Patriarch Porfirije: Christ’s love knows no boundaries and embraces every man
On Bright Monday, 13 April 2026, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije served the Holy Liturgy at the Monastery of Visoki Dečani.
On this Bright Monday, the Ascension church in Dečani was filled to capacity, as the gathered faithful joyfully welcomed their Primate, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije. The joy of His Holiness was no less, for he is bound to Visoki Dečani by deep spiritual memories, having taken his monastic vows there four decades ago, receiving the blessing of Saint King Stefan of Dečani.
In his liturgical homily, the Serbian Patriarch emphasized that one who truly recognizes that Christ is everything in life will never be without joy, and that the calling of all the faithful is to share the Paschal joy with everyone, living in peace and love with their neighbors:
— Today, mind-exceeding and boundless joy has been poured out upon humankind, upon every person. This joy is especially present among those who recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as Crucified and Risen, as the Son of God, as the One who has revealed and confirmed the meaning of our existence, as the One who has unsealed the tomb, as the One who has ensured that our hopes and our faith are not empty, that our hope is not in vain, that our hope has not only its perspective but also its confirmation, that our faith has meaning.
— We desire eternity, for this is in our nature – an eternity that is love, that is communion with God, with the One who is eternity, with the One who is the source of life. But we ourselves have shown that through our own actions we cannot resolve this question. And behold, brothers and sisters, the Lord, having neither beginning nor end, being eternal, establishing order in His creation, loving us and desiring us to be with Him, comes to do for us what we could not do. He comes – and this is what we celebrate in these days – so that, having passed through everything that is ours, together with us, and having entered into death itself, that fierce, dark, bitter enemy of ours, He might render it powerless and overcome it, making life what it is – His gift to us – preached Patriarch Porfirije, and added:
— Let us make the Crucified and Risen Lord our foundation; let Him give meaning to our lives; let Him be our beginning and our end; let us know that everything in our lives must be made His, and that nothing should remain without His seal within us and around us. Then we shall have unceasing joy, unceasing peace. Then, loving Him, we shall love the whole world, all people – again I say, regardless of how weak and sinful they may be, how they seek meaning and the fullness of life, how they pray to God, and regardless of the people to which they belong. That is why today we sing many times, and will sing unto ages of ages, that joyful hymn: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!
Concelebrating were: His Eminence Metropolitan of Raška-Prizren kyr Teodosije; His Grace Vicar Bishop of Novo Brdo kyr Ilarion; Very Reverend Archimandrites Sava – Hegumen of Dečani, and Danilo – Director of the Patriarchal Administrative Office; as well as numerous clergy from several dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
On this Bright Monday, the Ascension church in Dečani was filled to capacity, as the gathered faithful joyfully welcomed their Primate, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije. The joy of His Holiness was no less, for he is bound to Visoki Dečani by deep spiritual memories, having taken his monastic vows there four decades ago, receiving the blessing of Saint King Stefan of Dečani.
In his liturgical homily, the Serbian Patriarch emphasized that one who truly recognizes that Christ is everything in life will never be without joy, and that the calling of all the faithful is to share the Paschal joy with everyone, living in peace and love with their neighbors:
— Today, mind-exceeding and boundless joy has been poured out upon humankind, upon every person. This joy is especially present among those who recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as Crucified and Risen, as the Son of God, as the One who has revealed and confirmed the meaning of our existence, as the One who has unsealed the tomb, as the One who has ensured that our hopes and our faith are not empty, that our hope is not in vain, that our hope has not only its perspective but also its confirmation, that our faith has meaning.
— We desire eternity, for this is in our nature – an eternity that is love, that is communion with God, with the One who is eternity, with the One who is the source of life. But we ourselves have shown that through our own actions we cannot resolve this question. And behold, brothers and sisters, the Lord, having neither beginning nor end, being eternal, establishing order in His creation, loving us and desiring us to be with Him, comes to do for us what we could not do. He comes – and this is what we celebrate in these days – so that, having passed through everything that is ours, together with us, and having entered into death itself, that fierce, dark, bitter enemy of ours, He might render it powerless and overcome it, making life what it is – His gift to us – preached Patriarch Porfirije, and added:
— Let us make the Crucified and Risen Lord our foundation; let Him give meaning to our lives; let Him be our beginning and our end; let us know that everything in our lives must be made His, and that nothing should remain without His seal within us and around us. Then we shall have unceasing joy, unceasing peace. Then, loving Him, we shall love the whole world, all people – again I say, regardless of how weak and sinful they may be, how they seek meaning and the fullness of life, how they pray to God, and regardless of the people to which they belong. That is why today we sing many times, and will sing unto ages of ages, that joyful hymn: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!
Concelebrating were: His Eminence Metropolitan of Raška-Prizren kyr Teodosije; His Grace Vicar Bishop of Novo Brdo kyr Ilarion; Very Reverend Archimandrites Sava – Hegumen of Dečani, and Danilo – Director of the Patriarchal Administrative Office; as well as numerous clergy from several dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
