Transfiguration - the Wandering Feast

The Transfiguration - Byzantine icon.

In the Anglican world, we are used to celebrating this feast on the 6th August, the Wednesday of the past week. This date was set by Pope Callixtus II in 1456 in thanksgiving for the raising of the siege of Belgrade. However, this year, the feast fell in the week following the Seventh Sunday after Trinity, which reminded me of the custom of the Swedish and Finnish Lutheran Churches of keeping the feast on this particular Sunday. In northern Germany, and in Denmark and Norway, Transfiguration was kept of the Sunday before Septuagesima for many years, though in modern times it is occasionally moved the Sunday before Ash Wednesday due to the abolition of the Gesima Sundays before Lent.

Whenever celebrated, the Transfiguration is one of those feasts that celebrate the glorified humanity of Jesus along with the Epiphany, and the Ascension. Peter, James, and John climb the mountain with Jesus and witness both His transfiguration and the appearance of Moses and Elijah, the archetypes of the Law and the Prophets. The message here is clear - Jesus is the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets, and His glorification is ours too because He shared our human nature, and, through Baptism and Faith we share His risen life. The mystical union of Christ and the believer is something very strongly emphasized in the writings of St John, and remind us of humanities place in creation. It is an important counter-balance to the all too common view that humanity is an ape in a suit - or more usually these days - shorts, tee-shirt, and flip-flops. Man, being made in the image and likeness of God, as a dignity and a purpose that come from God. This is why the Church has traditionally sought to defend human life from conception to natural death.

We who have faith in Christ, and have been baptized into His body, the Church, will one day share in Christ's glory. This is something that is wonderful to contemplate as we deal with our daily trials and tribulations.