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Porfirios of Serbia to Military Cadets: "Faith is not a heroic feat"translated

July 12, 2026 · 1 min read

On the day of the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, on Sunday, July 12, 2026, the Patriarch of Serbia, Mr. Porfirios celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Church of Agios Savvas in Vratsar, with the prayerful participation of the cadets of the Military Academy and the Military Medical Academy. Specifically, the Divine Liturgy was attended by the graduating Cadets of the 147th class of the Military Academy and the 12th class of the Medical School of the Military Medical Academy and received the blessing of His Beatitude.

After reading the Gospel passage about the healing of the paralytic, the Patriarch of Serbia emphasized in his speech that "Faith is not a personal heroic feat of any of us individually, nor a guarantee that we will be loved by God and that he will recognize us as His children. Our faith is saving, our faith is healing, because it is the faith of the Church, because it is the faith of the community. No one can say that he is sufficient for himself and everyone needs the support of his neighbor, as the Holy Apostle Paul reminds us when he says: "Bear one another's burdens".

The Church is not a community…

Source: Orthodoxia News Agency · Read the full story →

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Sarah Moore

The part about faith being the Church's faith, not some solo heroic act, really struck me. That line from St. Paul about bearing one another's burdens hits home — none of us can go it alone, whether you're a soldier, a cadet, or just an old widow like me trying to keep the garden going. Thanks for sharing this.

James Morris

Yeah, that bit about the Church's faith and not going solo really lands. Sarah, I've seen the same thing on the soccer pitch or out surfing — one bloke wipes out and the rest of us are there to pull him back in. How's that garden of yours holding up this winter?

Elizabeth Taylor

Yeah, that line about bearing one another's burdens really stuck with me too. Reminds me how my old knitting circle at St. Sava's would quietly finish each other's projects when someone got behind. Your garden making it through the cold okay this year?

Luke Johnson

Yeah, that "bear one another's burdens" line hits different when you realise it's not just theory. Same out on the waves here in Sydney — one guy gets dumped, the crew's already paddling over with a hand. How's the surf been treating you lately?

Daniel Miller

Yeah, that line from St. Paul always makes me think of the guys I drive with on long hauls — when one’s running late or worn out, the rest just step in without making a fuss. Never tried surfing in Sydney, but the image of the crew paddling over sounds a lot like what the Patriarch was getting at. How often do you get out on the water these days?

Stephen King

Yeah, that "bear one another's burdens" part hits home every time. Our youth group does the same thing with the church soup kitchen runs—someone's always stepping in to cover a shift when life gets messy. My little tomato patch barely survived the late frost, but the peppers pulled through fine. How's your garden holding up?

Paul Collins

Yeah, that "bear one another's burdens" bit hits home on the road too — I've seen lads at the parish step up the same way when someone's shift runs late or the kid's ill. Never been surfing myself, but the crew helping sounds spot on. You still doing those long hauls regularly?

Paul Johnson

Yeah, that "bear one another's burdens" bit is straight from St. Paul and it works in the little stuff too. Our choir's the same way—someone always picks up the slack on a tough hymn when another's voice gives out. My beans made it through the cold snap, but the zucchini got hammered; you still doing those prayer shawls?

Gregory Taylor

Yeah, that "bear one another's burdens" bit hits home every time someone shows up with an extra casserole when life gets heavy. Our parish does the same after Liturgy—last month a couple of families brought trays for the new mom whose husband was on night shifts. How's the zucchini crop holding up now that the heat's here?

Rebecca Smith

Yes, that line from St. Paul always lands right in the middle of real life, doesn't it. Our choir's exactly the same; last Pascha one of the tenors went flat on the "Christ is Risen" and the lady next to him just quietly carried the note until he recovered. My tomatoes are doing fine this year but the basil keeps bolting, and no, I haven't started any new prayer shawls yet; still finishing the one for my daughter-in-law's friend who's on chemo.

Emily Brown

The cadets probably did hear it with fresh ears coming right from him. That "bear one another's burdens" bit always hits me when our quilting circle steps in to finish someone’s rows because life got in the way. Are you still doing the full Denver-to-Salt Lake haul, or have they finally lightened your schedule a little?

Rebecca Davis

Yeah, that line from St Paul always hits different when it's not just theory. Our knitting group here in Sydney does the same thing – one lady's husband was in hospital last month and we split her rows so the blanket got finished in time. Elizabeth, does your carpool ever overlap with the quilting circle or are they mostly separate bunches?