My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

ON AUGUST 6th OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH CELEBRATES THE GLORIOUS AND MOST HOLY FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION (METAMORPHOSIS) OF OUR LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST

The Holy Transfiguration (Metamorphosis tou Soteros) which actually took place in February, forty days before the Passion. If we celebrated this feast at that time, it would be necessary to celebrate it during the Great Fast, when according to tradition such a feast should be celebrated for eight days. The feast was moved by the Church Holy Fathers to the month of August for the following reasons: since the Transfiguration took place forty days before the Passion and the Cross, by choosing the 6th of August it would be forty days before the Feast of the Elevation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross, celebrated by the Church on the 14th of September.

The Holy Evangelist Luke records that "about eight days after these words," Jesus took Peter and Iakovos (James) and John up on the mountain to pray (Luke 9:28). Saint Matthew says "after six days" (Matthew 17:1). Saint Luke "does not contradict the writer," comments Saint John Chrysostom, "but most fully agrees with him...Why does Christ take with Him these three only? Because these were supreme to the rest. Peter indeed showed his superiority by exceedingly loving Him, but John by being exceedingly loved by Him, and Iakovos again by his answer which he gave with his brothers, saying, 'We are able to drink the cup." But it was not only by his answer but also by his works...For so earnest was Iakovos, and grievous to the Jews, that Herod himself supposed that he had bestowed a very great favor on the Jews when he slew him.

Blessed Theophylactos (11th Century) observed that Christ "brings them up onto a high mountain, showing that unless a man is raised up high, he does not become worthy of such Divine visions. A mountain set apart because Christ would often perform the most wondrous of His miracles in secret, lest the multitude should see Him as God and think that He was human in appearance only." Continuing Blessed Theophylact says, "When you hear 'He was transfigured,' do not think that He cast off the body at that moment; for His body remained in its own form, as you hear mention of His face and clothing. But it appeared more resplendent, the Divine exhibiting in small part its effulgence as much as they were able to see." He further explains that when we read "the Lord 'went up into the mountain to pray' (Luke 9:28), it is to show that when we pray we must be alone, and we must ascend in spirit and not incline ourselves to anything earthly. "And it came to pass, as He was praying, the appearance of His countenance became different, and His garment became white, flashing as with lightning" (Luke 9:29). He was not changed in nature. He remained what He was, except that the appearance of His face was brighter than before. And the same thing happened with His clothing. It was only the appearance of His clothing and only the surface appearance was different.

Saint Ephraim adds, "Christ also showed them before His death, when the appearance of His countenance became different, that it was changed in some way or other; and that however it was changed, they nevertheless would know that it was somehow He, Jesus instructed them in advance, so that when He would rise from the dead, and be changed, they would not be in doubt. Further, he adds, "After His death, they would know that He, Who changed the garments which He was wearing, is also the One Who will raise to life the body with which He was clothed. He, Who gave His body a glory which no one can attain, is able to raise it to life from death--which everyone tastes.

The Restoration of Fallen Man

Saint Gregory Palamas: "Now that our nature has been stripped of this Divine Illumination and radiance as a result of the transgression, the Logos/Word of God has taken pity on our disgrace. Indeed, in His compassion, He has assumed our nature and has manifested it again to His chosen disciples, clothed more remarkably on Mt. Tabor. He indicated what we once were and what we shall become through Him in the future age, if we choose here below to live according to His ways as much as possible.

Our restoration is a repeated theme in the hymns of this Divine service. Christ has shown His Disciples the nature of man, arrayed in the original beauty of the Image. And He made that nature, which grew dark in Adam, to shine again like lightning, by "transforming it into the glory and splendid of His own divinity." The Savior of our souls in His love and mercy "transfigured the disfigured man and made him shine with light upon Mount Tabor." (Source: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church)

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Divine Services Wednesday August 6th:

Orthros (Matins) at 9:00 a.m.
Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m.

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry)
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George