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Transfiguration of the Lord
"And He (Jesus) was transfigured before them (Apostles). His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as while as the light (Matt. 17:2)."
"Is it necessary for man to be transfigured?
Today the holy Church everywhere celebrates the glorious Transfiguration on Mount Tabor of our Lord Jesus Christ in the view of three selected disciples, Peter, James and John, for the voice of two or three witnesses firmly testifies to the truth; and - also in view of the descent from Heaven of the Prophet Elijah and the Old Testament Law-giver, who appeared out of the abyss, Moses. During the Transfiguration the face of Christ shown like the sun, and according to the other Evangelist, more than the sun, so that the sun compared to the face of Christ was hidden, and His clothes became whiter than snow.
However, the face of Christ lit up so that the Apostles could bear it, and if it lit up a little bit more they could not bear it, and would have died from the unapproachable Light. Thus was Jesus Christ shining on Tabor to reveal the divinity, combined with human nature, in order to strengthen the faith of the Apostles in Him.
For what was there an appearance to the Apostles of the glory of the face of Christ? To assure the people capable of faith, what glory awaits them from above for works of virtue, for works of penance, absolution, humility, abstinence, mercy to neighbors in this life: they also will be enlightened, as the face of Christ radiated on Tabor, as the Lord said that the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father (Matt. 13:43). To be
worthy of such glory from the Lord in the life to come, we should be changed here internally, in the depth of our soul, and throw off from ourselves the ugly, corruptible, stinking and gloomy clothing of the sinful, impure, torn sackcloth of passions of self-love, pride, evil, cunning, envy, sensuality, covetousness, hard-heartedness, laziness in prayer, vanity, distraction, unbelief; it is necessary here, in our time, in our transient, preparatory life, to radiate internally in the soul by the light of an impersonal sincere penance and every good deed; it is necessary daily to change spiritually, imitating Christ our God, His meekness, humility, truth, mercy, patience, sufferings, crucifying one's passions or flesh with passions and desires, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 15:50), For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). And so make the transformation, brothers and sisters, internal change, deep, morally-good change - ascend daily on the heights of penance, abstinence, purity, meekness, humility, mercy, patience! Amen.
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- Saint John of Kronstadt from the Complete Collected works of the Rector of the St. Andrew Cathedral of Kronstadt, Archpriest John llych Sergieff, Words and Teachings, St. Petersburg
"Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James and John ... up on a high mountain by themselves, and was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light..." Matthew 17: 1-2 "Through the Transfiguration the Lord wanted to give His disciples
tangible proof of His Divinity, so that, as the Church chants, 'Seeing You
crucified, they would know Your Passion is by choice and would preach to the
world that You are indeed the Father's splendor' (Kontakion of the Feast).
The Lord did not want them to be shaken, then, when they saw Christ on the
Cross, but would understand that he voluntarily gave Himself to death, since.
as God, He could destroy all opposition and throw His enemies prostrate on
the ground in the thunderbolt of His Divinity. Should His Disciples fall and.
not His enemies? And so, He was pleased to be crucified for our salvation.. '
Lord glory be to Your infinite love and long-suffering! Still through the
Transfiguration the Lord wanted to show that human nature will not remain
in the lowly state it is today, but will be exalted and made brilliant. No
matter how insignificant their earthly lives had been, all believers will see
the day when they will shine like the Sun in God's Kingdom, for as Scripture
says,' the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their
Father' (Matt. 13:43)....
"The Lord does not always appear in glory to all who stand before Him. To beginners He appears in the form of a Servant (Phil. 2:7); to those able to follow Him as He climbs the high mountain of His Transfiguration He appears in the form of God, the form in which He-existed before the world, came to be. (John 17:5). It is therefore possible for the same Lord to not to appear in the same way to all who stand before Him, but to appear to some in one way and to others in another way, according to the measure of each person's faith. When the Logos of God becomes manifest and radiant in us, and His face shines like the sun, then His clothes will also look white. That is to say, the words of the Gospel will then be clear and distinct, with nothing concealed. And Moses and Elijah-the more spiritual principles of the Law and the Prophets — will also be present with Him.
"One and the same grace is from the Father in the Son, as the light of the sun and of the radiance is one, and as the sun's illumination is effected through the radiance; and so too when he prays for the Thessalonians, St. Paul in saying, 'Now God Himself even our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, may He direct our way to you' (I Thes. 3:11), has guarded the unity of the Father and of the Son. For he has not said, 'May they direct,' as if a double grace were given from two Sources, This and That, but 'May He direct,' to show that the Father gives it through the Son.
" " What is the will of God that St. Paul urges and invites each of us to attain (cf. I Thes. 4:3)? It is total leansing from sin, freedom from the shameful passions and the acquisition of the highest virtue. In other words, it is the purification and sanctification of the heart that comes about through fully experienced and conscious participation in the perfect and divine Spirit.
" "Patience is a labor that does not crush the soul. It never wavers under interruptions, good or bad... Patience sets a boundary to the daily onslaught of suffering... Patience comes from hope
and mourning, and indeed to lack those is to be a slave of espondency.
" "The Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance, suppresses anger, restrains pride and envy, draws down the Holy Spirit into the soul and raises man to heaven.
" "A small sea urchin warns sailors about good or stormy weather. When it senses a storm, it attaches itself beneath a large rock so as not to be swayed. By this example, there is nothing that God neglects. If God does not abandon the urchin, then He will also embrace each of our lives with the same loving care.
" "In olden times men were instructed to offer in the temple the firstfruits of the threshing-floor and the wine-press (cf. Num. 18:12). Likewise we ought now to offer God self-control and truth as the firstfruits of ascetic practice, and love and prayer as the firstfruits of the virtue of contemplation. Through the first we repulse the assaults of mindless desire and anger; through the second we vanquish empty thoughts and the snares into which they lead us.
" "We have learned that God has no need of material offerings from men, seeing that He gives us all things, and we have been taught, and are convinced, and believe, that He only receives those who imitate Him in the virtues which are part of His attributes, temperance, namely, and justice, humanity, and all that is worthy of a God Who is called by no proper name; and we are also taught that He in His goodness created all things in the beginning from shapeless matter, for the sake of men, who, if by their works they approve themselves worthy of His design, shall, we believe, be thought worthy of a dwelling with Him, there to reign with Him free henceforth from corruption and suffering" "Therefore, my children, bear with joy whatever trial God sends you, whether it be grief or ferocity of the passions, for God sends them to us for our benefit, in order that patience in all these things may be considered as ascesis which we are otherwise unable to do. So thank God; glorify Him with your mouth and heart, because the consolation of grace will come after the trial when we bear it with patience and thanksgiving.
- Bishop Augustinos of Florina
- Saint Maximos the Confessor
The Father and the Son
- St. Athanasius the Great
Wisdom from the Fathers
- St. Macarius of Egypt
- St. John Climacus, Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 27: On Stillness
- St. Ephraim the Syrian
- St. Basil the Great
- St. Ilias the Presbyter
- St. Justin Martyr
Is there anyone who has entered paradise by a different path, a path without temptations, whom we can imitate? No. All the saints passed through fire and water, through various temptations and afflictions, and they glorified God with their patience and received crowns of eternal glory!
Do not lose courage in the struggle; our Christ is invisibly standing by, observing the struggle of each one of us. Therefore, struggle patiently; call out the name of our Jesus, so that it may be implanted within your hearts and so that you may become rich in the grace of God. Struggle to acquire a pure intellect, so that you may feel the grace of the Holy Resurrection.
- Elder Ephraim