Sunday, February 17th, on the occasion of the beginning of the Triodion H.G. Bishop Ioan Casian served the Divine Liturgy at Hurezi Monastery in Valcea County. Protosinghelos Nicodim Aiftincãi and Rev. Fr. Ioan Gãman were serving with the bishop.
In the sermon pronounced His Grace reminded to those present the significance of the four Sundays preceding the Great Lent: the Pharisee and Tax-Collector Sunday and the need for humble prayer, the Prodigal Son Sunday and the restoring power of repentance, Sunday of Meatfare: the Last Judgment and the love of the neighbor condition to enter in the Kingdom of God and Sunday of Cheesefare: Expulsion of Adam from Paradise and the Lent as a spiritual-ascetic combat and a way of regaining the grace of the Paradise.
Commenting on the parable of the Publican and Pharisee, the hierarch said:
This Sunday is important for us as Christians because it puts us in front of an introspection and a choice that lead us to a human authentic way of life. We see two examples in the Gospel: The Pharisee who knew the Law and even did what was required by the Law – fasting twice a week and giving tithes - but fulfilling them externally. These deeds were not reflecting the humble inner state of the heart, but a pride that made him contemptuous towards those around him. The tax-collector who was part of a corrupt group, which we see in Zacchaeus' case who compensate for his injustice, proves to be more just and more authentic because his humble and unpretentious prayer not expecting anything special but leniency from God for sins and shortcomings and help in things to be accomplished. Here are two examples offered by Christ in which one could see that the appearance of superficially made deeds is not enough to make someone right in front of God or bringing the person closer to Him. In fact, man is closer neither to himself nor to those around him. Because of this attitude he fails to establish with the others around him the natural connections characteristic to the spiritual man. The loneliness of the arrogance and contempt in which the Pharisee is embedded suppresses any possibility of dialogue that builds a friendship, a society or a country. Finally, both of them need the mercy of God, but one does not really realize the need for it while the other does it, receiving the blessing and the help of God, and make them fruitful.
The fasting is the spiritual ascetic path that, if it is accompanied by the humble prayer, it bears as fruit for us the encounter with God. The fasting has its scope not in itself, but in the One Who will be discovered progressively by us and Whom we will meet at the end of this path - Christ dead and resurrected for us and our salvation.
After the service the Romanian hierarch of Canada participated in the agape-meal with the nuns in the trapeza of the monastery. At the end of the agape-meal Mother Superior Stavrofora Ambrozia Serban thanked the hierarch for the visit.
With the same occasion on Saturday and Sunday H.G. Bishop Ioan Casian visited the monasteries Govora, Surpatele, Dintr-un lemn, Bistrița and Polovragi.
