On the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, we remember the gospel event, when on Mount Tabor the apostles John, Peter and James saw Christ in all His Divine, eternal glory.
The icon "Transfiguration of the Lord" (XIV century), icon painter - Theophanes the Greek.
Story
The last days of the earthly life of Christ were approaching. The day before, for the first time, the Lord directly asked His disciples who they consider Him to be. Then Peter answered firmly and without hesitation: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16), expressing the opinion of all the apostles. The significance of his words lay in the fact that before that, Jesus Himself did not explicitly reveal His Divine nature to them, in order for the apostles to believe in Him as God not by force, but freely. After all, He could have revealed Himself to the disciples in all His majesty and glory already at the very beginning of the sermon, but then the apostles would have confessed Jesus as God simply out of fear, under the impression of what was revealed to them.
Then the Lord, beginning to "tune" the apostles to the upcoming events, said that "He must go to Jerusalem and suffer much from the elders and high priests and scribes, and be killed, and rise again on the third day" (Matt. 16:21). These words so saddened the apostles that Peter even began to rebuke the Teacher: “Be merciful to yourself, Lord! let it not be with you!” (Matthew 16:22).
After a few days, the Lord, taking Peter, James and John with him, went up Mount Tabor to pray. And when they were at the top, Christ was transfigured before them. At the same time, two great Old Testament prophets appeared - Elijah and Moses, who talked with the Lord about the future.
A bright cloud descended on the mountain, from which the voice of God the Father was heard: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; Hear him” (Matthew 17:5). The apostles fell to the ground in horror.
When they got up and rose, the Old Testament prophets and the cloud had already disappeared, and before them stood their Teacher - no longer shining with a dazzling light.
Thus, the Savior revealed to the apostles His Divine nature, strengthening them in faith before His coming torment and death on Golgotha and showing everyone who follows Him the light with which he will be transfigured in the Kingdom of Heaven.
holiday icon
Prophets Moses and Elijah are the main prophets of the Old Testament. Moses died before reaching the promised land, Elijah was taken to heaven alive. Their appearance, writes Chrysostom, meant that "Christ has power over life and death, rules over heaven and earth."
Mount Tabor is gentle. The rocks on the icon are a symbol of the believer's spiritual ascent to God, as well as an image of faith as strong as a stone.
The apostles, blinded by the light, lie on the ground. James and John cover their faces with their hands, not daring to look at the Transfigured Savior, and only Peter looks at Christ, preparing to utter the words: “Master! it's good for us to be here."
Mandorla is a circle of light around Christ, a symbol of Divine glory and majesty.
The rays of light emanating from the figure of Christ are an image of the light of the Transfiguration: “His clothes became shining, very white, like snow, as a bleacher on earth cannot bleach” (Mark 9:3).
The Light of Tabor is the light of Divine glory, with which the face of Christ shone during the Transfiguration. In the XIV century, a theological dispute arose about what kind of light it was - created or uncreated. As a result, the position of St. Gregory Palamas triumphed, who wrote that the disciples of Christ "saw, and saw for sure, that uncreated and Divine Radiance, while [Himself] God remained invisible in [His] transubstantiated Concealment." And since Christ Himself sanctified human nature with this light, then every person who believes in the Savior, according to the teachings of the Church, can also be vouchsafed his own personal Transfiguration, having perceived the uncreated, Tabor Light. Such is the greatest meaning of this twelfth holiday.
Theophanes the Greek, the famous ancient Russian icon painter of the 14th century, painted one of the most famous icons of the Transfiguration of the Lord (see above). The light of Tabor in the palette of Theophanes the Greek seems to have “materialized”, present in flashes on every image.
Four facts about the holiday
1. Mount Tabor, or Mount Transfiguration, is located in the eastern part of the Jezreel Valley, in Lower Galilee. Today, there are two monasteries on its top - Catholic and Orthodox.
2. The tradition of celebrating the Transfiguration of the Lord originated in the 4th century. It was then that the Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Elena built the first temple on Mount Tabor, which was dedicated to this evangelical event.
