Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Holiday in Orthodox worship

The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord is also called the Second or Apple Savior. This twelfth holiday is always celebrated on August 19 (August 6, old style). It has one day of pre-celebration (August 18) and seven days of post-celebration (from 20 to 26 August). The celebration of the holiday takes place on August 26. The Transfiguration of the Lord always takes place during the Dormition Fast. The charter allows eating food with fish on this day. On this day, believers bring apples and grapes to the temple to bless the first fruits of the new harvest.

Transfiguration of the Lord, history of the holiday

Transfiguration is one of the miraculous phenomena of the kingdom of God on earth. It happened on Mount Tabor, where Jesus went, taking with him three disciples - Peter, John and James. The disciples walked and were silent, anticipating that today something amazing would be revealed to them - a great secret.

On that mountain, the disciples were able to see a great miracle - the Transfiguration of Christ, the manifestation of His greatness and glory. Jesus was transformed, His face became as bright as the sun, and His robes became white as snow. Two great prophets came to Christ: Moses and Elijah. What is most interesting is that Moses had long since died by that time, and Elijah was taken to heaven alive. They appeared to talk with Jesus about the Calvary sacrifice, that human sins would be atoned for by the blood of Jesus.

Another miracle awaited the apostles that day, even more striking. Suddenly a bright cloud came down from the sky, from where a voice was heard: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” Descending from the mountain, Jesus and the disciples did not utter a word; only at the foot did the Son of God say that they should remain silent about what they had seen until he rose from the dead.

What is the Transfiguration of the Lord and what is its meaning

Based on the story described above, one can now notice the important points of such a great miracle. The mountain on which the Transfiguration of Jesus took place was a church where Christ united the two Testaments. Currently, during services, priests wear white robes as a symbol of the heavenly radiance that occurred on Mount Tabor many years ago.

The Transfiguration of the Lord also has a second name - the Second or Apple Savior. If we plunge again into the history of the emergence of Christianity and remember that we took this religion from Byzantium, then it was customary there to bless grapes on this day. But since grapes do not take root in our latitudes, we decided to use apples that were just in time for the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Although, in essence, on August 19 of each year, you can consecrate any fruits that have already ripened for the holiday.

When is the Transfiguration of the Lord celebrated?

The Transfiguration of the Lord (Second or Apple Savior) is one of the most important Christian holidays. Refers to the twelve - 12 most important Orthodox holidays after Easter, mainly with a fixed date.

Celebrated every year on August 19 in memory of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ on Mount Tabor. According to the old style - August 6.

As stated in the Gospel, the Transfiguration occurred 40 days before Easter, but is celebrated not in February, but in August, otherwise the celebration would have taken place during Lent. On the 40th day after the event, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is celebrated (September 27).

History of the celebration of the Transfiguration of the Lord

The Transfiguration of the Lord is one of the most ancient holidays. The first mention of it dates back to the 4th century, but most likely it was noted long before that. Celebrating this day when God appeared to people in human form, the Orthodox Church professes the union of two natures in Christ: divine and human.

In the 4th century, Equal-to-the-Apostles Holy Queen Helena erected a temple on the site of the Transfiguration of the Lord, and from that day on, celebrations were announced in honor of the event. In the places where the Savior’s disciples slept, a three-altar temple was built. Three more temples were erected in the 6th century: in the name of the prophets Elijah, Moses and the Savior himself.

In the 19th century, Archimandrite Irinarch and Hierodeacon Nestor established an altar on Mount Tabor, and prayer services were served for pilgrims who donated funds for the construction and support of the temple. Irinarch did not live to see the illumination of the shrine by Patriarch Kirill II of Jerusalem for only a year.

What is the meaning of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord?

The Holy Scriptures of the New Testament tell about the event of the Transfiguration of Christ. It says that Christ took three disciples Peter, James and John with him to the mountain to pray. While Christ was praying, he rose into the air and his face shone, and his clothes became white as light. Christ was transfigured before his disciples on Mount Tabor.

In this event Christian Church finds a special meaning. At Tabor, the Lord shows his disciples divine glory and greatness. This was necessary for the holy apostles to strengthen their spirit, because soon Christ had to die for the sins of mankind.

The Orthodox Church proclaims that in the Lord Jesus Christ there were two natures - divine and human. On Tabor, Christ transforms human nature (nature), makes it grace-filled and sanctifies. The meaning of this holiday is that after the coming of Christ into the world, absolutely every person can achieve holiness.

After the Incarnation of Christ, human nature is already capable of accepting divine uncreated grace. An example is the miraculous Transfiguration of the Lord, which the Christian Church solemnly remembers and celebrates on August 19 in the new style.

1) Place of the holiday within the boundaries of the Orthodox liturgical year.

