The Transfiguration of the Lord in 2025: the true story of the great holiday
The celebration of the Transfiguration of the Lord is already taking place today, on August 19, in all Orthodox churches in Russia. The Russian Orthodox Church will celebrate the day when Jesus Christ appeared to the three apostles in his Divine majesty and glory. How the Gospel described it, what is the spiritual meaning of the holiday, as well as what the church service for the Transfiguration consists of — in the Izvestia material
Transfiguration of the Lord: when is the holiday in 2025
The Transfiguration of the Lord is one of the twelve main holidays of the Orthodox calendar and is known in folk tradition as the Apple Savior. In the Gospel, the Transfiguration is called the appearance of the Son of God, in which the Father testifies with a voice from the bright cloud of the Holy Spirit. Thus all the persons of the Holy Trinity appeared to the apostles.
The Transfiguration of the Lord in 2025 will traditionally be celebrated on August 19, it will mark the union of two natures in Jesus Christ — divine and human. This will be preceded by a day of celebration, which is dated August 18, and after that — seven days of celebration until August 26.
The day belongs to the number of the twelve feasts, that is, it is one of the most important Orthodox church holidays. And the word "twelve" itself comes from the Old Russian phrase "two on ten", that is, twelve, the number of the most important events in the earthly life of Jesus Christ and his mother Theotokos.
Transfiguration in 2025: briefly about the feast according to the Gospel
The story of how Jesus Christ appeared in His divine glory to the three apostles on the top of Mount Tabor is narrated by three evangelists — Matthew, Mark and Luke. Their stories are similar, but they have some differences, including in the description of how Jesus Christ changed.
Thus, according to Matthew and Mark, the Transfiguration took place six days after Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah, as well as after predicting what future sufferings and miraculous resurrection await Christ in Jerusalem. Mount Tabor lay just on the way to the city, where the treacherous execution later took place.
Jesus Christ ascended Tabor together with the three apostles John, James and Peter (and his brothers). What happened next is described by Luke, whose passage is often read at the beginning of Lent. According to his Gospel, the Transfiguration took place at the moment when Jesus Christ was praying on the mountain, and his disciples were in a dream.
When the apostles woke up, Jesus appeared to them in a radiant form and, before their eyes, talked with two biblical prophets— Moses and Elijah. The admiration felt by the disciples of Jesus Christ is emphasized in all three Gospels, including Peter's words: "Rabbi! It is good for us to be here; we will make three tabernacles: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
And after these words, a cloud appeared, from which a voice was heard: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him." Jesus forbade telling about the vision, which later became an omen of the victory of life over death, until "the Son of Man rises from the dead."
The meaning and spiritual meaning of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
The Transfiguration of the Lord, the appearance of Jesus Christ in His eternal and Divine glory, has many meanings: This is both a prototype of the transfiguration of man after the resurrection, and the appearance of the Holy Trinity through revelation, that is, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and a reminder that one must not lose faith in the face of trials and death.
Speaking about the significance of the holiday for the human race, John Chrysostom emphasizes that it can be considered as a sign of the transformation of the essence of man. And according to Ephraim the Syrian, Jesus Christ, having been transformed on Mount Tabor, "united two Covenants accepted by the Church" — the Old and the New.
This is also emphasized in the tradition of Orthodox iconography: Jesus is depicted on icons in white robes and surrounded by sunlight. He is located on the top of Mount Tabor in Galilee, and next to him are the prophets of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah. Below are the New Testament Peter, James and John the Theologian, the witnesses of the Miracle who fell to the ground.
How is the Transfiguration of the Lord celebrated
The Transfiguration of the Lord usually falls on the Dormition Fast, during which Orthodox Christians are forbidden to eat meat and dairy products, as well as bird eggs. However, on the holiday itself, Christians can eat fish — it is allowed, as well as hot food with vegetable oil, as well as communion wine.
Believers traditionally turn to the icon of the Transfiguration of the Lord after church services. It is believed that it helps believers find what they want if they sincerely ask for it in prayer.
Initially, grapes were consecrated on the holiday, from which wine was made, which served in the sacrament of Holy communion. But today, on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord, parishioners bring vegetables and fruits — the first fruits of the new harvest. Then they treat their loved ones and put them on the table.
Church service for the Transfiguration on August 19
On the eve of the feast, parishioners visit the church to defend the preparatory service — an All-Night vigil held after Great Vespers, where the parodies of the feast are read and the litany is performed.
As soon as the next day arrives, the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church will put on white robes. They symbolize the clothes in which Christ appeared to his disciples, as well as the light of Mount Tabor.
During morning prayer, that is, the festal matins, polyeleos is performed, and the canons of the Venerable theologians Cosmas of Mayum and John of Damascus are usually heard. In addition, liturgies and processions celebrating the Savior are held in churches.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