3. The Transfiguration Cathedral in Pereslavl-Zalessky is the only one of the first five white-stone churches of North-Eastern Russia that has survived to this day, almost completely preserved. The temple was founded by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky, and completed in 1157 under Andrei Bogolyubsky. The temple icon of the Transfiguration, attributed to Theophan the Greek, is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery.
4. Apple Savior - the popular name for the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. It is connected with the ancient custom, when the Jews brought to the temple everything that appeared first in the field or in the barn. Christians also adopted this tradition, so that when the first grape harvest ripened in August, it was brought to churches just in time for the feast of the Transfiguration. In our area, apples were brought instead.
Prayers
Troparion of the Transfiguration of the Lord, tone 7
Thou hast been transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God, / having shown Your disciples Your glory, / as if I can, / may Your everlasting light shine on us, sinners / by the prayers of the Theotokos, / / Giver of light, glory to Thee.
Kontakion of the Transfiguration of the Lord, tone 7
Thou hast been transfigured on the mountain, / and as if holding Thy disciples, / Thy glory, Christ God, you see, / yes, when they see You crucified, / they will understand suffering freely, / they will preach the world, / / as You are truly the Father.
The Greatness of the Transfiguration of the Lord
We glorify You, Life-Giver Christ, and honor the glorious Transfiguration of Your Most Pure Body.
Prayer to the Transfiguration of the Lord
Lord Jesus Christ, our God, unapproachable in the Living Light, this Radiance of the Glory of the Father and the Image of His Hypostasis! When the fulfillment of times came, You, for the unspeakable mercy to the fallen human race, belittled You, You took the form of a slave, You humbled You, obedient even to death. Both before the Cross and Thy free passion on Mount Tabor, thou wast transfigured in Thy Divine Glory before Thy holy disciples and Apostles, having little hidden the perception of the flesh, but when they see Thee crucified, and betraying death and understanding God Give us and all of us, the pure of your deeds of the right, sourteen and non -violent will be able to make your glory in the villages of your glory, I have to do not know the voice of the right -wingedness, yes the days of Thy Kingdom are not evening, and with all the saints who have pleased Thee from time immemorial let us glorify Thy All-Holy Name with Thy Father without beginning and the Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Thy Spirit now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.
One of the twelfth feasts is the Transfiguration of the Lord. The Twelfth Feasts is the name given to the cycle of the twelve most important annual feasts of the Russian Orthodox liturgical calendar. The definition of "twelfth" comes from the Slavic quantitative numeral "twelve" (or "twelve"), that is, "twelve". (Easter, as a "holiday holiday", is outside this classification.)
Transfiguration of the Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ- this is a mysterious manifestation of the Divine Majesty and Glory of Jesus Christ in front of three closest disciples during prayer on Mount Tabor. Transfiguration is the appearance of the Son, in which the Father testifies with a voice from the bright cloud of the Holy Spirit, that is, the revelation of all the Persons of the Holy Trinity. Transfiguration shows that two natures are united in Jesus Christ - divine and human. During the Transfiguration, the divine nature of Christ did not change, but was only revealed in His human nature. According to John Chrysostom, it happened "in order to show us the future transformation of our nature and His future coming on the clouds in glory with the angels."
The holiday is based on an event associated with earthly life Jesus Christ. All three synoptic (Matthew, Mark, Luke) gospels narrate about the Transfiguration.
AT Last year During His earthly ministry, being in Caesarea Philippi, the Savior, in anticipation of the coming sufferings, began to prepare His disciples for them, so that they would correctly perceive and understand the future. He told the students that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer much at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and rise again on the third day.» (Matthew 16:21).
The apostles had to believe that their Teacher was not a Jewish prophet who would proclaim himself the king of Israel, but the Son of God who was incarnated for the salvation of the human race. Indeed, despite the fact that the apostles more than once confessed Him to be the Son of God (especially after the feeding of 5,000 people), they also lived in the common Jewish hope that Jesus Christ is primarily the expected Messiah, who will be the earthly king of Israel. At that time, they least of all thought about delivering people from sin, damnation and death, about giving incorruptible, eternal life. And these illusions persisted among the apostles even after His Ascension, right up to Pentecost! Therefore, the Lord opens the veil of the future to them and reveals Himself to be the Son of God, the lord of life and death. He assures the disciples in advance that near sufferings are not defeat and disgrace, but victory and glory, crowned with the Resurrection.
