Transfiguration of Christ. Transfiguration of the Lord: the history of the holiday. Apple Savior - Transfiguration of the Lord

1) The place of the holiday within the boundaries of the Orthodox liturgical year.

The Transfiguration of the Lord is the twelveth Lord's feast of the Orthodox Church. Very solemn in its own way liturgical succession, nevertheless, he always falls on the Dormition post; the very same post, preceding the feast of the Assumption Holy Mother of God, lasts from July 31 to August 14 st. Art. (or from 13 to 27 August New Style).

2) Connection of the holiday with events Sacred history Of the Old and New Testaments.

Mount Tabor is a low green peak on the northern edge of the vast Israel Valley. All overgrown with oak trees olive trees, grasses, it resembles in its shape a huge, softly outlined hemisphere that reigns over the surrounding fields, vineyards and villages. From the top of the mountain there is a view of the nearby lands of northern Palestine: the waters of the Mediterranean Sea gleam far to the west, the edge of Lake Galilee is visible in the northeast, the peaks of Carmel rise to the west, and the white peak of Mount Hermon is clearly visible in the distance to the north of Tabor ...

Church Tradition testifies to us that it was here, at the top of Tabor, that the event took place, which went down in the history of Orthodoxy under the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord. In those days, the time of suffering was already approaching and death on the cross Christ: Jesus Himself more and more often spoke with His apostles about the torment and crucifixion that lay ahead of Him. And so, one day He, taking with Him three disciples closest to Him, ascended with them to the top of Tabor, in order to pray here. The names of these three apostles are Peter, John and James. When Christ began to pray, with Him - as His companions saw - suddenly there was an amazing change: His face was transformed, shining like the sun; even His robe became a snow-white and shining unearthly light. According to the Evangelist Mark, the Savior's robes became "very white, like snow, as a whitener cannot whiten on earth." And next to the transformed Jesus appeared the great ancients Old Testament prophets: Moses and Elijah. They talked with the Lord and spoke about His forthcoming sufferings on the Cross. Then the Apostle Peter, struck by the miracle that was taking place, turned to Christ with a request to allow the disciples right here - on the mountain - to set up three tents: one for Jesus and two for Moses and Elijah. The apostle simply did not want everything that happened to him to ever end, be interrupted: it was so good for him in those moments to be near Christ. At the same moment, a cloud appeared in the sky, overshadowing all of them with its shadow, and from this cloud a Voice resounded: "This is My beloved Son; listen to Him." And then the vision was gone; the apostles no longer saw anyone next to them except the Savior Himself. He approached them, kneeling in awe, and, touching them with his hand, said: "Rise up and do not be afraid."

This is, in brief, the content of the Gospel story of the Transfiguration (see: Gospel of Matthew 17: 1-13; Gospel of Mark 9: 2-13; Gospel of Luke 9: 28-36).

3) The spiritual meaning of the holiday.

The Church has always asserted that in the very fact of the Transfiguration there are, as it were, two sides, two facets, complementing and mutually affirming each other. On the one hand, on Mount Tabor, the Lord Himself is transformed, and the apostles see Him, completely penetrated by the rays of divine glory, see what, according to the Orthodox doctrine, is called "uncreated divine energies." As St. John Chrysostom writes, the fact that the Lord was transformed means that He “revealed to them something of His Deity - as much as they could contain, and showed the dwelling God in Himself”. But on the other side, Orthodox Christian always remember that during the Transfiguration of the Lord miraculously the bodily nature of the apostles themselves also changed. Moreover, the "uncreated Tabor light" shone with itself and the entire surrounding "created" world. So, on old Russian icons with the plot of the Transfiguration, you can often see how the peaks of the surrounding mountains sparkle with snow-white radiance. Even the woven garments of Christ, which were still quite ordinary recently, also suddenly become permeated with the same divine light.

Christians know the bitter truth about the damage, distortion of all nature, the entire universe by the first sin of man - disobedience to God by Adam. Everything in this world, including man himself, then submitted to the law of corruption and death. Yet such knowledge does not entail either despair or pessimism for the Orthodox. The Gospel story about the Transfiguration of the Savior gives hope for the return of the human race and the entire universe to their former, sinless state of initial spiritual purity. The miracle of the Transfiguration, which lasted, perhaps not for long (perhaps only a few minutes), testifies to the fact that everything in this world is still capable of returning "to square one" - to the original being in holiness. It was to the state of such holiness, such primordial purity that the apostles returned to those moments, who suddenly acquired a special spiritually transformed vision and therefore received the opportunity to see the mysterious "Tabor light" - the "unavailable" light of Christ's glory. Their eyes, opened to the insight of the highest spiritual reality, then perceived our whole world, all material existence as it once stood before the human gaze even before everything on earth was submitted to vanity and sin.

