History of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
A significant episode from the life of the Savior was described by the evangelists Luke, Mark and Matthew. While traveling with his disciples, Jesus prophesied that some of them would see the kingdom of God in their lifetime. On the way they met a mountain. The Savior told close disciples Peter, James and John to follow him. The four of them climbed to the top.
The disciples prayed with Jesus. Suddenly the Teacher’s face lit up with Divine light, and his clothes shone brighter and whiter than snow. They saw the prophets Elijah and Moses next to the Savior, who predicted a sacrificial end to His life in Jerusalem.
The delighted Peter wished to erect three tabernacles in honor of the appearance - buildings in which, according to Jewish tradition, the holiday of Sukkot was celebrated. At this time, a cloud floated over the top of the mountain. The Voice of God came from him and ordered him to listen to his Son, in whom he reveals His Will. On the way down, Jesus forbade the disciples to talk about what they saw until the day of His Resurrection.
The event began to be revered as the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the 4th century. At first the celebration was celebrated only by Christians of the East. Byzantine emperors contributed to the spread of the custom throughout the Christian world. In Mediterranean countries, the holiday of the Transfiguration of the Lord replaced the glorification in honor of the end of the harvest of the pagan god of wine, Bacchus.
Prayers
Troparion, tone 7
Thou art transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God, / showing to Thy disciples Thy glory, as unto man, / may Thy ever-present Light shine upon us sinners, too / / through the prayers of the Mother of God, Svetoda Lord, glory to You.
Kontakion, same voice
Thou art transfigured on the mountain,/ and as Thy disciples contain Thy glory, O Christ God, thou shalt see,/ that when they see Thee crucified,/ the suffering shall then understand freely,/ and the world preach They say that you are truly the Father’s radiance.
Greatness
We magnify You,/ Life-giving Christ,/ and honor Your most pure flesh// the glorious transfiguration.
Meaning in Orthodoxy
The celebration in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord is one of the twelve holidays, the main ones after Easter. It is celebrated annually on August 19 (August 6). Traditionally, the twelfth holiday is preceded by a day of forefeast, and after it there are seven days of afterfeast. The beginning of Lent before the Dormition of the Virgin Mary captures the date of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
The main significance of the holiday is to confirm the unity of the Divine and human nature of the Savior. On the mountain, all the faces of the Holy Trinity were revealed to the disciples: Jesus - God the Son, the voice - God the Father, the cloud - the Holy Spirit.
John Chrysostom interpreted the gospel event as a foreshadowing of the future transformation of human nature and its enthronement in the clouds along with the glory of the angels. Theologians also believed that the incarnation of God in human form removes original sin from people. The Savior's power over life and death is confirmed by the prophets: Moses gained glory in Heaven after death, and Elijah ascended alive, in bodily form.
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem wrote about the biblical prophets as witnesses of the miracle at Tabor. The appearance of the lawgiver of Jewish traditions Elijah and the main follower of Moses rejects the accusations of the Pharisaism against Jesus for violating ancient laws.
Special significance is attached to the Divine light with which Christ shone. It is called the Favorsky Light, after the name of the place of the event. According to sacred tradition, Jesus led the disciples to the top of Mount Tabor in the vicinity of Galilee. This opinion has spread widely among Orthodox believers. The pilgrimage to the holy place was made by the author of the Latin Bible, Blessed Jerome, and the mother of Emperor Constantine, Helen.
Where did the tradition of calling August 19th Apple Day come from?
The transfer of the holiday to the end of summer, when grapes were ripening in Greece, contributed to the emergence of the custom of consecrating the fruits after the service. Thus, the appearance of the Kingdom of Heaven sanctifies the earthly labors of people.
In Russia, where grapes do not grow, they have been replaced by apples, which ripen in central Russia just in time for the beginning of August. Pious custom forbade their use before the holiday, since the firstfruits of the harvest must be sanctified. But on August 6, apple markets of sorts opened all over Russia, often right next to churches. It was the abundance of these fruits, blessed after the service, that gave the holiday the popular name “Apple Savior.”
