The Feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs at the Eparchial Cathedral

of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada

On the feast day of the Three Holy Hierarchs - Basil, Gregory, and John Chrysostom - His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian celebrated Vespers and the Divine Liturgy at the Episcopal Cathedral “Saint Great Martyr George and Saints Epictet and Astion” in Saint-Hubert, Province of Québec.

Concelebrating clergy were Protosyncellus Maxim Morariu and Deacon Valentin Boțu.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the hierarch delivered a sermon in which he highlighted the importance of the three great luminaries of Orthodoxy for the theological, spiritual, moral, and social life of the Church:

“This feast brings together the veneration of the three great hierarchs, each of whom also has his own individual feast. Today’s celebration is the fruit of a concrete episode in the history of the Church - an episode that shows us, once again, how easily parties and divisions can arise, even within the community of the faithful. Although all three saints were honored by everyone, groups appeared that each claimed the superiority of one over the others: some considered Saint Basil the most important, others Saint Gregory, and others Saint John Chrysostom. Through a miracle, the three appeared to a hierarch later and said, together: ‘We are one before the Holy Trinity.’”

Continuing, the hierarch spoke about the diversity of vocations and the unity of the work of the Church:

“Each of the three hierarchs distinguished himself through particular works and gifts. All served the same common mission: the building up of the Church and the strengthening of the faithful. Yet each had his own vocation. Through this miracle, Tradition shows us that, although vocations are different, authentic work is one and the same, and it is directed toward God.”

“Saint Basil the Great was a great theologian and a profound knower of Holy Scripture, but also a practical man, who organized monastic life through his rules. Studying the entire biblical tradition, he demonstrated the equality in dignity and essence of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son.”

“Saint Gregory the Theologian, his friend from youth, supported him in the struggle against the heresies of Cappadocia. He was a refined writer, a poet, and a profound theologian. Arriving in Constantinople, where almost all the churches of the city were dominated by heresy, he succeeded, through his sermons and catechesis, in bringing the people back to the true Nicene faith. Among the most well-known works that have come down to us from him are the five Theological Orations, considered among the most profound meditations on the mystery of the Holy Trinity.”

“Saint John Chrysostom, formed in the Antiochian school, was one of the greatest Christian preachers of antiquity. He wrote numerous commentaries on Scripture and courageously addressed the moral problems of his time. Precisely this moral uprightness drew the hostility of the authorities, and he was sent into exile several times. From him we have inherited some of the most valuable exegetical writings of Christian antiquity.”

The bishop then emphasized the role of the Three Holy Hierarchs in clarifying the faith:

“Saints Basil, Gregory, and John contributed decisively to the clarification of the teaching of faith during the early period of the Ecumenical Councils, when the great truths concerning the divinity of Christ and of the Holy Spirit were defined. The faith we confess today is the fruit of those councils and of these great luminaries.”

“The Three Holy Hierarchs lived in the early period of Christian freedom, after the end of the persecutions and following the Edict of Constantine the Great. It was a time of flourishing, but also of great turmoil. Passions, disputes, and a lack of attentiveness to the inspiring work of the Holy Spirit existed then, just as they do today. The Fathers of the Church taught us that these problems can be overcome through preparation, ascetic effort, prayer, patience, and faith.”

At the same time, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian reminded those present that the Three Holy Hierarchs are also the patrons of theological schools: “They show us that the formation of future servants of the Church must combine study with spiritual life, so that each person may discover his own vocation.”

Finally, the hierarch spoke about the contemporary relevance of the teaching of Saints Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom:

“Although we are not their contemporaries in terms of historical period, we live the same reality of the Church and the same work of the Holy Spirit. In our times, marked by change and unrest, we are called to find answers and to become points of reference for those around us. Their examples guide us in today’s society.

The Troparion calls them ‘the three great luminaries of the Godhead’ - not because they illuminate God, but because, through their life and teaching, they have helped us to know Him better. They left us rivers of wisdom, springs of the knowledge of God, and become models of authentic Christian life.

All these teachings lead us to the conclusion that we cannot truly live without communion with God, without prayer, faith, and good deeds.”

The Feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs was an occasion of spiritual strengthening for the faithful present, as well as a call to unity, responsibility, and fidelity to the values of the Gospel, in the spirit of the great Fathers of the Church.

(notes by Nun Ana Bulgariu)