On 19 August 2022 the festal Divine Liturgy was celebrated in our church for one of the principal Orthodox feasts, the Transfiguration of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ.
The Liturgy was celebrated by the rector of the church, Priest Igor Babakov.
"Thou wast transfigured on the mount, O Christ God, revealing Thy glory to Thy disciples as far as they could bear it. Let Thine everlasting light shine upon us sinners, through the prayers of the Theotokos. O Giver of light, glory to Thee."
...In the last year of His public ministry, while in Caesarea Philippi, the Lord, on the threshold of His coming sufferings, began to reveal to the disciples that "He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day" (Matt. 16:21). The Teacher's words greatly grieved the apostles, and especially Peter, who began to contradict the Savior, saying: "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" (Matt. 16:22). Seeing the sorrow of the disciples and wishing to ease it, Jesus Christ promises to show some of them the glory with which He would be clothed after His departure: "Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom" (Matt. 16:28). Six days later the Lord, accompanied by the disciples, set out from the region of Caesarea Philippi for the borders of Galilee. Stopping at Mount Tabor, He took with Him three disciples, Peter and the sons of Zebedee, James and John, and went up with them to the summit to pray. But the apostles, wearied, fell asleep: "But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep" (Luke 9:32). While they slept the Lord Jesus Christ was transfigured: "As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening" (Luke 9:29). Waking from sleep, the apostles saw Him in shining garments with a bright light streaming from Him. Christ was conversing with two men, the prophets Moses and Elijah, about the sufferings to come. When Christ's conversation with Moses and Elijah was drawing to a close, the apostle Peter was filled with boldness and said: "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (Luke 9:33). Peter, who was destined to be one of the builders of Christ's Church throughout the whole world, set about building "three tabernacles" (three tents) for the Teacher and the prophets who had appeared to them. He still looks upon Jesus Christ in an earthly way and places Him on a level with Moses and Elijah. "But Jesus," writes St. Ephrem the Syrian, "at once shows him that He has no need of his tabernacle, that He is the One who for forty years made a tabernacle of cloud for his fathers in the wilderness." "While he was still speaking," the holy evangelist relates, "behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!'" (Matt. 17:5). At these words the apostles fell on their faces in great fear. At that moment the glory of the Lord, and with it the prophets, was hidden from them. The Lord came to the disciples lying on the ground and said: "Arise, and do not be afraid" (Matt. 17:7). Lifting up their eyes, the apostles saw no one but the Lord Jesus. They began to come down from the mountain. On the way the Lord commanded them to tell no one about the vision until He had undergone suffering and death and had risen on the third day. The apostles fulfilled the Savior's request and kept silent for a time about what they had seen...
After the prayer before the ambo the magnification of the Transfiguration of the Lord was sung, at the end of which Priest Igor Babakov blessed the fruit of the new harvest.