The custom of consecrating apples continues to this day, although not everyone has their own gardens; many buy apples and grapes in the store. But whether to eat them before the holiday is a question that many modern clergy advise deciding with their confessor.
Worship in the church
On the eve of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, an All-Night Vigil is held in churches. The beginning of the ceremony is announced by the ringing of bells. The ninth hour, dedicated to the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, is served in the vestibules. At Great Vespers, a litia is performed - a solemn prayer that precedes the liturgy. Also during the evening service, proverbs are read - passages from the Bible with mentions of a revered event.
On the eve of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, three proverbs are read:
- the first is an excerpt from the Old Testament about Moses finding the Tablets on Mount Sinai;
- the second is about the request of the prophet Moses to the Lord to reveal His Glory;
- the third is an Old Testament passage about the appearance of the angel of the Lord to the prophet Elijah.
Matins begins with the service of polyeleos - the reading of psalms glorifying the Name of the Lord.
This is the most important part of the festive service, during which the priests go through the Royal Doors to the center of the temple. At the same time, all the oil lamps are lit, and lit candles are distributed to the parishioners.
During the morning service, stichera written by Byzantine authors are read. Ancient hymns tell the story of the event on Mount Tabor and set forth the prophecies associated with it. Believers will also learn from the stichera about the meaning of the holiday and the interpretation of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The service creates a sense of participation in the great revelation that the three disciples received and kept secret. Church texts teach to strive for Divine glory in Heaven by following virtues.
Folk traditions and customs
People call the Transfiguration the Apple Savior.
People call the Transfiguration holiday the Apple Savior . There are other names:
- Great Savior;
- Second Spas;
- Savior on the Mountain;
- Average Spas;
- Feast of First Fruits;
- Pea day;
- First autumn.
Traditions and customs, what you can do on Apple Spas:
- consecrate in churches the fruits of the new harvest, honey, ears of grain;
- prepare dishes from apples: bake them, bake pancakes and pies (from lean dough);
- unmarried young girls, eating the first apple on this day, can wish for the guy they want to marry;
- see off the sunset in the field.
There is a touching folk belief associated with the Apple Savior. In the next world, children whose parents have not eaten apples until this day are given gifts (including apples of paradise). But for those children whose parents couldn’t stand it and already tried apples, no. Therefore, many parents whose children have died consider it a great sin to eat an apple before the Second Savior. Women who had lost children, on the morning of this day, had to take several apples to the temple, consecrate them, bring them and place them on the graves of their dead children. In the event that the child’s grave is far away or completely unknown where, the blessed apple should be placed on any child’s grave or left in the temple. Many peasants carried blessed apples to the cemetery and placed them on the graves of all their deceased relatives.
What not to do at Apple Spas:
- work around the house;
- kill insects;
- It’s too much fun to have fun (after all, the Assumption Fast is underway).
Sayings and signs for Apple Spas:
- What a second Savior, so is January.
- What is the day on the second Savior, such is the Intercession.
- A dry day foreshadows a dry autumn, a wet day foretells a wet one, and a clear day foretells a harsh winter.
- The first meeting of autumn - the first Autumn.
- On the Second Spas even a beggar will eat an apple.
- Before the Second Savior they do not eat any fruits except cucumbers.
- Who wants to fly away when, and the crane to the Savior.
- The Savior has come - it’s only an hour. The Second Savior has arrived, take your mittens in reserve.
- On the Second Spas, take the golitsa in reserve.
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh said this about the Transfiguration in one of his sermons: “ There are moments in spiritual life that are so beautiful, so wondrous, that I would like time, life, eternity to stop there and nothing else would ever happen .”
Texts of prayers for this day
The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord was first glorified in the canons by the theologian John of Damascus and the church poet Cosmas of Mayum. The reading of their hymns is included in the rites of the festive matins. In modern times, the holiday is also glorified privately with traditional chants.
Troparion
Thou art transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God, showing Thy disciples Thy glory, as unto a man, that Thy Light, ever present through the prayers of the Mother of God, may shine upon us sinners, O Light-Giver, glory to Thee.
