Transfiguration into Holiness

A homily by Bishop Mikhail (Semyonov)

"But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct" (1 Peter 1:15).

Is today's lesson meant for us?

Be holy. Transfigure yourselves into the "image of Christ." Transform your sinful life into one that reflects the image of Him who called us—Christ. Exchange the dirty, stained robes of your soul for the radiant wedding garment of the God-bearer. Ascend the mountain of the Lord.

But is holiness possible for us, when we are so entangled in the snares of life that we not only struggle to rise but even stumble as we walk on earth, constantly sinking into the mire of sin?

Is it possible? Not only possible, but necessary.

There are different kinds and degrees of holiness. No one can reach the mountain's summit in a single leap. But those who strive to ascend and persist in their journey are already on God's path, having gained a portion of the "Kingdom of God," which "is taken by force."

"Be holy as He who called you is holy." We must not think that the Apostle, in demanding holiness, requires us to immediately be clothed in the same light that shone from the saints and the Lord Himself.

Enter upon the path of great struggle, the same path that enabled ascetics like St. Gregory Palamas to feel themselves in the light of Tabor even in this life.

For us, the school of holiness and its first manifestation is serving God with the strength and in the place where we stand. Every calling, every position, is a sufficient arena for serving God.

People often reason that if they cannot be a lamp set on high, illuminating the world with holiness, then they may as well forget about God's work entirely. They forget that if they are not called to be a lamp on the mountain, nothing prevents them from being a humble light, burning in a modest corner, illuminating at least that small space which God has assigned to them "for their labor."

If you are not given to shine for the world, then shine with love, with help, with kindness—shine this light for one, two, or three. Carry the little flame into the darkness of some poor person's life or the gloom of one lost soul.

We have already mentioned that a great evil is that people see holiness only in the paths of holiness trodden by the great ascetics of Christianity. In fervent prayer, in fasting, and in self-denial to the point of complete self-forgetting for Christ, even to the point of renouncing father, mother, and children. And considering themselves incapable of such holiness, they no longer seek any other holiness within their reach.

They believe they can replace "holiness" with a weak and cold, purely external imitation of the saints in fasting and prayer. Fasting is a great thing, prayer is a great thing, but our fasting is lifeless and dead, and our prayer is cold and without life. It is only a counterfeit, or rather, a "corpse" of fasting and prayer. They will not save us until they are revived, and they will be revived when, along with fulfilling the external commandments, we warm our hearts with holy work, whether in a small circle or only within the family, but with work warmed by love and the desire to contribute something of ourselves to the Lord’s work.

We pay taxes, duties, and levies to the state. We do not complain, but of course, we do not feel any joy when we pay the tax. But when we help a poor person out of poverty, help them out of compassion, our hearts are warmed and filled with joy.

In the matter of serving God, there is also a tribute we pay voluntarily, semi-voluntarily, and there are loving gifts we offer Him. We attend church services, we observe fasts, sometimes we give a penny to a beggar. But note, this is what the Pharisees did as well—perhaps even more than we do. And do not think that they did it only for show... No, they did it sincerely as well. They just did it as if paying a tax, out of fear of God’s wrath, out of habit and a sense of duty.

It is necessary, of course, to pay this tribute, but this is still Pharisaic truth. What is also needed is a loving gift to God—a further offering that we would bring to God not out of fear, but out of love and gratitude to Him. In such an offering lies the beginning, the seed, of Christian holiness. That same radiant, God-pleasing holiness that everyone is capable of.

This gift of love consists in being a "blessing of God" within the circle of family and close ones. Building the work of Christ and the Kingdom of Christ in your place, according to your strength.

Everyone will find hundreds of opportunities where they can be an active worker for Christ. Do not think that the fruits of Christian faith must be scattered necessarily outside the family circle—on the contrary, this is where we will find their true application. At least, this is where it must begin.

Remember that Martha, amid her worldly concerns, also came to the feet of Christ, whom Mary was already listening to. Each person must find a way to apply Christian virtues within their immediate circle, however modest and small it may be, which distinguish a good Christian, a loving mother, obedient children; these virtues adorn family life, smoothing out all the rough patches of the earthly path and shedding light on everything around them with that light which "shines for everyone in the house." And it is a faint reflection of the light of Tabor.

Transform the life of your home—your family—into the Kingdom of God; this will already prove that you are transfiguring your soul according to the image of Christ. The main thing in the work of salvation is to "do your work for God."

"There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are diversities of ministries, but the same Lord" (1 Corinthians 12:4).