6 days after the Lord Jesus Christ announced to the disciples about His coming sufferings, He, with his three closest disciples - John, James and Peter - climbed Mount Tabor, in Galilee, which is a two-hour walk south of Nazareth, to pray. During prayer, “the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became white, shining” (Luke 9:26), “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light” (Matt. 17:1).
At the same time, two Old Testament prophets appeared on the mountain - Moses and Elijah, and Moses had long died by that time, and Elijah never died, he was taken to heaven alive. That is, at a meeting with Christ, Moses represented the world of the dead, and Elijah represented the world of the living. They talked with Jesus "about His exodus, which He was to accomplish in Jerusalem" - that is, about the suffering and death of Christ on Golgotha.
Seeing this, the apostles were amazed, but not frightened. On the contrary, their souls were overwhelmed with joy, because none of them expected such an obvious and clear confirmation of the Divinity of the Teacher. " Rabbi!- Peter said in delight, - it's good for us to be here; we will make three tabernacles: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah". Tabernacle is a tent, or tent: Peter liked Mount Tabor so much that he invited the Savior to stay there to live.
But the apostles on that day were in for an even stronger shock. Suddenly a bright cloud descended on them and covered them: behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them". The 1st book of Kings describes how the same cloud, a symbol of the special presence of God, appeared in the sanctuary, in the Holy of Holies, when the Ark of the Covenant was brought there: “ the cloud filled the house of the Lord; and the priests could not stand in the service, because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of the Lord"(1 Kings 8:10-11).
From the cloud that overshadowed the disciples of the Lord, the voice of God the Father was heard: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him"- the same words that were heard at the baptism of the Lord, but with the addition:" listen to him”, which was supposed to recall the prophecy of Moses about the Messiah (Deut. 18:15) and show the fulfillment of this prophecy on Jesus.
Hearing these words, the disciples “fell on their faces and were very afraid,” but Jesus came up to them, touched them and said: “ Stand up and don't be afraid!» Having risen, the disciples did not see anyone except Jesus Christ alone.
Everyone descended the mountain without saying a word. And only at the foot of the foot Jesus turned to the apostles with a request not to tell anyone about what he saw, “ until the Son of Man is raised from the dead”, so that people, hearing about such His Glory, would not later be offended when they see Him crucified.
Why Moses and Elijah, and not someone else? Let us remember: the Savior constantly said that the Law and the prophets testify about Him as the long-awaited Messiah. At the moment of the Transfiguration, two prominent Old Testament heroes appear: the legislator Moses himself, who received the Law from the mouth of the Lord, and the first and strongest of the prophets - Elijah.
As St. Chrysostom, Moses and Elijah appeared because some of the people revered the Lord Jesus Christ for Elijah or for one of the prophets: therefore "the main prophets appear so that the difference between the servants and the Lord can be seen." Moses appeared to show that Jesus was not the transgressor of his law, as the scribes and Pharisees tried to make him out to be. The appearance of Moses, who had already died, and Elijah, who did not see death, but was taken alive into heaven, meant the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ over life and death.
Transformation is an event that has another facet. This is an appeal to each of us. Christ came to us to deify man. And that light, revealed on Tabor, He is ready to give us for free. Favor translated means purity, light. The one who comes to the realization of his actions and repents of his deed, is freed from spiritual dirt, and he can accept the Divine uncreated Light. The power that transforms a person is given through the Sacraments of the Church, through spiritual life, through active faith. In striving to acquire this Light, to deify human nature Christian teaching sees spiritual meaning life.
Why the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord is not celebrated in February
Orthodox Church celebrates Transfiguration of the Lord August 19, despite the fact that according to the gospel chronology the Transfiguration of the Lord was in February, 40 days before the crucifixion of the Savior. This was established because the celebration in February would fall on the days of Holy Fortecost (Great Lent) - which would be incompatible with Lenten service and the sad time of fasting and repentance, depicting a real (today's) life of great misfortune, while the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord foreshadows the future age. Wherein on the 40th day after the Transfiguration Celebrated Exaltation of the Holy Cross, - in which the celebration and remembrance of the passions of Christ take place a second time.
