Orthodox Visual Catechism #44
Works & Words of Jesus, Part 2
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ksenia-sm/6766426781
https://pixabay.com/en/saint-john-the-baptist-icon-religion-1652345/
The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist
https://pixabay.com/en/saint-john-the-baptist-icon-religion-1652345/
King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”��Others said, “He is Elijah.”��And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”��But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
Mark 6:14-16, NIV
https://pixabay.com/en/saint-john-the-baptist-icon-religion-1652345/
For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.
Mark 6:17-20, NIV
https://pixabay.com/en/saint-john-the-baptist-icon-religion-1652345/
Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.��The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
Mark 6:21-23, NIV
https://pixabay.com/en/saint-john-the-baptist-icon-religion-1652345/
She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”��“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.��At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
Mark 6:24-25, NIV
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nikola_Mihaylov_Kozi_Dol_Church_St_John_the_Baptist_Icon.png
The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Mark 6:26-29, NIV
https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1167999
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Icon_of_John_the_Baptist_(Georgia,_15th_century).jpg
What can we learn from this seemingly tragic story?
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As part of God’s plan for salvation, John’s martyrdom allowed the coming of the Messiah to be announced to the souls in Hades, for John was the forerunner of Christ there as well as on earth. At Matins on this day we sing, “Your tongue which constantly speaks of God has preceded Christ unto death, and is sent to preach Him to those in Hades.”
The Orthodox Study Bible, note on Matthew 14:1-12.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Head_of_John_the_Baptist_icon.jpeg
As part of God’s plan for salvation, John’s martyrdom allowed the coming of the Messiah to be announced to the souls in Hades, for John was the forerunner of Christ there as well as on earth. At Matins on this day we sing, “Your tongue which constantly speaks of God has preceded Christ unto death, and is sent to preach Him to those in Hades.”
The Orthodox Study Bible, note on Matthew 14:1-12.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Head_of_John_the_Baptist_icon.jpeg
The day of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist is commemorated by the Holy Orthodox Church on September 11 (Julian Calendar … August 29 Gregorian Calendar).
“A strict fast is prescribed on this day in order to remind us of the strict life of St. John the Baptist for which he was blessed by God, and to avoid the excesses of Herod which led to such a terrible sin. The Holy Church teaches that St. John the Forerunner is the greatest of all saints after the Mother of God.”
The Law of God (Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy),, pp. 282-283
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Head_of_John_the_Baptist_icon.jpeg
HOMILY ON THE FEAST OF THE BEHEADING OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
“Today is a little Great Friday, a second Great Friday. For today the greatest man among those born of women, John, the Holy Forerunner and Baptiser of the Lord, is murdered. On Great Friday, people murdered God, crucified God. On today’s holy great feast, people murdered the greatest of all men….
This is why today is a little Great Friday. Consider: senseless people murder the greatest of the righteous. Is he getting in their way? Yes, he gets between the perverse King Herod and the dissolute Herodias. God’s Truth, God’s immutable Truth gets in the way of the lawless, gets in the way of poor sinners, gets in the way of everyone stupefied by the various passions.
St. Justin Popovic @ http://pravoslavie.ru/82050.html
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Head_of_John_the_Baptist_icon.jpeg
Brothers and sisters, whenever you are in great sorrow, turn to that first Apostle of Christ, and he will help you with all of your burdens. And should some kind of misfortune happen, turn to that first Evangelist. No matter what bitterness might fill your soul, he will sweeten it with Christ’s grace, which he will mystically send down to your tortured soul from the World on High. And when you find yourself in temptations and horrors of this earthly life, run to him, to the Holy Confessor; tell him what is in your heart, pour out your sorrows and spiritual needs and rest assured that in a mystical, divine manner, he will come down into your soul and will save you, and will deliver you from all temptations and woes.
St. Justin Popovic @ http://pravoslavie.ru/82050.html
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Head_of_John_the_Baptist_icon.jpeg
But should you need to suffer for the Lord Jesus Christ in this world: should others attack you on all sides, should atheists and those who oppose Christ want to swallow you up, to destroy you for belonging to Christ, should they want to silence your voice, to stop it from speaking of Christ, then remember that first Martyr, and call out to him: O Holy Martyr, first Martyr of Christ in the Gospels, hurry to my aid! Grant that may I die for the Lord Jesus Christ, leave my body like temporary clothing, and by the path of the Holy Martyrs move to Christ’s Kingdom! He will entreat the Lord that you might also join the host of Luminaries.