The Transfiguration of the Lord is the twelfth feast of the Lord in the Orthodox Church. Very solemn in its liturgical observance, it nevertheless always falls on the Dormition Fast; this very post, preceding the feast of the Assumption Holy Mother of God, lasts from July 31 to August 14 art. Art. (or from August 13 to August 27 New Art.).

2) Connection of the holiday with events Sacred history Old and New Testaments.

Mount Tabor is a low green peak on the northern border of the vast Israelite Valley. All overgrown with oaks, olive trees, and herbs, its shape resembles a huge, softly outlined hemisphere, reigning over the surrounding fields, vineyards and villages. From the top of the mountain there is a view of the nearby lands of northern Palestine: the waters sparkle far to the west Mediterranean Sea, in the northeast you can see the edge of Lake Galilee, in the west rise the peaks of Carmel, and far to the north of Tabor the white peak of Mount Hermon clearly looms...

Church Tradition testifies to us that it was here, on the top of Tabor, that an event took place that entered the history of Orthodoxy under the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord. In those days the time of suffering was already approaching and death on the cross Christ: Jesus Himself spoke more and more often with His apostles about His impending torment and crucifixion. And so, one day, He, taking with Him the three disciples closest to Him, ascended with them to the top of Tabor in order to pray here. The names of these three apostles are Peter, John and James. When Christ began to pray, an amazing change suddenly happened to Him - as His companions saw - His face was transformed, shining like the sun; even His robe became snow-white and shining with an unearthly light. According to the Evangelist Mark, the Savior’s clothes became “very white, like snow, as a bleacher on earth cannot bleach.” And next to the transfigured Jesus appeared the great ancient Old Testament prophets: Moses and Elijah. They talked with the Lord and talked about His upcoming suffering on the cross. Then the Apostle Peter, amazed by the miracle taking place, turned to Christ with a request to allow the disciples right here - on the mountain - to build three tents: one for Jesus and two for Moses and Elijah. The apostle simply did not want everything that was happening to him to ever end, to be interrupted: it was so good for him to be near Christ in those moments. At that same moment, a cloud appeared in the sky, overshadowing them all with its shadow, and from this cloud a Voice was heard: “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him.” And then the vision disappeared; the apostles no longer saw anyone next to them except the Savior Himself. He approached them, who were kneeling in reverent fear, and, touching them with his hand, said: “Stand up and do not be afraid.”

This is the brief content of the Gospel story about the Transfiguration (see: Gospel of Matthew 17:1-13; Gospel of Mark 9:2-13; Gospel of Luke 9:28-36).

3) The spiritual meaning of the holiday.

The Church has always maintained that in the very fact of the Transfiguration there are, as it were, two sides, two facets that complement and mutually confirm each other. On the one hand, the Lord Himself is transfigured on Mount Tabor, and the apostles see Him, completely penetrated by the rays of divine glory, they see what Orthodox dogma called "uncreated divine energies." As St. John Chrysostom writes, the fact that the Lord was transfigured means that He “revealed to them something of His Divinity - as much as they could contain, and showed the indwelling God in Himself.” But on the other hand, Orthodox Christian always remembers that during the Transfiguration of the Lord the physical nature of the apostles themselves miraculously changed. Moreover, the “uncreated Favorian light” shone with itself over the entire surrounding “created” world. Thus, on ancient Russian icons with the plot of the Transfiguration you can often see how the peaks of the surrounding mountains sparkle with a snow-white radiance. Even the woven - recently quite ordinary - clothes of Christ also suddenly become permeated with the same divine light.

Christians know the bitter truth about the damage and distortion of all nature, the entire universe, by man’s first sin—disobedience to God by Adam. Everything in this world, including man himself, then obeyed the law of decay and death. And yet such knowledge does not entail either despair or pessimism for the Orthodox. The Gospel story about the Transfiguration of the Savior gives hope for the return of the human race and the entire universe to their former, sinless state of original spiritual purity. The miracle of the Transfiguration, which lasted perhaps only a short time (perhaps only a few minutes), testifies that everything in this world is still capable of returning “to normal” - to its original existence in holiness. It was to a state of such holiness, such pristine purity that the apostles returned in those moments, having suddenly acquired a special spiritually transformed vision and therefore received the opportunity to see the mysterious “favor light” - the “unpassable” light of the glory of Christ. Their eyes, opened to the insight of a higher spiritual reality, then perceived our entire world, all material existence as it once stood before human gaze even before everything on earth submitted to vanity and sin.

Truly, the Transfiguration of the Lord was not only the Transfiguration of Christ Himself, but also the transfiguration of the witnesses of this gospel miracle, the apostles Peter, James and John. Every Christian strives for the same transformation of his personality. Christianity itself is, first of all, a difficult science of changing and correcting oneself, a school of internal and external transformation of a person. After all, all Christians are called to acquire the same life-giving and sanctifying grace that once descended on the disciples of Jesus during their stay with Him on Mount Tabor. But Christians also remember that the vocation of every believer is by no means limited to his personal, “private” transformation. For man, even at his creation, was put by God to be responsible for this entire world, for the entire universe; he was to become her good steward and protector. Adam then failed to fulfill the command given to him by the Creator. And only with the coming into the world of the God-man Christ, together with His atoning Sacrifice, death and Resurrection, such a difficult task again becomes relevant and significant for all people...

