Feast of the Transfiguration
Categories: uncategorized
Date: 05 August 2005 12:58:13
[Before I talk about tonight's service, on the way home from church I saw a mangled motorcyle in the middle of an intersection, with police and ambulance at the scene: Lord, have mercy!]
 Icon from OCA | You were Transfigured on the Mount, O Christ God, Revealing Your glory to Your disciples as far as they could bear it. Let Your everlasting Light shine upon us sinners! Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Giver of Light, glory to You! Troparion On the Mountain You were Transfigured, O Christ God, |
Tomorrow (August 6) is the Feast Day of the Transfiguration. At our parish we have an Evening Liturgy the night before for major feasts that fall on a day other than Sunday. In "Orthodox time", for want of a better term, the day begins at sunset and ends the following sunset: so we were already in "tomorrow" (if you follow me). The Evening Divine Liturgy begins with the service of Great Vespers and then the Divine Liturgy follows, beginning at the Troparion and Kontakion hymns for the day.
We were particularly blessed this evening to have our Bishop, and the Primate of Australia and New Zealand, Paul, Archimandrite Dr Fr Themi, who works in a mission in Kenya, and our previous priest Fr John serve with our interim priest Fr Antonius and our sub-deacon Chris. Bishop Paul, God grant him many years, chanted many of the hymns and the Psalms, and also gave a wonderfully deep and encouraging sermon on the need for us, as the Father said to the disciples of Mt Tabor, to listen to Christ: many voices cry out for our attention during the day: are we listening for, and to, Christ's voice? In addition, he spoke of the great joy, and the transfiguration, that awaits the faithful when we are with Christ in Heaven. As St Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:9, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
One of my favourite parts of Great Vespers is the chanting of Psalms 140, 141, 129 and 116 [the Orthodox use the LXX translation of the Old Testament: add one to the numbers given to get the Psalm in most English Bibles]. From verse 7 of Psalm 141, various stichera (hymns) are inserted between the lines of the Psalms, which are sung by our choir. They are filled with the retelling of the narrative and an explanation of the theology of the Feast Day being celebrated. For the Feast of the Transfiguration, the stichera begin at Psalm 129:
8. Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; Lord hear my voice!
When You were transfigured before your Crucifixion, Lord, the mountain became as heaven and a cloud spread itself out like a canopy and the Father bore witness to You. There were present Peter with James and John, since they were to be with You at your betrayal, that seeing Your wonders they may not be dismayed at Your sufferings. Grant in Your great mercy that we too may be counted worthy to venerate these Your sufferings in peace!
7. Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
as above
6. If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You.
Before Your Crucifixion, Lord, taking the disciples up into a high mountain, You were transfigured before them, enlightening them with the bright rays of Your power: from love of mankind and in Your sovereign might, it was Your desire to show them the splendour of Your Resurrection! Grant in Your mercy as the Lover of mankind, that we too may be counted worthy of this splendour in peace, O God!
5. I wait for the Lord, My soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord.
as above
4. More than those who watch for the morning -- yes, more than those who watch for the morning, O Israel hope in the Lord.
Saviour, when You were transfigured upon a high mountain, having with You the chief disciples, You shone forth in glorious majesty, proving that those who surpass in virtue shall be made worthy of divine glory! Moses and Elijah, talking with Christ, showed that He is Lord of both the living and the dead; the God Who spoke of old through the law and the prophets, and the voice of the Father testified to Him through the cloud of light, saying: Listen to Him, Who through the cross has captured hell and given the dead eternal life!
3. For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption, and He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
as above
2. I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing to you among the nations!
The mountain that once was veiled in smoke and terrible, is now holy and revered, since Your feet, Lord, have stood there! For Your dread Transfiguration, the mystery hidden before the ages, has been made manifest in the last times to Peter, James and John, unable to endure the shining of Your face and the brilliance of Your garments, they fell to the ground upon their faces! Seized the wonder and amazement, they saw Moses and Elijah talking with You about the things that would befall You: and a voice came in testimony from the Father saying: this is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased: listen to Him! It is He Who grants the world great mercy!
1. For His merciful kindness is great towards us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever!
as above
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Now and forever, and to the ages of ages! Amen.
Prefiguring Your Resurrection, Christ our God, You took with You in Your ascent upon Mount Tabor Your three disciples, Peter, James and John. When You were transfigured, Saviour, Mount Tabor was covered with light! Your disciples, O Word, threw themselves down on the ground, unable to gaze upon the form that none may see. The angels ministered in fear and trembling; the heavens shook and the earth quaked as they beheld on earth the Lord of glory!
"Listen to Him, Who through the cross has captured hell and given the dead eternal life!" Thanks be to God.