St. Justin Popovic @ http://pravoslavie.ru/82050.html
https://pixabay.com/en/sea-of-galilee-lake-reed-israel-1203497/
The Miraculous Feeding of the People with Five Loaves
When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”��“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
Matthew 14:13-17, NIV … Also see Mk 6:30-44, Lk 9:10-17, Jn 6:1-15
http://www.pravmir.com/the-feeding-of-the-five-thousand/
“Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Matthew 14:18-21, NIV
http://www.pravmir.com/the-feeding-of-the-five-thousand/
https://pixabay.com/en/sea-of-galilee-lake-reed-israel-1203497/
What can we learn from this story?
This miracle, reported by all four evangelists, shows Jesus feeding a great multitude of His people as He fed the Israelites in the desert (see Ex 16). The Church Fathers see in this an image of the Eucharist, an idea made clear in Jn 6. In 15:32-39, another miracle is mentioned in which Jesus feeds four thousand people with seven loaves and a few small fish.
The Orthodox Study Bible, note on Matthew 14:14-21
http://www.pravmir.com/the-feeding-of-the-five-thousand/
Jesus shows us that we should never eat without first giving thanks to God. The terminology points to the Last Supper (26:26) and leads to a eucharistic interpretation of this miracle. Just as the disciples distribute bread to the multitudes, so also Christ feeds the Eucharist to His flock through the hands of His bishops and presbyters.
The Orthodox Study Bible, note on Matthew 14:19
http://www.pravmir.com/the-feeding-of-the-five-thousand/
There is also a lesson here about trusting God when things seem impossible. Jesus tells the disciples, “You give them something to eat.” When the disciples calculate their resources, it’s not even close. If anyone knew where to get food, Philip was the likely candidate. He was from nearby Bethsaida (about 9 miles away). Philip calculates it would take 8 months of wages to buy enough food to feed the crowd (Mark 6 & John 6). The disciples learn that financial resources do not limit God. God can do the miraculous. His followers can trust Him to provide.
The Life Application Bible - notes on John 6:1-15
http://www.pravmir.com/the-feeding-of-the-five-thousand/
In performing miracles, God often works through people. Here He works through a young child who offered what he had. Age was no barrier. Christ accomplished one of His most spectacular miracles through a child.
There is also a lesson in the leftovers. He can take whatever resources are offered to Him, and multiply them beyond human imagination. God gives in abundance.
The Life Application Bible - notes on John 6:1-15
http://www.pravmir.com/the-feeding-of-the-five-thousand/
Photo by Ekaterina Kartushina on Unsplash
Jesus Christ Walking on the Water
Matthew 14:22-36; Mark 6:45-56; John 6:16-21
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Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.��Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.��But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”��“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”��“Come,” he said.
Matthew 14:22-29a, NIV
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Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”��Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”��And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”��When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Matthew 14:29b-36, NIV
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Llu%C3%ADs_Borrass%C3%A0_-_St_Peter_is_Walking_on_the_Water_-_WGA02479.jpg
Questions to Ponder:
Is this the first time the disciples have been caught in a storm? Why is this significant?
How could Peter walk on water?
What caused Peter to begin sinking?
What can we learn from this story?
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Llu%C3%ADs_Borrass%C3%A0_-_St_Peter_is_Walking_on_the_Water_-_WGA02479.jpg
This is not the first time the disciples have been caught in a storm (see Matthew 8:23-27).
“The first time He was with them; here He had left them alone. In this way, Christ strengthens their faith that He will always be with them in the midst of the storms of life.” (Orthodox Study Bible note on Matthew 14:27)
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How was Peter able to walk on water? He only walks on water after Jesus said, “Come.”
What caused Peter to begin sinking? It was when he saw the wind … he was afraid … and began sinking.
The response of Jesus is revealing: You of little faith, why did you doubt?
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We sink when we focus on problems, distractions, and circumstances instead of keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Whenever we feel overwhelmed with temptations, worries, and difficult situations, we should call upon the Lord Jesus Christ for help. We can offer short prayers from our heart.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.
Photo by Yuriy Kovalev on Unsplash
The Healing of the Daughter of the Canaanite Woman
Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30
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Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
Matthew 15:21-25, NIV
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He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”��“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”��Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
Matthew 15:26-28, NIV
Questions to Ponder
Why does Jesus respond this way?
Why doesn’t Jesus heal the daughter immediately?
Why does He seem to exclude the Gentiles from His salvation?
Why does He call her a dog?
Why does the woman seem to “play along” and agree?
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What can we learn from this story?
We may find it hard to understand this passage. Why doesn’t the Lord heal her daughter immediately? Why does He seem to exclude the Gentiles from His salvation? Why does He call her a dog?