Kontakion
You were transfigured on the mountain, and as the host of Your disciples, they saw Your glory, O Christ God, so that when they see You crucified, they will understand the free suffering, and the world will preach that You are truly the Father’s radiance.
Greatness
We magnify You, Life-Giving Christ, and honor the glorious transfiguration of Your most pure flesh.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, our God, in the Living Light, unapproachable, the Radiance of the Father’s Glory and the Image of His Hypostasis!
When the fulfillment of times came, You humbled Yourself for your unspeakable mercy for the fallen human race, You took on the form of a servant, You humbled Yourself, obedient even to the point of death. Moreover, before the Cross and Your free passion on Mount Tavorstei, You were transfigured in Your Divine Glory before Your saints, the disciples and Apostles, little hiding the perception of the flesh, so that when they see You crucified and put to death, they will understand Your free suffering and Divinity.
Grant to all of us, Thy most pure Flesh, the Transfiguration of those celebrating, with pure hearts and undefiled minds, to ascend to Thy Holy Mountain, to the holy villages of Thy glory, where the pure voice of those celebrating, the voice of unspeakable joy, so that together with them, face to face, we will see Thy Glory in unfading are the days of Your Kingdom, and with all the saints who have pleased You from all eternity, let us glorify Your All-Holy Name with Your Originless Father and Your Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.
Akathist
Kontakion 1
Chosen by the Voivode and the King of glory, You, the Creator of heaven and earth, beholding on Mount Tavorstei transformed with glory, all creation was amazed, the heavens trembled, and all earthly beings rejoiced, but we, unworthy of Yours, bring us grateful worship for the sake of the Transfiguration, with Peter from the heart we cry out to Ty:
Jesus, Eternal God, it is good for us to always be under the shelter of Your grace.
Ikos 1
Unknown to angels and unapproachable to man, Thy, Light-Giver Christ, Divinity, with ever-lasting lightning and rays of Thy Everlasting Light, Thou didst reveal on Mount Tavorstei as Thy chief disciple, but changed by Divine horror, shone with a bright cloud and heard the voice of the Father, understanding Thy incarnation, the mystery crying out to Thee like this:
Jesus, Immortal Son of God, enlighten us with the light of Your illuminated Face.
Jesus, Good God Almighty, awaken us sleeping from the depths of the darkness of sinful sleep.
Jesus, the living unapproachable in the light, bring us out of the dark region.
Jesus, having filled the whole world with Your glory, lead us into the abode of paradise.
Jesus, Light of the world, free us from the evil world who sit in darkness.
Jesus, Sun of Truth, clothe us with power and righteousness, in the shadow of those sleeping in death.
Jesus, Eternal God, it is good for us to always be under the shelter of Your grace.
Kontakion 2
Seeing that Your disciples, O Lord of mankind, are still unenlightened, they do not understand that it is fitting for You to go to Jerusalem and suffer a lot and be killed there, You began to tell them from there that all this must be endured by Your will for the sake of our salvation. Both of you are not yet able to think about what is the essence of God, but what is the essence of man, for this reason, after six days, you taught Peter, James and John, and I brought you up to Mount Tabor to show them, before the Cross, Your Divine Glory, and even during Your sufferings it was reasonable They will sing to You: Alleluia.
Ikos 2
Your disciples, Lord, cannot understand Your free suffering. For this reason, before Your Cross, in a deep night, You raised Your best disciples to a high mountain, so that they may see the miracle of Your terrible Transfiguration and the unbearable Divine Coming of Your eternal beauty from afar, so that when they see You crucified, Your suffering may be understood freely. For this reason we cry out to You:
Jesus, Thy disciples who led Thy disciples from the riches to the high mountain, lead us also to the mountain, so that we may learn to seek pleasures on high.
Jesus, who separated Peter and Zebedee from worldly cares and the multitude of people, separate our minds from earthly goods, so that we may learn to avoid addictions.
Jesus, who through many labors lifted up His friends to great heights, and taught us through many toils and sweats to strive all day long.
Jesus, in the silence of the night prayer you showed your Transfiguration to your disciples, and now grant to your faithful ones to be enlightened at night by the sweetness of your words.