Truly, the Transfiguration of the Lord was not only the Transfiguration of Christ Himself, but also the transformation of the witnesses of this gospel miracle of the apostles Peter, James and John. Every Christian strives for the same transformation of his personality. Christianity itself is, first of all, a difficult science for changing and correcting oneself, a school for the inner and outer transformation of man. After all, all Christians are called to acquire the same life-giving and sanctifying grace that once descended upon Jesus' disciples during their stay with Him on Mount Tabor. But Christians also remember that the vocation of every believing person is by no means limited to his personal, "private" transformation. For even during his creation, man was set by God to be responsible for this whole world, for the entire universe; he was to become her kind steward and protector. Adam failed then to fulfill the command given to him by the Creator. And only with the coming into the world of the God-man Christ - together with His atoning Sacrifice, death and Resurrection, such a difficult task again becomes for all people and relevant and significant ...

The Church teaches that by transforming himself, gaining genuine holiness and purity, a person simultaneously transforms the entire material world with himself. Today we are almost entirely dependent on the nature around us: earthquakes, storms, other natural disasters bring us grief and death. Sometimes it even seems: the world has completely forgotten that its original owner is man. Already the universe is now beginning to more and more resemble an unfortunate blind man who has lost his mind, at random, without making out the road, hurrying somewhere ahead, sweeping away everything in its path and sowing death and destruction around. The man himself is to blame for everything that happens to nature, of course. It is because of his ancient disobedience of the divine will, because of his fall from grace, that the universe is now in its present state of "blindness."

But as soon as a person approaches the attainment of holiness, the “attainment of grace,” as soon as he (in the spiritual transformation he achieves) realizes his true responsibility for this world, the boundless, infinite universe itself turns its gaze to it. This gaze is always filled with both suffering and hope. “All creation groans together and is tormented to this day” - writes the Apostle Paul (Romans 8:22). It is in the person of the saints - people who are internally transformed by the rays of divine grace - that nature finds the fulfillment of its hope of deliverance, it is in their person that it finds, it would seem, forever lost by her, but now redeemed and reborn Adam; again she hears the call of a man addressed to her and hurries to fulfill each of his commands. So, animals come and humbly serve the monks of the Judean desert or Russian forests, exhausted by spiritual and physical exploits. A hardworking lion brings water from the Jordan River to Saint Gerasim, a huge bear fearlessly lies at the feet of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, all kinds of birds sit carelessly on the shoulders and arms of Saint Paul of Obnorsk. And together with the birth of such holiness, together with the incessant shining of Tabor's light reigning in the world, the long-forgotten joy, the happiness of voluntary and unselfish service, loyalty of the beautiful and good universe to its former king and ruler returns here.

The Transfiguration of the Lord also takes place for the sake of the disciples, through this miracle, to be strengthened in faith in the Divinity of Christ. The time of the Crucifixion is approaching and Jesus is striving to give them a pledge of hope that with His death the history of His ministry, His stay with those who believe in Him, not only does not end, but, on the contrary, only begins. Christ is transformed before them, so that the apostles would see and understand the degree of His true greatness and power, and also enlighten that the Crucifixion of Jesus is really free, a free Sacrifice, brought by Him for the world, voluntary humiliation, taken upon Himself by Christ, and by no means His powerlessness before the murderers. As the Monk Ephraim the Syrian writes, Christ raised the apostles “to the mountain in order to show them the glory of the Divine and to let them know that He is the Redeemer ... to humanity. For they knew Him as a man, and did not understand that He was God ... And therefore he raises them up a mountain so that the Father would proclaim Him as the Son and show them that He really is the Son of God and God. He led them up a mountain, and showed them His Kingdom before His sufferings, His power before His death, and His glory before His reproach, and His honor before His dishonor, so that when it was taken and crucified by the Jews, they would know that they were not crucified according to weakness, but according to His own pleasure, voluntarily, for the salvation of the world. "

4) The history of the holiday.

The oldest patristic sermons dedicated to this holiday date back to the 5th century. The time of the gradual spread of the holiday of the Transfiguration in the East was the 7th-8th centuries. The most ancient rite of the service of the Transfiguration that has come down to us is contained in the Georgian translation of the Jerusalem Lectionary of the 7th-8th centuries. In the West, a holiday of such of great importance, as in the East, never had.

5) Characteristics festive services in different historical periods. The authors of the liturgical texts.

The liturgical texts of the holiday belong to: the Monk Kosma of Mayum (VII-VIII centuries) - stichera on "Lord I have cried", the first canon of the holiday; to the Monk John of Damascus (VIII century) - the second canon.

As mentioned above, the holiday was timed to coincide with August 6 in order to eradicate the pagan holiday “Vardavar” (as it was called in Armenia) or “Vartuvaria” (as it was called in Cappadocia); on the day of this pagan holiday, young people wondered about their fate over a bucket of water, into which the plucked green ears were dipped.

In the West, the holiday of the Transfiguration was established as ubiquitous only under Pope Calixte III - in 1457.

