One of the greatest gospel events celebrated annually in the Christian world is the Transfiguration of the Lord. The history of the holiday began around the 4th century, when, at the initiative of the holy Empress Helen, a Christian church was built on Mount Tabor , consecrated in honor of the Transfiguration. According to the Gospel accounts, the events described occurred about 40 days before the Easter spring, but Eastern Christians celebrate the holiday in the summer. The tradition of celebrating the Transfiguration in August is associated with Great Lent: so as not to be distracted mentally 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 Holy and Life-giving Cross of the Lord, thereby reminding themselves of the chronology of 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 stories are very similar to each other.
As the scripture says, the Son of God took his beloved disciples — John, Peter, and James — and went up to Mount Tabor with them to pray to Heavenly Father. Here, during prayer, his face brightened like the sun, and his clothes became white as snow. At the same time, near the Son of God were the prophets Moses and Elijah, talking with him about the coming atoning suffering.
When the disciples saw such a transformation of their Teacher, Peter, the hottest of them, said: “Teacher, it’s good for us to be here, let's set up three shards (tents) here - for You, Moses and Elijah.” After that, they were surrounded by a cloud from which the disciples heard the voice of 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 occurs.
What does this incident mean in a spiritual sense? It is known that the Lord, while living on earth, did not perform any accidental signs or miracles. Each extraordinary event described in the Gospels necessarily has an instructive meaning and moral edification. The theological interpretation of the Transfiguration of God event is as follows:
- The phenomenon of the Holy Trinity. This is not the first time after the birth of Christ that the One God appears through the Holy Trinity. The first similar event occurred on the day of the Baptism of Jesus Christ, when, at the descent of the Holy Spirit, everyone present heard the voice of the Father recognizing His Son in Jesus Christ. The same thing happens on Tabor, when God the Father from the cloud calls to listen to His doctrine. So the Epiphany occurred, that is, the opening to the people of the Persons of the Holy Trinity.
- The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ demonstrates the union in God’s Son of two natures - Divine and human. The debate over the duality of the nature of Christ for many centuries did not stop among many Christian theologians. According to the interpretation of the Holy Fathers, the Transfiguration took place as a sign of the future transformation of all people in the Kingdom of Heaven.
- In addition, the appearance of the prophets of the Old Testament - Elijah and Moses is symbolic here. It is known that the prophet Moses died his death, and the prophet Elijah was taken with flesh to heaven. The events of the holiday, described by the holy Evangelists, show the authority of the Son of God over life and death, His royal dominion over heaven and earth.
Transfiguration Celebration Date
The patristic theological teaching left a model for posterity how to perceive such a gospel event as the Transfiguration of the Lord. The history of the holiday is annually remembered by all believing Christians. In the Orthodox Church, this event is celebrated on August 19 in a new style, and the holiday is one of the twelve (that is, one of the 12 great holidays that Orthodox Christians celebrate annually).
Holiday features
In the people this holiday is called Apple Savior. The Transfiguration of the Lord bears such a name because on this day, according to the church charter, the fruits of the new harvest should be consecrated. There is a long, pious tradition of bringing various fruits for the feast to perform special prayers over them, which are 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 fruits of apples and grapes. This is a certain restriction on fresh fruit, which begins with the Peter Lent and ends with the Transfiguration.
When this holiday is celebrated, the clergy put on white robes, symbolizing the eternal divine light revealed by Jesus Christ on Tabor.
In the Transfiguration of the Lord (Savior Apple) in the Orthodox world, the use 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 praise and prayers placed in the akathist are addressed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Each hiccup ends with the words of the apostle Peter, which he said to the Savior on Tabor at the highest minute of heart tenderness: “Jesus, the Eternal God, good to us always be under the shelter of Thy grace.” Thus, likening ourselves to the supreme apostle, we glorify the mercy of God, which can elevate human nature to divine greatness.
The giving 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 period of the celebration.
In the akathist "Transfiguration of the Lord," a prayer dedicated to the festive event is located at the very end. It is often read in Orthodox churches after the festive liturgy.
Folk traditions celebration
Orthodox Christians around the world especially honor the celebration of the Transfiguration of the Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ. There are centuries-old traditions of celebrating this event. On the eve of all Christians are trying to prepare a supply of fresh fruits. Many farmers stock up fruits grown on their own plot.
On the day of the holiday, Christians bring the most beautiful and ripe fruits to the temple and put them on the central table, preparing for consecration. Young children are very fond of this tradition, they wait with excitement and trepidation for the priest’s prayer “for the consecration of the fruits,” they try to keep fruit baskets on their own, without the help of adults. In some families there is a custom to congratulate each other, to give various gifts for the Transfiguration of the Lord. Congratulations are often formalized in poetic form. After the service, Christians go home for a festive meal. There is a pious tradition of starting dinner with consecrated fruits. There is also a slight relaxation of fasting - at the meal, eating fish is allowed. Many Orthodox mistresses at Apple Spas (Transfiguration of the Lord) prepare a variety of dishes. It can be apple and honey pies, jam.
