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The Sixth Day Of August
The Holy Transfiguration of our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Tabor was gloried above every region of the earth,
When it beheld the nature of God shining in glory.
Christ changed His human form on the sixth.
On the sixth day of the month of August, the Holy Church celebrates the commemoration of the Divine Transfiguration of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ with exceeding gladness. This is what took place. Since Christ had discoursed much with His Disciples about dangers and death, and His own Suffering, and about the slaughter of His Disciples, and the former were in the present life and at hand, whereas the good things were a matter of hope, wishing to assure their very sight and to show the kind of glory wherewith He was to come, He brought them up into a high mountain apart, and was trans gured before them; and His face shone as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light; and there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him.
He took along those three alone, because they were superior to the rest. For Peter showed his superiority by exceedingly loving Him; but John by being exceedingly beloved of Him; and James because he was able to drink the cup of which the Lord spoke. He brought forward Moses and Elias that He might set aright the incorrect conjectures made about Him by the multi- tudes. For since some were saying that He was Elias, but others that He was Jeremias, He brought the leading Disciples so that they might see the differ- ence between the servants and the Master; and so that they might learn that He was the One Who had all power both of death and life. To Him be the glory and the dominion unto the ages. Amen.
From the Synaxarion of the Orthodox Church
The Blessing of First-Fruits At Transfiguration
On the feast of Transfiguration grapes are blessed, and in those places where grapes do not grow apples and other seasonal fruits are blessed. For this reason this feast is sometimes called the “Apple Saviour”. The custom to offer fruit at an appropriate time is undoubtedly ancient, and in the Christian Church is partly the continuation of a similar custom in the Old Testament and partly an apostolic establishment. The simple establishment of the custom to offer fruit (grapes) on August 6 is that in Greece fruit are ripe by this time, most of which are new ears of grain and grapes, which are offered for blessing as a sign of thanksgiving for the acceptance of these fruits in the livelihood of man. St. John Chrysostom teaches:
“the farmer receives fruits from the earth not so much from his labor and diligence but as much from the grace of God returning these; for “it is neither the planting nor the watering, but that God nurtures”.
A more special meaning of the sanctification of fruit on the 6th day of August can be deduced by the general reasoning of the Church that the event of the transfiguration, pleasing to the Lord, was to show the new situation in which human flesh enters into the resurrection of the Lord and enters into the general resurrection of all believers. But as all nature became subject to God together with man for the last sin, so together with him she also waits for her renewal from the blessing of God. From here the church blessing of fruit makes man worthy of faith in this hope. -Adapted from Bulgakov’s Nastol’naya Kniga
Troparion of the Transfiguration, Tone 7
Переобразився Ти на горі, Христе Боже,* показавши ученикам Твоїм славу Твою скільки змогли.* Нехай засіяє і нам грішним, світло Твоє повсякчасне,* молитвами Богороидці, Світлодавче, славаТобі!
You were transfigured on the mount, O Christ God, * showing Your glory to Your disciples as much as they could bear. * Make Your eternal light shine * also on us who are sinners, * through the prayers of the Mother of God, * O Giver of Light, glory to You!
Glory… Both now… Kondakion of the Transfiguration, Tone 7:
You were transfigured on the mount, O Christ God,* and Your disciples saw Your glory as much as they could;* that when they saw You crucified* they might know that You suffered willingly,* and might proclaim to the world * that You are truly the brightness of the Father.
The reading is from St. Peter’s Second Catholic Letter 1:10-19
BRETHREN, be more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to arouse you by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. And I will see to it that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word made more sure. You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
The Gospel According to Matthew 17:1-9
AT THAT TIME, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elias, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elias.” He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of man is raised from the dead.”
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