Evidence of the feast of the Transfiguration comes from the 5th century. (a word for this feast of Patr. Proclus), but already in the 4th century. St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Elena built a church on Mount Tabor in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
The Transfiguration is one of the twelve great feasts. On the feast, a liturgy is performed, parimias are read, and a canon is sung, which emphasizes the greatness of the event. During the service on the feast of the Transfiguration, the priests put on white clothes - as a symbol of that Tabor, heavenly radiance. The holiday falls on the Dormition Fast.
On this day, apples, grapes of the new harvest and other fruits are consecrated. The consecration is held at the end of the festive liturgy and is an expression of a gift to God from nature blessed by Him.
Troparion, tone 7
Thou hast been transfigured on the mountain, Christ God, showing Thy disciples Thy glory, as if I could; May Your eternal light shine upon us sinners, with the prayers of the Theotokos, Light Giver, glory to Thee.
Kontakion, tone 7
Thou hast been transfigured on the mountain, and as if holding Thy disciples, Thy glory, Christ God, seeing: Yes, when they see Thee being crucified, they will understand suffering freely, and the world will preach that You are truly the Father's radiance.
Magnification of the Transfiguration of the Lord
We magnify Thee, Life-Giver Christ, and honor the most pure flesh of Thy most glorious Transfiguration.
The Twelfth Feasts is the name given to the cycle of the twelve most important annual feasts of the Russian Orthodox liturgical calendar. The definition of "twelfth" comes from the Slavic quantitative numeral "twelve" (or "twelve"), that is, "twelve". (Easter, as a "holiday holiday", is outside this classification.)
The first level of classification within these holidays is according to belonging to one of the two annual cycles of the Christian calendar. Nine of the twelve holidays belong to the so-called Menaion cycle (see Menaion) and are called "fixed" ("non-transitory"), because they are fixed only by the days of the month, regardless of the day of the week. These include: Christmas Holy Mother of God(September 8/21), Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14/27), Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos (November 21/December 4), Nativity of Christ (December 25/January 7), Epiphany, or Baptism of the Lord (January 6/19 ), the Presentation of the Lord (February 2/15), the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (March 25/April 7), the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 6/19) and the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos (August 15/28).
Three other holidays belong to the Triodion (see Triodion), or Easter-Pentecostal, cycle and are called "mobile" ("passing"). These are: The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, or the Week of Vay, i.e., "palm branches", and in the Russian tradition - Palm Sunday(takes place on the Sunday preceding Easter), the Ascension of the Lord (the fortieth day from Easter, always on Thursday) and the Day of the Holy Trinity, or Pentecost (the 50th day from Easter, always on Sunday).
The second level of classification of the twelfth holidays is according to the dominant content. The holidays dedicated to our Lord Jesus Christ are called master's, and those dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos are called Mother of God. At the same time, the feast of the Meeting of the Lord (i.e., the Meeting of the Lord by Sts. Simeon and Anna in the Jerusalem temple) and the feast of the Annunciation (the Day of the Conception of the Lord) have a dual status in the modern Russian Charter, lordly-Mother of God.
The liturgical texts (that is, variable prayers and chants) of the fixed Twelfth Feasts are placed in the Menaion (under the corresponding month and date); mobile - in Triodion (under a certain day of a particular week before and after Easter); as well as in "holiday" liturgical collections and separate editions.
Literature: Lavrentiev G. Twelve Feasts of the Orthodox Church. SPb., 1862; Debolsky G., prot. Days of worship of the Orthodox Catholic Eastern Church. 10th ed. SPb., 1901; Rashkovsky E. B. "From the height of the East ...": The twelfth holiday cycle in Orthodox worship. M., 1993. See also the literature under separate articles about the corresponding holidays
In memory of the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to church tradition, took place on Mount Tabor, from ancient times Christian Church the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord was established, which takes place on August 19/6 and is considered one of the largest Lord's twelfth holidays, has 1 day of fore-feast and 7 days of after-feast. The surrender takes place on 13/26 August.
