Our Transfiguration

Daily Readings: Zech. 14:16-21; 1 John 1:1-7; Matt. 16:13-17:13
Ընթերցուածքներ` Զաք. ԺԴ 16-21; Ա Յով. Ա 1-7; Մատ. ԺԶ 13- ԺԷ 13

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen!

If you ever have an opportunity to travel to either the North Pole or South Pole, you will find that the sun only appears for about 6 months out of the entire year. If you were to visit on the latter 6 months of the year, you would constantly be surrounded by darkness. In some parts of the world, such as Utqiaġvik, Alaska, they lose the sun for about 2 months out of the year. It is so dark, that one might think that the sun does not exist. This kind of darkness severely disrupts the human body’s circadian rhythm and triggers lethargy, weight gain, and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Not just physical hardship but even feelings of anxiety, depression, and fear can easily enter a person’s heart and mind when you’re surrounded with such darkness. The truth is most of us will not be traveling to the North or South Pole and if we were to go to Alaska, it is highly unlikely, we would stay long enough to suffer these symptoms.

However, growing up as a child, as we develop and grow, we regularly face this kind of darkness. When a parent or loved one leaves the room, we think that they disappear. We are worried that we are left alone, that there is no one there to help us. We think our parents don’t exist; in the same way we might think the sun does not exist. But we know that this is not true. We know that the sun is still there, whether it may be hiding behind clouds, or we are in a part of the world that is experiencing a unique rotation, or in the middle of the night – the sun is still there. Likewise, a parent who is in the other room is still there.

Today is the Feast of Holy Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ. We read in the Scriptures that Jesus Christ was transfigured or transformed and radiating bright light on Mt. Tabor. Three of his apostles, Sts. James, John and Peter witness him being flanked by the prophets, St. Moses and Elijah. However, the Church Fathers express a unique point of view that perhaps we ourselves have not been conscious of. St. Paul in Heb. 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Therefore, God never changes. In studies of ethics and philosophically people will argue that if God is, who dictates good and evil, what if God was to change his mind? God does not change his mind arbitrarily. St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine and many of the Church Fathers say that this kind of contradiction is not within the realm of divinity. Therefore, just as the Sun is always there regardless of the darkness we may be experiencing, our parents are in the other room even if we don’t see them, likewise God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is constant, never changing and always present.

If we look at the entire reading which our Holy Church has designated for today, we see that it begins with Jesus Christ asking the disciples, who do people say that I am? Prophet, teacher, healer, etc. Until Christ asks, “But whom do you say that I am?” You who follow me, who learn from me, eat with me, etc. who do you say He is? To which the Disciples respond, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Christ tells them that this is revealed to them by the Holy Spirit that this is revealed to them by their faith. A few verses later we read of Christ’s transfiguration. My dears, how do these two event tie together?

In the same way, after the Sun rises from darkness we would say, the sun is back, or when our parent walks back in the room, a child would say mom and dad are back, likewise, we in our limited human language say Christ was Transfigured. Yet, Christ is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow and therefore, it is not He who is changed, but rather, He is revealed to us through the opening of our eyes in faith. Opened to see that He was always there. Christ is in the Old Testament Laws – for which Moses stood by Him; Christ is in the Prophecies – for which Elijah stood by Him. Christ is here, my dears – which is why we stand here. And so it is we who must be transfigured today, opened, renewed, washed, and mature. To recognize that in physical darkness the Sun is still here; and in times of spiritual Darkness, God is the Son is still here. To know that when mom and dad walk out the room, all we must do is call for them and they will come to our care; and when we feel broken, isolated, hurt, and lost, if we call out to our Heavenly Father, He will come to our care.

My dear brothers and sisters, how are we transfigured today? Who do we, who pray, follow, sing in the choir or serve on the Altar, who gather in Church say Christ Jesus is? In times of darkness, do we still know that the light is there? Our transfiguration begins here my dears. By faith our eyes are opened. By reading, learning and living these words in repentance, we are renewed. By stepping into Church, coming to this Mt. Tabor, the Holy Church, we see Christ revealed to us, and then walking out these doors, and living in such a way that reflects that truth. St. John for this writes, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Yes, the world will feel dark at times, we will feel hurt, and devalued; yes, mom and dad may not always be there to help us, we will feel lost. But God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow. God is revealed to us. His light shines upon us. His grace and mercy, transform us. How will we be Transfigured today?