Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,
On this radiant feast of the Transfiguration, we ascend in spirit with Peter, James, and John to the holy mount of Tabor. There, in the mystery of light, the veil of the Lord’s humanity is drawn aside, and His divine glory shines forth like the sun. The uncreated light pours forth, not as the light of this world, but as the light of the Kingdom, the very splendor of the Triune God.
As the holy fathers have taught us, this moment is not a mere display of power, but a revelation of the true nature of Christ: fully God, fully man. The One who was baptized in the Jordan, who fasted in the desert, who walked among men, now reveals that in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And with Him appear Moses and Elijah — the Law and the Prophets — testifying that He is the fulfillment of all that was written.
In the face of this glory, the disciples fall upon their faces, overwhelmed by the majesty of the vision. And yet, even in their fear, the Father’s voice thunders from the bright cloud: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” The command echoes to us as well: to listen, to obey, to follow.
Behold, beloved, in the Transfiguration we glimpse the destiny of all creation. For the light that shone from the Lord is not foreign to us—it is the same light into which we are called. As the Apostle says, “we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.” Theosis — deification — is the calling of the Church, the mystery of salvation, the purpose for which Christ took on flesh.
Therefore, let us ascend the mount of prayer, the mount of repentance, the mount of contemplation. Let us purify our hearts that we may behold the uncreated light not only in this life, but eternally in the age to come. As the Rhominoi of old would say: “The Light of Tabor is the inheritance of the saints, the brilliance of the Kingdom, the joy of the world to come.”
Through the prayers of the All-Pure Theotokos and of all the saints who have beheld the glory of the Lord, may we, too, be made worthy of that ineffable light. To Him be glory, honor, and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
