Written by: Catechist Branislav Ilić
For centuries, the Church, like a caring mother, has taught us that the Lord arranges all things with wisdom and guides everything by His ineffable providence along the path of salvation. Just as He once called His disciples to leave everything and follow Him with the words, “Follow Me,” so does the Lord call us to set aside all worldly cares, to renounce passing things and the heavy burdens that this transient world imposes, and to embrace the Word of God. Every member of the Church is summoned to respond to this divine call, for that call changes everything; it transforms and truly gives meaning to our lives.
The call of God, which for centuries has awakened slumbering human hearts, also invites us to multiply the gifts that the Lord, in His loving-kindness, has planted within our being, granting us the opportunity to glorify Him thereby. The Apostle reminds us that there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. He who has the gift of singing glorifies the Lord through song; he who has the gift of expressing himself beautifully in written word offers his talent to the service of the Church’s mission. Thus, every gift or talent that the Lord has richly bestowed upon us acquires its true meaning only when we multiply it and direct it toward serving the Church and our neighbours.
The ethos of the Church has given rise to a wise teaching: everything that comes from God is sweeter than honey. One testimony to the truth of these words is found in the fruitful work of the Kinonia portal, which operates within the Missionary Department of the Archdiocese of Belgrade–Karlovci. This portal was conceived as a collaborative endeavor, under whose media “umbrella” are gathered all those who have positively responded to the divine call and, with their life and work, zeal and love, have placed themselves at the service of the Church’s mission.
Over the past year, the Kinonia portal has become a blessed beehive where love and fellowship are paramount. The Lord has provided and sent dozens of collaborators who, within the framework of the portal, serve their Church as true missionaries and witnesses of the faith. As the divinely inspired Apostle Paul declares, “Faith comes by hearing” (Rom. 10:17). Responsibility, conscientiousness, perseverance, sincerity, and active love are the common denominators of all permanent contributors to the Kinonia portal. This missionary family has brought new vitality into the Church’s mission among our Orthodox people, with the overarching goal of bringing the Word of God closer to every human being.
Kinonia is a space that gathers and fosters genuine friendships. In the faces of my wonderful co-workers, I see true friends—brothers and sisters—who represent the most beautiful image of the Kinonia portal. Alongside each of them, I myself grow and learn. The life and professional experience of these devout people are the greatest treasure of all.
Jovana and Sara, who tirelessly labour in their responsible duties within our editorial team, are for me a particular joy, for they dedicate their youth, love, and giftedness to the service of the Church in her missionary tasks. They diligently cultivate the Lord’s spiritual vineyard while still devoting themselves to their academic studies, where they continue to achieve success after success. The Kinonia “army” of collaborators is akin to the angelic host; therefore, I pray that the Lord may grant each of them an abundance of every good thing and strengthen them in love and in every good work.
Much has been accomplished in this past year, and with the help of God, the mission of the portal will continue in the same spirit, striving to offer words of comfort to contemporary men and women by directing them toward communion with the Lord. Kinonia has already become a valuable auxiliary resource in classes of Religious Education, as well as a portal lovingly followed by members of the clergy, who draw upon this wellspring of written and spoken word so that their homilies and pastoral sermons may be ever more inspired.
We give thanks to our Lord for all His gifts, thanking Him for having called us into this form of ministry and for having granted us the possibility to glorify Him in this way. May the Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), bestow upon all the missionary co-workers of Kinonia love and inspiration, so that for many blessed years they may persevere in this sacred work of service to the Church.