Jesus, the threefold witnesses of Thy glory in the silence of the Tavorites, and now grant to the silent and deserted always to contemplate Thy glory.
Jesus, Tabor and Hermon, rejoicing in Your Name, grant us, by invoking Your sweetest Name, to accomplish the rise of the mountain.
Jesus, Eternal God, it is good for us to always be under the shelter of Your grace.
Kontakion 3
You have clothed Your chosen Apostles with the power from above, O Jesus, You have elevated me to Tabor, so that they may become accustomed to seek the things on high and to be wise on high, and not earthly, and clothe us, who have fallen to the ground and are always overcome by the weakness of the flesh, by Your power and glory, so that Your strength is in our weakness. It will be accomplished, so for our sake we will sing to You with love: Alleluia.
Ikos 3
Before the Cross and Your free suffering, let Your disciples reveal in part Your Divinity, O Christ our Savior, You chose three from those living on the earth, so that the spectators of Your Divine glory will be, for these three before Your eyes are better than all peoples and language: Peter, as he who loved You more than others, and as the first of all to confess the Son of God to You, James, as the first among the Apostles of hope for the sake of future blessings, bowed his head under the sword and thus laid the foundation for Your martyrdom, John, as a virgin and most of all purity of flesh and spirit chastely preserving and for this sake a special grace received more than others to the vision of ineffable revelations and Thy Divine Glory. With them, accept from us also Your praises:
Jesus, having received your confession of faith from Peter before Your Transfiguration, accept also my warm confession.
Jesus, to the same Peter at Tabor who gave the boldness to speak with You, speak good and peaceful things in my heart.
Jesus, for the flame of their love you have called the sons of Zebedee sons of thunder; do not strike me with the thunder of Your wrath.
Jesus, by the same disciple, who did not allow fire to be brought down from heaven to the Samaritans, extinguish the fire of passions in me.
Jesus, with the virgin John, in purity of flesh and spirit, lead me to Tabor on high.
Jesus, with the courageous Jacob, who drank Your cup first, lead me into paradise.
Jesus, Eternal God, it is good for us to always be under the shelter of Your grace.
Kontakion 4
The storm of Your Epiphany was on Mount Sinai, when in thunder and lightning You gave the law to Your saint Moses, so on Mount Horeb there was a strong spirit, ravaging the mountains, coward and fire, when Elijah the prophet wanted to see You, both not in a whirlwind storm, not in coward and not in fire, Lord, but in a thin voice of coldness You showed them Your Face and the glory of Your Divinity, when on Mount Tabor You appeared to them, crying out to You with joy: Alleluia.
Ikos 4
Moses and Elijah heard Your words on Tabor about Your exodus, which You wanted to end in Jerusalem, being Your witness to the whole world, Lord, that You are truly the Son of God for the salvation of people from God the Father, sent and shown by a voice from heaven. Moses was called from the dead to be a witness in hell to those who are holding Thy coming into the world. Elijah was called from paradise to quickly speak to Enoch of Your Glory in the Transfiguration of Your Most Pure Flesh seen. We, marveling at the mystery of Your prophet’s appearance on Tabor, call to You with tenderness:
Jesus, Moses the Seer of God, who desired to see Your Face, who appeared face to face on Tabor, show us in the coming time of Your Face the much-desired sweetness.
Jesus, in God's vision of Thy rearers of old, the radiance of Thy Glory was shown to Moses, show us in Thy Kingdom, face to the Face of Thy Vision, unspeakable kindness.
Jesus, in the silence and voice of subtle coldness, who instructed Elijah with Your revelation, instruct me wonderfully in the silence of divine dispassion.
Jesus, on the fiery chariot of Thy unfaded heavenly One who brought Elijah to paradise, lead me wonderfully to the height of the most perfect life.
Jesus, who of old with the prophets spoke many words, and who announced to them His outcome on Tabor, feed my hungry soul with the words of the eternal life.
Jesus, in the presence of the two witnesses, having revealed the Mystery of the Transfiguration to Your disciple, with the unspoken sighs of the Holy Spirit, kindled my cold faith.