The birds of the air praise God with their singing, the flowers of the field raise their fragrance to the heavens as incense of praise; the trees shower the earth with their fruits, the clouds water it with beneficial rain, the stars illuminate the darkness of night with their wondrous brilliance; all of nature serves the Creator and glorifies Him. So among us, Christ’s servants on earth, each one has their own purpose. One works to feed a large family, another brings their strength and abilities to the public cause, a third, weakened by fear or illness, becomes a silent example of patience and submission; one is given the gift of speech, another the talent of writing, some are blessed with a wonderful voice, another is given the grace to sit in silent reverence at the feet of Christ, listening to His words, pressing their thirsty lips to the Source of living water. The gifts we have received are very different, but each of us must serve the Lord with the gift they have received from above, no matter how modest and unnoticed it may be.

Let each person bring holiness into their tiny work, creating it for the glory of God, and then we will all be creators, builders of the Kingdom of God on earth. We will contribute our share to the transfiguration of the world.

"What do you have in your hand, Abel?"

"A little lamb from my flock, Lord, I offer it to You as a sacrifice."

And so he did. And the incense from this burnt offering continues to rise to God even now, as an unceasing sacrifice of praise.

"What do you have in your hand, Moses?"

"Just a staff, Lord, with which I shepherd my flocks."

"Use it for Me."

He obeyed, and with that simple staff, miracles were performed that astonished the Egyptians and their proud king.

"Mary, what are you carrying in your hands?"

"A jar of nard oil, O Lord, with which I wish to anoint Your only-begotten Jesus."

She did so, and not only did the whole house fill with the fragrance of the oil, but even now, this act of love is remembered on the pages of the Gospel and in the hearts of those who read it, preserved through the centuries "and in the whole world as a memorial to her and what she has done."

"Poor woman, what do you have in your hand?"

"Two small coins, Lord,—all my wealth. I have nothing more to place in Your treasury."

She placed them, and her meager gift, which turned out to be greater than all the others in the eyes of Christ, still inspires and encourages people to give to the Lord.

"What do you hold in your hand, Tabitha?"

"A needle, Lord."

"Work with it for Me."

And so she did; and not only did she clothe the suffering and the poor in the city of Joppa, but even today, her diligent labor is remembered with reverence and serves as an example to many.

Let each person do what they can.

But how, some may ask, does the Lord demand infinite perfection, while you ask for so little... What sort of ascent to the mountain is this?

It seems the person stands in one place, not moving forward.

No. If a person embodies Christ in their small work, they will gradually begin to ascend upward. One in whom Christ lives cannot remain stagnant.

By feeling God within themselves through such an act of love, a person becomes akin to Christ and, with His help, unlocks within themselves the strength to continue on His paths and those of the saints, all the way to the summit of the Lord's Mountain. The Lord will call upon the faithful in small things at the proper time for greater things.

We must only remember that in any path, in any activity, prayer is what lifts us upward; even in small things, we cannot work for the glory of God without ascending to the mountain of prayer—not a lifeless, obligatory, mute-lipped prayer, but a genuine, burning, and sincere one.

The Lord "led the apostles up on a high mountain."

For what purpose? For prayer in solitude.

The Lord Himself constantly withdrew from the crowd and led His disciples away so they could rest and focus; "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while," He told them.

On the cross, in the agonies of death, until His last breath, the Lord and Son never ceased to pray and constantly urged His disciples to pray: "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation" (Mark 14:38).

The mountain to which He leads His disciples represents that difficult, thorny path that we must traverse to ascend to the heights of goodness and true prayer. The power of prayer is the greatest mystery, yet it is accessible in its simplicity even to the pure soul of a child.

We must ask God for the gift of holy, fervent, not just obligatory, prayer. And this gift will give us the strength to be a brightly burning lamp in our home, and perhaps, later, to carry the light of Christ further.

Let us pray.

Christ alone can accomplish this wondrous work in our hearts; He alone will guide us, as He did His disciples, along the narrow, steep, and rocky path that leads to the high mountain. He will support us and carry us in His arms, removing all obstacles; following Him, we will reach the summit and receive the reward that awaited the disciples on Tabor; there, far from the noise and bustle of the world, they heard only the voice of the Savior,—they recognized Him as the Son of God, they were witnesses to His eternal glory.

And so, when we ascend in spirit to the Lord, leaving far behind us all the temptations and snares of the world, He will grant us a taste of that ineffable bliss of closeness to the Lord, which will give us strength in the struggles of life, steadfastness in trials, and comfort in sorrow.

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