Since ancient times, the custom of consecrating grapes and ears of wheat has been timed to coincide with the holiday; in Russia - in those places where grapes do not grow - there is an ancient tradition of consecration of apples.

6) Preparatory period of the holiday. Forefeast and afterfeast.

The Feast of the Transfiguration has one day of the forefeast and seven days of the afterfeast. Day of the holiday of the Transfiguration - August 13, Art. Art. / August 26 n. Art. - already on the eve of the forefeast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.

7) The most important features of the festive worship.

The festive service is performed in white priestly vestments, symbolically “reflecting” the light with which the Savior's clothes on Mount Tabor shone.

The succession of the service of the Transfiguration is contained in the monthly Menaion - in the August volume.

The rite of the festive divine service is a solemn solemn all-night vigil... On the very day of the holiday, the Liturgy is celebrated in the morning, to which a special “prayer for the blessing of the bunch” (that is, bunches of grapes) and “prayer over every fruit” are added. In Russia, it is customary to consecrate apples here (until that day, according to the church charter, they were not allowed to be eaten at all).

Troparion feast: "Thou art transformed on the mountain, Christ God, showing Thy glory to Thy disciple, as I can, may Thy Light shine upon us, sinners, with the prayers of the Theotokos, the Light-Giver, glory to Thee." The Russian translation of the troparion: “You were transformed on the mountain, Christ God, showing your glory to your disciples, as far as they could see it. May Thy eternal Light shine on us, sinners, through the prayers of the Mother of God, the Giver of Light, glory to Thee. "

Kondak feast: "On the mountain you were transformed, and as if you contained your disciples, your glory, Christ God, I saw, and when they see you crucified, they will understand their suffering, the world will preach that you are truly the Father's Radiance." Translation of the kontakion into Russian: “You, Christ God, were transformed on the mountain, and your disciples saw Your glory as far as they could perceive it, so that when they see You crucified, they would understand Your voluntary suffering and proclaim to the world that You really are the Father's Radiance”.

V stichera and canon holiday reveals the full depth of its theological meaning. "To this very mountain, Savior, with Thy disciples, have ascended the mountain, the blackened Adamic nature, have been transfigured, glimpsed the packs (that is, again) have you created, having transformed the glory and lordship into Thy Godhead." It is also quite common here to compare the event of the Transfiguration of the Lord with the circumstances of the Old Testament Epiphany to Moses on Mount Horeb.

Paremia holidays tell about the Old Testament manifestations of God to the ancient righteous. The first (the book of Exodus 24: 12-18) and the second (the book of Exodus 33: 11-23) of them speak of the events associated with the appearance of God to Moses on the top of Horeb. The Lord appears here completely differently than He would once appear to His disciples at Tabor: Moses cannot see His face - otherwise he will die. Only in the New Testament can a person already see God Himself, for God has become one of us. The third paremia (3 Kings 19: 3-9,11-13-15-16) tells about another Old Testament Manifestation. The Lord appears here to the prophet Elijah. This Epiphany is preceded by terrible natural phenomena - wind, earthquake, fire; but it is not in them that God appears before Elijah, but in the quiet breeze of the wind, in the “voice of coldness is thin” - signifying Divine love and mercy for creation, for man.

Evangelical readings of Matins (Gospel of Luke 9: 28-36) and Liturgy (Gospel of Matthew 17: 1-9) tell about the very event of the Transfiguration. It also tells about apostolic reading containing the story of a direct witness of this miracle - the Apostle Peter (2 Epistle of the Apostle Peter 1: 10-19).

(Second Savior)

6/August 19

Tro-pari-ni-ka

O Christ our God! You pre-ob-ra-zil on the mountain, for-how-to-know-how Your glory to the teachers is as-how-as-how-how-they could see her. Yes, vos-si-i-em according to the prayers of Bo-go-ro-di-ts and to us, sinners, Your eternal light. By-da-tel light, sla-va Te-be!

Kontakion Holidays

O Christ our God! You pre-ob-ra-zil on the mountain, and Your disciples will see your glory for so much, how much they could see her -receive, - so that, see-dev Te-bya ras-pi-na-e-mo-go, in-nya-whether: Thy suffering is good-ro-will-but, and pro- ve-yes-whether to the world that You are in-is-ti-well Si-i-nie of the Father.

Apo-so-so reading on Li-tur-gii

[Sl-va boo-doo-ve-ka]

Brothers, more and more than a hundred-heaven-try to make solid-smoke your name and selection, for by doing this, you are never able to -tknё-tees. After all, this is how you open a free entrance to the eternal Kingdom of the Lord of ours and Spa-si-te-la of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I must always tell you about this, even though you know this and are approved in the right way. tine.

