His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian: “Seek First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness” Is a Call Not to Forget the Purpose of Our Human Life

On the Third Sunday after Pentecost, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian was present among the faithful of the diocesan cathedral in Saint-Hubert.

Concelebrating with the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada were Protos. Maxim Morariu, Fr. Adrian Manea, and Fr. Constantin Lupașcu.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the Romanian hierarch addressed the faithful with a pastoral message inspired by the Gospel reading of the day (Matthew 6:22–33), at the center of which stands Christ’s exhortation: “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” These words, the Bishop emphasized, are “a call not to forget the true purpose of our human life.”

The hierarch underlined that the Lord’s teaching places before humanity the proper perspective on life: not to lose sight of the purpose for which God created man—the attainment of the Kingdom of Heaven.

“Every time we come to church, through the texts that are read, the hymns that we hear, the entire order of the Church’s worship, and the icons that we behold, the mind of the believer is directed toward the saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Drawing upon the interpretations of St. Augustine and S. John Cassian, the Bishop explained that Christ’s exhortation contains two essential dimensions of spiritual life: the ultimate goal—the Kingdom of God—and the concrete work by which a person advances toward that goal, namely, the fulfillment of God’s righteousness.

“If the first step is to keep before us the final purpose of our life, which is the attainment of the Kingdom of Heaven, the second step is to understand and make use of the means by which we may attain this Kingdom: the pursuit of God’s righteousness,” the hierarch stated.

“The pursuit of God’s righteousness is not something distant or abstract; it is a work that begins already in this present life through opening one’s heart and mind to the grace of God. Man is called to shape his entire existence so that it becomes a response to God’s call.”

Continuing his homily, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian spoke about the connection between purity of soul and the ability to perceive God’s work in the world. Reflecting on Christ’s words, “If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light” (Matthew 6:22), he explained that the eye represents “the window of the soul,” and when this window is clear, a person’s entire life is illumined.

“When the window of the soul, which is the eye, is pure, the whole mind, the soul in its entirety, and our whole life enter into the spiritual dynamic of the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Another important theme of the sermon concerned the impossibility of living a divided life between God and what opposes Him. Christ teaches: “No man can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24), and the Bishop explained that every person is called to choose between the light of God and the darkness that brings confusion and estrangement from the truth.

“One cannot serve the Lord of Light, who is God, and the lord of darkness. No matter how much we may try to combine the two, it cannot be done.”

Referring to Christ’s exhortation not to be dominated by worldly anxieties, the hierarch highlighted the beauty of contemplating creation as a testimony to God’s providential care:

“Behold the birds of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them” (Matthew 6:26).

“This exhortation is an invitation to contemplate the world spiritually, in its deepest essence. We are called to discover God’s presence in creation, recognizing His work in simple things: in the order of the birds of the air, in the beauty of the flowers of the field, and in the harmony and splendor of nature.”

Toward the conclusion of his message, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian connected the themes of light and purity of soul with the lives of the saints, who come to see the world through the eyes of Christ.

“The saints are people who acquire this spiritual vision, this capacity to understand the purpose of every person’s life from God’s perspective. They look upon the world around them with the very eyes through which Christ looks. This is why they are so sought after and so spiritually beneficial to us: because through their words we perceive not merely a human message, but a word born from the experience of encountering the grace of God.”

In closing, the Romanian hierarch also noted that this liturgical period is connected with the commemoration of the Holy Fathers of Mount Athos, many of whom maintained a profound spiritual bond with the Romanian people. He recalled several saints and great ascetics who contributed to strengthening monastic and spiritual life in Romanian lands: Saint Nicodemus of Tismana, Saint Paisius Velichkovsky of Neamț, Saint Antipas of Calapodești, as well as the recently canonized Romanian-born Athonite saints, Venerable Dionisie of Vatopedi from Colciu and Venerable Petroniu of Prodromou.

The Bishop of Canada’s message was an exhortation to continually direct one’s gaze toward the ultimate purpose of human existence: communion with God.

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”—a word that calls every soul to rediscover the light, peace, and joy of life in God.

(notes by Nun Ana Bulgariu)