The Church teaches that, by transforming himself, acquiring true holiness and purity, a person simultaneously transforms the entire material world. Today we are almost entirely dependent on the nature around us: earthquakes, storms, and other natural disasters bring us grief and death. Sometimes it even seems: the world has completely forgotten that its original owner is man. Already, the universe is now beginning to resemble more and more an unfortunate blind man who has lost his mind, at random, without knowing the road, rushing somewhere forward, sweeping away everything in his path and sowing death and destruction around him. Of course, man himself is to blame for everything that happens to nature. It is precisely because of his ancient disobedience to the divine will, because of his fall into sin, that the universe now remains in its present state of “blindness.”

But as soon as a person approaches the acquisition of holiness and the “acquisition of grace,” as soon as he (in the spiritual transformation he achieves) realizes his true responsibility for this world, the boundless, endless universe itself turns its gaze to him. This gaze is always filled with both suffering and hope. “The whole creation groans and suffers together until now,” writes the Apostle Paul (Romans 8:22). It is in the person of the saints - people internally transformed by the rays of divine grace - that nature finds the fulfillment of its hope for deliverance; it is in their person that it finds, it would seem, forever lost by it, but now redeemed and reborn; again she hears a man’s call addressed to her and hurries to fulfill each of his commands. So, the animals come and humbly serve the monks of the Judean desert or Russian forests, exhausted by spiritual and physical exploits. A hardworking lion brings water from the Jordan River to St. Gerasim, a huge bear fearlessly lies at the feet of St. Seraphim of Sarov, all kinds of birds carefree sit on the shoulders and arms of St. Paul of Obnor. And along with the birth of such holiness, along with the unceasing brilliance of the light of Tabor reigning in the world, long-forgotten joy returns here, the happiness of voluntary and selfless service, loyalty to the beautiful and good universe to its former king and ruler.

The Transfiguration of the Lord also takes place so that the disciples, through this miracle, would be strengthened in their faith in the Divinity of Christ. The time of the Crucifixion is approaching and Jesus strives to give them some guarantee of hope that with His death the history of His ministry, His stay with those who believe in Him not only does not end, but, on the contrary, only begins. Christ is transformed before them so that the apostles can see and understand the extent of His true greatness and power, and also understand that the Crucifixion of Jesus is really freestyle, a free Sacrifice offered by Him for the world, a voluntary humiliation accepted by Christ, and not at all His powerlessness before the murderers. As St. Ephraim the Syrian writes, Christ led the apostles “up the mountain to show them the glory of the Divine and to let them know that He is the Redeemer..., and so that they would not be offended by Him, seeing His free suffering, which He had to endure for us by to humanity. For they knew Him as a man, and did not understand that He was God... And therefore He takes them up the mountain, so that the Father would proclaim Him as the Son and show them that He really is the Son of God and God. He took them up the mountain and showed them His Kingdom before His suffering, His power before His death, and His glory before His reproach, and His honor before His dishonor, so that when He was taken and crucified by the Jews, they would know that He was not crucified according to weakness, but according to His good pleasure, voluntarily, for the salvation of the world.”

4) The history of the holiday.

The oldest patristic sermons dedicated to this holiday date back to the 5th century. The time of gradual spread of the Transfiguration holiday in the East was the 7th-8th centuries. The oldest rite for the service of the Feast of the Transfiguration that has come down to us is contained in the Georgian translation of the Jerusalem Lectionary of the 7th-8th centuries. In the West there is such a holiday of great importance, as in the East, never had.

5) Features festive services in various historical periods. Authors of liturgical texts.

The liturgical texts of the holiday belong to: St. Cosmas of Mayum (VII-VIII centuries) - stichera on “I cried to the Lord,” the first canon of the holiday; St. John of Damascus (8th century) - second canon.

As mentioned above, the holiday was dedicated to August 6 in order to eradicate the pagan holiday “Vardavar” (as it was called in Armenia) or “Vartuvaria” (as it was called in Cappadocia); On the day of this pagan holiday, young people wondered about their fate over a bucket of water into which plucked green ears were dipped.

In the West, the Feast of the Transfiguration was established as universal only under Pope Calixtus III - in 1457.

Since ancient times, the custom of consecrating grapes and ears of wheat was dedicated to the holiday; in Rus' - in those places where grapes do not grow - there is an ancient tradition of blessing apples.

6) Preparatory period for the holiday. Forefeast and afterfeast.