But I think it’s fair, since I’m in this [te-forest-noy] pa-lat-ke, pro-wake-up-give you na-mi-na-no-it, knowing that soon from-no-met-Xia this pa-lat-ka is mine, like the Lord our Jesus Christ announced to me. I’ll try so that you can, and after my ex-out, on every occasion, remember about it.

After all, we did-yes-whether you si-lu and the coming of the Lord-for-yes-Jesus Christ, not following the smart-ro-splash -ten-ny-mi-bass-nya-mi, but as an eye-sight of His greatness. For He received from God the Father the honor and glory, when He brought such a voice to Him from the great weakness: “This My Son, My Beloved, in Ko-to-rum - My blessings! " And this voice, brought from heaven, we heard it, being with Him on the holy god.

We have a pro-ro-th word; and you ho-ro-sho de la-e-te, holding on to him, like a light le will not begin to brighten Day and the morning star will not rise in your hearts.

Gospel reading on Li-tur-gii

[Pre-ob-re-ch-ness of Jesus Christ]

[At that time] Jesus took Peter, Ia-ko-va and his brother John, and took them to the city you-so-kuyu, going with them - alone. And He pre-ob-ra-zil-sy in front of them, and pro-si-i-lo His face, like the sun, and His clothes were made white, like light. And Mo-and-this and Elijah appeared to them, being with Him. And Peter said to Jesus: “Gos-po-di! Ho-ro-sho we should be here! If you want, I will arrange here three pa-lat-ki (tabernacles): one for Te-by, one for Mo-i-see, and one for Elijah. " He was still shouting, when all of a sudden, their si-yu-yu-lu-ko fell off, and from the ob-la sounded Go-los: “This is My Son Loved-loving, the One in Whom My blessedness! Listen to him! "

The disciples, having heard this, fell on their faces and were very frightened. Jesus approached them, and, touching them, said: "Get up and don't be afraid!" And they, having raised their eyes, did not see anyone except Samo Jesus.

And when they came down from the mountain, Jesus told them: -lo-ve-che-sky will not rise from the dead! "

"Light without flame"

About the Pre-ob-ra-nii Gos-under-him, or about the Second Spa-se, we still know more than about the First and the Third. In the right-to-glorious ka-len-da-re holiday on -sheth Jesus Christ. " For the lu-bi-te-lei of the Russian li-te-ra-tu-ry "se-reb-rya-no-go-ka" he, undoubtedly, is as-so-tsi-i- ru-is-sya with z-me-cha-tel-ny-ha-mi Bo-ri-sa Pas-ster-na-ka ().

“You walked tol-sing, apart and pa-ra-mi,
Suddenly someone remembered that this day
Sixth aug-a-hundred-a-hundred,

Ordinary-no-ven-but light without flame
Exits this day from Fa-vo-ra,
And autumn, clear, as a sign,
Look at it!

These lines are ho-ro-sho express-ra-zha-yut on-st-e-id-ni-ka - so-ko-go ari-sto-kra-ti-che-ski izys-kan-no th, bl-a hundred-tel-th. In the people of the same ka-len-da-re, oza-bo-chen-ku-li-nar-ny-pro-ble-ma-mi, he is called “Yab- loch-ny Spa-som ".

Let's start with the first level of study of this ka-len-dar-no-go fe-no-me - from you meaning-la the very evangelical event of the "pre-ob-ra-zhenie". What does this term itself mean? What happened to the Holy History and why is this name?

Pre-ob-u-ra-ze-ness: co-existence and meaning

Pre-ob-ra-zhenie (Greek. me-there O rfo-sis, lat. transfiguratio) - means “turning into a different kind”, “changing the form” (from-this-yes the word “me-ta-mor-pho -zy "). So n-zy-va-is-sya one of the most important events of the Evangelical history, it was not long before next Pas-khi of Jesus Christ. There are three evangelists about him: Mat-fey (), Mark () and Lu-ka ().

Eight-seven days after the so-so-n-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-da-n-a-th-apo-st-lom Peter-r. Christ), - writes Evangelist-list Lu-ka, - Jesus, “taking Peter, John and Ia-ko-va with Soyu, went up to pray. And while praying, His face suddenly changed, and his clothes became white until the blink of an eye. And be-se-do-va-li with Him two mu-Ms; it was Mo-and-this and Elijah. Appearing in the si-nii of the heavenly sl-you, they go-in-ri-whether about y-ho-de, who-ry-ry-one-I-lo for Him to co-top in Jeru-sa-li-me.

And Peter and his companions-ni-ki for-were-were-mine; when oh-well-fox, then see him woo and two husbands who are standing with Him. And when those co-bi-ra-lied to-hit him, Peter said to Jesus: “Show-nik, how good it is for us to be here! Set them up here three tents: one for Te-by, one for Mo-i-see and one for Elijah! " He himself did not know what go-vo-ril, - for-me-cha-et Lu-ka and pro-continue-et. - And yet he didn’t know how it came to be about and about them; and they got comfortable when they went into that ob-la. And from the ob-la once-gave-Xia Golos: "This is My Chosen Son, listen to Him!" And when the voice ceased, it turned out that Jesus was alone. Teach-no-ki so-hr-no-is it a secret and no one at that time did not talk about that, what vi-de-li "().

