Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia presided over the Divine Liturgy on August 9, 2026, for the patronal feast of the Church of Saint Panteleimon the Great Martyr in Mirijevo.
The faithful gathered in the church where the late Serbian Patriarch Pavle celebrated the first Divine Liturgy twenty years ago.
In his homily, Patriarch Porfirije reflected on the Gospel reading from Matthew concerning the father who asked Christ to heal his son after the disciples had been unable to do so.
“‘Lord, have mercy on my son’ are the father’s words, words that we also frequently repeat,” the Patriarch said. “When we say, ‘Lord, have mercy,’ we place our trust not in ourselves or in our own abilities, but in God’s love and power.”
The Patriarch stressed that faith does not necessarily provide answers to every question but constitutes a living relationship of trust in God.
“Faith is trust—your trust and mine in God, in His love, and in the knowledge that He knows who we are and what we need,” he said.
“God knows all our weaknesses and illnesses. He possesses the remedies and knows when and how they should be applied. Faith, therefore, means surrendering ourselves to God’s love and providence.”
Referring to Christ’s comparison of faith to a mustard seed, Patriarch Porfirije emphasized that even seemingly small faith carries the power of life within it.
“A mustard seed—that is how much faith we need. A seed carries life within itself. When it is planted in fertile soil, it sprouts and grows into a great tree that bears fruit. Therefore, we need living faith,” he said.
The Patriarch added that Christ’s presence becomes a source of healing, joy, health, peace, and fullness wherever such faith exists.
He also recalled Christ’s teaching that certain forms of healing, particularly deliverance from demonic forces, require fasting and prayer.
Concelebrating were Vicar Bishop Nikon of Jenopolje; retired Bishop Georgije of Canada; Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Tode Jeftenić; Archpriest Borislav Petrić; priests Jovan Jeftenić, Dragan Đurić, Zoran Nedić, and Miroslav Vasić; Protodeacon Radomir Vrućinić; and deacons Boris Ružičić and Miodrag Oto.
Source: Serbian Orthodox Church
