On the eve of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Theophany), Serbian Patriarch Porfirije led a church service at the Church of the Holy Prophet Elijah in the Mirijevo district of Belgrade, where he delivered a sermon reflecting on the meaning of Christian faith and the role of Jesus Christ in the life of humanity and the world, according to the official website of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Addressing worshippers after the Gospel reading, the primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church emphasized that, according to Christian teaching, Jesus Christ is not only the central figure of the Gospel but also “the purpose of the creation of the world and of man.” Christianity, he said, should not be understood as a system of external rules or an ideology, but as a living and personal relationship between human beings and God.

“Christ is not merely a teacher or a set of values. He is the beginning and the end, the very content of the Good News. A person becomes whole and authentic only when he lives in communion with God,” Patriarch Porfirije said.

The Serbian Patriarch explained that the feast of Theophany commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan, when, according to Christian belief, God revealed Himself as the Holy Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This event, he noted, reveals not only the mystery of God but also the true calling of humanity.

Christian life, Patriarch Porfirije continued, implies an inner transformation — a gradual change of mindset and way of life, a movement “from virtue to virtue.” The commandments, he added, are not a form of external coercion but a guide toward a new and meaningful life.

“Each day should be better than the previous one, and tomorrow better than today. This is the path of life in Christ,” he stressed.

Following the service, Great Vespers and the Great Blessing of Water were celebrated in the church, a traditional rite associated with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.