His Grace Assistant Bishop Iachint of the Pacific of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand celebrated his first Divine Liturgy following his episcopal ordination on Sunday, saying there could be no more fitting beginning to his ministry than the Eucharistic celebration.
He concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with His Grace Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova from the Archdiocese of Bucharest, at Radu Vodă Monastery in Bucharest.
“I believe there could not have been a more appropriate beginning to my ministry than the Divine Liturgy. Through the Liturgy we express our gratitude, our thanksgiving and our complete trust in God,” Bishop Iachint said.
Reflecting on Christian love, he stressed that love of God and love of neighbour cannot be separated.
“We cannot say that we love God while our actions towards other people express feelings contrary to love. We love people by loving God, and we love God by loving people, by being among them and with them.”
The newly ordained bishop also spoke of the significance of celebrating his first liturgy within the community where he had grown spiritually.
“This is a moment of the greatest importance in my life, but also for the community in which I was formed, where I grew spiritually—the monastic community of Radu Vodă Monastery—as well as for all my relatives and friends.”
Make room for Christ
The homily was delivered by Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova, who reflected on the Gospel account of the Gadarene demoniacs and the reaction of the local inhabitants after Christ healed the possessed men.
“Today’s Gospel reminds us of a great truth: we must not fall into false traps. No one is more powerful than God—not the powers of darkness, nor the devil, nor his servants,” he said.
He also emphasised that evil spirits have no power over human beings without God’s permission.
“The Gospel also shows us that the devil and his servants are not more powerful than God and that, without God’s permission, they can do nothing.”
St Athanasius the Athonite
The bishop also spoke about the life of St Athanasius the Athonite, commemorated by the Church on Sunday.
“I will not recount his entire life now, but I will recall that he was one of the most learned men of his age and a friend of the Byzantine emperor. He came to the Holy Mountain and constantly fought against the devil and the rulers of this age. Our struggle is not merely against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness of this world.”
He also recalled the well-known tradition of the saint’s encounter with the Mother of God on Mount Athos.
“Mount Athos still preserves the place where the great ascetic of the Great Lavra, towards the end of the tenth century, met the Mother of God, appearing as a woman clothed in radiant garments like an empress.”
“Athanasius asked her, ‘What are you doing here? Women are not permitted on this mountain.’ The Mother of God replied: ‘To assure you who I am, strike the rock before you with your staff.’ When he did so, water sprang forth from the rock. That spring remains one of the few on Mount Athos that has never run dry, even during the hottest summers, when many other springs cease to flow.”
Concluding his homily, Bishop Timotei encouraged the faithful to remain close to God.
“Let us call upon God and pray that He may always remain with us. When God is invoked, the devil flees. When He is ignored, the devil finds ever more room in our lives and in the world, bringing only turmoil, whereas God brings healing and peace.”
Photo: Radu Vodă Monastery / Cristian Constantinescu