Jesus, Eternal God, it is good for us to always be under the shelter of Your grace.
Kontakion 5
More than the God-bearing star that rose in the night, become like, Light-Giver Lord, the ineffable radiance of Your most pure Flesh, when as a disciple sleeping and the night approaching the morning, You offered up Your most peaceful prayer to Your Father on the height of the mountain. Then Your Face was illuminated like the sun, and Your robe was shining, as white as snow. The Apostles, having found Divine power, awakened and saw Your Glory, as the Only Begotten of the Father, and were filled with grace and truth, and stood in awe, singing to You: Alleluia.
Ikos 5
The Apostles saw Thee on Tabor in the form of human beings, and were transformed by Divine glory and conversed with Moses and Elijah about Thy exodus, understanding Thy ever-present power and the Divinity hidden under the cover of flesh, and the horror of being, listening to the words and enjoying the sight of Thy Divine glory, just as videsha, the tree of bodily combs and sight can accommodate them. With them we also sing to You like this:
Jesus, Thy disciple who shone forth Thy ineffable and God-radiant Glory, shine forth Thy ever-present Light in our souls.
Jesus, the chief ruler of the law and grace of Thy most worldly Light, through Thy communion gather our ever-lost minds.
Jesus, the lightning of Your Divinity hidden in the flesh on Tabor, revealing little of it, expose the hidden sins in my wretched conscience,
Jesus, having illuminated the Holy Mountain with the rays of Your uncreated Light from Your Flesh, illuminate the light of Your commandments in my dark soul.
Jesus, by the Transfiguration of Thy pure Flesh, enlighten the ends of the world, enlighten and beautify us who are darkened.
Jesus, by the brilliance of Thy Tabor Light, purifying us like snow, your disciples, cleanse and renew us who have been darkened.
Jesus, Eternal God, it is good for us to always be under the shelter of Your grace.
Kontakion 6
Having seen Your most gracious and saving conversation, O Christ our God, with Moses and Elijah on Mount Tabor, Your disciples, Peter, James and John, rejoiced greatly. Peter, with a voice filled with divine love, said: “Lord, it is good for us to be here: if you want, we will create three canopies here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” We are unworthy, we do not dare to ask You directly, but we humbly pray to You for mercy and cry out to You with a trembling voice: Alleluia.
Ikos 6
The rising on Tabor as a sign of the whole universe, a cloud of light, Peter asking about the canopy, the revelation of the voice of the Fatherland announcing the coming of the Holy Spirit, and when the Apostles, the top of the surrounding mountain, were even more afraid and entered the cloud with fear, feeling Your unapproachable Divinity, and with With the boldness of many I cried out to You like this:
Jesus, Israel's ancient guiding pillar of cloud in the desert, Show us the way to Your Kingdom even now.
Jesus, Thy Apostles in a bright cloud overshadowed Tabor, with the dew of Thy Holy Spirit overshadowing us.
Jesus, in the Temple not made by hands, living in heaven, the temple is luminous and the most pure canopy, show me Your Divinity.
Jesus, who did not desire tabernacles made with hands on earth, create for me the inner beautiful tabernacle of Your Spirit, so that I may ascend to heaven.
Jesus, clothe yourself with light like a robe, clothe me naked in the richly woven robe of chastity and purity.
Jesus, stretch out the sky like a skin, clothe me, flabby, in the snow-light clothes of Your heavenly beauty.
Jesus, Eternal God, it is good for us to always be under the shelter of Your grace.
Kontakion 7
Although Your Heavenly Father revealed the secret of Your Divinity, hidden from time to time, as before on the Jordan during Your Baptism, proclaim Your Sonship of God and thus testify with a voice from the cloud, saying: “This is My Beloved Son, listen to Him.” The apostles, from the great horror, lost their strength, fell prostrate to the ground, crying out to You: Alleluia.
Ikos 7
The new one who saw and was glorious on Tabor, Thy Word, Lord Lord, self-witnesses and servants, and the voice of the Father and the noise from the cloud heard, was terrible and suddenly illuminated with a new light, in vain, wondering at each other and falling prostrate to the ground, bowing to You, the Lord of all , sending You the following praises:
Jesus, Image of the Most Illustrious Hypostasis of the Father, transform my dark and unclean life.