And the evangelist-list Mark clarifies: “And when they came down from the mountain, Jesus told them not to tell anyone about what they see-de-li, until the Son of Man does not rise from the dead. They used it-half-no-li, but in the be-se-de between-du-boy do-py-you-wa-lied: what does this mean - to rise from the dead? " ().

The is-ri-ko-bo-go-word meaning of this important epi-zod of the Holy Is-to-ry is clear. Let us remember that Jesus Christ is not only a simple nation, but even the teachers consider it to be the first earthly king -vo-and-te-lem. These pseudo-mes-si-an-skie il-lu-sii were kept by the apo-stools, even after His Possibility, up to the Five-de -say-no-tsy! Therefore, Gos-pod pri-open-va-em for-ve-su bu-du-shche-go and reveals Se-by the Son of God-im, Vla- so much life and death. He assures the disciples in advance that the near suffering is not a success and a misfortune, but a beggar and weak -wa, crowned-chan-naya Vos-kre-se-ni-em.

At the same time, Chri-stos pri-be-ha-et to su-deb-no-mu pra-vi-lu, form-mu-li-ro-van-no-mu in Za-Kon Mo-i-seya: “ With the words of two wit-de-te-lei, so-one hundred-it-Xia all-something de-lo ”(). By this, He yuri-d-che-ski refutes-ver-ga-e-t-e-e-t-no-ni-niya from the side of the book-niks and fa-ri-se-ev in na-ru- she-nii ("destruction-ru-she-nii") to them of the ev-rei-sko-go for-ko-no-da-tel-tstva. Calling Se-be in "sv-de-te-li" sa-mo-th Za-ko-no-da-te-la (!) And thunderous pro-ro-ka Elijah, - some-rye-talk with Him about His “is-ho-de” to death and Vos-creation-se-nition, one hundred in agreement Svo-e-go de la with Za-kon Mo-i-seya, the meaning of ko-ro-go was in under-go-to-ke people to the windows-cha-tel-th Opening Spa-session. He hopes that the closest disciples will not be able to support them, but they themselves will become a support co-me-va-yu-sy. This is the meaning of idle-well-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th event.

On the iko-nah holidays, Jesus usually appears in the oreo-le "fa-vor-sko-light" - si-i-niya, having revealed hundred lamas. To the left and to the right of Him are Elijah and Mo-and-this, who is holding in his hands "Skri-zha-li za-ve-ta" ki with de-xia-tyu important-nei-shi-mi re-li-gi-oz-no-moral-ny-mi for-ko-na-mi, At their feet - apo-sto-ly, pav -shee on the faces and covering them with their hands-ka-mi from nester-pi-my-light-that, rush-la-yu-shche-go to them in vie- de from-lo-man-ray-chi.

Pre-ob-ra-ze-nie: a single-event and an annual holiday

But when the pro-is-it went self-mo event pre-ob-ra-ze-nia - is it really at the end of the summer, and not before the crosses of the country-yes-no-I-mi Spa-si-te-la, as -Is there from the Evangel-ki log-gi-vest-in-va-nia?

You-yes-yu-sya paternal is-rick prof. S.-Pe-ter-burg-sky Spirit-hov-noy aka-de-mi († 1900) convinced-tel-but-ka-hall that Christ pre-ob-ra-zil-Xia before the disciple-ka-mi not-long before His-her-after-after-Pas-khi, in February-ra-le or March-those in our ka-len-da- ryu. At the same time, ana-li-zi-ruya is-to-ryu a number of other holidays, he you-yas-nil log-gi-ku holidays-nich-da-ti-ro-wok ... Okay-zy-va-et-sya, in the set-up of the ka-len-gift dates of their celebrations of the Christ-an-sky Church-kov cha-sto ru-ko-vod -st-va-las not na-uch-ny-mi, but "pe-da-go-gi-che-ski-mi" (mis-si-o-ner-ski-mi) co-ob-ra- same-no-I-mi. Na-ro-chi-something co-celebrating their holidays with the days of popular linguistic celebrations, the Church ho-te-la po-ste-pen- but you-to-thread them from the people-kind-of-go obi-ho-yes or, at least, "chr-sti-a-ni-zi-ro-vat", on-half- niv other-gim with-der-zha-ni-em. This explains the discrepancy between the is-to-ri-che-ski (in the case, if they can be established ) and ka-len-dar-mi-go-ser-zheb-mi da-ti-ditch-ka-mi.

