On the feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Trinity we feel protected, invested and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. It descends upon the community of the Apostles, because God Himself is a community of persons. He is One in essence and three in Persons. The Church cannot be a singularity, a single person, but is the face of the Trinitarian communion. It is the image of the communion of divine Persons. That is why the Church is a community, a communion, within which everyone has a particular vocation, a special gift. In it, between its members, competition must not arise. Everyone has a specific place in God's plan.

Let us seek at this celebration, with the power of the Holy Spirit, to descend into the depths of our hearts and consciousness to see as authentically as possible in what way we, as individuals, can become authentic members of the Church and grow as members of it. Let us try to understand the particular role we have as a brick in this foundation which is the body of the Church. To achieve this we need discernment, and this is only acquired through our cooperation with the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Let us rejoice because we have known the Church and that we are members of it, but let us strive to follow its path. If God gives us a gift, we must be aware that we also have a responsibility that comes with it. Every gift also comes with responsibility."

Further HG Bishop Ioan Casian referred to the responsibility of Christians in the society in which they live:

"The Church is the only one that speaks and works for the suppression of sin and evil. This thing, however, can only be done by man through the receiving of the work of God, the Holy Spirit and the whole redemptive work of the Savior Jesus Christ.

Let's always think in what way we can improve what is happening badly around us. Otherwise, we will become silent accomplices of the tragedies we are experiencing today. Let's ask ourselves the question: what can we do like the Christians who preceded us? Let's try to find answers to the problems of our society, according to each one's strength and vocation.

At the end of the world when the Savior comes to judge the living and the dead all our thoughts and deeds will be visible to all. Then consciences will open and everything will be clear and without a shadow of doubt."

Next, the hierarch addressed a call to mission to all Christians:

"The gift of the Holy Spirit is a great one that we received as a Church, but it is not reserved for us. Like the Apostles, let us become apostles ourselves. Let us go and proclaim salvation to the whole world, to everyone. We do not own the faith in God. We can live it, become apostles of the faith, i.e. its messengers or heralds. We are called to become Christians, but we also have the responsibility to speak further about this new deified life."

In conclusion, HG Bishop Ioan Casian congratulated Fr. Ioan Ceasu, as well as all those who bear the name of the Prophet and Forerunner John.

(notes by Nun Ana)