Encouragement for young people 2022

Dear young people in Christ the Lord,                                            

Now that we are in a moment of spiritual joy, on the bright feast of the Lord's Presentation to the Temple, on the occasion of Orthodox Youth Day, we think with paternal care of you, the young generation of Orthodoxy here in Canada.

The meetings of the ROYA Canada group, the Congress, the camp program and all the events that take place, give us the opportunity to be together, united in prayer to Christ the Savior but also finding moments of reflection and exchange of ideas about the present and the future you represent and as Orthodox in the diaspora.

This year is the Homage year of prayer in the life of the Church and of the Christian, in the Romanian Orthodox Church. Reflecting on the importance of this theme, we are all urged to pay special attention to prayer in our lives. Through the effort of your parents, and with our care in prayer at home and in the community, we have you young people, the present and future of our church, here in the diaspora. We pray that your aspirations, enthusiasm, purity, and values ​​of this God-blessed age will be defended and encouraged.

St. Basil offers a powerful and well-known exhortation: “We do not consider great people worthy of what is desirable, nor do we admire those who have them, but, through our hopes, we go on and do everything for the preparation of another life. We claim that we must love and follow with all our might those who can help us in the preparation of the other life, and those who do not aim for that life, to overlook them, as worthless” (St. Basil the Great, Homily of XXII to young people, I, p. 567).

Even if the world in which we live, urges us to be superficial, indifferent to our neighbor, and to live a fast-forward life, we invite you to be wise and spiritual, well anchored in prayer and faith.

That is why now, when we celebrate the youth, we urge you:

 Love Him and feel close to Christ as a brother, friend and parent, and so you will have and feel the whole world around you and obstacles of any kind will seem to be non-existent.

Be dedicated, present and active in the churches. We are convinced that this will help your generation to discover and testify to the cultural, Orthodox and Romanian identity. Be proud of your roots!

Cultivate and preserve the treasure of friendship with sincerity and fidelity, reject and discourage any form of aggression and lack of love for one's neighbor.

Cultivate beauty and plant with enthusiasm and dedication the joy of the gift, in everything you undertake.

Let your deeds and thoughts be humble. Be humble toward your parents, toward your teachers, and toward your peers, as the first witness of humility, Christ, did. Trust in His help.

May your spiritual joy, noble thinking, and the hopeful enthusiasm of your youth be your guide. Share them around you! May the Orthodox faith be your foundation, guide and support here in Canada.

This moment of encounter is a good occasion for joy and for ennobling of the soul, when we can deeply reflect what we give and how we give from our gift. I urge you to perpetuate the joy of the gift, to be kind, elegant in thought, and to give unconditionally.

I urge you and I wish that at the moment of the old age you look with joy and optimism at the generations that will come after you, as we look at you.

Eternal life is gained through love of God and neighbor. From all the trials of these troubled times, nothing will help us more than deep prayer, the steadfast faith in our God, in our Savior, in the Holy Gospels, in the Church, in the Holy Sacraments.

I urge you to be in the light of Christ the One presented to the Temple today!

Many Years!

With paternal blessings,

† IOAN CASIAN

Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada

Presentation of Jesus to the Temple, February 2, 2022

[ Photo: Episcopia.ca / The Orthodox Monastery Exaltation of the Holy Cross and St. Ephraim the New - Mono]