The Transfiguration

As I prepare to go to a noon holy day Mass for the Feast Day of the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ, I am doing a little personal reflecting on the day. I have always loved this day in the Church cycle. Back when I was a Protestant seminarian, I was ordained to the ministry (Holy Order of MANS/Christ the Saviour Brotherhood)on August 6th, 1976 by the Rt. Rev. Philip McCaffrey. It was a great day for me, one of the best of my life, along with my wedding day, the day my three children were born and the day our granddaughter was born. That is not dimmed by the fact that I was then not an Eastern Catholic, that day I was dedicating myself to the lifelong service of Christ, the Holy Trinity and the Blessed Lady.

Somewhere along the way I read the script on the icon of Blessed Deborah, which reads thus (From Judges 4:6 ) "Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw nigh toward Mount Tabor." Some biblical scholars claim the the very name "Deborah" is a rendition of the word meaning "one who is of Tabor." I am very happy to claim the Transfiguration as my special day on the calendar of the life of Our Lord! This is the showing forth of His true divine nature to the disciples, and a prefiguring of their own following of Jesus, ending eventually in sainthood and theosis. What a happy day! The Feast of Light, the feast of shining forth, the feast of sudden and radical illumination!

DJY

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Matthew 17:1-7 - After six days 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 Eli'jah, 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 Eli'jah." 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." (RSV)

Holy Transfiguration

Thou wast transfigured on the mountain,

O Christ, our God,

showing to Thy disciples Thy glory as each one could endure.

Shine forth Thou on us, who are sinners all,

Thy light ever-unending. Through the prayers of the Theotokos,

Light-Bestower, glory to Thee.

(Dismissal Hymn - Feast of the Holy Transfiguration/Grave Tone)

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Matthew 17:1-9

1 And after six days Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: 2 And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow. 3 And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4 And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5 And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him.
6 And the disciples hearing, fell upon their face, and were very much afraid. 7 And Jesus came and touched them: and said to them, Arise, and fear not. 8 And they lifting up their eyes saw no one but only Jesus. 9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of man be risen from the dead.

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The Feast of the Transfiguration is always a wonderful day for me. It was on this day I was ordained a Protestant minister back in 1976 "in another lifetime" as they say ~ and while I am now an Eastern Rite Catholic, all the paths which brought me here were good ones and full of Light...it is my favorite Aunt's birthday (Happy birthday, Aunt Patricia!) and the icon of my patron saint, Saint Deborah (Old Testament) has this inscription: "Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded saying, come and draw nigh Mount Tabor?" Deborah and the Holy Transfiguration go together in my mind like bees and honey.

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Lord Jesus, I was your shield-maiden who desired to be knight-errant: and now I am your unhumble beads-woman, praying for the lost, fighting her pride, who wishes to be useful to you as heartily as I did in days gone by.

Transfigure us into something suitable for You. Amen.

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