Visit of His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian to Hamilton

The presence of the local hierarch is a very useful moment of joy and prayer together for every parish. Thus, the faithful from the city of Hamilton and its surroundings had the joy of receiving in their midst His Grace Ioan Casian, the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada.

On June 23, the hierarch arrived at the Church in the evening, performing the Vespers with Litia for the feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. In the light of the candles that illuminated the faces of the saints, in the smell of incense and in the hymns of songs, the hearts of all those present united to honor Saint John the Baptist. The evening ended with few reflections from the hierarch and the blessing of the faithful.

The feast day of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist, June 24, began with the traditional reception - bread and salt - of HG Bishop Ioan Casian, followed by the Holy and Divine Liturgy in which all present participated with emotion and spirit of prayer. At the end of the Holy Liturgy, the hierarch addressed a pastoral speech to those present in which he explained for the faithful the moment of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist described in the Holy Scriptures, also showing the fundamental mission that Saint John had to prepare humanity to receive the Savior.

 "Unlike other saints – said the hierarch -, who are celebrated on the occasion of their trespassing to the Lord, in the case of St. John the Baptist, the feast days dedicated to him are more throughout the church year: Conception (September 23), Nativity (June 24), Synaxis (January 7), Beheading (August 29), as well as the First and Second Finding of the Head (February 24) and the third finding (May 25). This shows the special importance of the saint in our Christian tradition and his role as a model for the one who wants to live in obedience and in the order of God's providence."

Then the hierarch spoke about two aspects of the saint's life - the spiritual and the social: "St. John, as we know him to a great extent, was an ascetic, he lived in the wilderness of Judea from where he came to baptize Jesus in the Jordan. But he was also a guide of the people of his time, involved in the lives of his contemporaries being a personality with a great social work, a guide of souls, a man well aware of the reality of the society around him."

St. John the Baptist will be guided by the Holy Spirit in his earthly life. He will enroll in the preparatory work of divine providence that will open the way for contemporaries to the knowledge of the Son of God, the Savior Jesus Christ: "From his mother's womb he will be fulfilled with the Holy Spirit says the Scripture – added the hierarch. We know that when the Virgin Mary found out that she had conceived from the Holy Spirit, she went to Elizabeth, her relative, who was already pregnant with St. John the Baptist. At the meeting of the two, the child in Elizabeth's womb leaped through the action of the Holy Spirit. Thus, we can say that St. John the Baptist is a fruit of God's economy and blessing but also because of the desire of Zacharias and Elizabeth. At the same time, he is the one who will be born with a special gift, the one announced by the Archangel: he will be great before God, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, he will not drink alcoholic drinks, so he will be an ascetic and will turn many of his contemporaries to the Lord. He will open their minds and understanding to receive the Word of God. And all this will be done to prepare the Lord's chosen people. In other words, his role is to prepare the people to receive God, the Savior Christ."

St. John the Baptist is an example for us: "Thus, on this important day of the birth of St. John, - said the hierarch - we must rejoice, strengthen ourselves and pray to him because he is the prophet of God, the one who bears witness to whom Christ really is. We can say that St. John is the prophet of God and His witness, but let's not forget that he was also a guide for all those who came and asked for his advice and whom he guided on the path of God. That's how we must be God's spokesmen, His witnesses and, at the same time, be counselors to all those who ask us for advice in order to believe, to live a life as authentic, upright and true as possible."

In continuation Father Călin Toderiță thanked the hierarch for the pastoral visit. After the end of the liturgical program, there was an agape during which HG Bishop Ioan Casian met with the members of the Parish Council.

(notes by Rev. Fr. Călin Toderiță)