The patronal feast (Slava) of Porfirije, Patriarch of Serbia, was prayerfully celebrated on the Feast of the Synaxis of St John the Baptist (Jovanjdan) at the Cathedral Church of St Michael the Archangel.
During the Divine Liturgy, Arsenije, Metropolitan of Niš, delivered the sermon, drawing on the rich hymnography of the Feast of Theophany. Referring to an image from the Church’s liturgical poetry, he noted that “the birth of the Morning Star precedes the rising of the Sun.” In this light, he explained that the appearance of John the Baptist prepared the way for the manifestation of Christ: “Just as the Morning Star announces the dawn, so the appearance of God in the flesh—our Lord Jesus Christ—was preceded by the appearance of St John the Baptist and Forerunner of the Lord. Christ is the Sun of Righteousness, and St John the Forerunner is that Morning Star who announces the coming of the Sun of Righteousness.”
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Patriarch Porfirije addressed the faithful, hierarchs, and clergy with words of blessing and heartfelt gratitude: “Brothers and sisters, may this prayer and Holy Communion be for health and salvation. A joyful and blessed feast to all! I thank everyone for their prayers—first of all my brother hierarchs who came today to pray together and to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, but also all of you.”
Invoking the intercessions of the Forerunner, the Patriarch added: “May the Lord grant that the prayers of the holy Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord, St John, be with all of us. Above all, may God grant that he be the best possible example and model for us to follow. Thank you, and may you all be blessed.”
On the occasion of the Feast of St John the Baptist, which is also his personal patronal feast, Patriarch Porfirije later welcomed distinguished guests at the Patriarchal Residence in Belgrade. There, the ceremonial blessing of the Slava offerings was performed by Joanikije, Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral.
The celebrations reflected both the spiritual depth of the feast and the central place of the Slava tradition in the life of the Serbian Orthodox Church, uniting prayer, gratitude, and fellowship around the person of the Patriarch and the witness of St John the Baptist.
Source: Patriarchate of Serbia