The Feast of the Transfiguration has one day of pre-celebration and seven days of post-celebration. The day of commemoration of the Feast of the Transfiguration is August 13th Art. Art. / August 26th Art. - already on the eve of the forefeast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

7) The most important features of the festive service.

The festive service is performed in white priestly vestments, symbolically “reflecting” the light with which the Savior’s clothes shone on Mount Tabor.

The sequence of the Transfiguration Service is contained in the monthly Menea - in the August volume.

The rite of the festive service is the solemn ceremony usual for the twelve feasts. all-night vigil. On the day of the holiday itself, the Liturgy is performed in the morning, to which is added a special “prayer for the blessing of the bunch” (that is, bunches of grapes) and “prayer over every fruit.” In Rus', it is customary to bless apples here (until this day, according to church regulations, they were not supposed to be eaten at all).

Troparion holiday: “Thou art transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God, who showed Thy disciples Thy glory, as unto a man, that Thy Light, ever present through the prayers of the Mother of God, may shine forth unto us sinners, O Light-Giver, glory to Thee.” Russian translation of the troparion: “You, Christ God, were transfigured on the mountain, showing your glory to your disciples as far as they could see it. May Your eternal Light shine upon us, sinners, too, through the prayers of the Mother of God, Giver of Light, glory to You.”

Kontakion feast: “You were transfigured on the mountain, and as the host of Your disciples, they saw Your glory, O Christ God, so that when they see You crucified, they will understand the free suffering, and the world will preach that You are truly the Father’s Radiance.” Translation of the kontakion into Russian: “You, Christ God, were transfigured on the mountain, and your disciples saw your glory, as much as they could perceive it, so that when they see you crucified, they would understand your voluntary suffering and proclaim to the world that you truly are the Father’s Radiance.”

IN stichera And canon The holiday reveals the full depth of its theological significance. “You ascended to this mountain, O Savior, with Your disciples, the blackened Adam’s nature was transfigured, you created it again (that is, again), transforming it into Your Divinity into glory and lightness.” Here we also quite often find a comparison between the event of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the circumstances of the Old Testament Epiphany to Moses on Mount Horeb.

Proverbs The holiday tells about the Old Testament appearances of God to the ancient righteous. The first (Book of Exodus 24:12-18) and the second (Book of Exodus 33:11-23) of them talk about the events associated with the appearance of God to Moses on the top of Horeb. The Lord appears here completely differently than He once appeared to His disciples on Tabor: Moses cannot see His face - otherwise he will die. Only in the New Testament can a person see God Himself, for God has become one of us. The third proverb (1 Kings 19:3-9,11-13-15-16) tells about another Old Testament Epiphany. The Lord appears here to the prophet Elijah. This Epiphany is preceded by terrible natural phenomena - wind, earthquake, fire; but it is not in them that God appears before Elijah, but in the quiet breath of the wind, in the “subtle voice of coldness” - signifying Divine love and mercy for creation, for man.

Evangelical the readings of Matins (Gospel of Luke 9:28-36) and Liturgy (Gospel of Matthew 17:1-9) tell about the event of the Transfiguration itself. It also tells about him apostolic a reading containing the story of a direct witness to this miracle - the Apostle Peter (2 Epistle of the Apostle Peter 1:10-19).

(Greek Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ), the transfiguration described in the Gospel, the appearance of the Divine greatness and glory of Jesus Christ before three closest disciples during prayer on Mount Tabor. This event is reported by all the evangelists except John (see Matt. 17:1-6, Mark 9:1-8, Luke 9:28-36).

The Transfiguration of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ is celebrated by the Holy Orthodox Church on August 19 (New Style, or August 6 according to Old Style). The Transfiguration of the Lord is one of the Twelve Feasts. By His Transfiguration, the Savior showed what people would become in the future life, in the Kingdom of Heaven, and how the entire earthly world would then be transformed.

On the Feast of the Transfiguration, after the liturgy, grapes and generally tree fruits, such as apples, pears, plums and others, are brought to the temple and blessed for eating.

The Transfiguration of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ is also called the Apple Savior or the Second Savior in Russian folk tradition.

The Gospels tell us that Jesus prophetically said: “... truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God come with power” (Mark 9:1), and 6 days later he took 3 closest disciples: Peter, James and John, and went up the mountain with them to pray. According to ancient church tradition, this was the beautiful Mount Tabor, covered with rich vegetation from the base to the top.

While the Savior was praying, the disciples fell asleep from fatigue. When they woke up, they saw that Jesus Christ had been transformed: His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white like snow and shining like light. At this time, two prophets, Moses and Elijah, appeared to Him in heavenly glory and talked with Him about the suffering and death that He had to endure in Jerusalem.

At this, extraordinary joy filled the hearts of the disciples. When they saw that Moses and Elijah were leaving Jesus Christ, Peter exclaimed: “Rabbi! It's good for us to be here; if you want, we will make three tabernacles (that is, tents) here: one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah,” not knowing what to say.

Suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and they heard from the cloud the voice of God the Father: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; Listen to him! The disciples fell to the ground in fear. Jesus Christ approached them, touched them and said: “stand up and do not be afraid.” The disciples stood up and saw Jesus Christ in in ordinary form(see the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 17, 1-13; from Mark, chapter 9, 2-13; from Luke, chapter 9, 28-36). When they came down from the mountain, Jesus Christ commanded not to tell anyone about what they had seen until He rose from the dead.

Here is what Saint Ephraim the Syrian wrote about the Transfiguration: “The Prophets rejoiced, for they saw His humanity here, which they had not seen before. The Apostles also rejoiced, for they saw here the glory of His Divinity, which they had not previously understood, and heard the voice of the Father testifying about the Son... There was a threefold testimony here: the voice of the Father, Moses and Elijah. They stood before the Lord as ministers and looked at each other: Prophets on the Apostles, and Apostles on the Prophets, Saint Moses saw the illuminated Simon - Peter, the steward appointed by the Father, looked at the steward appointed by the Son; The Old Testament virgin Elijah saw the New Testament virgin John; the one who ascended on a fiery chariot looked at the one who reclined on the fiery toes of Christ.”

Thus, the mountain represented the Church, because Jesus united on it the two Testaments accepted by the Church, and showed us that He is the Giver of both.” During the service on the Feast of the Transfiguration, priests wear white robes - as a symbol of that Favorian, heavenly radiance.

Very often Mount Tabor is mentioned in connection with the pilgrimage in the fourth century AD of the Roman pilgrim Helen, who was the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine. By her order, a monastery building was built here and since that time this place near the city of Nazareth has been referred to as the Mount of Transfiguration.

In modern Christianity, during church services on these days, and the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord begins on August 19 and ends on August 26 (7 days of afterfeast), the divine light is glorified, which descended on Christ by the will of God the Father, combining his human and divine manifestations into one . During these same days, Jesus’ disciples learned of his imminent death, but gave their word to remain silent.

The Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ took place forty days before Easter, but these days fell on the strictest and longest Lent, then the great feast of the Transfiguration was moved to another date. Therefore, the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord is celebrated on August 19.

Meal on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord

The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ falls on August 14 (New Style, or August 1 according to the Old Style) and ends on August 27 (New Style, or August 14 according to the Old Style). The Dormition Fast ends the holiday Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19), you can eat fish, vegetable oil and wine; on this day, apples and grapes are blessed in churches. According to the Byzantine Typikon (Divine Service Charter), on this holiday it was customary to consecrate the grapes of the new harvest. Grapes do not take root very well in our middle zone, but by this time the apples are ripening. But you can consecrate any fruits on this day - the main thing is not to forget to thank for them the One who, as John Chrysostom said, was transfigured on Mount Tabor, “in order to show us the future transformation of our nature and His future coming on the clouds in glory with the angels.”

Transfiguration of the Lord, video about the cycle "Summer of the Lord"

Temple in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Kashin

In honor of the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Kashin in 1775-1778, a two-story Ilyinsko-Preobrazhensky Church was built on the site of two wooden churches - Ilyinka and Preobrazhenskaya. The double dedication of the temple also explains the structure of 2 thrones (lower and upper).

To date, the church has reached us in a slightly changed form - in 1938 the majestic bell tower was destroyed and the building was transferred to the archives. In 1983-1986, the church was restored, but without recreating the belfry. In 2012, the temple was damaged by a hurricane, when the domes were destroyed, the crosses were bent and the iron sheets of the roof were exposed. Divine services were not held in the temple after its closure.

Pasternak Boris

August

As promised, without deceiving,

The sun came through early in the morning

An oblique strip of saffron

From curtain to sofa.

It covered with hot ocher

The neighboring forest, the houses of the village,

My bed, wet pillow,

And the edge of the wall behind the bookshelf.

I remembered why

The pillow is slightly moistened.

I dreamed that someone was coming to see me off

You walked through the forest one after another.

You walked in a crowd, separately and in pairs,

Suddenly someone remembered that today

The sixth of August as usual,

Usually light without flame

Coming from Tabor on this day,

And autumn, clear as a sign,

Eyes are drawn to yourself.

And you went through the petty, beggarly,

Naked, trembling alder

Into the ginger-red forest of the cemetery,

Burnt like a printed gingerbread.

With its hushed peaks

The neighboring sky is important

The distance echoed long-drawnly.

In the forest by a government land surveyor

Death stood in the midst of the graveyard,

Looking into my dead face,

To dig a hole according to my height.

Was physically felt by everyone

Sounded untouched by the collapse:

"Farewell, Preobrazhensky blue"

And the gold of the second Savior

Soften with the last feminine caress

I feel the bitterness of the fateful hour.

Goodbye, timeless years,

Say goodbye to the abyss of humiliation

A challenging woman!

