MESSAGE FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL YEAR

“Therefore, I exhort first that supplications,

prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men...” (1 Timothy 2:1)

“Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21)

Reverend Fathers,

Beloved spiritual children in Christ the Lord,

With humility and gratitude for the gift of life and of faith, we now step together into the beginning of a new ecclesiastical year - not as a mere calendar transition, but as a spiritual calling to renewal, to watchfulness, and to a deeper engagement in the work of salvation.

The Church, in her divine wisdom, does not commence the year with worldly encouragements, but with the voice of the Gospel and of the Apostle, reminding us who we are and what we are called to become: intercessors for the world, servants of peace, witnesses of the Truth. Thus, in the words of the Holy Apostle Paul to Timothy, we are exhorted:

“Make supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for all people... that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and dignity.”

This is the vocation of the Church in the world: to lift up her voice in prayer for all - for the weak and the powerful, for those who govern and for those who serve, for friends and for enemies—because God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” In a divided society, marked by contradiction and conflict, we are not called to sow discord, but to intercede; not to condemn, but to enlighten; not to dominate, but to serve - in a spirit of humility, righteousness, and truth.

In this spirit of ministry, Christ Himself is our supreme example. The Holy Gospel presents to us the beginning of His public ministry, in the synagogue of Nazareth, where He read with authority the prophecy of Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me... He has sent Me to preach the good news to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives... and to declare the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Then, in the sacred silence of those gathered, He pronounced the decisive words: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Beloved in Christ,

That “Today” has not ended. It continues in the life of the Church and in every moment of our life in Christ. In every Divine Liturgy, in every prayer, in every act of love, the Gospel is fulfilled. Every day can become a time pleasing to the Lord, a moment of salvation - if we open our lives to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, I urge you with love: in this new ecclesiastical year, let us make a good beginning in our spiritual lives. Let us pray fervently for the world and its leaders. Let us live our faith not merely as outward form, but as a way of being. Let us become healers of broken hearts and bearers of peace. Let us allow the Spirit of the Lord to descend upon us and to bear fruit through us.

In an age when confusion, unbelief, and selfishness seek to weaken the human soul, may we remain steadfast in the Truth, with our eyes fixed upon the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and our hearts filled with the hope of the Resurrection.

May this new ecclesiastical year be a time of divine blessing - a renewed opportunity to receive Christ into our lives with full devotion. And so, with hearts full of faith, may we be able to say each and every day: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in our hearing.”

With archpastoral blessing,

† Ioan Casian

Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada

September 1, 2025 – Beginning of the Ecclesiastical Year