The radiant Feast of the Nativity of Christ gathered a large number of faithful under the domes of the Church of Saint Sava in Vračar, as the Serbian capital celebrated Christmas with reverence and joy.
The Divine Liturgy was presided over by Patriarch Porfirije, who addressed the faithful with a heartfelt Christmas message, calling on everyone to open their hearts to God’s love.
“May the feast be happy and blessed,” the Patriarch said. “May the love of God, His blessing and His grace descend into our souls and make our hearts a warm, beautiful, and joyful cave in which the Son of God may dwell. Being in His embrace and becoming one with Him, may we be able to see one another as brothers and sisters.”
Patriarch Porfirije urged the faithful to allow Christ’s love to heal divisions and soften hardened hearts. “Let us embrace one another as the Lord embraces us, so that we may melt the sharp edges of our hearts, the harsh thoughts and rough words we often direct at one another,” he emphasized.
Concluding his message, the Serbian Patriarch stressed that unity with Christ leads to unity among people. “By becoming one with our Lord, we also become one among ourselves, and in this way we come to understand that life itself is a gift from God,” he said.
The Christmas celebration at the Church of Saint Sava unfolded in an atmosphere of prayer, spiritual warmth, and renewed commitment to love, reconciliation, and unity.