I am your battlefield.

Goodbye, wingspan spread,

Flight of free perseverance,

And the image of the world, revealed in words,

And creativity and miracles.”

1953

Troparion of the holiday

Thou art transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God, showing Thy disciples Thy glory, as unto man. May Your ever-present light shine upon us sinners too, through the prayers of the Mother of God, Light-Giver, glory to You!

You, Christ God, were transfigured on the mountain, showing your disciples your glory, as far as they could see it. May Your eternal light shine for us sinners, through the prayers of the Mother of God. Giver of light, glory to You!

Like mozhahu - as far as they could see (the divine glory of Christ); ever-present - always existing, eternal; by the prayers of the Mother of God - according to the prayers of the Mother of God; Light giver - Giver of light.

Kontakion of the holiday

Thou art transfigured on the mountain, and as Thy disciples have seen Thy glory, O Christ our God: that when they see Thee crucified, they will understand voluntary suffering, and the world may preach that Thou art truly the Father's radiance.

Christ God, You were transfigured on the mountain, and Your disciples saw, as far as their human strength allowed them, Your glory, so that they would understand that You suffer voluntarily when they see You crucified, and they would preach to the whole world that You truly are the radiance of Your Father Heavenly.

"Kashin Orthodox", since 2010 A.D.

One of the greatest evangelical events sung annually in the Christian world is the Transfiguration of the Lord. The history of the holiday began around the 4th century, when, on the initiative of Saint Queen Helena, a Christian temple was built, consecrated in honor of the Transfiguration. According to the Gospel narratives, the events described took place approximately 40 days before the spring holiday of Easter, but Eastern Christians celebrate the holiday in the summer. The tradition of celebrating the Transfiguration in August is associated with Great Lent: in order not to be mentally distracted from the events of the Holy Pentecost, the holiday was moved to another period of the year. 40 days after the Transfiguration, Christians celebrate the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, thereby reminding themselves of the chronology of the Gospel events.

Transfiguration. History of the holiday

The history of the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is described in the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, Mark, and these 3 narratives are very similar to each other.

As stated in Holy Scripture, the Son of God took his beloved disciples - John, Peter and James - and ascended with them to Mount Tabor in order to pray to the Heavenly Father. Here, during prayer, his face brightened like the sun, and his clothes became white like snow. At the same time, the prophets Moses and Elijah were near the Son of God, talking with him about the coming redemptive suffering.

When the disciples saw such a transformation of their Teacher, Peter, the most ardent of them, said: “Teacher, it’s good for us to be here, let’s place three tabernacles (tents) here - for You, Moses and Elijah.” After this, they were surrounded by a cloud, from which the disciples heard the voice of the Heavenly Father, saying: “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him.” Then the vision ended, and Jesus Christ forbade the disciples to tell anyone what they saw until His Resurrection from the dead took place.

What does this incident mean? spiritual sense? It is known that the Lord, while living on earth, did not perform any random signs or wonders. Every extraordinary event described in the Gospels necessarily has an instructive meaning and moral edification. The theological interpretation of the event of the Transfiguration of the Lord is as follows:

1. Appearance of the Holy Trinity. This is not the first time since the birth of Christ that the appearance of the One God has taken place. The first similar event occurred on the day when, at the descent of the Holy Spirit, the voice of the Father was heard by all those present, recognizing His Son in Jesus Christ. The same thing happens on Tabor, when God the Father calls from the cloud to listen to His teaching. This is how the Epiphany happened, that is, the revelation of the Persons of the Holy Trinity to people.
2. The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ demonstrates the union of two natures in the Son of God - Divine and human. Disputes about the duality of the nature of Christ have not stopped for many centuries among many Christian theologians. According to the interpretation of the Holy Fathers, the Transfiguration occurred as a sign of the future transformation of all people in the Kingdom of Heaven.
3. In addition, the appearance of the prophets is symbolic here. Old Testament- Elijah and Moses. It is known that the prophet Moses died a natural death, and the prophet Elijah was taken in his flesh to heaven. The events of the holiday, described by the holy Evangelists, show the power of the Son of God over life and death, His royal dominion over heaven and earth.

Date of celebration of the Transfiguration

The patristic theological teaching left a model for posterity on how such an evangelical event as the Transfiguration of the Lord should be perceived. The history of the holiday is remembered annually by all Christian believers. IN Orthodox Church this event is celebrated on August 19 according to the new style, and the holiday is one of the twelve (that is, it is one of the 12 great holidays that Orthodox Christians celebrate annually).

Features of the holiday

This holiday is popularly called Apple Savior. The Transfiguration of the Lord bears this name because on this day, according to church regulations, the fruits of the new harvest should be blessed. There is a long-standing pious tradition of bringing various fruits to the holiday to perform a special prayer over them, which is read in churches after the liturgy.

