On September 14, 2025, Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia presided over the Divine Liturgy and offered prayers for the beginning of the new school year at the Church of Saint Sava in Vračar.
After the reading of the Gospel passage, the Patriarch emphasized that the central theme of every person, as well as the fundamental message of the Gospel, is the Kingdom of Heaven:
“The Lord presents the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven in many ways, often through parables. In this instance, He depicts it as a wedding, and this is no coincidence. The Kingdom of Heaven is fullness, joy, and glory; a wedding is a moment when all participants rejoice, forgetting the hardships, challenges, and trials of daily life, as well as their differences. People from different social backgrounds, with varying levels of education and wealth, come together, forgive any misunderstandings, and rejoice in the event that is taking place. They come to share in the joy of the hosts and the joy of those entering married life. Through their relationship with the bridegroom, who enters the marital union, genuine communication and community are established among all.”
The Patriarch emphasized that through this parable, the Lord not only reveals the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven, but also shows us that the only certainty is that the Kingdom of God belongs to the Lord, who reigns with love and invites everyone to participate, to know the truth, and to become partakers of the heavenly community.
“However, we know that many respond to this invitation, while others reject it, offering excuses: one is busy with work, another with the purchase of land or livestock, and some even act violently toward those delivering the invitation, humiliating or rejecting them. All are called, but not all respond. Excuses reveal self-centeredness and disregard for the needs of others and for the call to community and fellowship.
Many reject God’s invitation because they consider themselves the measure and standard of all that exists and happens. They disregard the existence of God’s Kingdom and the wedding invitation, insisting on their own personal judgment. Yet no one can avoid the call or the encounter with Him who invites; even the weak, the sinful, and the imperfect rejoice in His embrace and participation in the heavenly community. Even those who prioritized personal gain over the community will experience the embrace of love as eternal torment, for they did not desire it.
The parable makes clear that all are called, and it is up to each of us whether we become partakers of the community with God and with our fellow human beings—a community of love and fullness. Through this choice, we can experience the joy, beauty, and perfection of the eternal Kingdom of God here and now, participating with our whole being, for those who have the eyes of faith open perceive no boundary between heaven and earth.”
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, prayers were offered for the start of the new school year.
“Blessed and saving be the Holy Body and Blood. We prayed for a successful beginning of the new school year, not only for its start but for its entire course. I congratulate all those entering the first grade, whether in primary, secondary, or higher education, as well as everyone else, wishing that this school year may be a time of learning goodness, beauty, virtue, respect for others, and charity. This wish extends to all students, as well as teachers and professors.
All of this is not only possible but represents our highest duty: to cultivate virtue and goodness, striving each day to become better than ourselves, as good as we can be—this is the meaning of life. Without this, even the greatest knowledge or achievements can turn against us and fail to benefit either ourselves or others. Above all, peace and love; we must witness and cultivate them in every school. We must learn to see the feelings of others as the presence of God within and before us. This is what we pray for and desire for children and for all of us, so that the knowledge and skills we acquire may be used for salvation.
Blessed be the beginning of the new school year, and may you all be blessed!”
