July 12, 2026
Sermon for the Feast of the Transfiguration (Vartavar)
Fr. Mesrop Ash
On the Feast of the Transfiguration (Vartavar), the preacher delivers an interactive children's sermon to the culminating group of St. John's first-ever summer camp. He teaches about Jesus taking Peter, James, and John up Mount Tabor, revealing his divine glory, the appearance of Moses and Elijah, and God's voice declaring 'This is my beloved son, listen to him.' The preacher draws parallels between the disciples' experience of seeing Christ's fullness and the campers' week-long journey of growing in faith. He emphasizes that although things returned to normal after the Transfiguration, the disciples were forever changed by confessing Jesus as Savior — just as the campers will carry what they learned back into ordinary life.
Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-10; Luke 9:28-36; Matthew 3:17; John 1:1-14