To answer these questions, we have to remember that the Jews of that time typically believed that their Messiah was for them only, that God’s blessings were for the Jews to the exclusion of the rest of the world. This Gentile woman knows enough about Christ to call Him “Son of David,” a Jewish term for the Messiah, and that He is a healer. But when her conversation with the Lord begins, it’s not clear what kind of faith she has in Him. By the end of the conversation, however, it’s quite clear that she has a faith in Him that surpasses that of most of the Jews and of the disciples. For she knows that in Jesus Christ God’s blessings extend to all people who believe in Him, that through Him the crumbs of the table of Abraham spill over to feed and bless the whole world.
https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/easternchristianinsights/2013/02/16/homily-for-the-sunday-of-the-canaanite-woman-in-the-orthodox-church/
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ilyas_Basim_Khuri_Bazzi_Rahib_-_Jesus_and_the_Canaanite_Woman_-_Walters_W59243A_-_Full_Page.jpg
What can we learn from this story?
The Lord’s apparent exclusion of the Gentiles from His ministry is a teaching tool to help her and the disciples see the truth about God’s salvation and blessing. She didn’t deny that, in the story of the Old Testament, the Jews are the Chosen People, the children of God. She didn’t balk at being called one of the dogs, one of the unclean Gentiles; she must have known that that was how the Jews thought of her and her kind. But she knew the message of the Scriptures even better than the Jews, for God told Abraham that through him and his family all the nations of the world would be blessed; and Hebrew prophets envisioned the day when all the nations would come to the mountain of the Lord. And now in Jesus Christ, Jew and Gentile alike become beloved children who share fully in God’s blessings.
https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/easternchristianinsights/2013/02/16/homily-for-the-sunday-of-the-canaanite-woman-in-the-orthodox-church/
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ilyas_Basim_Khuri_Bazzi_Rahib_-_Jesus_and_the_Canaanite_Woman_-_Walters_W59243A_-_Full_Page.jpg
What can we learn from this story?
Our Savior’s apparent delay in healing her daughter is also a teaching tool designed to strengthen her faith, to bring her belief in Him to maturity. We have probably all learned important lessons through patience, by having to persist in getting what we want. The same is true for this woman. Her final insight in this conversation is like that of St. Simeon when the forty-day old Christ is presented in the Temple: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word. For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people: A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of the Thy people Israel.” Simeon’s life of patient waiting for the Messiah came to fulfillment when he held the baby Jesus in his arms in the Jerusalem Temple. God’s anointed, the Savior, had finally come. And that is good news both for the Jew and the Gentile, for the whole world. The patience of the Canaanite woman and of St. Simeon was rewarded, for both received the Messiah with faith.
https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/easternchristianinsights/2013/02/16/homily-for-the-sunday-of-the-canaanite-woman-in-the-orthodox-church/
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ilyas_Basim_Khuri_Bazzi_Rahib_-_Jesus_and_the_Canaanite_Woman_-_Walters_W59243A_-_Full_Page.jpg
What can we learn from this story?
Many of us admire teachers, coaches, parents, or other mentors and instructors who tested us, who did not make it easy because we grew through their tough guidance and high expectations. We became stronger, more mature, more capable and confident people by overcoming challenges that at first may have seemed insurmountable. The same is true of this woman’s relationship with Jesus Christ. He challenged her to see clearly where she stood before Him. Had she been full of pride, she would have walked away. Had she been impatient or insincere, she would have left. But she knew that in this man she encountered the salvation of God for her daughter, and she let nothing deter her. She refused to be denied.
This Canaanite woman is a tremendous model for us as Christians, for we so easily give up on the Lord and on ourselves. We are tempted to think that we are who we are, that there is no point in trying to change, and that even God can’t heal and transform us. . . .
https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/easternchristianinsights/2013/02/16/homily-for-the-sunday-of-the-canaanite-woman-in-the-orthodox-church/
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ilyas_Basim_Khuri_Bazzi_Rahib_-_Jesus_and_the_Canaanite_Woman_-_Walters_W59243A_-_Full_Page.jpg
What can we learn from this story?
We all need to follow her example in our own lives. With patience, humility, and persistence, we must call upon the mercy of Christ for His healing and transformation. We must not be paralyzed with guilt or shame, no matter what we have done at any point in our lives. We must refuse to be distracted by our fears and reject the temptation to take the easy way out by making excuses. And then, like her, we will come to know that God’s salvation really is for us, that there are no limits to His presence in our lives other than those we set by our own sins and lack of faith. Like her, let us refuse to be conquered by fear and instead throw ourselves upon the mercy of Christ with courage, patience, and perseverance. For this alone is the path to the Kingdom of God.
https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/easternchristianinsights/2013/02/16/homily-for-the-sunday-of-the-canaanite-woman-in-the-orthodox-church/
Photo by Michal Kmeť on Unsplash
The Confession of Peter & The First Prediction of the Lord about His Suffering, Death, and Resurrection
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When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”�
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”�
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”��Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”�
Matthew 16:13-16, NIV
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Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Matthew 16:17-20, NIV
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_Peter,_St._Paul_the_Apostle_Orthodox_Church,_Dayton,_Ohio.jpg
The Greatest Question:
“Who do you say that I am?”
