Feast of the Transfiguration (Vardavar) – Cultivating Spiritual Sight

Այսօր Բայծարակերպության տոն է, և այդ առիթով պետք է փառք տանք Աստծո, որովհետև ասիկա կարևոր առիթն է, որ մենք հիշենք կարևոր փաստը, որ այս է՝ այլակերպությունը բացառիկ դեպք չէ, այլակերպությունը շարունակական է։ Այլակերպությունը շարունակական է, և ինչպե՞ս։ Աս պիտի բացատրեմ ձեզի։ Երբ որ Հիսուս եղբայրներու հետ բարձրացավ Թափորի լեռը, և ուրախ եմ, որ այսօր մեր մեջը կան ուխտավորներ, որոնք հետս այցելած են Թափորի լեռը Սուրբ Երկրում։ Երբ որ ինքը բարձրացավ, հասավ կատարին, և այնտեղ աղոթքի մեջ էին, և երևեցան Եղիան և Մովսեսը Հիսուսի հետ։ Եվ Սուրբ Պետրոսը զարմացավ։ Պետրոս ըսավ, որ քանի որ երեքդ խոսեք, վրաններ շինեմ ձեզ համար, որ հանգիստ լինեք, քանի որ իրարու հետ պիտի խոսի։ Կարծես թե, որ ինքը երազի մեջ մըն էր։ Եթե այսօր Եղիան և Մովսեսը մեր առջևը պիտի երևնա, կարծես թե պիտի ասես, որ սուրճ կամ թե։ Չէ՛, պիտի ըսեք՝ ինչու՞ խոսես, ինչու, ինչու ասիկա կտեսնեմ։ Ուրեմն, աշակերտները տեսան Մարգարե Եղիային և Մարգարե Մովսեսին, և այն ժամանակ Հիսուսը այլակերպվեցավ, ինքը պայծառակերպվեցավ։ Ինչպես կըսե Ավետարանի մեջը, ինքը արևուն պես երևեցավ, այդքան պայծառ էր այդ վայրկյանին, որ ինքը լրիվ սպիտակ էր։ Եվ զարմացան աշակերտները, և ամպերեն եկավ Աստծո ձայնը, որ ասե՝ իմ սիրելի որդին, որով հպարտանամ։ Ուրեմն, այդ վայրկյանին, որ իրենք Աստծո ձայնը լսած են, խոնարհվեցան, հասկցան, որ ասիկա հզոր բան մըն էր, և իրենք սրբության ներկայության մեջ էին։ Սակայն, երբ որ կըսեմ, որ պայծառակերպությունը շարունակական է, մենք կարծենք արդյոք, որ Հիսուս իրապես փոխվեցավ այդ վայրկյանին։ Ավետարանը, Աստվածաշունչը կըսե, որ Հիսուսը նույնն է առաջ, այսօր և վաղը։ Հիսուս չի փոխվում, ինքը չի կրնար փոխվիլ, որ ինքը այլ ձևով լինի, որովհետև իր ձևը, իր էությունը, իր անձը մշտական է և կատարյալ է։ Ի՞նչ փոխվեցավ այդ վայրկյանին։ Աշակերտները ճշմարտությունը տեսան, իրենց հայացքը փոխվեցավ, և հրաշքով և Աստծու ողորմությամբ իրենք հնարավորություն ունեցած են կարճ վայրկյանով, ժամանակավորապես տեսնել ճշմարտությունը այս կյանքին։ Ովքեր զարգացնում են այդ հոգևոր հայացքը, քիչ թե շատ կաթիլներով այս հնարավորությունը, այս սուրբ նվեր պիտի ստանան, որ իրենք ճշմարտությունը տեսնեն, ինչպես աշակերտները տեսած են։ Իրենք կմշակեին այդ հմտությունը տարիներու ընթացքին՝ Հիսուսին հետևելով, մինչև որ իրենք ունեցան պարգևը՝ Աստծուց մեկ երկու վայրկյանով տեսնել ճշմարտությունը՝ այլակերպված իրենց հայացքով Հիսուսը։ Երբ որ մենք գալիս ենք եկեղեցի, պիտի հանդիպինք պայծառակերպությունը պատարագի ընթացքին։ Ատոր համար պատճառներեն մեկն է, որ քահանաները պատարագի իր հագուստներ կփոխե և զգեստներով պատարագ կընե, որ այդ պայծառակերպությունը երևնա, որ փոփոխություն ըլլա, ձևափոխություն ըլլա մեր առջևը։ Ասիկա առօրյա մեր կյանքը չէ, բայց մեկ ժամով, մեկ ու կես ժամով մենք հրավիրված ենք հոգևոր ճշմարտությունը ակնդես դառնալ, և ասիկա միայն ու միայն կարելի է Աստծոս իր սիրով և ողորմությամբ։ Ուրեմն, պայծառակերպությունը մեզի համար մեկ օրվա մեկ կարճ դեպքի հիշատակ չէ, հիշեցնում է մեզ, որ մեր նպատակը պետք է ըլլա՝ որպես քրիստոնյաներ զարգացնել այդ հոգևոր հայացքը, որ ամեն օր մեզի համար օր օրի մեծանա այդ հնարավորությունը, որ մենք հոգևոր ճշմարտություն տեսնենք այս կյանքի ընթացքին, որ ճանապարհը, որ դեպի Աստծո կտանի մեզ, ավելի հայտնի դառնա։