This is how it went on with the holidays. Earlier than all (in the 5th-6th centuries), in the opinion of Vasiliy Bo-lo-to-va, he was founded in Ar-menii and Kap-pa-do- kii (Malaya Asia) instead of the local chi-ta-nia of the pagan god-gi-ni Ast-hik (analogue of the Greek Af-ro-di- you) and came to the sixth week after Pas-khi, - that is, he was idle-no-one in-motion-no-go (five-de-sat-nich th) cycle. At the same time, behind him, the ancient name “Var-dav a r "(" bright, og-naya ro-za "). (The modern scientist, father Ro-bert Taft, notes that the original pro-ex-walk of this holiday is nevertheless " remains unclear ", although there is a pre-statement about its emergence about the VI century on os-no-ve pa-le -stin-sko "Celebration of Ku-shchei".)

Ana-lo-gich-naya "mis-si-o-ner-skaya" logic (but with other ak-tsen-ta-mi) was-la ak-tu-al-na and in the other -their re-gi-o-nah Sred-di-earth-no-sea-rya. Here, the end of the collection of vi-no-gra-yes, even amid-di-christi-an-sko-go-n-se-le-niya, for a long time from-me-cha-los language -che-ski-mi "vak-ha-na-li-i-mi" - ve-se-ly-mi-id-not-mi in honor of Vak-ha, "pa-tro-na" vi-no -deliya. Their co-leaders-yes-whether night-ra-de-niya and sec-su-al-ny games. In order to chris-sti-a-ni-zi-ro-vat this holiday of the harvest, it was decided-she-but-to-same-but-but-to-no-vat in av-g-st “Pre -with-work-the-gos-podne ", artificially together with him, thanksgiving mo-le-ben Is-tin-no-mu Bo-gu for da-ro-va-nie vi-no-gra-da. (Co-bi-rat in the temples mak-si-mal-num-th-l-th-li-se-lyan, especially ben-but-no-living-woo-shih in the distant mountain paradises-about-nah , it could only be for great holidays, having mature and pro-long-lived in time servant ri-tu-al. At the same time, people learned from the reading of the Holy Pi-sa-niy, pro-po-ve-di and - what would- it is important to live in hard-to-reach places - was it possible to partake of the Holy Mysteries. fruit-tov, from-but-that-shche-e-sya to the discharge-du "demand", pro-long-za-oo-lo ten minutes.) In this we can -but see the pro-long life of the old-ho-for-the-old-style of the blessing of the word “na-chat-kov” - the first fruits.

In Kon-stan-ti-no-po-le, the holiday was established under the im-pe-ra-to-re Leo Philo-so-fe (886-912). When-chi-on-pro-out-walk-de-niya yes-you are named-but 6 aug-gu-sta (according to yuli-an-sko-mu ka-len-da-ryu) remains under -pro-som. And from the vi-zan-tiy-tsev, the holiday went to the slave.

In-te-res-but, that this Eastern on-going holiday appeared on Za-pas-de up to-a-hundred-precisely late. Here Festum Transfigurationis Christi, as it is called in ka-li-che-ka-len-da-re, was not all-common for a long time (although in some -the second regi-o-nah opo-mi-na-em-sya from the IX century). Only in 1457 did pa-pa Kallikst III made it all-local and gave him the rank of divine service. Moreover, this was done in the memory of an important bede of Christ-sti-an-sko-goo-ska, co-branded St. John Ka-pi-country, over the tur-ka-mi on August 6, 1456. In re-zul-ta-those were-la-that wasp-da Bel-gra-da and the stop-no-le-na tu-rets-kay ex-pan-sia in the West Ev-ro- poo.

In some kind of pro-te-stant de-no-mi-na-tsi-ya Pre-ob-ra-ze-ot-me-cha-et-sya spring, in the following -nee vos-kre-se-nye baptized cycle. In Ar-men-nii, the holiday Pre-ob-ra-ze-nia ("Var-dav a r ", with ha-rak-ter-ny-yang-che-ski-mi tra-di-qi-i-mi) is -cha-it-Xia in the 7th Sunday after the Five-de-sat-ni-tsy. The same is true in some pro-te-stant churches of Ev-ro-py.

In the right-to-glorious god-service tradition, Pre-ob-ra-zenie has the status of two-na-de-xia-go-th no-ka, rad-di ko-ro-go smoot-cha-et-sy strict Assumption fast (dec-solve-sha-em-syat-taste of fish). In the Ka-to-li-che-ch Church-vi, his li-tur-g-ch-ch-rank is lower and co-responded to holidays in honor of the apostles and evan-ge-listov. Li-tov-sky philosopher and bogo-words of An-ta-nas Ma-tsei-na in connection with this pi-sal: -nie in the East - bo-ho-words-sky : this is the thought of pi-sa-te-lei and the fathers of the Greek Church about God as about Light -by-nah being, and therefore a person-age can not only feel Him, but sometimes even clearly see. On Za-pas-de same sti-mule to his idle-no-va-niyu no-forces public character" .

