The Fore-feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ; Commemoration of the Consecration of the Holy Resurrection Patriarchal Sobor; Holy Martyr Eusignius (360-63)
Dormition Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat. A day when the faithful are highly encouraged to participate in the Divine Liturgy.
Hebrews 3:1-14; Matthew 16:13-18
Read Hebrews 3:1-14
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Tomorrow we will celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord, and so today we celebrate its “forefeast.” At the Transfiguration, Christ revealed His divinity before Peter, James, and John on Mt. Tabor, and Moses and Elijah appeared alongside Him. In our reading from the letter to the Hebrews, Moses and Jesus’s faithfulness are highlighted. However, Christ’s superiority to Moses is stated clearly: “For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God” (Hebrews 3:3-4).
Today’s reading serves as a warning and repeated exhortation for us to be faithful. We are called Christ’s house “if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end” (verse 6), and then the closing verse tells us that “we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end” (verse 14). We are to immediately beware of having “an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God,” lest we “be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (verses 12-13).
Sin can harden our hearts and trick us, leading us away from living faithful lives in communion with God. We cannot think we have infinite time to change our ways and set right our relationship with God. Christ even warns us of this through the Parable of the Ten Virgins (see Mt. 25:1-13). Five virgins were prepared for the bridegroom’s arrival, and five were not. The ones who were prepared were welcome to the wedding banquet, but the ones who were not prepared were excluded. We do not know the time when Christ will return or how long our lives will last. We always need to be prepared and vigilant to meet the Bridegroom when He comes.
When Peter, James, and John beheld the light of Christ’s divinity, “Peter answered and said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’” (Mt. 17:4). Seeing the light of Christ’s divinity, Peter wanted to pitch tents or “tabernacles” so he could remain in their presence. If we are steadfast and faithful to the end, we will enter into the Kingdom and eternally enjoy the presence of God.