Patriarch Porfirije, head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, said the cross in Christianity represents not only suffering but also the entire journey of human life and the path to inner freedom.

Speaking during a sermon at the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade’s Vračar district, the patriarch told worshippers that the meaning of the cross goes far beyond pain and humiliation.

“The cross is our entire life path. It can become shame and defeat for a person, but it can also become glory and victory,” Patriarch  Porfirije said. “For life not to become a defeat, a person must accept their cross and follow Christ.”

The Divine Liturgy was held on the third Sunday of Great Lent, known in the Orthodox tradition as the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross, according to the Serbian Church’s official website.

In his sermon, Patriarch  Porfirije reminded believers that in the ancient Roman Empire the cross was considered an instrument of extreme humiliation and execution. However, he said, the suffering of Jesus Christ transformed its meaning.

According to the patriarch, Christ turned the cross “from a symbol of shame into a sign of victory and salvation,” triumphing over sin, death, and the devil.

Patriarch Porfirije also reflected on the Gospel words, “Whoever wants to follow me must deny themselves and take up their cross,” explaining that they should be understood as a call to spiritual transformation rather than a rejection of personal freedom.

Denying oneself, he said, does not mean abandoning one’s will or losing freedom. Instead, it means aligning one’s life and choices with the will of Christ.

The patriarch stressed that following Christ does not require people to give up their family, work, or everyday responsibilities. Rather, he said, believers are called to fill their daily lives with spiritual meaning and make Christian values the foundation of their actions.

“To deny oneself means to stop measuring life by the logic of this world and instead place the logic of Christ at its foundation,” he explained.

Patriarch Porfirije concluded that following Christ is not necessarily connected to external success, power, or social status. The true fruits of such a path, he said, are inner peace, joy, and spiritual freedom.