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The Flesh and God - The Transfiguration The Transfiguration, which we celebrate on August 6th, is the appearing of Our Lord in glory. It is recorded in three of the gospels in Mat 17:1-13; Mk 9:2-13 and Lk 9: 28-36 and alluded to in 2 Peter 1:16-18. In this Theophany witnessed by Saint Peter, Saint James and St. John, Our Lord appears with Moses, the great Law Giver and Elijah, the faithful prophet of God. These representatives of the Old Covenant by their presence silently testify to the Messiahship of Christ, proclaim His Divinity and foreshadow His future glory. The identity of the two patriarchal figures is recognised by the apostles. These righteous forefathers from ancient times appear with "The One who Is" who is the Ancient of Days. The Church fathers St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. John of Damascus and others site the location of this revelation on Mount Tabor in Galilee. Still, each year the orthodox faithful climb this mountain in order to reach the summit for dawn where they witness a strange blue light that encircles the holy mountain. The light is similar to that which lights the Paschal Candle at Easter in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The God-Man reveals His Divine Nature to just three of His disciples. Our Lord does not publicly proclaim His glory to all the called, but to the chosen in order to teach his followers to cherish the hidden grace, the divine mystery, the favour of faith and the moment of God's choosing. Christ resisted the temptation to display his miraculous powers at the beginning of his ministry when Satan tempted Him to jump from the pinnacle of the Temple. Here, in quiet retreat and seclusion, on a remote mountain our Lord's Divinity is revealed with brilliant brightness. We do well to reflect on the sheer wonder of this experience that caused the disciples to shield their eyes from the awesome wonder of the Transfiguration. We cannot look upon the created sun without damaging our eyes; yet for a few brief moments the three apostles were granted a glimpse of the uncreated light of the Son of God. That this event follows shortly after St. Peter's confession " You are the Christ!" is no coincidence, rather it is the providential affirmation of his faith. The words of the Father: " This is my beloved son…" is both a rebuke of Peter's suggestion in wanting to capture the moment by offering to "build three booths" and a confirmation of his confession. The injunction to "listen to Him" has a strong present imperative in the original Greek and carries the meaning of " continue listening". This advice is as much for us as for St. Peter and the other two disciples. Christ is the Word of God in the flesh and listening lives at the centre of prayer. To pray without ceasing (1 Thess.5:17) and to listen continuously are both consciously willed actions and attributes of the followers of Christ that draw them nearer to God. It is significant that our monasteries are often found in the most inaccessible places, high up on mountains. In the world we too must metaphorically ascend higher. It requires a focus on what lies ahead, a rejection of every temptation and passing thought, a real effort, a self -emptying, patience and persistence. St. Hesychios the Priest "On watchfulness and holiness" writes: "…the delighted intellect delights in the light of the Lord, when ,free from concepts, it enters into the dawn of spiritual knowledge. By continually denying itself, it advances from the wisdom necessary for the practice of the virtues to an ineffable vision in which it contemplates holy things." The radiance of Christ in His uncreated glory is a saving revelation for the faithful. To kneel before Christ's divinity and to stand beside His humanity distinguishes the Christian from other false sects and heresies. St. Peter writes in his epistle of the truthfulness of this experience on the mountain: 2 Peter 1:16-18 "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and calling of Our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty…..when we were with Him on the holy mountain." In a similar way, St. Diadochos of Photiki writing for us who also wish for a glimpse of the uncreated light in our own lives through spiritual exercise, offers the following advice: "It is right always to wait, with a faith energised by love, for the illumination which will enable us to speak. For nothing is so destitute as a mind philosophising about God when it is without Him." Yes, we want to see Christ, even though as St. Paul says "For now we see through a mirror dimly but then face to face" I Cor. 13:12. The important thing is not merely to see God in Jesus but to hear Him and obey Him in accordance with the voice and will of God the Father. This wondrous event took place on the holy mountain of Tabor and there are strong allusions to the other holy mountain of the Old Testament, Mt. Sinai. There, also in the midst of the Shekinah (the glory) of God manifest in smoke and cloud the divine law of God was given to Moses and through him to the people of Israel. Here, God Himself, the Light of the World is made manifest. The two natures of Christ are revealed and the divine shines through the flesh. In our holy hagiography this is depicted by the touches of light that shine from the faces of Christ and His Saints. There is the beautiful story of St. Seraphim of Sarov who, when he was living in the Northern Thebaid of Russia, was sought out by pilgrims. One such pilgrim found the saint living in the forest and on greeting the holy man of God expressed, " I cannot look at you father for you shine with such light!" "But my son" the saint replied, "you are shining too!" Here too is grace, truth and glory! In St. John's words, who was also a witness of the transfiguration: "and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."John1:14 Jesus was changed (metamorphosis) whilst at prayer to teach us that our souls also receive the blessing of divine assurance and the enlightenment of the holy wisdom when we wait on Him in prayer and that we too can be changed: "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God" The Apostle Paul also recognises the importance of the Transfiguration for the end hope for our own glorification in God's kingdom when he writes: " I tell you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed."1Cor 15:51 As witnesses and servants of Christ when we place ourselves in His Divine presence we acquire the Holy Spirit. His purifying fire does not consume or destroy just as it did not with the burning bush on Mt. Sinai. The flame of the Holy Spirit cleanses, heals, restores and transforms our weak humanity setting our hearts on fire with love for God and renders us more spiritual and heavenly until we too are transfigured into the likeness of Christ. Father Jonathan |
