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Patriarch of Serbia: The Church is a community of different gifts united in Christ

July 12, 2026 · 1 min read

On the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, July 12, 2026, Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade, joined in prayer by cadets of the 147th class of the Military Academy and the 12th class of the Military Medical Academy.

In his sermon following the Gospel reading on the healing of the paralytic, the Patriarch stressed that authentic Christian faith is never an individual accomplishment but is rooted in the life of the Church.

“Faith is not a personal achievement of any one of us, nor a guarantee that God will recognize us as His children. It is the faith of the four men, the faith of the Church,” he said, referring to the Gospel account of the paralytic carried by four companions.

“Our faith is salvific and therapeutic because it is the faith of the Church, the faith of the community. No one can say that he is sufficient unto himself. Everyone needs the support of his neighbor,” Patriarch Porfirije added, citing the words of Saint Paul: “Bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2).

The Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church emphasized that believers are called to strengthen their prayer and faith even when…

Source: Orthodox Times · Read the full story →

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Danica Ristić

Thanks for this text. I was really touched when the Patriarch said that faith is not a personal achievement but the faith of those four who carried the paralytic. It reminded me how many times in life I need someone else's prayer and support to get up. "Bear one another's burdens" - this really applies every day, not just in the church.

Мариана Тодорова

I agree with you, Danice. What particularly stuck in my mind was that the faith was the faith of the four who carried the paralytic - not of himself. How many times have I relied on the prayers of my loved ones, especially when the children were small and my strength reached this point. "Bear one another's burdens" - simple and true.

Jovan Stojanović

I agree with you, Danica. I was really struck by the fact that the Patriarch said that faith is not a personal achievement, but the faith of those four who carried the paralytic. I, too, got up several times in my life only because the brothers from the parish dragged me to the liturgy when I was completely passed out. "Bear one another's burdens" isn't just a nice line, it's really how we survive here.

Богдана Николова

Mariana, that's exactly what stayed with me the most with the four of them. As a nurse, I have seen how the patient often clings to the prayer and care of the family, not just the medication. And you with the small children must have carried a double burden - how did you manage later when your strength returned?

Marko Lukić

Jovan, you said it very well. It also happened to me that the parishioners literally lifted me up when I couldn't even get out of bed, let alone come to church. Those four from the Gospel were not mentioned by chance - here in Kragujevac it seems alive every week. Thanks for sharing.