On May 26, 2024, the Sunday of the Paralytic, Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia served the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saint Sava in Vračar.
Thanking Bishops Justin of Western Europe, Stefan of Remesiana, and Jovan of Hum, as well as Archimandrite Raphael from Podmaine Monastery and priests Miloš Trišić from Tuzla and Dejan Mandić from Koper and other servants, Patriarch Porfirije emphasized:
Through today’s Gospel, the Lord invites us to imitate the man who had been ill for 38 years. Despite his many afflictions, his perseverance and unwavering faith in Christ allowed him to overcome his illnesses. The true cause of his suffering, as with any ailment experienced by fallen humanity, is revealed at the end of this Gospel story when the Lord, after healing him, says: “Go and sin no more!”
“The cause of every disease of the human race is sin,” emphasized the Holy Patriarch. “Sin represents a wrong way of being in relation to God and in relation to what we have received from God, namely, our nature. In our fight for healing from every illness and disease, we must first and foremost combat the sin within ourselves and the passions that reside in us. This is because sin is an affront to our health.”
“May the Lord grant that we also strive to fulfill the Gospel of Christ,” concluded Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia. “As Bishop Justin said today, and Father Raphael mentioned last night, our entire tradition teaches us to start from this struggle. We must realize our fall and weakness, recognize that we are sick, and understand that the ultimate goal of our healing and salvation is not merely the absence of illness. Instead, it is the union of love with Christ, the fullness of life, meaning, and joy that can only be found in Him.”
Source: spc.sr
