19 August 2024 (MIA)

Macedonian Orthodox Church Calendar

The Transfiguration of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ

In the third year of His preaching, the Lord Jesus often spoke to His disciples of His approaching passion but at the same time of His glory following His suffering on the Cross. So that His impending passion would not totally weaken His disciples and that no one would fall away from Him, He, the All-wise, wanted to partially show them His divine glory before His passion. For that reason, He took Peter, James and John with Him and, with them, went out at night to Mt. Tabor and there was transfigured before them: “And His face shone as the sun and His garments became white as snow” (St. Matthew 17:2). There appeared along side Him, Moses and Elijah, the great Old Testament prophets. And, seeing this, His disciples were amazed. Peter said: “Lord, it is good for us to be here: if You will, let us make here three tabernacles; one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah” (St. Matthew 17:4). While Peter still spoke, Moses and Elijah departed and a bright cloud overshadowed the Lord and His disciples and there came a voice from the cloud saying: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear Him” (St. Matthew 17:5). Hearing the voice, the disciples fell to the ground on their faces as though dead and remained that way, lying in fear, until the Lord came near to them and said: “Arise and be not afraid” (St. Matthew 17:7). Why did the Lord take only three disciples on Tabor and not all? Because Judas was not worthy to behold the divine glory of the Teacher, Whom he will betray and the Lord did not want to leave him [Judas] alone at the foot of the mountain so that the betrayer would not, by that, justify his betrayal. Why was our Lord transfigured on a mountain and not in a valley? So as to teach us two virtues: love of labor and godly-thoughts. For, climbing to the heights required labor and height represents the heights of our thoughts, i.e., godly-thoughts. Why was our Lord transfigured at night? Because, the night rather than the day is more suitable for prayer and godly-thoughts and because the night, by its darkness, conceals all the beauty of the earth and reveals the beauty of the starry heavens. Until then, our Lord manifested His divine power many times to the disciples but, on Mt. Tabor, He manifested His divine nature. This vision of His Divinity and the hearing of the heavenly witness about Him as the Son of God, should serve the disciples in the days of the Lord’s passion, in strengthening of an unwavering faith in Him and His final victory.

Catholic Calendar

St. John Eudes

Born in 1601 to a farming family at Ri in Normandy, John showed great promise as a boy and was sent to be educated by the Jesuits at Caen. Once he had finished a somewhat lengthy education he joined the French Oratorians in 1623, inspired by Philip Neri and stayed with them for twenty years. Reckoned to be the great preacher of his day, it was said he touched the hearts of all who listened to him. John was also noted for his missionary work and the care of the sick during epidemics. In 1643 he founded his own movement, the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, or Eudists for the education of priests in seminaries. He started foundations at Coutances, Lisieux and Rouen; he also founded refuges for fallen women. John’s work prospered and his houses became much more numerous, even after his death at Caen in 1680. In the field of faith John gave impetus to the spread of devotion of the Sacred Heart by providing a firm doctrinal basis for it. This completed the revelations made to Margaret Mary Alacoque, the Burgundian nun and mystic. John Eudes was canonised in 1923.