Word V. On the Most Glorious Transfiguration in the Flesh of Our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ

August 6, 1907.

Before all ages and the being of the world, the Son, God the Word, clothing Himself with light as with a garment, was transfigured before His disciples, and shone forth, O Word, brighter than the sun; and Moses and Elijah stood before You, proclaiming You the Lord of the dead and the living, and glorifying Your ineffable dispensation and mercy and abundant compassion, whereby You have saved the world perishing in sin (Stichera at the Praises).

Sons and daughters of the Orthodox Church, members of the Body of Christ, of which He, Christ, is the living, life-giving, and all-wise Head—what most radiant feast do we celebrate today? You will say: we celebrate the Transfiguration of Christ. But how, and for what purpose, was Christ transfigured? Hear how the holy Evangelist Matthew relates it: On one of the days of His divine sojourn on earth, the Lord took apart three chosen disciples: Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves, and was transfigured before them: and His face shone as the sun, and His garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with Him. Then Peter said to Jesus: it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying: this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him. And when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, and told them: rise, and do not be afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus alone. And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying: tell no one of this vision, until the Son of Man is risen from the dead (Mt 17:2-9).

Why, then, was the Lord transfigured so fearsomely, majestically, and divinely? First, to show forth the lightning of His eternal Godhead, His unapproachable light, hidden beneath His human flesh; second, to reveal the brightness of His second, dread coming in the glory of His Father; third, to show the brightness of the future glory in heaven of the Apostles and of all who truly believe in the Lord and are devoted to Him with their whole heart; fourth, to confirm His disciples in faith in His eternal Godhead, so that they would not doubt Him when they saw Him in reproach, humiliation, and sufferings, suffering in the flesh upon the cross for the sins of the human race; fifth, the Lord was transfigured in glory, and commanded the prophets Moses and Elijah to be with Him, also in light, at His glorious transfiguration, in order to proclaim the general resurrection of all men from the dead for the future judgment. For this Moses appeared from among the dead, and the prophet Elijah, who never died, taken up alive, as it were to heaven, on a chariot of fire. This, then, is why Christ was transfigured before His three chosen disciples. They were to bear witness of this to the whole world after Christ’s resurrection from the dead. And what instructive lesson does the feast of the Lord’s Transfiguration give us? Do not we too need to be transfigured, to be changed? Do we not need a change from worse to better, from sin to righteousness and holiness, from our own negligence and coldness toward God to fervent repentance and tears; from indifference toward the holy faith to fervency of faith and love for God; from distraction and inattention to ourselves to a strict mindfulness of our soul’s condition? Do we not need, rather sooner than later, to lay aside our dark, sinful passions, which chain our hearts to the earth and lead us away from God; excessive care for the flesh, for its pleasures, adornments, habits, and inclinations; and do we not need to acquire the practice and habit of every virtue, of which we take so little care, though it is the one thing needful for us?

Let us, too, be transfigured inwardly, to the glory of the Lord, and let us occupy ourselves unceasingly with repentance, with laying aside our sins, and with adorning our souls with every kind of good work. This will be, for the Lord, the most acceptable celebration of His glorious Transfiguration. Amen.