Good morning everybody, and as I said already, today is the Feast of the Transfiguration. Today is a beautiful and blessed feast day in the life of the Armenian Church because we remember an important moment in the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which was both notable and meaningful because of what happened, but also serves as an important reminder of a very vital truth in the life of all Christians. And before I explain what that is, let me go into it a little bit more about what happened on the Feast of the Transfiguration. I’m glad that I have with me here in the sanctuary today a few people at least that joined me when visiting Mount Tabor, where the event of the Transfiguration took place. Amongst them, Yeretzgin Beri Sempatian — welcome to the sanctuary today. We’re so happy to have you. We visited this holy place and there we encountered a beautiful cathedral where there is a mosaic, and I put that mosaic on the announcement as a reminder that the Transfiguration would be this Sunday, which depicts Christ in this elevated position. That elevation or that levitation is a figurative one, perhaps not a literal one, because the gospel doesn’t tell us that Christ was flying in the air. But nevertheless, in this vision that was perceived by the disciples, after they had gone to the top of Mount Tabor with Jesus Christ in order to have a moment of silent reflection and prayer and retreat, they saw next to Jesus Christ the figures of Elijah and Moses. They appeared to the disciples along with Jesus, and Saint Peter says this really classic Saint Peter thing. He says, “Can I make three tents for you so that you could be more comfortable while you’re spending time together?” As if he just saw this fantastical thing occur in front of them, and he wanted to say, “Did you want tea or coffee? How can we make you more comfortable?” It was a miracle going on, and Saint Peter’s rolling with it, perhaps as if he’s experiencing a vision or something, as we might experience a dream. And in the midst of this moment in time, Christ is transfigured or transformed in the perception of the disciples that are gathered with him at that moment, and he is said to shine like the sun, and his garments are made to be glorious and white. In Armenian, we say “Baydzaragebutiun,” which means to be reformed in light — that is how that word is translated to describe this occasion. And so, in this moment, Christ becomes this radiant figure, difficult to behold, in fact, by the disciples. And in that radiance, a voice comes from heaven, and that voice is the voice of God and says, “This is my beloved son with whom I am pleased,” or “Whom I am proud,” depending on translations. And in that moment where they hear the voice of God, they fall on their knees in supplication, and the true depth and power of that holy moment stands clear before them.