In addition, on this day Orthodox Christians are allowed to taste the fruits of the new harvest for the first time, since before the Feast of the Transfiguration there is a ban on the consumption of apples and grapes. This is a specific restriction on fresh fruits that begins with and ends with Transfiguration.

When celebrating this holiday, the clergy wear white vestments, symbolizing the eternal divine light revealed by Jesus Christ on Tabor.

On the Transfiguration of the Lord (Apple Savior) in the Orthodox world, the consumption of fish is allowed as a relaxation of strict fasting in honor of the holy holiday.

Festive akathist

The Akathist to the Transfiguration of the Lord describes in detail the events of the holiday, interpreting the theological features of the gospel event. The prayers of praise and petition included in the akathist are addressed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Each ikos ends with the words that he said to the Savior on Tabor in the highest moment of heartfelt tenderness: “Jesus, Eternal God, it is good for us to always be under the shelter of Thy grace.” Thus, we, like the supreme apostle, glorify the mercy of God, which is capable of elevating human nature to Divine greatness.

The dedication of the Transfiguration takes place on August 26, a week after the holiday. The Akathist to the Transfiguration of the Lord is often performed in Orthodox churches in the evening, on the day of the holiday. It can also be read throughout the post-feast period.

In the akathist “Transfiguration of the Lord,” the prayer dedicated to the festive event is located at the very end. It is often read in Orthodox churches after the festive liturgy.

Folk celebration traditions

Orthodox Christians around the world especially honor the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. There are also centuries-old traditions of celebrating this event. The day before, all Christians try to prepare a supply of freshly harvested fruit. Many farmers store fruits grown on their own plots.

On the day of the holiday, Christians bring the most beautiful and ripe fruits to the temple and place them on the central table, preparing for consecration. Young children love this tradition very much; they wait with excitement and trepidation for the priest’s prayer “for the blessing of fruits,” and try to hold fruit baskets on their own, without the help of adults. Some families have a custom of congratulating each other and giving various gifts for the Transfiguration of the Lord. Congratulations are often presented in poetic form. After the service, Christians go home to have a festive meal. There is a pious tradition here to start lunch with blessed fruits. There is also a slight relaxation of fasting - eating fish is allowed at meals. Many Orthodox housewives prepare a variety of dishes for the Apple Savior (Transfiguration of the Lord). These can be apple and honey pies, jams.

Transfiguration. Congratulation

Many Orthodox Christians write holiday greetings to each other in verse, sending telegrams or SMS. For example, it is a widespread practice to give poems for the Transfiguration of the Lord. In addition to written congratulations, it is customary among Christians to treat each other to fruits, apple pies, and to visit each other.

Celebration of the Transfiguration in the Holy Land

The Transfiguration of the Lord is celebrated in a special way in the Holy Land. Throughout the year, Tabor is secluded and secluded. Small pilgrimage groups visit this place mainly during the period from Lent to Pentecost. But for the Feast of the Transfiguration there is a special mood on Mount Tabor, as numerous pilgrims and tourists from Russia fill pilgrim hostels and hotel rooms. From the surrounding areas - Kafr Yasif, Nazareth, Acre, Haifa, Cana of Galilee - groups of believers also arrive who want to visit the holy event directly on the holiday.

After the evening service, pious Christians have dinner and try to go to bed early in order to attend the festive service at dawn. At the liturgy, almost all pilgrims receive Holy Communion. In addition, local believers have a tradition of baptizing infants on this holiday.

The Christian natives celebrate the holy event in a completely opposite way. Set up in tents in the monastery courtyard, they drink alcohol, play musical instruments, dance, shoot guns, sing funny folk songs, have funny conversations, which often turn into a showdown, ending in a fight. The noisy celebration ends at dawn, when the first bell rings, signaling the beginning of matins.

After the service is performed religious procession, which the believing natives greet with cheerful shouts and gun shots. Also, the reckless fun continues after the liturgy.

Folk signs for the Transfiguration of the Lord

Widespread among the people folk traditions celebration of such an event as the Transfiguration of the Lord. The signs left in popular belief are mainly related to the harvest. For example, there is a tradition on this day to treat the poor or needy with fruits grown in one’s garden. In this case, there is a belief that next year will be especially fruitful. In addition, if you were unable to meet a needy beggar on this day, this means that the next year will have a poor harvest. This is how the proverb was born: “In the apple tree, even a beggar will eat an apple.”

There was also a tradition on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord to eat at least one apple with honey. This was considered a guarantee of good health for the next year.

Among other things, there was a tradition of harvesting the entire grain harvest before August 19, since it was believed that after this date any rain would be destructive for it (the so-called grain rain).

The church practice of not eating the fruits of a fresh harvest is directly related to their degree of ripeness. It is known that apples and grapes fully ripen only towards the end of August, becoming useful for the body. Also deeply rooted in the popular consciousness is the connection between the violation of the “Apple Fast” and the sin of the foremother Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden and thereby brought the wrath of God on all humanity. That is why the common people especially monitor the tradition of not eating fresh apples in the period before the Transfiguration.