Icon "Transfiguration" Jesus Christ
So that the celebration does not take place during Great Lent, the Orthodox Church deliberately postponed it to August 19 (06) - forty days before the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, although according to the chronology of the Gospel, the event took place 40 days before the suffering of Jesus on the cross.
And this was given to the disciples so that they could see what awaits a person at the end of life, what kind of light of Transfiguration awaits us at the end of the ages. And therefore this feast, the feast of the Transfiguration, the Church timed to coincide with the last days of the calendar church year, the time of results and fruits. From the collection "Light in the darkness shines" A. Men
And yet the holiday falls during the Dormition Fast, but on this day an indulgence is allowed - fish is allowed at the meal.
Having received baptism from John and then, having overcome the temptation of the devil, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to preach the Gospel. In cities and villages, in mountains and deserts, a great multitude of people listened to His saving teaching, saw its amazing miracles.
But from among the many who followed the Divine Teacher, he chose twelve disciples, with whom he mainly revealed the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, and who were constant witnesses of his life and teachings.
Often the Lord would say to his chosen disciples what befits him go to Jerusalem and suffer much and be killed(Matt. 16:1). But the disciples did not at first understand the necessity of the cross and feared the thought of the suffering of their beloved Master.
Rice. P.F. Borel
Believing that he was the promised Messiah, they wondered how he could suffer and die. Therefore, the Lord by the next miraculous event showed them that he is truly the Son of God and that he would suffer voluntarily, as predicted by the Prophets. Taking with him the Apostles Peter, James and John, Jesus Christ led them to Mount Tabor, and here he indulged in solitary prayer.
The Gospel does not say directly that the transfiguration took place on Mount Tabor. Only Isaiah has the words that the former time diminished the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but the next will magnify, and the people walking in darkness will see a great light - the light of death will shine on those living in the land of the shadow. (9:1,2) On the border of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, Tabor rises precisely. Modern theologians consider the Mount of Transfiguration not Tabor, but one of the spurs of Mount Hermon. (Wikipedia)
During prayer, His face suddenly changed, became bright like the sun, and His clothes were white like snow. Then the ancient God-seers and the greatest prophets appeared: Saint Elijah from heaven and Moses from the land of the dead.
Transfiguration. Fragment of the painting of the northeast sail of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The author of the recreation is V.A. Bakshaev
The apostles were amazed and astonished by this miraculous phenomenon - amidst such glory and majesty, their Divine Teacher converses with the prophets about the sufferings that awaited him in Jerusalem. And Saint Peter, out of his fiery love for the Lord, begs Him to stay forever on Tabor, together with Moses and Elijah, away from envious people and persecutors.
Titian Vecellio. Transfiguration of the Lord, 1560
He had not yet finished his strange request, when a bright cloud overshadowed everyone who was on Tabor, and a voice was heard from the cloud: “This is My beloved Son, but I am well pleased with Him: Hear thee!”(Matt. 17:5) The apostles fell on their faces and were as dead from fear.
At the end of the miraculous vision, the Lord approached them, calmed them and commanded them, until the time of His resurrection from the dead, not to tell anyone about what they saw and heard on Tabor. But the more solemnly such a great event should be proclaimed after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, for the edification of all who believe in him.
Celebration - traditions, customs, rituals
- On the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord, a festive liturgy is performed in the churches, parimias are read, the canon is sung, the priests are dressed in white robes, symbolizing the divine uncreated Tabor light.
- Canons of the Apostles (3rd Canon) and IV Ecumenical Council(28th canon) it is established on this day to consecrate the ripened fruits and bunches by the Church, as a token of gratitude to God, who gave them for food. Orthodox Christians usually bring to the temple, for consecration, the first of the ripening fruits of the earth: grapes, apples, pears and others.
- The popular name of the holiday is Apple Spas, Second Spas, Transfiguration of the Savior.
A custom has developed until this day to observe the so-called “apple fast”, not to eat the fruits of the new crop, except for cucumbers. (V.I. Dal, Mesyatseslov)
Transformation (Video)
Literature:
Lessons from Archpriest I. Yakhontov, 1864, St. Petersburg.