Transfiguration. Congratulation
Many Orthodox Christians write holiday greetings to each other in verse, sending telegrams or SMS. For example, the practice of giving verses to the Transfiguration of the Lord is widespread. In addition to written congratulations, it is customary among Christians to treat each other with fruits, apple pies and go on a visit.
Celebrating the Transfiguration in the Holy Land
The Transfiguration of the Lord in the Holy Land is celebrated in a special way. Throughout the year, Tabor dignified and secluded. A few pilgrim groups visit this place mainly during the period from Lent to Pentecost. But the Feast of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor is in a special mood, as many pilgrims and tourists from Russia fill the pilgrim hostels and hotel rooms. From the surrounding areas - Kafr Yasif, Nazareth, Acre, Haifa, Cana of Galilee - also come groups of believers who want to visit the holiday directly at the site of the holy event.
After the evening service, the pious Christians have supper and try to go to bed early to attend the festive service at dawn. At the liturgy, almost all pilgrims partake of the Holy Mysteries. In addition, local believers have a tradition of baptizing infants on this holiday.
Native Christians celebrate the holy event in the very opposite. Tented in the monastery courtyard, they drink alcohol, play musical instruments, dance, shoot rifles, 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 to indicate the beginning of the morning service.
After the service, a procession takes place, which the natives of faith greet with cheerful cries and gunshots. Also reckless fun continues after the liturgy.
Signs of the Transfiguration
Folk traditions of celebrating an event such as the Transfiguration of the Lord are widespread among the people. The signs left in the popular belief are mainly related to the harvest. For example, there is a tradition on this day to treat the poor or poor with fruits grown in their garden. In this case, there is a belief that next year will be especially fruitful. In addition, if this day it was not possible to meet a needy beggar, this means that next year will be low-yielding. So the saying was born: "In the apple Spas the apple and the beggar will eat."
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 to harvest the entire grain crop until August 19, as it was believed that after this number any rain would be detrimental to it (the so-called rain-bread-mill).
Church practice not to eat the fruits of a fresh harvest is directly related to their degree of maturity. It is known that apples and grapes fully ripen only by the end of August, becoming beneficial for the body. Also, the connection between the violation of "apple fasting" and the sin of the foremother of Eve, who tasted the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden and thereby attracted the wrath of God to all mankind, was deeply rooted in the public consciousness. That is why the common people in a special way monitor the observance of the tradition of not eating fresh apples in the period before the Transfiguration.
According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, one should meet the Transfiguration of the Lord with purity and love. Signs should not be taken seriously, you can not treat them as irrefutable dogmas.
Transfiguration in 2014
August 19, 2014 The Transfiguration of the Lord was celebrated again. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated the Holy Liturgy in the Solovetsky Monastery for men . 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 monastic brotherhood, headed by his father archimandrite, and thanked for the gifts presented. This was how the congratulation of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill took place on the Holy Land of Solovetskaya during the Transfiguration of the Lord. In addition, His Holiness donated to the monastery the image of St. Seraphim Vyritsky.
The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, in which the Holy Patriarch served the liturgy, is located on the territory of the Solovetsky Monastery - this is a magnificent ancient cathedral, built in 1558. On this day, a patronal feast is celebrated in this cathedral.
Dropped August 19, 2014 - Transfiguration of the Lord - on Tuesday. The features of the festive service are such that if August 19 falls on a Sunday, then all the features of the Sunday service are canceled. Chants, stichera, canon will be dedicated only to the main holiday, especially since this is the Transfiguration of the Lord. The service, which will be performed on any other weekly day, does not differ from the Sunday version.
Features of this service:
- The whole service is dedicated only to the holiday.
- In the morning the greatness of the holiday is sung with verses from a chosen psalm.
- “Honest” is not sung in matins; it is replaced by the refrains of the holiday.
- The antiphons of the Transfiguration are sung at the liturgy.
- At the great entrance, the entrance festive verse is read.
- The Zadostoynik is sung.
- After reading the recanting prayer, the consecration of the fruits of the new crop is performed.
- On Vespers on the very day of the holiday, the great prokimen 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, means silence and a secluded place - these are conditions for a mental connection 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 denotes the main goal of Christian life - the complete victory of the spirit over bodily passions, cleansing of the filth of life and the acceptance of the Divine Light, which is possible for any person aspiring to God.