August 19th (August 6th Old style) The Orthodox Church celebrates the Transfiguration of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, one of the twelve feasts. Three evangelists tell about him: Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-10; Luke 9:28-36). This short narrative reveals Who Christ is, why His path leads through the Cross, and to what transformation man is called.
Shortly before this, the apostle Peter confessed Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Then, for the first time, the Savior directly told the disciples that He was going to go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and rise again. It was difficult for the apostles to accept these words.: They were waiting for the triumph of the Messiah, but they still did not understand that His victory would be accomplished not by the power of an earthly king, but by voluntary sacrifice and Resurrection.
Christ took Peter, James, and John with Him and climbed a high mountain, which church Tradition associates with Tabor. During the prayer, the Lord's face shone, and his clothes turned white as light. The great Old Testament prophets Moses and Elijah appeared next to Him. They talked with Christ about His coming "exodus"—suffering, death, and Resurrection, which were to take place in Jerusalem.
Shocked by what he saw, Peter proposed to erect three tabernacles on the mountain — three tents: for Christ, Moses and Elijah. He wanted to hold onto the moment and stay where it was "good to be." But the Savior's path has not yet ended. The Bright Mountain does not cancel Golgotha: from Tabor, Christ descends to the people to continue the road to the Cross and Resurrection.
Transfiguration does not mean that at that moment Christ became different or gained Divine glory for the first time. He only revealed to His students what had always been hidden behind His human form. According to the celebration service, the apostles saw the glory of the Lord as much as they could contain it. The Tabor light is not an ordinary radiance, but a manifestation of Divine glory.
This vision was given to the disciples on the eve of an ordeal. Soon they will see the Teacher humiliated, beaten and crucified. The memory of Tabor was supposed to help them understand that Christ's suffering was not impotence or defeat. The Lord of life and death goes to the Cross voluntarily, and Good Friday will be followed by Easter.
Moses and Elijah do not appear next to Christ by chance. Moses represents the Law, Elijah represents the prophets. Their presence testifies that all the Old Testament Revelation leads to Christ and is fulfilled in Him. Then a bright cloud overshadowed the mountain, and the disciples heard the voice of God the Father: "This is my Beloved Son."… Listen to him." The apostles must listen to Christ both when He speaks of glory and when He proclaims the Cross.
The icon of the feast depicts the Savior on top of a mountain, inside a shining mandorla — a halo of Divine glory. On either side of Him are Moses and Elijah, and below, the apostles prostrate, cover their faces, or retreat, unable to bear the light that has appeared. The Light does not fall on Christ from the outside: its source is Christ Himself. Therefore, the holiday reminds that the students are faced not only by the Teacher, but also by the incarnate Son of God. At the same time, Transfiguration also reveals a person's vocation: by connecting with God, he can change internally, be cleansed from sin and become a partaker of the Divine light.