My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
On August 6th, Our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates
the Metamorphosis or Transfiguration of Our Lord, and God,
and Savior, JESUS CHRIST.
Apolytikion Hymn. Grave Tone
THOU wast transfigured on the mountain, O Christ our God,
showing to Thy Disciples Thy glory as each one could endure.
Shine forth Thou on us, who are sinners all. Thy Light Ever-
unending, through the prayers of the Theotokos, Light-
bestower, glory Thee.
Kontakion Hymn. Grave Tone
ON the mount Thou wast transfigured, and Thy Disciples, as much
as they could bear, beheld Thy glory, O Christ our God; that when
they should see Thee crucified; they would know Thy Passion to be
willing, and would preach to the world that Thou, in truth, art the
Effulgence of the Father.
Our Lord had spoken to His Disciples many times not only concerning His Passion, Cross, and Death, but also concerning the coming persecutions and afflictions that they themselves would endure. Since all these evils were near at hand, but the enjoyment of good things which they hoped to receive in their stead was yet to come, our Savior desired to give them full assurance, evidently and openly, concerning that glory whcih is prepared for those who endure to the end. Therefore, fulfilling that which He had promised shortly before, that "there be some standing here whichh shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming in His Kingdom" [Matthew 16:28]. He took His three foremost Disciples and ascended Mount Tabor, where He was TRANSFIGURED BEFORE THEM. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as the light. Suddenly, together with this dread and marvelous effulgence of Light, there appeared those pinnacles of the Prophets, Moses and Elias, who spoke with the Lord Jesus concerning His saving Passion which was about to take place. Standing before Him as reverent servants, they showed that He is the Lord of both the living and the dead, for Moses came forth from Hades, having died many centuries before Elias, as it were from heaven, whither he had been taken up while yet alive. After a little while a radiant cloud overshadowed the and out of the cloud, they heard that same voice which had been heard at the Jordan at the Baptism of Christ, testifying to the DIVINITY OF JESUS and saying: "THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL-PLEASED; HEAR YE HIM" [Matthew 17:5).
Such are the Marvels, truly worthy of God, celebrated in this present feast, which is an image and prefiguring of the future state of the Righteous, whose splendor the Lord spoke of, saying: "Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the sun" [Matthew 13:43]. It is because of this that the Kontakion hymn of the Feast is said daily (when there is not a great feast) in the Service of the Typica in perpetual commemoration of the glory that will be the lot of the Saints. According to Holy Tradition, the Lord’s Transfiguration came to pass forty days before His Crucifixion, this is why the Transfiguration is celebrated forty days before the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
The Holy Transfiguration is A THEOPHANY–A MANIFESTATION OF GOD, ESPECIALLY OF THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST, THROUGH A DISPLAY OF HIS UNCREATED, DIVINE ENERGY. Therefore, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Metamorphosis (Transfiguration) AS A MAJOR HOLY DAY.
Several elements of the Transfiguration show that Christ is Messiah and God.
(1) Because God IS LIGHT (1 John 1:5), the bright cloud, the shining of Jesus’ face like the sun, and, the whiteness of His garment [Matthew 17:2-5] all demonstrate THAT JESUS IS GOD. (In some holy icons this Light is shown as BEYOND white, a blue-white, INEFFABLE COLOR, INDICATING ITS SPIRITUAL ORIGIN.)
(2) The Father bears witness from heaven concerning His Son. He does not say, "This has become My beloved Son," but "THIS IS MY BELOVED SON" [Matthew 17:5], indicating that this Divine Glory is Christ’s BY NATURE. From Eternity past, infinitely before Jesus’ Baptism and Transfiguration, He IS GOD’S SON, FULLY SHARING IN THE ESSENCE OF THE Father: JESUS CHRIST IS GOD OF GOD.
(3) The Transfiguration not only proclaims Christ’s Divine Sonship, but foreshadows His FUTURE GLORY when He is the Messiah will usher in the long-awaited Kingdom. The bright cloud recalls Temple Worship and the cloud that went before the Israelites in the wilderness, THE VISIBLE SIGN OF GOD BEING EXTRAORDINARILY PRESENT. The Holy Apostle Peter sees this as a sign that the Kingdom HAS COME. Knowing that the Feast of Tabernacles is THE FEAST OF THE COMING KINGDOM, he asks to build booths (Matthew 17:4), as was done at that feast, to serve as symbols of God’s dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.
(4) Moses represents the Law and all those who have died. Elijah represents the Prophets and–since he did not experience death–all those who are alive in Christ. Their presence shows that the Law and the Prophets, the LIVING and the DEAD, all bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, THE FULFILLMENT OF THE WHOLE OLD TESTAMENT.
The presence of Moses and Elijah also manifest THE COMMUNION OF THE SAINTS [Hebrews 12:1]. Both men are immediately recognizable, and talk withe the Lord. The Disciples are able to understand Jesus’ words that "Elijah has come already" (Matthew 17:12) referring to Saint John the Baptist. Their eyes have been opened to the fact that Malachi’s prophecy (Matthew 4:5-6) refers to one coming "IN THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIJAH" (Luke 1:17), rather than to Elijah himself.
(5) Finally, the Holy Trinity IS MANIFESTED HERE, for Christ is transfigured (Matthew 17:2), the Father speaks from heaven testifying to Jesus’ DIVINE SONSHIP (Matthew 17:5), and the Spirit is present in the form of a dazzling Light surrounding Christ’s Person, overshadowing the whole mountain (Matthew 1&;5). [Resources: The Great Horologion and The Orthodox Study Bible)
Please note: The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, God, and Savior Jesus
Christ is celebrated on this day during the Dormition Fast. This means that while
the fast generally prohibits meat, dairy, fish with backbones, and fowl on Saturdays
and Sundays, the Transfiguration feast allows fish in addition to wine and oil.
___________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 