St. John Climacus and the Path of Inner Growth

On the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent, also known as the Sunday of St. John Climacus, the faithful of the Episcopal Cathedral “St. Great Martyr George and Sts. Epictetus and Astion” in Saint-Hubert, Québec, had the joy of welcoming His Grace Ioan Casian, Bishop of Canada, who celebrated the Holy and Divine Liturgy together with a group of clergy. Concelebrating were Fr. Mircea Panciuk, Protos. Maxim Morariu, Fr. Marius Constantin Popa, and Deacon Valentin Boțu, all serving with devotion in the prayerful atmosphere of this special moment in the Triodion period.

In the homily delivered at the end of the Divine Liturgy, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian spoke about the spiritual significance of the liturgical period we are currently passing through and about the Church’s call to ascend, step by step, the “ladder” of virtues described by St. John Climacus.

The hierarch explained that this holy work is a journey of inner growth, through ascetic effort, prayer, and the help of divine grace—an invitation addressed to every believer to be nourished by the writings of the Holy Fathers, which illumine our path toward encountering God.

Reflecting on the Gospel reading of the day—the healing of the boy possessed by a mute spirit—His Grace Ioan Casian emphasized the importance of living faith and humble supplication to God: “I believe, Lord! Help my unbelief!” This cry of the father, the hierarch noted, becomes a prayer for each of us, especially when we feel weakness and doubt. Through this miracle, Christ shows us that the power of faith works where there is openness and cooperation between human will and the grace of God. “This kind of demon can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting,” the hierarch recalled, urging perseverance in prayer, fasting, and constant dialogue with God as means of spiritual healing and strengthening in faith.

At the end, those present received a blessing.

(notes by Nun Ana Bulgariu)