MESSAGE FOR YOUTH

ROYA CONGRESS 2022

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5-6)

Dear young people in Christ the Lord,

Let us give thanks to God for the joy of light and the gift of life received every day from God. We are thinking of you with much hope and expectation, the young new generation of Orthodoxy.

The ROYA Congress 2022, together with all the events that take place on this occasion, offers you the opportunity to be united in prayer to Christ the Lord, to reflect, share and put together ideas related to the future of this organization and ours as Orthodox in the diaspora.

The year 2022 is a year dedicated to prayer in the Romanian Patriarchate. Right now, the Church, which means all of us, are urged to pay special attention to the present and the future of our millennial faith here in the diaspora and to you the young generation, to strengthen your faith and encourage your aspirations, to promote purity and cultivate values ​​that will make fruitful this age blessed by God.

Undoubtedly, the world we live in is very troubled but, all of us together, united in prayer, we feel that we are part of a living and working Church in which we are called to become lights of the world, in difficult times, preserving and cultivating true values.

Saint Paul exhorts us all to have hope, to be patient and to be faithful in prayer.

The great Apostle also exhorts us to follow Christ's example. Let the same feelings and virtues, the same thoughts, and deeds that Christ proclaimed, showed, and fulfilled, become the reality of our everyday life. In this way we will be according to the image of Christ.

I urge you to cultivate joy, peace, beauty, and harmony in all that you do. Let sincere and steadfast friendship be the foundation of your mutual relations. Let the love of one for another be your bond by which you cultivate and enrich life in society.

Let hope be your compass of everyday life. For hope is longing for Him who knows, works and is present in all. Hope helps us keep the dynamism and healthy orientation of our Christian spiritual and social life. Hope does not let us feel abandoned and helpless even in the most difficult moments of life that seem without solution. Through hope, Christ is present there and accompanies us step by step on the path that God inspires us moment by moment for our good and that of all.

It is patience that will teach you what it means to have a true 'face to face' encounter with God beyond storm, thunder, and turmoil. It teaches us and teaches you that God is present in the breeze of a thin wind that comes quickly and fills the hearts and souls of all with the love for communion, fellowship, and enthusiasm for the work of God in the Holy Spirit. In this way we can, and you can become a spiritual blessing and joy for the Church and society.

Prayer, which is dialogue and communion through the word with God, is what keeps our relationship and yours alive with Him. It is prayer that helps us to grow and mature spiritually, to clarify confusions and to strengthen spiritual convictions, to continue the great tradition of talking with and about God. It is also one of the most important characteristics of our human nature. Prayer keeps the flame of our Orthodox faith alive in our souls, wherever we are in the world.

Let your encounter be an occasion to share joy and serenity of soul, generous openness to the other and receiving the other in our deeply personal intimacy, like the reception made by the Holy Apostles to Christ at the Last Supper.

Be noble in thought, have a humble audacity in initiative, and be steadfast in action. For all these will lead you to glorify Him who is the Father of all and our God.

With joy and blessing from God,

† IOAN CASIAN

Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada

Sts. Great Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus

October 7, 2022