My beloved, let us examine the reason why, for testifying to the truth about the power and the glory of the Lord’s Transfiguration, Divine Providence chose not only the three favorite apostles – eyewitnesses of this glory, but also three Evangelists – preachers of this glory. The reason for the selection of the disciples as witnesses is indicated to us by the Evangelist Luke, who says: “And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, He took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray” (Luke 9:28). What were those words, after which the Lord ascended Mount Tabor? What happened eight days before the Transfiguration? It is not without just cause that the holy Evangelist indicates the time when this great event occurred, i.e. eight days after another event; consequently, there is an internal connection between them.

The following took place: first of all, Peter, contrary to public opinion which took Jesus for Elias or one of the other prophets, confessed Him to be the Son of God. Secondly, this same Peter, upon hearing of Christ’s forthcoming death on the cross, felt it his duty to contradict Him, expressing the thought that such a horrible fate was totally incompatible with the dignity of the Son of God (Matt. 16:22-23). Consequently, it was after these events that the Lord took Peter, John and James up the mountain with Him, as those most ready and capable of contemplating His true glory. It was necessary for Christ, after His appearance “in the form of a slave,” to secretly show also His Kingdom. He prophetically said to His disciples eight days before His Transfiguration: “But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27). It was necessary for the apostles to see the glorious Kingdom of God even for a moment, in order for their incipient true faith to become fortified, since the terrible hour of the Son of God’s voluntary betrayal into the hands of His enemies was already approaching, and the same disciples were to become witnesses of His suffering, torture, humiliation and death on the Cross. Such was the purpose of the Lord’s Transfiguration, and such was its internal significance.

While contemplating God’s glory, the apostles saw the prophets Elias and Moses conversing with Christ. Upon entering the cloud, i.e. the glory of the Son of God, they heard the voice of the Heavenly Father, confirming the divine dignity of His Son and commanding them to show obedience to Him. Listening to the prophets speak of the Cross, they heard that the Son of God is embracing crucifixion voluntarily, and that it is required for the salvation of mankind.

But Christ’s beloved disciples contemplated His glory only with their physical eyes, because at that time the were still unable to spiritually comprehend the divine purpose of the Son of God’s glorification on Mount Tabor and the significance of this event for all the future followers of Jesus Christ. Only after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them was their spiritual vision uncovered. “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, He shall testify of Me, – Christ said to them, – and ye shall also bear witness, because ye have been with Me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27). Therefore, all the eleven apostles upon whom the Holy Spirit descended in Zion, and later the newly-chosen Paul, became and remained true witnesses of the life, glory and death on the cross of Christ the Saviour, because the Holy Spirit testified to them of the Son of God, with Whom they were together from the very beginning.

However, the selection of the three Evangelists to preach the event has yet another divine purpose. This has been done for our sake. You have heard today, my beloved, the hymns of the great feast. During the Liturgy the following words are sung: “Let us come and ascend the mount of the Lord, and in the house of our God we shall see the glory of His Transfiguration!” The holy Church invites all of us to contemplate the glory of the Lord’s Transfiguration. And since we are summoned, this means that is necessary and quite possible. In what manner are we able to contemplate the glory of the Son of God? In a spiritual manner of course, as it was contemplated by the holy Evangelists after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them, and which the beloved disciples could not comprehend during the actual Transfiguration of the Lord. All of us have received the Holy Spirit successfully from the apostles – through the Church sacraments, beginning with holy baptism, and therefore we, too, have been granted spiritual vision. God’s Providence chose the three Evangelists precisely in order to assure us of the possibility of spiritually contemplating that which Christ’s disciples contemplated physically.

But, my beloved, it is not enough for Christian life simply to comprehend the truth, but it is also necessary to believe in the truth and, therefore, to follow it. The holy Apostle Paul says that the Lord’s Transfiguration is an event which should be repeated for all true followers of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). Whoever doesn’t know that we have an inner, hidden man of the heart, as the holy apostles say – is not a Christian. It is this inner man whom we must raise from perfection to perfection, from glory to glory, learning the truths of faith, rejecting passions, acquiring virtues and preserving the grace given to us by Church sacraments. Those who are not transfigured internally from earth-bound to heaven-bound – will not enter the glory of the One-begotten Son of God!