Jesus, Glory of the Father's Radiance, enlighten my fallen and deepened soul into darkness.
Jesus, wondrous and terrible in the glory of Your Divine vision, renew our spiritual vision, corrupted by corruption.
Quiet Jesus, full of love, with the indescribable grace of Your Flesh, all the impurity of my flesh has become whiter than snow.
Jesus, the Beginningless Light, in Your light, revealed on Tabor, Show us the Father.
Jesus, unchanging Light, in the invisible Light of Your Kingdom, show us the Light and the Spirit.
Jesus, Eternal God, it is good for us to always be under the shelter of Your grace.
Kontakion 8
Marvelously and strangely, Moses and Elijah appeared to You on Tabor, Master Lord, seeing the mark of the Divine Hypostasis, and speaking about Your free suffering, which stands before You in a sacred manner. When a bright cloud overshadowed them and a voice came from heaven, the Glory of the Lord was taken from the vision of Your disciples, and the prophets also took to their places, singing to You: Alleluia.
Ikos 8
You were all from the highest, Innumerable in the Word of God, when Your most pure Flesh was transfigured on Tabor, but You also in no way departed from the lower ones, when the prophet departed and the vision had already passed away, You approached those lying in fear on earth as Your disciple, and touched them with your hand , you said to them: “Arise, do not be afraid.” The disciples, lifting up their eyes and seeing no one but You who is One with them, rejoiced greatly and thanked God, singing to You like this:
Jesus, having the words of the eternal Life, always be with us on our earthly journey.
Jesus, having filled us with the vision of Your Divinity, do not leave us orphans in Your service.
Jesus, before Thy Cross, having understood the Mystery of free suffering, grant us to always remember Thy for our sake of exhaustion.
Jesus, before You died, Who showed us Your glory, grant us always to understand the deification of Your Flesh.
Jesus, the indispensable image of Existence, renew in my soul the longed-for image of Your image and likeness.
Jesus, like a seal like the Father, seal Your beauty and ineffable kindness in my flesh.
Jesus, Eternal God, it is good for us to always be under the shelter of Your grace.
Kontakion 9
All nature was confused, in vain Your glorious Transfiguration on Tabor, Christ the Savior: Angels, invisibly approaching, serving You with fear and trembling, the heavens were afraid, the whole earth was moving and trembling, seeing the glory of the Lord, “Mount Tabor, formerly dark and smoky,” covered with a bright cloud, “on the same” Thy most pure “nose stood”, and Thy disciples, Lord, cannot bear to behold Thy unbearable sight, throwing themselves down to the ground, covering their faces, until You Yourself, in the vision of the end, have I raised up those who cry out to You : Alleluia.
Ikos 9
Superstitious spirits, unenlightened by grace, cannot understand Your glorious Transfiguration of the Sacrament, Lord. For this reason, when you and your disciples came down from the mountain, the day was beginning to shine, you commanded your friends, so that visions of the former would be revealed to no one, until, after accepting suffering and death, you were resurrected on the third day from the grave. And they kept silent, and told no one in those days anything from those that they had seen and heard, but in their heart I cried out to You:
Jesus, clothed yourself in all of Adam, enlighten the anciently blackened nature of man.
Jesus, carried in clouds, lights and darkness, by Your Grace consume all the spiritual darkness in us.
Jesus, delighting Your Apostles with the radiance of the Divine noise, always delight us with the words of Your Divine revelation.
Jesus, Thy disciples who enlightened with a budding cloud, always enlighten us with the dawning of Thy glorious Transfiguration.
Jesus, having sanctified Mount Tabor with Your most pure feet, direct our nose to Your everlasting service.
Jesus, with innocent hands, commanded to ascend Your mountain, stir up our hands to lift up the mountain in prayer.
Jesus, Eternal God, it is good for us to always be under the shelter of Your grace.
