The feast day of St. Constantin and Helen

and St. Paisie from Neamț Mission - Oakville

Sunday, May 18, 2025 His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian was present among the Romanian believers in the city of Oakville. The Romanian mission present here celebrated their protectors St. Imp. Constantin and Elena.

Upon arrival, the hierarch was welcomed by the children of the parish with bread and salt and by Father Marian Costinel Iacobuț - parish with the Holy Gospel and the Holy Cross.

At the end of the Holy Liturgy, in the homily the hierarch spoke about the power of the Word and the dialogue with God in the spiritual growth:

"In the Gospel of this Sunday of Samaritan woman we see several stages through which one passes to know Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

The first step is taken by God. He addresses her by inviting her to give Him to drink water, knowing that this will make her wonder how a Jew talks to a Samaritan woman for there was not a way of communication due to the difference of religious tradition. The Savior Jesus Christ shows the woman that beyond a mere gesture of generosity, this becomes the expression of something deeper: it is the face of the endless work of the grace of God that leads to the knowledge of Jesus as Savior, as the Son of God.

The encounter happens at the fountain of Jacob, precisely showing the continuity between the holy and inspired history of the Old Testament and that of the New Testament.

Jesus shows her that the gift that the one who generously offers his help, is the endless gift of God's work in his life. And this work carries towards eternal life.

The second step made by the Samaritan woman is that of the knowledge of Christ as a prophet. Showing that He knows woman’s family situation of the past and present before she describes it, Christ reveals Himself as prophet of God. Who could know woman’s personal situation than someone who has the Spirit of God who knows all?

Being entrusted that Christ is a man of God, a prophet, the Samaritan woman wants to know the place of true worship. Christ shows her that the true worship is that of the inspired tradition of the Old Testament.

Christ further shows that true worship is the one in spirit and truth. God is the Spirit and the Truth, therefore, and the right worship that is the one in spirit and truth.

The third step that the Samaritan woman takes, is the knowledge of Jesus as Christ and the Messiah, the Savior of the world. First Christ reveals Himself as Messiah, sent by God, anounced by all the Old Testament prophets. He was the one who would come for the redemption and salvation of all. As the Son of God, He is sent to fulfill the will of the Father and the work entrusted to Him. His mission is divine.”

Next, the hierarch spoke about the conclusions we can draw for the spiritual life from this dialogue:

"The first thing that we can conclude from here is that the knowledge of God starts with his initiative, from encountering Him in different ways - concretely, such as the Samaritan woman, the Holy Apostles, the Myrrh-bearer women, or spiritually, as St. Paul, St. Constantine the Great, etc.

Spiritual growth requires faith in God and the search for Him. Without faith every word of God does not find its place in the heart of man.

Once the faith is received, the follower becomes an apostle. Like the Samaritan woman who goes to the city and announces Christ, in the same way does the one who receives faith in God. He goes further announcing His presence and work.

Also, the role of the one who follows the apostolic path is not only the strengthening of the faith of the Church but also the proclaiming of it, to those who do not know God.

Christian faith and mission is a result of God's call followed by man's free response.

We also understand from this text that in the spiritual growth we need a dialogue with God. Like the Samaritan woman who grows progressively in the knowledge of Christ as God through dialogue, in the same way in the Church we grow through prayer and permanent dialogue. That is why we are urged every time in the prayers of the Church to pray incessantly, because prayer is the permanent connection and deepening of the knowledge of God and the way to our growth in faith.

So does St. Constantin the Great, one of the protectors of the mission here. He began the path of faith and the growth in the confidence of the mission for which he was chosen through hope and perseverance and following the vocation he received. "

Next, Father Marian Costinel Iacobuț thanked the hierarch and those present for participation.

The brotherly agape prepared with great care of the women in the parish ended the parish’s feast day.