Patriarch Porfirije: Christ should be our first priority in life

On August 18, 2021, in the afternoon, His Holiness Porfirije, Serbian Patriarch, visited the Diocese of Zvornik-Tuzla and the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Doboj. Patriarch Porfirije was welcomed by His Grace Bishop Fotije of Zvornik and Tuzla with the clergy and numerous faithful people (photo gallery).

On that occasion, a solemn act of doxology was served, officiated by Archimandrite Dositej of Hilandar in the prayerful presence of Their Graces Bishop Irinej of Backa, Pahomije of Vranje, Fotije of Zvornik-Tuzla, Gerasim of Gornji Karlovac, David of Krusevac and Isihije of Valjevo.

-My heart tonight, on the eve of the Transfiguration of the Lord, is filled with joy because of the immeasurable love of God. I am glad that I came to the places where my roots come from, said Patriarch Porfirije said, who recalled his childhood and growing up with Bishop Fotije:

- From the earliest youth, from the elementary school Bishop Fotije and myself, we grew together, we were brought up and fed together from the treasury of our holy Church at the Faculty of Theology and ended our life in the world with a new spiritual beginning in the holy Holy Archangel monastery in Kovilj.

-Christ should be our number one priority. When God was in the first place and everything else, the rest by itself because of our trust in His love but also because of His love for us and the power and strength with which He showers us, everything else came into place, Patriarch Porfirije said and added that we should talk to God about children much more than children about God:

- That does not mean, brothers and sisters, that we send empty words and expect that it can be fruitful. That means everything exactly what I said, for God to be our first priority. We are an Orthodox evangelical people, which means that the Gospel is our life. Thank you for your love and invitation to come to you, but I have actually come to my home, just as your home is above all your heart, open to be a home for us who come both as domestic and as foreign, but also, brothers and sisters, and mine and the hearts of all of us who come here are open to you, the Patriarch said.

Source: TV Hram