Kontakion 10
To save even the world, at Tabor you have been transformed for our sake, O Lord, may you make us worthy of the heavenly glory prepared for your chosen ones and may you transform the body of our humility, so that it may be like the body of your glory in the general resurrection of all and in your endless kingdom, which you have prepared from of the creation of the world by those who love Thee, and in it grant us also, like Moses and Elijah on Tabor, to behold Thee face to face and with all the saints to sing to Thee the eternal song: Alleluia.
Ikos 10
To the Eternal King! You do everything for our salvation. For my sake, you took on the most pure flesh from the Most Holy Virgin Mary and came into this world in the form of a servant. In the same way, You were transformed on the holy mountain, not pleasing Yourself; the Light does not require enlightenment, but for us, for the sake of the condemned, so that you may enlighten our darkness and transform us, who sit in darkness and in the midst of the shadow of death, from the sons of wrath into Your beloved children. For this reason, we cry out to You in gratitude:
Jesus, transforming the image of the slave on Tabor, make us children of God from slaves of sin.
Jesus, who exhausted Himself even to the flesh, may you transform our fallen nature with You.
Jesus, manifest the indescribable beauty of Your Kingdom on Tabor, establish joy, peace and the truth about the Holy Spirit in us.
Jesus, by the Divine splendor of Your flesh you have deified all creation, by the deification of your flesh at Your Second Coming renew us.
Jesus, the fire of Your Divinity was revealed on Tabor, and my sins were consumed by immaterial fire.
Jesus, having nourished Your disciples there with Your sweetest conversation, sanctify my smooth soul with Your Holy Mysteries.
Jesus, Eternal God, it is good for us to always be under the shelter of Your grace.
Kontakion 11
I bring all-contrite singing to You, unworthy, performing a bright triumph of Your Transfiguration and crying out to You: grant now the height of heavenly life and ever-present glory of Divine radiance to Your servant, with a pure heart grant us the ability to mentally ascend to Your holy mountain, to see with our rational eyes the glorious Transfiguration of Yours, so that we may sing brightly To you: Alleluia.
Ikos 11
This Light is Unapproachable and the Giver of Light, Jesus, the Beginningless and Ever-Sustaining Light, You brought Your Light into the world, when with Your most pure flesh You entered Mount Tabor and there You showed the Uncreated and Divine Light to Your disciples, showing the image of the Glory of the Father. Desiring to be partakers of this supernatural Light of Yours, from the depths of my soul we cry out to You like this:
Jesus Christ, True Light, live my soul with good thoughts all the days of my earthly journey.
Jesus the King, the Beginningless Light, rekindle the extinguished lamp of my soul until the day of my death.
Jesus, Quiet Light, give life, light and life descended on my soul in the terrible hour of my death.
Jesus, Holy Light, shine and burn, then rescue me from the unquenchable fire and pitch darkness.
Jesus, Sweetest and Most Holy Light, lead me to the light of Your heavenly palace among the bitter ordeals of the air.
Jesus, Most Bright Light of the sun, in the lordships of Thy saints in the unevening days of Thy Kingdom, enlighten me.
Jesus, Eternal God, it is good for us to always be under the shelter of Your grace.
Kontakion 12
Grant me Thy grace, O Jesus my God, which Thou didst bestow on Tabor to Thy chosen disciples Peter, John and James, and accept us as they are, so that we may be endowed with Thy power from above and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, having a pure heart and a renewed spirit, let us ascend to mental Favor, ascending from strength to strength, striving especially in fasting and prayer, remaining in chastity and purity, and there let us sing to You: Alleluia.
Ikos 12
Singing to Your most pure Flesh the glorious Transfiguration, we glorify Your Divine Glory revealed on Tabor, we worship Your ever-essential Power and Divinity, Whose little dawn You revealed there, O Christ, and we believe with Peter that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who came into the sinful world to save, and in the same way we cry out to him from the depths of our souls: it is good for us to be here with You. For this sake, do not disgrace us who believe in Thy right, both weak and covered with flesh, and cover us with the Light of Thy God-blessed Flesh, who with love call to Thee:
Jesus, the Unsetting Sun, who rose on Tabor. Shine upon me with Your Divine radiance,
Jesus, the Light unconcealed in the Transfiguration, warm me with Your grace through communion.
