Every year when August rolls around we concentrate on the 15 Days of August, filled with many Paraklesis services and we set our sights on the Dormition of the Theotokos. In doing so however, we often overlook an extremely important feast day of our Church, one that teaches us about who we are to be! On August 6 we celebrate the great feast day of the Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor. We can look at this glorious feast from many different angles but perhaps the most necessary one in our times is to understand the Apostles Peter’s dilemma surrounding the Transfiguration.

In Matthew 16, just before the reading on Transfiguration in Matthew 17, we find Peter with his great confession of who Jesus is, he nails it! We also see that he quickly loses that correctness when Christ rebukes the disciples, specifically Peter for desiring that Christ do what they think He should do when Peter cries out, “Far be it from you” that the Christ suffer and be crucified. This is not what Peter, the disciples, and most of the Jews want! Christ clarifies His Way more, humbling Peter and our intentions for glory saying, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” What good would it do us to rule the entire world, but then die? These are troubling words if we think, like Peter, that Christ will give us a Kingdom or prosperity or simply ease of life here on earth. Or that through politics and earthly power we perhaps could change anything about the previously unconquerable problem of death.

So then what? After these difficult words, Christ brings his three closest disciples up the mountain and reveals Himself to them in all His Glory. They can do nothing but fall in awe and fear. Peter can do nothing but know that it is good for them to be there. He is encouraged. He doesn’t know exactly what is happening, but he knows he must stop and worship God. Hopefully we too recognize these moments in our life and see when God is giving us encouragement in whatever small way. However, St Ephraim the Syrian upbraids Peter in his homily on the Transfiguration speaking from the mouth of Christ saying, “Peter, what are you saying? If we remain here, who fulfils the word of the Prophets?...If we remain here, who will tear up Adam’s debt?...How will you take the keys of heaven from me [that I just promised to you!]? Who will you bind? Who will you loose?” While we receive great encouragement from being in the presence of God, even in a small moment, we cannot remain there; the purpose of the moment is to encourage us in our struggles and help us share the glory of God to the world.

Our lives are so full of tests and trials, things do not work out as we wish and the world remains imperfect and yet, we do see pieces of the glory and power of God all around us. It is these moments that can remind us of our goal: eternity with God in Glory. We too can be transfigured even out of our great error and hopelessness. In fact, this is our entire reason for being. We must transfigure our lowly, sinful selves into vessels of Power and Grace from God. When we encounter God, we are encouraged and gain strength and faith, and we do this most clearly in worship and through Holy Communion. In the end however, we too must join the disciples and return “down the mountain” bringing His Light to all.