Patriarch Porfirije: Let God’s will be the law of our lives
On 4 December 2024 – the Feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije presided over the Holy Liturgy at the monastery dedicated to this great feast in the Senjak neighborhood of Belgrade.
– May prayer and Holy Communion bring health and salvation to all! Blessed and joyous Feast to everyone! Today we celebrate the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, more holy than the cherubim and more glorious than the seraphim. She is the most exalted, the purest, and the holiest among humans, for her faith was her entire life. Her very being was faith because her faith was trust in God and a complete surrender of herself to Him. For her, God’s will was the only principle, the only guide, the only path, and the only way of life and existence – Patriarch Porfirije said to the gathered faithful at the renowned Belgrade monastery built in 1936 through the generosity of Persida Milenković, a prominent Serbian benefactress.
– The Word of God was, for the Most Holy Theotokos, the beginning, the end, and the content of her life precisely because God’s word was her law, and in her life, everything was in accordance with His word (Luke 1:38). In her life, everything was sacred. That is why we celebrate her today and strive to emulate her. Despite all our weaknesses, trusting in her love, we turn to her in prayer, asking for her intercession before God, which she undoubtedly offers. She is, therefore, an example for us to follow. There are only two wills in our life experience: our own will and God’s will. Depending on which will we choose as primary, fundamental, and essential, our life will follow one path or another. If we choose our own will as predominant, everything in our lives will move horizontally and downward. Everything will be transient, relative, filled with failures and weaknesses. However, if God’s will is primary, the root of our life, then our will, infused with God’s grace and aligned with His will, will not only be strengthened but also sanctified and enlightened. From being transient, relative, weak, and misguided, our will shall become eternal, steadfast, strong, and salvific for us – His Holiness emphasized and concluded:
– Let it be according to Your will, according to the word of God was the law of the Most Holy Theotokos. She stands as an example for us, teaching us that this should also be the rule and law of our lives. If every thought begins and ends with the words: Let it be God’s will, let it be according to His word, we will see eternity and meaning in everything here and now. We will already be participants in the Kingdom of God and experience salvation.
Participating prayerfully in the service were the monastic sisterhood of the Monastery of the Entry of the Theotokos, led by Hegumenia Theodora, and many faithful from the capital. Concelebrating with His Holiness were Their Graces Bishop Aleksej of Hvosno and Bishop Dositej of Lipljan, Vicars of the Serbian Patriarch; Archimandrite Venijamin; Protopresbyters-Stavrophors Nikola Trajković and Milosav Radojević; Protopresbyter Đorđe Stojisavljević; and Presbyters Vladimir Pekić and Željko Jovanović; along with Protodeacons Dragan Radić and Radomir Vrućinić, and Deacon Vasilije Perić. The choir Melodi, led by Divna Ljubojević, contributed to the beauty of the liturgical celebration. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the Veterans of the Military Intelligence Agency presented His Holiness the Patriarch with a prestigious recognition from their organization.
– May prayer and Holy Communion bring health and salvation to all! Blessed and joyous Feast to everyone! Today we celebrate the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, more holy than the cherubim and more glorious than the seraphim. She is the most exalted, the purest, and the holiest among humans, for her faith was her entire life. Her very being was faith because her faith was trust in God and a complete surrender of herself to Him. For her, God’s will was the only principle, the only guide, the only path, and the only way of life and existence – Patriarch Porfirije said to the gathered faithful at the renowned Belgrade monastery built in 1936 through the generosity of Persida Milenković, a prominent Serbian benefactress.
– The Word of God was, for the Most Holy Theotokos, the beginning, the end, and the content of her life precisely because God’s word was her law, and in her life, everything was in accordance with His word (Luke 1:38). In her life, everything was sacred. That is why we celebrate her today and strive to emulate her. Despite all our weaknesses, trusting in her love, we turn to her in prayer, asking for her intercession before God, which she undoubtedly offers. She is, therefore, an example for us to follow. There are only two wills in our life experience: our own will and God’s will. Depending on which will we choose as primary, fundamental, and essential, our life will follow one path or another. If we choose our own will as predominant, everything in our lives will move horizontally and downward. Everything will be transient, relative, filled with failures and weaknesses. However, if God’s will is primary, the root of our life, then our will, infused with God’s grace and aligned with His will, will not only be strengthened but also sanctified and enlightened. From being transient, relative, weak, and misguided, our will shall become eternal, steadfast, strong, and salvific for us – His Holiness emphasized and concluded:
– Let it be according to Your will, according to the word of God was the law of the Most Holy Theotokos. She stands as an example for us, teaching us that this should also be the rule and law of our lives. If every thought begins and ends with the words: Let it be God’s will, let it be according to His word, we will see eternity and meaning in everything here and now. We will already be participants in the Kingdom of God and experience salvation.
Participating prayerfully in the service were the monastic sisterhood of the Monastery of the Entry of the Theotokos, led by Hegumenia Theodora, and many faithful from the capital. Concelebrating with His Holiness were Their Graces Bishop Aleksej of Hvosno and Bishop Dositej of Lipljan, Vicars of the Serbian Patriarch; Archimandrite Venijamin; Protopresbyters-Stavrophors Nikola Trajković and Milosav Radojević; Protopresbyter Đorđe Stojisavljević; and Presbyters Vladimir Pekić and Željko Jovanović; along with Protodeacons Dragan Radić and Radomir Vrućinić, and Deacon Vasilije Perić. The choir Melodi, led by Divna Ljubojević, contributed to the beauty of the liturgical celebration. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the Veterans of the Military Intelligence Agency presented His Holiness the Patriarch with a prestigious recognition from their organization.
