“When, O Christ our God, Thou wast transfigured on the mountain, Thou didst reveal Thy glory to Thy Disciples in proportion as they could bear it. Let Thine everlasting light also enlighten us sinners, through the intercessions of the Theotokos. O Thou Bestower of light, glory to Thee.” APOLYTIKION OF THE TRANSFIGURATION IN TONE SEVEN
Dear to Christ the members of St. George,
Christ is in our midst! He is and ever shall be.
We celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6th. This Feast falls in the middle of the Fast of the Dormition of Mary. The Holy Church puts this Feast at this time to point to us what the troparia above says: “Thou didst reveal Thy glory to thy Disciples in proportion as they could bear it”. This Glory of Christ is shared with His Mother the Theotokos by being glorified soul and body. Jesus said that His Mother greatness is not only for bearing and nourishing Him, but because she heard and kept the Word of God. She is the great example of a human being who contemplated the Glory of God in silence “pondering it in her heart”. The Theotokos experienced the Glory of Her Son during her life and in her death, but we sinners only we see a glimpse of His Glory in the Divine Liturgy, may His “everlasting light also enlighten us sinners, through the intercessions of the Theotokos. O Thou Bestower of light, glory to Thee”.
Next week on Friday August 13th, we will have the Holy Unction at 7 PM. Holy Unction is for Orthodox Christians. We are not allowed to take the Holy Oil which is one of the sacraments of the Church to our family members. You can invite the priest to visit our sick family members or bring them to church to be anointed.
Our teens will have a weekend retreat from August 13th starting with the Holy Unction to Sunday August 15th concluding with the Divine Liturgy. Father is asking the parents to support our teens.
We will celebrate the Feast of the Dormition next Sunday August 15th with a procession around the church with the Epitaphion of the Theotokos. If you like to donate toward the flowers, please see Mr. Fouad Kodsi. We will decorate the bier of the Theotokos on Saturday after Vespers.
Don’t forget we have Paraklesis next week on Monday and Wednesday at 7 PM. Please, come and join us and bring the names of those are sick and afflicted to pray for them.
“Thou hast been transfigured, O Saviour, on Mount Tabor, indicating the transformation of mankind which shall take place at thy dreadful Second Coming. Moses and Elijah did converse with thee. But thy Disciples, whom thou didst call, when they beheld thy glory, O Master, were dazzled by thy brightness. Wherefore, O thou who didst at that time cause thy light to shine on them, lighten our souls.” From the First Kathisma of the Feast.
In the Transfigured Christ,
~Pastor’s Message of August 8, 2021~