In Christianity we are all obligated to understand what is from God and what is from man. For this reason we cannot contradict Christ as Peter had done, and doubt whether death on the cross is incompatible with the dignity of the Son of God, or whether our suffering, temptations, our crosses are incompatible with God’s love for Christians. Will we try to prove, on the basis of our misunderstanding, that our internal transfiguration or regeneration is impossible under the difficult conditions of modern life and in an overwhelming struggle with sin? Such proofs and excuses are easily overcome by today’s Gospel reading, which describes the difficult conditions in which the Lord’s Transfiguration took place, and how full was the Son of God’s soul with thoughts of the forthcoming suffering and the Cross, and in what prayerful union He remained with the Heavenly Father, and how He conversed with the prophets about His forthcoming agony and crucifixion. Consequently, our inner transfiguration is also possible – even in the most difficult conditions of life, because it only requires prayerful union with Christ and the meek carrying of one’s cross. The cross is the only true path to glorious transfiguration! And when our mind bows down before the constant proofs of God’s infinite love for mankind, then our soul will be filled with the thought of Christ’s salvific commandment: “Whosoever wishes to follow Me, let him reject himself and take up his cross.” Amen.

The Lord took His beloved disciples: Peter, James, and John up Mount Tabor and was transfigured before them – His face became bright like the sun, and His clothing white, like snow. Moses and Elias also appeared with the Lord and conversed with Him, and a cloud descended upon the Lord’s disciples, and a voice was heard from heaven: “This is My beloved Son, hear Him.” Peter exultantly (for he knew not what he was saying) asks the Lord that three tabernacles, or tents, be erected: one for the Lord, one for Moses, and one for Elias.

The Transfiguration of the Lord is an image of the Glorious Resurrection of Christ. What is the meaning of this mystical event on Mt. Tabor?

The Transfiguration of the Lord revealed the glory of the Lord before His journey to Golgotha – His glory was revealed to the disciples to strengthen their faith. They saw the glory of the Saviour on Mt. Tabor before they were to see His suffering, His Crucifixion and death.

The everlasting light of Mt. Tabor also enlightens the life of every believing person and it enlightens the life of the whole Church.

Man is weak in this world; upon this earth he is frail. Living in his carnal, corrupt shell, his faith is tested, and his spirit is weakened. But, with God’s help and with His Grace, everyday trials are overcome and man is able to walk upon the path of the cross, upon the path of spiritual life, and the glory of the Transfiguration of the Lord is revealed to him. For being that we are participants in Christ’s sufferings on Golgotha, we are, therefore, also participants in His Transfiguration.

The glory and victory of our spiritual nature is revealed on Mt. Tabor. This spiritual nature of ours will overcome the corruption of our physical nature in the General Resurrection and as a promise of this the Divine Body of the Lord is revealed, being already glorified and enlightened like the sun and snow.

This mystical event affirms our faith in the coming transfiguration of the whole universe and each one of us in the General Resurrection. But this affirmation comes not in the form of a covenant, but in the actual body of the Lord transfigured on Mt. Tabor.

Furthermore, all of this relates to the very life of our Church. If each individual believing soul is weakened and needs confirmation of its faith and spiritual path, then all the more, the entire Holy Church is in need of this, for the Church journeys on the same path which the Saviour walked on earth, it walks the path to Golgotha. For the external trials which trouble the Church and all her many internal sorrows are able to trouble the hearts of men, just as Christ’s sufferings troubled His disciples.

The Transfiguration then reveals a promise of the future glorification and victory of the Church, when our Lord Jesus Christ will come in His glory. However difficult our trials may be, they must all be dissolved in the mystical light of Mt. Tabor. If a faithful person, a member of the Holy, Orthodox, Catholic and Apostolic Church, is overcome with despondency at the sight of divisions in the Church or the apostasy of separate individuals, or their deviation from the true path of Christ, and is overcome with doubt, thinking that the spirit of Antichrist is creeping into the Church, let the unwaning, mystical light of the Transfiguration embolden him, for the Transfiguration is the promise of the victory of Christ’s Church. Amen.