The Healing of the Bent Woman – an Image of the Work of Steadfast Faith and Patience

On the 27th Sunday after Pentecost, the Divine Liturgy at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. George the Great Martyr and Saints Epictetus and Astion in Saint-Hubert, Québec, was celebrated by His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian.

Serving alongside the hierarch of Canada were: Protos. Maxim Morariu, Fr. Adrian Manea, Fr. Traian Petre Constantin, and the deacons Valentin Boțu and Marius Constantin Popa.

In the homily delivered at the end of the Divine Liturgy, the hierarch spoke about the liturgical period in which we find ourselves and about the holy prophets, particularly commemorated now, prophets who “were appointed by God to proclaim and prepare the chosen people for the encounter with the Savior Christ, the Infant Jesus, in the manger of Bethlehem.” The bishop then highlighted aspects from the lives of the two great saints commemorated on this day: St. Philothea the Martyr and St. Ambrose of Milan, and he explained the Gospel passage read during the Divine Liturgy.

Referring to the bent woman and the way she was healed, the bishop emphasized her faith:

“Although this woman walked bent over, her faith still brought her to the synagogue. We know she had faith, for otherwise she would not have come to hear the word of the Lord - just as the person who does not believe does not come to Church. She was a faithful yet discreet woman. (…) This is how Christ works: He knows the thoughts and sufferings of each person. At times He allows Himself to be approached - to reveal the faith of those who ask for help. Other times, as in this case, He approaches first, as proof of His foreknowledge and His mercy toward human suffering.”

The hierarch continued by recalling a teaching of St. Nicholas Velimirovich, who “says that the bent woman is the image of the human mind bowed under the burden of sin, worldly cares, death, and passions; and the only One who can raise it to its true dignity is Christ, the Son of God. He is truly man, yet without sin; and truly God, in the same person. He took human flesh from the Virgin Mary to restore our human nature. In this way, human freedom could also be preserved, giving each person the possibility to show faith and freely choose to follow the path toward God or not. God, respecting human freedom - for man is created in His image and likeness - does not force anyone’s salvation. Even today, modern man suffers greatly. We have technology, medicine, comfort, yet there remains a deep suffering that no one can heal except Christ: the suffering caused by sin. And this healing is given in the Church, through grace.”

Speaking about the challenges of contemporary life, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian underlined the necessity of participating in Church services and the need to hear good, beautiful, and edifying words:

“We need a certain time of participation in the services of the Church. Even if the mind sometimes wanders, the grace of God works, penetrating the soul to the extent that we make this ascetic effort of presence and prayer. (…) This is why the Church offers us special periods such as this fasting times of more intense spiritual struggle: fasting, prayer, charity. Fasting does not mean only refraining from food; it also means sacrifice: giving from what is yours to someone in need.”

In conclusion, the bishop recalled the exhortation from the Epistle to the Ephesians read during the Divine Liturgy: “Be strengthened in the Lord and in the power of His might,” adding that “spiritual healing requires faith, patience, and will. God is always ready to heal. The Physician is there. But what remains is the effort of our freedom: God forces no one’s salvation, for He respects our liberty.”

At the end, those present received a blessing.

(notes by Nun Ana Bulgariu)