On March 1, 2025, Serbian Patriarch Porfirije officiated the Divine Liturgy in the small Church of Saint Sava and performed the consecration of the antimins for several churches in Belgrade.
Explaining the sacred rite carried out at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy, Patriarch Porfirije reminded the faithful that in the early Church, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at sites where martyrs had suffered or upon their relics.
“To this day, the tradition remains that the Divine Liturgy is celebrated upon the relics of saints, with each Holy Altar containing an antimins embedded with a fragment of a saint’s relics.
It is customary to consecrate new antimins when a newly appointed bishop, chosen by the Holy Synod and recognized by all Orthodox Churches, assumes his eparchy.
Therefore, the antimins serves as a guarantee of the Orthodox faith and the ecclesiastical legitimacy of the liturgical assembly,” stated Patriarch Porfirije.
Delivering his sermon after the reading of the Holy Gospel, Patriarch Porfirije emphasized: “We must ask ourselves whether our actions stem from our love for God, because we believe they are right and normal, and because we see ourselves as authentic images of God. Or do we act for other reasons—perhaps to be recognized by others as spiritual, to receive praise, or to gain honor?”
“Opposed to humility are self-love and pride. Throughout the Gospel, we repeatedly see not only the contrast between humility and pride, with humility being affirmed and pride condemned, but also that those who strictly observe the law, yet remain filled with self-love, selfishness, pride, and judgment of others, ultimately face rejection.
This is why our prayer must always be a prayer of humility. The best expression of this is found in the Lord’s Prayer, where we ask that God’s will be done—not according to our desires, nor based on our assumptions about what God wants, but by humbly listening to His voice and accepting His will as the best and most salvific path, the spiritual journey that leads us to the Kingdom of God,” said Patriarch Porfirije.
Source and photos: Patriarchate of Serbia
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