A. Men, "The light shines in the darkness"
IN AND. Dal, Monthly
Wikipedia
The Transfiguration of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ (the Transfiguration of the Lord) is a mysterious transfiguration, the manifestation of the Divine majesty and glory of Jesus Christ before the three closest disciples (Peter, James and John) during prayer on Mount Tabor.
By celebrating the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Church solemnly confesses and glorifies the union of Divinity and humanity in the person of Jesus Christ. By His Transfiguration, the Lord deigned to protect His disciples from despondency and raised them to the highest hope amid the calamities that were to befall them in the world.
According to the gospel text, this event took place in February, 40 days before Easter, but the Orthodox Church postponed the celebration to August 6 (August 19) so that it would not fall on the days of Great Lent. At the same time, on the 40th day after the Transfiguration, the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord is always celebrated.
The essence of the holiday.
The event of the Transfiguration of the Lord is reported by three evangelists (Matt. 17:1-6, Mark 9:1-8, Luke 9:28-36). The descriptions of this great event by all the evangelists are very similar.In the last year of His earthly life, while in Caesarea Philippi, the Lord began to reveal to His disciples that “ He must go to Jerusalem and suffer much at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and rise again on the third day.”(Matthew 16:21). These words greatly saddened the apostles and especially Peter, who began to say to the Savior: be merciful to yourself, Lord! may it not be with you!"(Matt. 16:22). Seeing the sorrow of the disciples, Jesus Christ promises some of them to show the glory in which He will be clothed after His earthly death. Jesus prophetically said: ...Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come in power."(Mark 9:1).
Six days later, the Lord took three closest disciples: Peter, James and John, and went up with them to Mount Tabor to pray.
While praying, Jesus changed before them: and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as the light"(Mt.17:2). The Gospels tell that two Old Testament prophets, Moses and Elijah, appeared and talked with Jesus. about His Exodus, which He was to accomplish in Jerusalem"(Luke 9:31). Seeing this, the amazed Peter was imbued with boldness and said: Rabbi! it's good for us to be here; we will make three tabernacles: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"(Mark 9:5). Peter, one of the founders of the Church of Christ in the whole universe, showed by this that he still looks at Jesus Christ in an earthly way and puts Him along with Moses and Elijah. After these words, a cloud appeared that overshadowed everyone, and the disciples heard a voice from the cloud: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; Listen to him (Matt. 17:5). At these words the apostles fell on their faces in fear. At this time, the glory of the Lord, and with it the prophets, hid from them. The Lord approached the disciples lying on the ground, saying: stand up don't be afraid”(Matt. 17:7) Looking up, the apostles saw no one but Jesus. They began to descend the mountain. On the way, Jesus forbade the disciples to talk about what they saw, “until the Son of Man rises from the dead” (Mark 9:9). The apostles fulfilled the request of the Savior and remained silent for the time being about what they saw. theological interpretation.
Transfiguration is the revelation of all the Persons of the Holy Trinity. That is, the appearance of the Son, in which the Father testifies with a voice from the bright cloud of the Holy Spirit. The transfiguration shows that two natures are united in Jesus Christ - the divine and the human. According to John Chrysostom, the Transfiguration happened, " in order to show us the future transformation of our nature and His future coming on the clouds in glory with the angels". During the Transfiguration of the Lord, the divine nature of Jesus Christ did not change and was revealed in His human nature.Significant was the appearance of Moses and Elijah. In the words of John Chrysostom, “one who died and the other who had not yet experienced death” appeared in order to show that “Christ has power over life and death, rules over heaven and earth.”
Moses and Elijah approached the Transfigured Christ on Tabor. It " law and prophets” stand before their Master as servants who have fulfilled His commands. Having accomplished all that He pointed out at Sinai and Horeb, and at other places of Theophany, they now, as it were, resigned their powers before the Lord. They are full of holy awe: the Lord is coming to Jerusalem to complete their work and accept the cross for the salvation of people. The prophets left. The ancient transformations are over, the prophecies have been fulfilled. The light of Tabor shone. On earth - the Beloved Son, the Finisher of the law and the Builder of the salvation of people. Celebration of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the Orthodox Church.
The feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord is one of the twelve great feasts. On the feast, a liturgy is performed, parimias are read, and Canon of the Transfiguration of the Lord, which emphasizes the greatness of the Transfiguration. The color of liturgical robes on this holiday is white, symbolizing the divine uncreated Tabor light on this day. The holiday falls on the Dormition Fast.The Orthodox celebration (in the XX-XXI centuries) takes place on August 19 (August 6 according to the Julian calendar). In the Armenian Apostolic Church, the feast is a transitional holiday from June 28 to August 1.
The holiday has 1 day of prefeast and 7 days of afterfeast. The surrender takes place on August 13 (August 26).
The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord has been celebrated by the Orthodox Church since the 4th century, from the time of its construction by the Empress. Helena on Mount Tabor temple dedicated to this event. Ephraim the Syrian, John Chrysostom (three Words), Cyril of Alexandria and others have the Festive Words about the Transfiguration. Worship.
The divine service on this Feast has the peculiarity that, at the end of the Liturgy, the grapes and tree fruits brought by the believers to the temple are blessed and consecrated - apples, pears, plums, etc.The stichera for this holiday reproduce the external setting of this gospel event (the prayer of Christ, the dream of the disciples, the appearance of the prophets, etc.), and also explains its inner (symbolic) side - that Christ was transfigured in order to assure the disciples of His Deity and show that a person can also "shine with light the blackened Adam's nature."
Troparion of the holiday.
You were transfigured on the mountain, Christ God, who showed Your disciples Your glory, as far as they could see; may Thy light, eternally existing, shine on us sinners, through the prayers of the Mother of God. Giver of Light, glory to Thee!
Troparion of the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, tone 7 (listen and watch):
Holiday kontakion.
You were transfigured on the mountain, and as far as Your disciples could, they saw Your glory, Christ God; so that, seeing you crucified, they understand the voluntariness of suffering, but preach to the world that you are truly the radiance of the Father.
Kontakion on the Transfiguration of the Lord, tone 7 (listen and watch):
Worthy.
Thy offspring appeared imperishably: God came from Thy womb, as a bearer of flesh appeared on earth, and lived with people. You, Mother of God, therefore we all magnify.
Worshipper (listen and watch):
Folk traditions. Customs. Rites.
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Russian folk tradition also called Apple Spas or Second Spas. Since on this day the grapes of the new harvest and other fruits are consecrated, and where there is none, apples, after which they are allowed to be eaten. The consecration is held at the end of the festive liturgy and is an expression of a gift to God from nature blessed by Him. The Feast of the Transfiguration was chosen to bless the fruits, because in Jerusalem by this time the grapes are ripening, which is actually supposed to be consecrated on this day.Before the Apple Savior, folk signs forbade eating apples and, in general, any fruits except cucumbers. On this day, ripe fruits and vegetables were brought to church for consecration, and only then they could be eaten. Apples consecrated to the Transfiguration were considered special - young people, swallowing the first bitten off piece, made a wish - it was believed that it would come true. In Russia, especially for this day, whole cartloads of apples were brought, and every more or less wealthy person considered it his duty to distribute the fruits to the poor and sick. On the same day, the mass consumption of peas began. In some areas, a “Pea Day” was even specially arranged, during which peasants in festive clothes went out into the field, treated each other to peas and sang appropriate songs.
With the Transfiguration, the harvest of spring bread and the average sowing of winter rye began. Fairs and festivities were timed to the Apple Spas.
On August 19, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Transfiguration of the Lord. The holiday is dedicated to the miraculous event described in the Gospels, and which took place on Mount Tabor, where the manifestation of the Divine glory and majesty of Jesus Christ over the three closest disciples happened.
Transfiguration of the Lord: the history of the holiday
Although the disciples of the Savior believed Him with all their hearts, they did not understand how He, the Son of God, could suffer and perish. It seemed to them that this was impossible, and from thinking about the future sufferings of the Messiah, they were dismayed. To strengthen them in this thought, the Lord decided to show them His Divine glory. To do this, He, accompanied by three closest disciples - James, John and Peter - ascended the high Mount Tabor of Galilee.