Good! - will echo the neter-pe-li-yi chi-ta-tel. - These are bogo-words-tones! But what have Russian apples to do with ?! Everything is very simple.

What does yab-lo-ki have to do with it?

Actually, pre-pi-san-naya by the Greek Church mouth-to-rt only oh blah-ho-words "Pud-yes vine-no-go-no-go-go"(vi-no-gra-da). But, for-im-being-vav from the Greeks, the ka-len-gift of holidays and co-leaders of their rites, form-mi-ro-vav- shikh-Xia in the region-gi-ona Sred-di-zem-no-sea-rya, rus-si-yana, in no way, should have "enacted" the charter and me-thread vi-no-grad yab-lo-ka-mi - the main-new-ny-mi-da-da-mi Se-ve-ra (although the collection of apples is not co-leader-dal- we have "vak-ha-na-li-me-mi"). From-here-yes, strange, but such a “sweet and home-like” name of the holiday - “Yabloch-ny Savior”, which does not have no relation to his God-word and is-to-ric-es-no-ve. On the other hand, if you teach the Kli-ma-ti-che-re-a-lii of our northern re-gi-oh-nov, then blah -god-give-God for the da-ro-va-va apples-lok follows all-so-ki in St. -th sort.

Literature: Bo-lo-tov V.V.(Eor-to-log-g-ich-skiy etude) // Christ-an-a-skoe reading. 1892. No. 11-12. S. 616-621, 644; Feast of Pre-ob-ra-ze-gos-pod-nya on Fa-vorsky go-re. SPb., 1913; Ma-tsei-na A... ... SPb., 2002; Ru-ban Yu."Light without flame" // "Water is alive." S.-Peter-burg-sky church bulletin. 2007. No. 8. Taft R.F. Li-tour-gi-che-sky lex-si-con [trans. from English S. Go-lo-va-no-va]. Omsk, 2013; Holweck F. G. Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ // The Catholic Encyclopedia. N.-Y., 1913. Vol. 15.

Yuri Ru-ban,
Cand. ist. na-uk, cand. bo-th-words

So, we made sure that neither poppy and honey for the First Spa, nor the apple for the Second, have no more -words-sko-relation. Ten days after the Pre-ob-ra-wishing to-stu-pa-et, the Third Savior, who has even more she definition-de-niy, - "ore-ho-vy", "bread", as well as "Savior on the canvases" or "Savior on the floor". We try to understand whether the Third Spas has a non-mediocre relation to agriculture, weaving pro-mouse-len-no-sti or also to something else. We will open the ka-lendar under August 29-a-hundred according to the new style.

Sukk O t), set in the memory of wanderings in the wilderness, when people live in pa-lat-kah. "Ku-shchi" as-so-tsi-i-ru-yut-sya in the co-knowledge of ve-ru-yu-shche-go Hev-rey is named-but with si-i-yu-si ob-la -com, in which God revealed Se-by (more precisely, His "glory") in the Tabernacle of the gathering (in the course of the temple-me-shat-re from woolen fabric). "And on-wing-lo about-la-to the Tantrum of the congregation, and the glory of the Gos-pod-nya to the-half-ni-la of the Skein-niyu" ().

The Transfiguration of the Lord in 2019 is celebrated on August 19. This is one of the 12 great Orthodox holidays... It is dedicated to the memories of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ in front of three of his disciples during prayer on Mount Tabor. People call this day the Apple Day, or the Second Savior.

history of the holiday

The Transfiguration of the Lord is timed to events in the life of Jesus Christ. 40 days before the crucifixion, he revealed to his disciples his mission: to die a martyr's death in the name of humanity. Jesus and his three disciples: Peter, John and James climbed Mount Tabor. When Christ began to read prayers, his clothes became snow-white, and his face lit up with light. Jesus forbade his disciples to tell about the incident. When they came down from the mountain, Christ ordered to collect apples to consecrate them.

The Transfiguration of the Lord began to be celebrated from the 4th century, when a temple was opened on Mount Tabor. Orthodox Church scheduled the celebration for August so that the celebration would not fall on the days of Great Lent.

Traditions and rituals of the holiday

In the temples, a morning service is held, during which a cross is brought to the center, a ceremony of worship, a procession and consecration of fruits take place. At the liturgy, the canon of the Great Transfiguration is sung. The priests put on clothes white which symbolizes God's light.

According to folk traditions, on this day, the hostesses dry apples, prepare jam and compotes from them for the winter, bake pies. On August 19, people begin to harvest grapes and peas.

On this holiday, it is customary to honor the memory of deceased relatives. After the service, people bring consecrated apples to the cemetery and place them on the graves.

In Russia, autumn was greeted on this day. People went out into the fields and saw off the summer with sunset.

What you can and cannot eat in the Transfiguration of the Lord

The Transfiguration of the Lord falls on the strict Assumption Fast, during which it is forbidden to eat meat and dairy products, eggs. But on this holiday, the Orthodox Church allows you to eat fish and seafood dishes, and drink a small amount of wine.