Jesus, Eternal Temple of Heavenly Jerusalem, brought me into the tabernacle of God with men.
Jesus, Fragrant Flower of the All-Holy Paradise, fragrance me with the heavenly aromas of holiness and purity.
Jesus, purifying Fire, although you may cleanse heaven and earth from all defilement, cleanse me from the defilement of flesh and spirit.
Jesus, O all-bearing Stone, who instead of the sun illuminates the High Zion with Divine beauty, deliver me from the sight of other beauty.
Jesus, Eternal God, it is good for us to always be under the shelter of Your grace.
Kontakion 13
Oh, Sweet and All-Bountiful Jesus, shining with Divine glory on Tabor! Accept now this little prayer of ours, and just as You received worship from Your disciples on the holy mountain, so grant us the honor of Your glorious Transfiguration, shining in the light of good deeds, so that the darkness of sin that lives in us will be enlightened by You, and may we appear worthy of being heirs of the endless Thy Kingdom is in heaven, where with all the saints grant us also to sing to You: Alleluia. (Three times).
(This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1 and kontakion 1).
Liturgical features on this day
The main differences of the service for the Transfiguration of the Lord are the singing of special hymns and the consecration of the first fruits of the year. On the holiday, they remember the events and prophecies of the Old Testament, which were continued in the New Testament. The clergy conduct the liturgy dressed in white robes - a symbol of the Divine Light of Tabor.
On the Feast of the Transfiguration they glorify the Lord, who showed his Divine light to everyone who wished and to those who could witness the miracle. Moses and Elijah met the Lord and received an answer to their requests to see His face. The disciple Peter became an apostle and called people to follow Christ to immortality through righteousness.
After the end of the service, the priest and parishioners move to the vestibule or go out to the porch for the rite of blessing the harvest. Believers offer baskets of apples, or the priest himself goes around the crowd, sprinkles them with holy water and asks the Lord to bless the fruits.
Preobrazhenskoye Cemetery
Preobrazhenskoye Cemetery is located in Moscow, at 17a. This is a former Old Believer church. It was founded during an epidemic.
In 1764, the monastery was abolished and the church became a parish. In those years, a multi-tiered bell tower was added to it. Over time, the first stone building of the temple came under threat: the soil on the river bank gradually subsided. In 1886, a new church was built and consecrated in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
After the revolution, Tushino became a major industrial center. Factories and an airfield were built in the village. The temple was closed in
During the Soviet years, the temple building was used as a club. In 1956, local residents asked to return the shrine to the Church, but they were refused. Only in 1990 did the church begin to revive parish life again. In 1994, a bell tower was added to the temple.
Iconography of the festival
The icon “Transfiguration of the Lord” refers to festive images. The traditions of its writing were formed in the 4th century:
- The Savior is the central figure;
- Elijah is depicted on the left, Moses on the right;
- at the feet of the Savior are kneeling disciples;
- background - rocky landscape.
Features of the image of Christ:
- dazzling white clothes;
- a halo of holiness around the head;
- blessing gesture;
- a blue halo with gold splashes of stars surrounds Christ.
The students are dressed in ordinary tunics. They stretch out their hands to Jesus in amazement and awe, blinded by His Divine radiance. The Prophet Elijah is depicted as a gray-haired old man. Moses in the image of the Transfiguration of the Lord appears in the guise of a young man. He holds in his hands the Tablets with the Ten Commandments. On some icons there are additional characters - disciples who remained at the foot of the mountain.
The blue halo surrounding the Savior symbolizes the light of Tabor. Sometimes the Divine radiance emanating from Christ is depicted in more detail and geometrically - they divide the inner space of the circle with white rays forming a triangle.
Ancient icon painters highlighted the figure of the Savior with a scarlet glow, concentric circles, intersecting squares, and the halo was painted in green. The designation of the outer boundary of light in a dark tone refers to the Bible's reference to God's dwelling in the impregnable light.
On the icon of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Christ blesses people to follow him along the path to eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven and to do good on earth.