On the mountain, Christ prayed to God the Father, and the glory of His Divinity was revealed: the face of the Savior shone like the sun, and the clothes became white as snow. Witnesses of the Transfiguration of the Lord from the Other World appeared on the mountain - the prophets Elijah and Moses, once honored to see the Divine glory of the Lord - one on Horeb, the other on Sinai. The prophets talked with the Son of God about His departure, i.e. about the death of the God-man on the cross.
The intentions of the Lord to show the disciples His Divine glory were fully justified. She delighted the apostles so much that they always wanted to watch her while on the mountain. Soon they heard a voice from heaven: This is my beloved Son, listen to Him!". During the voice, the frightened disciples could not look at the radiance of Jesus' face and fell to the ground. He approached them, touched them and said: Stand up and don't be afraid". Lifting their eyes, the apostles saw no one but the Lord.
What does the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord mean?
By celebrating the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Orthodox Church solemnly glorifies and confesses the union of the human and the Divine in the person of Jesus Christ and His voluntary suffering for the salvation of all mankind.
Saint Ephraim the Syrian, in his conversation on the day of the celebration of the Transfiguration, said that Jesus led the apostles to Mount Tabor in order to show them who He is and whose Son, in order to show them His Divine glory and prove that He is the deliverer of Israel, promised by the prophets.
Proclaiming and confessing the Divinity of Christ, the feast of the Transfiguration proves that His suffering and death were voluntary and salutary. The Lord, by His transfiguration, protected the disciples from despondency and elevated them to the highest hope in the midst of the disasters that would befall them in the future.
By celebrating the Transfiguration of the Lord into the glory of heaven, prepared for each of us, the Church morally comforts us during our earthly journey, sometimes filled with sorrows and hardships, indicating that behind short-term sorrows the heavenly glory of eternal bliss will shine.
This holiday inspires Christians that for the grace-filled transformation from the darkness of sin into the light of virtue and truth, which opens the doors of Paradise before people, prayer and impartiality to the charms of the world are necessary, because the Lord, for His transfiguration, not without reason, rose to a height that removed Him from worldly life. . Having raised His body to the mountain, he prayerfully ascended to Heaven and was transformed into glory.
Transfiguration of the Lord: traditions and customs
In the folk calendar, this holiday is known as the Second or Apple Spas. By this time, many garden fruits and garden vegetables are ripening, the harvesting of bread plants is coming to an end, and combs are being trimmed.
Our ancestors were used to starting and ending any business with the blessing of God, therefore, on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, they brought to the church for consecration the fruits of garden trees and garden vegetables (with the exception of cucumbers), which they had not eaten before that date, considering it a sin. From the day of the Transfiguration, all the fruits of the new harvest appeared on their tables.
Even today, the owners of the grain fields bring seeds and ears of new bread to the temple, over which a prayer is read and sprinkled with holy water. In the old days, these consecrated "firstfruits" were kept until the beginning of the sowing.
In the old days, the ceremony of sowing the fields was timed to coincide with the feast of the Transfiguration, which consisted in the fact that, at the request of the owners, a priest came to the field with icons and sprinkled the plowed land with sacred water. After that, the host or one of the most respected guests, present during the ceremony, threw grains into the consecrated ground. This ritual served as the beginning of sowing.
In the old days, on the day of the Transfiguration, the good collected from the gardens and fields was treated to the poor and the poor. This tradition was strictly observed, but if someone refused to perform this good deed, then our ancestors considered such a person unworthy of respect and did not want to have anything to do with him. And today, on this holiday, from various vegetables and fruits, after their consecration in the temple, in some places alms are given to the poor and the poor.
The folk custom to sanctify everything with the blessing of God is undoubtedly one of the oldest customs of Christianity. For its implementation, holidays were usually chosen - more free and solemn in the life of rural residents. Thus, for example, according to the decree of God, in Old Testament on the feast of Pentecost, the first fruits of vegetables were brought to the altar for consecration. Similarly, in the New Testament Church, the conciliar and apostolic rules decided to bring them for consecration to the temple on the most important holidays. In Greece, there was a custom to consecrate the fruits on the 6th and 15th of August. In Russia, the feast of the Transfiguration has become one of the most important days for the consecration of the fruits of garden, garden and field plants, because it is by this time that they usually ripen. No wonder there is a folk proverb: « The Savior has come - it's time for everything».
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