What cannot be done in the Transfiguration of the Lord

On this holiday, you cannot engage in heavy physical labor. Housewives are advised to refrain from cleaning the house, sewing and knitting.

On the Transfiguration of the Lord, it is forbidden to kill insects. If a fly or a bee lands on a person, then you should wait until it flies away.

Signs and beliefs on the Transfiguration of the Lord

• What the weather is for the Transfiguration of the Lord, the same will be for the Feast of the Intercession (October 14).
• Costs clear weather- a sign of a cold winter.
• If the parents, whose children have died, will not eat apples until August 19, then the Lord in the next world will give them heavenly apples.
• If on the Transfiguration of the Lord you treat someone with a harvest from your garden, then the next year will pass in abundance and abundance.
• The apples harvested on this day will be well stored in winter.

On August 19, new style (August 6, old style), the Holy Orthodox Church commemorates the Transfiguration of the Lord. This holiday is established in memory of the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ before the disciples on Mount Tabor.

Holiday history: liturgical texts in honor of the Transfiguration were created by saints

St. John Damascene

The Transfiguration of the Lord was celebrated by Christians already in the 4th century. This is evidenced by the teachings of St. Ephraim the Syrian and St. John Chrysostom. The existence of the holiday in the 4th century indicates that its beginning dates back to the previous three centuries of Christianity.

From the 7th century, the word for the Transfiguration of the Lord has come down to us. Andrew of Crete (635-680). In this word, the term "Transfiguration" is considered not only in a dogmatic sense, but also in the sense of a real solemn holiday of the Church.

In the 8th century, St. John Damascene and St. Cosmas of Miumsky compiled a number of stichera and canons with which the Orthodox Church glorifies the event of the holiday at the present time.

Gospel Narrative: Conversation of the Prophets with the Messiah

Orthodox monastery at the top of Tabor

The Transfiguration is told in three Gospels: Matthew (17: 1-6), Mark (9: 1-8), Luke (9: 28-36).

The Evangelists narrate that the Lord prophetically pronounced: “... Truly I say to you: there are some of those standing here who will not taste death, as they will already see the Kingdom of God, which has come in power” (Mark 9: 1). Six days later, He took three of His closest disciples - Peter, James and John - and went up to pray with them on the mountain. There, during prayer, as it is said in the Gospel of Matthew (17: 2-9), He "was transfigured before them: and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white like light."

Mount Tabor today

And there appeared before them the Old Testament prophets - Moses and Elijah. Then a bright cloud overshadowed them and they heard a voice from it, which said: This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, listen to Him. The apostles were frightened and fell to the ground, and Jesus came up, touched them and said: Get up and do not be afraid. When the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus. The Lord forbade them to talk about what they saw until the moment when the Son of Man is raised from the dead.

Theological interpretation: Jesus Christ was transformed on Tabor - true God and true man

Transfiguration - the appearance of the Son, in which the Father testifies with a voice from the bright cloud of the Holy Spirit - is the revelation of all Persons of the Holy Trinity.

This Gospel event shows that in Jesus Christ two natures are united, i.e. nature: divine and human. During the Transfiguration, the divine nature of Christ did not change, but appeared in His human nature... According to St. John Chrysostom, it happened "in order to show us the future transformation of our nature and His future coming in the clouds in glory with the angels."

The appearance of the prophets Moses and Elijah is also symbolic. In the words of the same Saint John Chrysostom, “one deceased (ed. - Moses) and another who had not yet experienced death (ed. - Elijah, who ascended alive in a chariot into heaven)” appeared to show that “Christ has power over life and death, has dominion over heaven and earth. "

The apparition of the Old Testament prophets

On Mount Tabor, two great prophets appeared to Jesus with the apostles - Moses and Elijah. Both prophets came to know God on the mountaintops. Moses received the tablets of the law with the ten commandments on Mount Sinai (Ex. 31:18). On Mount Horeb, Elijah found God not in the wind, not in an earthquake, but in a quiet breeze (1 Kings 19: 9-12), which is mentioned in the paremias - liturgical readings - on the eve of the feast during the Great Vespers.
Moses lived 1600 years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Elijah - 900 years. On the day of the Transfiguration, the apostles saw them alive, which means they saw the confirmation of the words of the Lord Jesus Christ: "Whoever believes in me has eternal life" (John 6:47)

Traditions: Apple Spas

V folk tradition Eastern Slavs, the Transfiguration is called the Second Savior or Apple Savior. The holiday acquired its popular name due to the fact that, according to the Typicon, grapes of the new harvest and other fruits are consecrated on this day, and where there is none, apples, after which they are allowed to be eaten. This is due to the fact that in Greece (formerly - Byzantium) grapes ripened just at this time of the year. And the believer always brought the first fruits to the temple as his sacrifice to God and for the consecration of the entire harvest.