Transfiguration, the feast of the feasts – Father Gavril Galev
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This feast (holy day) is the feast of the feasts, because in this feast are celebrated several feasts (holy days) in one. The Transfiguration of Christ is celebrated, who was transfigured and made manifest His Divine nature, having in addition the human one. He revealed Himself complete as God and complete as Man (perfect God and perfect Man). The Holy Trinity, which appeared in Three Persons, is celebrated. Christ, the Son of God, was transfiguring on the Mount before the Apostles; The Holy Spirit, through the transfiguring grace, appeared in light and the Father with the voice that testifies: “This is My Beloved Son”. The Church is also celebrated, which is announced through Christ together with the Apostles and Prophets. The Old Testament Church and the New Testament Church, in One Holy and Catholic (Universal) Church. Furthermore, the Transfiguration of the Apostles is also celebrated, which is actually the essence of our existence and the reason for which God created us and for which God came in the flesh and became a man, which is also the most significant for us.
This event is not an illusion, this event is not a fable, a myth or some symbolism. Nor is this light created, as some teach and blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. This light is uncreated and it is the energy of God. Uncreated (intangible)grace of God, which proceeds from God’s nature and is given to man to commune with God, and, be one with God. If this light had been created, then all this would have been just a good show. Our faith would be a fable and a myth, and our life would be in vain and false. But our Church is not a theatre. Our Church is a living reality and an icon of the Kingdom of Heaven. In this way, God showed that the Lord Jesus Christ is true God and therefore came into the world and became a true Man, so that we, participating in that energy, receive it and become sons of God, gods by grace.
Holy Apostle Peter, in “The Apostle” (Apostolic reading of the day), previously read, says that “we have become eyewitnesses of God’s majesty (2 Peter 1:16). In another place he says that we should try to become partakers of God’s nature through good deeds (2 Pet. 1, 1-7). With that, He announces to us that, that light is not created and illusory but intangible (uncreated) and real which He gives us and we are “obliged” to receive it. That is why Jesus takes out the Apostles, only three, because one of them was not worthy. No one is worthy in a sense, but he was truly unworthy, Judas, who later betrayed Him. He takes them with Himself to fill them with the grace of God and give them that light and to show them that it is a reality.
With the transfiguration of Christ also the Apostles participate in the transfiguration of Christ and the light filled them as well. Having that energy, the grace of God, they were enlightened, transfigured, were deified. They transfigured themselves, because they showed dignity, and they showed their dignity above all through their loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ. That is, they were obedient and therefore God transfigures them. The Lord called them to come with Him alone on the mountain and they humbly obeyed. They came with Him, but if they had resisted, if they had sought human justice and a logical understanding of the event, they would not have been partakers of the grace of God.
Accordingly, through obedience to our spiritual Father, to the church and to God’s will, let us transfigure ourselves. Transfiguration means changing our life. It means to cleanse our hearts ofdefilement and transfigure our sinful passions into good ones. It means to oppose every passion with an opposite virtue. To oppose hate – with love. Anger – with mercy. Idle talk – with prayer. Pride – with humility. Anger – with virtue of meekness. Covetousness – with almsgiving… And in that way, may we be worthy, as much as we can, as the Troparion says, to receive that grace and be transfigured and participate in the grace of God, which is also the salvation.
And not only were the Apostles obedient, but the Son of God is also obedient, as the Father testifies: “This is My beloved Son, in Whom My will is; Listen to Him!” (Mat. 17:5). This is another confirmation that the grace of God is acquired through the virtue of obedience, and, obedience is a necessary struggle (asceticism), an initial step and a basic condition through which we can free ourselves from sins, from the serving of base passions and climb the mountain and transfigure ourselves. It is not by chance that the Lord climbed to a high place, showing that this process requires effort and patience, that is, a struggle. It is an asceticism, it is an ascent, liberation from shackles, liberation from sins, liberation from low passions, liberation from this earthly, worldly life and elevation to higher spiritual spheres to which the Apostle Paul testifies by calling that state the “third heaven”, which an average person has not seen, experienced, felt, that immeasurable wealth given to us if we live in that manner (in obedience) (2 Cor. 12:2-5).
Furthermore, all these participants in the event of Transfiguration are not accidental and have their own meaning. This event takes place before the terrible suffering days of the Lord, when He was to suffer to be crucified, die and resurrect. With His transfiguration, He announced, He made manifest the truth about Himself and revealed to us what awaits us on the other side of life, after death. He did it so that His disciples would not be deceived, and that we also would not doubt today. Moses and Elijah appear, as representatives from the Old Testament. One deceased, the other is still alive. (We know that Elijah was taken (ascended) alive into heaven, and will come before Christ’s second coming.) One is representative of the law, the other of the Prophets. Moses and Elijah talk with the Lord Jesus Christ saying that everything that was written and prophesied in the Old Testament is true and is fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament. The apostles Peter, James and John are representatives of the living of the New Testament and they represent the three greatest Christian virtues, faith, hope and love, as well as the virtues of obedience, repentance and humility. In the middle of this happening is Christ, who should be the centre of our life.
This was truly an extraordinary and striking event that caused bliss among the Apostles and they wished it to last forever. That is why Saint Peter uttered those illogical words, but full of humility and love: “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You want, I will make three huts here: one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah (Mat. 17,4).”He seemingly forgot about himself, he thought to “secure” Jesus, Moses and Elijah, just for them to stay and this event to last forever.
It is to be seen that nothing in the church is accidental and everything happens with deep meaning. Everything in the church has a meaning, an essential meaning related to ourselves. The whole Dispensation of God is tied to us. Through the freedom of our choice, so as to be participants in that Dispensation, in that circle, we need to take hold of Christ. And to cling to Christ means we live according to His will. it means to live His life, to have His thoughts and feelings, and to act accordingly. We will achieve that if we take hold and obey the commandments of God, above all the basic commandment from which all others derive, and that is love. When a person strives in love and acquires it, then he does not need to learn anything, love will teach him everything.
And let us not forget Her, without whom nothing would have been fulfilled: “Through the prayers of the Mother of God, may we sinners be illuminated by Your eternal Light. Glory to You, Giver of Light.” (Troparion of the Transfiguration).
Fr. Gavril Galev
Abbot of the monastery “St. Clement of Ohrid”,
Kinglake, Melbourne, Australia
19.08.2023
