19th Sunday after Pentecost - Sunday of Romanian migrants

“Bee of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian, was present in St. Matthew the Evangelist and St. Christina the Parish in Ottawa, speaking to the faithful in the sermon about the double importance of this Sunday:

“This Sunday is dedicated by the Romanian Orthodox Church to Romanian migrants, to those who live far from the places where they were born. We must not forget that what we often call wandering is in fact very often a mission in the service of God. I always urge our Christians to consider themselves missionaries. This distance and living among foreigners were seen in the first centuries to be an important way of asceticism, because through this one moved away from what was humanly closer to him - relatives, society, customs, etc. - and drew nearer to God, to whom he or she gave more time and space in the personal life.

This Sunday we think more about those who have entrusted us with the faith we have. We also think that we are called away from our birthplaces for perhaps personal purposes often, but also to bear witness to our Christian, Orthodox faith. We do this by simply living among the others: living the Christian faith discreetly, but vertically and honestly, in a society that is not always close by the habits and ideas it promotes to the Christian thinking and life we ​​accustomed.”

Regarding the Holy Gospel of Sunday, Bishop Ioan Casian stressed the importance of faith and confession:

“Today's Gospel is interesting in many ways. The text reveals to us the two dimensions of Christ – the human and the divine.

The Savior feeds the crowds and releases them in order for Him to retire and pray. We see in the related the need for prayer, loneliness, retreat for silence the human dimension of the Savior in the same measure as we humans feel when we are troubled and tired and need to find ourselves with God for strengthening.

Later, at sea, in the middle of the night, the Savior approaches the boat of the Holy Apostles. The waves were getting bigger, the wind was against them, and the navigation was difficult. Although the disciples were experienced fishermen, they still had doubts and fears about this bad weather. At the fourth watch of the night, the Apostles see the Savior walking on the water. and are frightened, thinking he is a ghost. The Savior strengthens them by saying, “Bee of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Their doubt shows that they have not yet fully understood who Christ really is, that is, the Son of God. St. Peter the Apostle needs proof, he wants to be convinced, just as St. Thomas the Apostle will do the same after Christ’s Resurrection. The word of the Savior does not seem to be enough. Christ calls St. Peter to walk towards Him on the water. From this miracle, we can see that Christ is the One who rules the elements of this world, revealing His divine dimension. Peter walks on water but doubt seeps into his soul and he staggers in faith. The Savior says to him: O you of little faith, why did you doubt?

The foundation of the Church is faith. The boat with the Apostles and the Savior is the image of the Church, centered on Christ. Christ is present in the midst of His Church. We also see Him on the Holy Altars in the Eucharist. The Church bases her life on the testimony of the Holy Apostles: it is Christ who saves. In the Church we follow in the footsteps of Christ. We perform the sacramental work by virtue of the priesthood of Christ. Only one is the true Church, the one who works in the Holy Spirit.

The main purpose of the Church is to sustain us by the work of the grace of the Holy Spirit on the path to the Kingdom of God. The moment of doubt is the moment when we begin to sink. Strength must come from the conviction that Christ is with us.

Let’s take this example of the today Gospel and put it into our hearts. May God give us strength and uprightness to bear good witness to the world about God’s work!” concluded the Romanian hierarch of Canada at the end.

On this Sunday dedicated to Romanian migrants, the Message of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel - Homage blessing for all Romanians abroad - was read.