According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, one should greet the Transfiguration of the Lord with purity and love. Signs should not be taken seriously; one should not treat them as irrefutable dogmas.

Transformation in 2014

On August 19, 2014, the Transfiguration of the Lord was celebrated again. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church performed the Holy Liturgy in the men's room. According to custom, after the service, the Patriarch of Moscow delivered a sermon in which he spoke about the history and significance of the Transfiguration in the life of every Christian. Patriarch Kirill cordially congratulated the monastery brethren led by Father Archimandrite on the holiday and thanked them for the gifts they presented. This is how the congratulations of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' took place on the Transfiguration of the Lord on the holy land of Solovetsky. In addition, His Holiness donated the image of St. Seraphim of Vyritsky to the monastery.

of the Lord, in which he served the liturgy His Holiness Patriarch, located on the territory of the Solovetsky Monastery - this is a majestic ancient cathedral, built in 1558. On this day, a patronal feast is celebrated in this cathedral.

It fell on August 19, 2014 - the Transfiguration of the Lord - on Tuesday. The features of the holiday service are such that if August 19 falls on a Sunday, then all the features of the Sunday service are canceled. Hymns, stichera, and canons will be dedicated only to the main holiday, especially since this is the Transfiguration of the Lord. The service that will be performed on any other day of the week is no different from the Sunday version.

Features of this service:

• The entire service is dedicated only to the holiday.
• At Matins, a magnification of the holiday is sung with verses from a selected psalm.
• “The Most Honest” is not sung at Matins, but is replaced by the refrains of the holiday.
• During the liturgy, the antiphons of the Transfiguration are sung.
• At the great entrance, the entrance festive verse is read.
• The Zadostoynik is sung.
• After reading the prayer behind the pulpit, the fruits of the new harvest are consecrated.
• At Vespers on the very day of the holiday, the great prokeimenon is sung.

Conclusion

The Transfiguration of the Lord is very important in the Christian world. The history of the holiday reveals its symbolism. The mountain undoubtedly signifies silence and a secluded place - these are the conditions for mental union with God in pure prayer. The name "Favor" is translated as "light, purity", which symbolizes the cleansing of the soul from the burden of sins, its enlightenment in God. The Transfiguration of the Savior signifies the main goal Christian life- complete victory of the spirit over bodily passions, cleansing from everyday dirt and acceptance of Divine light, which is possible for any person striving for God.

The Day of the Transfiguration of the Lord is a bright holiday, which is celebrated annually on August 19. Find out what traditions this carries Orthodox holiday how it was celebrated and what it is customary to pray to God about on this day.

History of the church holiday

The event that Orthodox Christians celebrate on this day is associated with the Transfiguration described in the Bible. During his sermon, Jesus revealed his Divine essence to his apostles and revealed to them that he was the son of God. Having ascended Mount Tabor, the Savior was transformed: his face shone, his clothes became bright, and the voice of the Lord from heaven said: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; Listen to him."

Jesus said that he was called to die for human sins by sacrificing himself. But after three days he will be resurrected, and then ascend to heaven.

How is it customary to celebrate the Transfiguration of the Lord?

Church services in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord begin the day before the holiday - August 18, and continue for another seven days after. On the Feast of the Transfiguration itself, a liturgy is held in churches and a canon is sung. On this day, every one of the church ministers is dressed in white clothes, emphasizing the miraculous Tabor light that overshadowed Christ.

Orthodox believers traditionally go to church on August 19, the day of Transfiguration, to celebrate the festive service. And at home it is customary to pray before the icon of our Savior Jesus Christ:

“Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who is unapproachable in the living Light,
This radiance of the Glory of the Father and the Image of His Hypostasis!
When the fulfillment of times came, You humbled Yourself for your unspeakable mercy for the fallen human race, You took on the form of a servant, You humbled Yourself, obedient even to the point of death.
Moreover, before the Cross and Your free passion on Mount Tavorstei, You were transfigured in Your Divine Glory before Your saints, the disciples and Apostles, little hiding the perception of the flesh, so that when they see You crucified and put to death, they will understand Your free suffering and Divinity.”

The Feast of the Transfiguration is popularly called Apple Savior. On this day, church and folk traditions intertwine, and both holidays are celebrated on a grand scale. Orthodox Christians bring the fruits of the new apple harvest to church to bless after the liturgy.

In the evening there are festivities. Despite the fact that the holiday falls on the Dormition Fast, the church allows more food to be served than on other fast days: fish, apple treats and wine.

The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord is considered one of the twelve main events in the Orthodox calendar and is important for every believer. By observing Orthodox traditions, you can not only honor the memory of your ancestors, but also become a little closer to God, bring faith in Him into your soul. We wish you good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

19.08.2015 00:10

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