You are the Christ, Son of the Living God.
Christ = Anointed One = Messiah
Revealed by God the Father
The Rock Upon Which the Church is Built
The Church - Unstoppable & Triumphant
The Keys of the Kingdom … In the Church
The Church - Connecting Heaven & Earth
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_Peter,_St._Paul_the_Apostle_Orthodox_Church,_Dayton,_Ohio.jpg
The Unexpected Prediction:
A Suffering Messiah
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Matthew 16:21, NIV
“It was expected that the Messiah would reign forever, so the idea that Christ would die was perplexing to Peter and remained scandalous to the Jews even after the resurrection (1Co 1:23).”
Orthodox Study Bible
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_Peter,_St._Paul_the_Apostle_Orthodox_Church,_Dayton,_Ohio.jpg
The Unexpected Challenge:
An Apostle Speaks for Satan
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
�Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Matthew 16:22-23, NIV
“Peter unwittingly speaks for Satan, as the devil did not want Christ to fulfill His mission and save mankind through suffering and death.”
Orthodox Study Bible
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_Peter,_St._Paul_the_Apostle_Orthodox_Church,_Dayton,_Ohio.jpg
The Unexpected Message
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:24-26, NKJV
�“The cross, a dreaded instrument of Roman punishment, is also a symbol of suffering by Christians in imitation of Christ.”
Orthodox Study Bible
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_Peter,_St._Paul_the_Apostle_Orthodox_Church,_Dayton,_Ohio.jpg
Reflection
Where is your mind fixed? On the “things of men” or the “things of God?”
(Colossians 3:1-2)
Do you desire to follow Christ?
Deny Self * Take Up Cross * Follow Him
Save Life = Lose Life
Lose Life for Christ = Find Life
Gain World = Lose Soul
What will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Photo by Artem Sapegin on Unsplash
The Transfiguration of the Lord
Photo Credit: Ted Bobosh, CC BY-SA 2.0
For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.��“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Matthew 16:27-28, NIV
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Matthew 17:1-3, NIV
Photo Credit: Ted Bobosh, CC BY-SA 2.0
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”��While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
Matthew 17:4-5, NIV
When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” Matthew 17:6-9 NIV
https://www.goarch.org/transfiguration
The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”��Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.
But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
Matthew 17:10-13
https://www.goarch.org/transfiguration
In the Feast of the Transfiguration, Orthodox Christians reflect on central elements of the Faith.
Troparion
You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God,
revealing Your glory to Your disciples as far as they could bear it.
Let Your everlasting Light also shine upon us sinners,
through the prayers of the Theotokos.
O Giver of Light, glory to You!
Kontakion
On the Mountain You were Transfigured, O Christ God,
And Your disciples beheld Your glory as far as they could see it;
So that when they would behold You crucified,
They would understand that Your suffering was voluntary,
And would proclaim to the world,
That You are truly the Radiance of the Father!
https://www.goarch.org/transfiguration
The Holy Orthodox Church celebrates the glorious Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ, on August 6th (August 19 NS). This day is one of the major feast days. By His Transfiguration, the Saviour has showed us how people become in the future life, in the Kingdom of Heaven, if they follow God’s Law and how the entire earthly world would be transfigured. The Lord also reminds us that we can be transfigured even now if we lead a truly Christian life.��On the Feast of Transfiguration, after the Liturgy, fruit is brought to the church to be blessed for eating: grapes and, in general, fruit from orchards such as apples, pears, and plums in order to ask the Lord’s blessing on the fruits of the harvest.
The Law of God (Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy)
https://www.goarch.org/transfiguration
We celebrate the Feast of our Lord’s Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, an event which helps us better understand our own purpose in life. Our goal in life should be nothing less than transfiguration! To be transfigured, to be transformed, to be lifted up out of the superficialities of the world and to become “a new creation” in Jesus Christ, one truly united with our divine Lord and filled with His Divine Light and energies! This is the message we hear in this Feast’s Gospel (Matthew 17:1-9) – catching both a glimpse of Jesus’ divine nature, while also realizing our own true nature, a humanity destined to unite with Christ’s divinity!
http://schwebster.org/sermons/2014-sermons/be-transfigured
OrthodoxIndiana.org
FatherArseny.com
https://www.pexels.com/photo/agriculture-barley-field-beautiful-close-up-207247/