Now, before I get into the truth of this occasion, let me tell a different story because they were shocked, the disciples. They were like, “What’s going on here?” They didn’t realize that this would be something that they would be witnessing, and they did the best they could to cope with the glory of the moment, but eventually, they were overwhelmed with it, to the degree that it was something that was too much for them to behold. I’m going to tell a different story about some folks that went up a mountain. There was a man with two sons — he was in an advanced age, and he felt as though his time to be able to walk around freely, to be in nature, to hike, or to do whatever was coming to an end. And he asked his two sons, “I have a favorite place that I like to visit. It’s a small hike up a hill. If you would come with me, there’s a vista there.” And the sons were busy in their lives, and they were distracted, and they would at times spend time with their father, but when it was convenient for them. It was out of the ordinary for him to invite these two sons on such a hike, but they said, “Okay, Dad, we’ll go with you.” And so they went up the hill, and it was not a short hike. It was a longer hike, and the father was getting tired along the way, but he was persevering. And the sons were saying, “Dad, what are we doing here? Why did you invite us to do this? You’ve never invited us hiking before.” And the father said, “Well, I feel as though my life is going to enter into its sunset phase, and I want to encounter God one more time on this trip.” And they said, “Okay, we can respect that.” One is checking his cell phone for emails. The other one is thinking he’s got a date that night, and he’s busy. He’s got to get back in time. But okay, Dad wants to encounter God, so let’s go to the top of this hill. It’s a big thing, by the way, going to the top of hills to encounter God. It happens throughout the Bible. The tops of hills are places where you go to meet God. I’m going to go to summer camp after today, after this badarak is finished, and I’m going to go to that hill where many of our kids are gathered. We had a bus leave from here this morning, full of our kids from this parish going to summer camp. It’s the top of a hill, and I hope to encounter God there once again, and I recommend you try it.

However, they’re going up the hill, and they get to this vista point, which is beautiful, and they’re standing there, and one son says to the other, “Okay, Dad, we’re here. How do we encounter God? Do you see God in the beauty of the skyline and in these mountains and in the nature around us?” And he said, “That’s not where I wanted to encounter God on this trip.” And the other son says to the father, “Well, maybe it’s in the beauty of the sky. We believe that God is in the heavens when we look to this big open sky. Is this where we’re going to encounter God?” And the father says, “No, that’s not where I expected to find God today.” And they said, “Well, we came all the way here, Dad. Where is it that we are going to meet God with you?” And he said, “I’ve been with God the entire time as you have been with me getting to this place.”

Now, I bring up this story, which I love, because it’s a reminder to us about what it means for us to encounter God and, once again, a juxtaposition as to why, and interestingly so, Saint Peter and the other disciples would have been so surprised and shocked in these moments, having spent so much time with Christ throughout his ministry. They constantly seem to be dumbfounded by the things that they’re witnessing, despite the fact that you would think that if you lived and walked with Jesus Christ for years, that somehow you would be getting a glimpse or an understanding of his true nature. Now, their testimony is for us a cautionary one, so that we need not be surprised or look around the corner and find ourselves in an unexpected situation. It’s meant for us to cultivate awareness. The sons didn’t understand that they were in the presence of God when they were in the presence of their father’s love, and that they too were serving their father and doing something that was good and loving towards him. They had been in the presence of God the entire time. And the disciples were in the presence of the transfigured Christ the entire time. Christ does not change. Christ does not transform. The Bible tells us that Christ is the same as he was, is today, or will be in the future. He does not change. What changed in that moment of the transfiguration was their sight, was their perspective, was their perception, and their ability to understand the truth of what was in front of them. And by the grace of God and by his mercy, they were granted a glimpse into that truth in the moment of the transfiguration. That radiant Christ, that presence of Elijah representing the prophecies, and Moses representing the law and the love and the pleasure of God in the work of his Son, Jesus Christ — all of that is all the time, and always was and ever will be. However, are we like the sons who refuse to see the truth of the experience that we’re living in the midst of that experience? Are we refusing to see the love and the presence of God from moment to moment, as the disciples were, in fact, until the truth was revealed to them? What we are reminded of today is that for those who walk a path of faith, they are called to cultivate a spiritual sight that allows them to see the truth that goes beyond the superficial that we encounter in our day-to-day lives. When life seems unfair, when life seems too difficult to bear, when life seems to not make sense, when life seems to be in chaos, and all of that, what we are witnessing is the surface reality that is taking us along with it in its eddies and its currents that drive us not towards God, but away from God. It’s in the vision of the spiritual truth that we encounter in our daily lives that we find illuminated, that we find glorified and radiated the path that leads us to God. And so my prayer for you today on the feast of this transfiguration is that we take a moment from each and every day to ask ourselves, “What is the truth that lies beneath this experience that I’m a part of, and how can I find God’s love and presence in it so that we can glorify Him along with His Father in heaven and the Holy Spirit?” Amen.