One human trait we all share is the need to be reminded of things that we already know. This fact is known by advertisers, which is why we hear or watch the same commercial several times, sometimes in less than an hour. Educators also are aware of this human trait, which is why they assign homework and exercises that repeat material over and over again to students who need to learn it. The Church, too, knows this trait, which is why her preaching and teachings repeat over and over the main tenets of Christianity.

Needless to say, our Lord and Savior, the Creator of heaven and earth and everything therein, knows this trait also. He knows how quickly we can forget important things in our life, and marginalize things that are essential to our eternal existence. It is because of this trait that our Lord, using different parables, miracles and stories, repeated the same doctrines that He came to reveal.

One of the reinforcing didactic efforts was His Transfiguration. According to three of the four Gospels (Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-8, and Luke 9:28-36), Jesus took the Apostles Peter, James, and John with Him up to a mountain, and while they were on the mountain Jesus was transfigured. His face shone like the sun, and His garments became glistening white. The two most important prophets of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah, appeared on both sides of Jesus as if being enlightened by him.

This supernatural event was a revelation of the divinity of Jesus. He transcended his human and fleshly appearance to reveal a glimpse of His divinity to His disciples. Obviously, neither Peter, nor James, nor John needed a supernatural miracle to convince them that Jesus was God. They had already realized that. In fact, they had left everything and followed Him because of that. Transfiguration was an attempt by Jesus to reinforce in their mind what they already knew.

In the midst of our daily concerns and preoccupations, we also tend to forget and sometimes ignore what we otherwise know to be an essential component of our life. We are baptized Christians and are members of the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs. However, many of us often need a reminder of what it means to be a Christian and a follower of Jesus. Sometimes in the midst of our daily challenges we need to be reminded that we are the followers of the King of eternity. As such, we also are called to be transfigured. We need to be constantly reminded that our life, no matter how exciting or challenging, is nothing but a journey to the real existence, where we will be transfigured out of this body into an eternal existence with God and our loved ones.

Looking around us and observing our daily life, we soon realize that every day in our life is a step toward our final transfiguration. Every morning, no matter how great or terrible our previous day was, we wake up with hopes and dreams of new opportunities and challenges to conquer. May the Feast of the Transfiguration be a reminder for us to give thanks to God for the blessing of our own transfiguration and renewal.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Vahan Hovhanessian