Catholic holidays - Catholic Transfiguration of the Lord (Feast of the Transfiguration)

The greatness of Jesus Christ, his divine nature and power is glorified by the Feast of the Transfiguration The event has been celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church on August 6 since 1457, when it acquired a generally recognized form, especially solemn and obligatory The holiday was established by Pope Callixtus III in honor of the victory of Christians over the infidels during the siege of Belgrade on August 6, 1456 (it was on this day that the news reached Rome) In celebration, in addition to the special rite of worship, the Western Church demonstrates its characteristics If the date falls on a weekday, the service is moved to the next Sunday Formally, based on chronology, the Transfiguration took place in February, but is celebrated in August for all denominations of Christianity The interpretation of this significant event shows the future of a true Catholic, the possibility of life after death This episode of Jesus’ earthly existence is important because after that the path to Golgotha ​​began But his disciples were confident in the divine nature of Christ even after the crucifixion, they believed in a miracle because it had been demonstrated According to legend from the Gospel (described in all but one), Jesus, together with his disciples Peter, John and James, showed them the truth during prayer: his face shone and his clothes became snow-white He spoke about future suffering for his faith, about his death and resurrection After this, a voice from the cloud came from heaven, indicating that we should listen to Jesus and confirming that he was the son of God The will of God in the form of words heard from heaven is a fairly common occurrence in all religions The New Testament mentions the divine voice several times In this case, it is reinforced by another supernatural event - the appearance of Moses and Elijah These two Old Testament prophets lived at different times: the first - around the 13th century BC e, the second - in the 9th century BC e According to theological interpretation, their appearance testifies to the power of Jesus, the ability to unite two covenants After all, in the Old Testament there is the Feast of Tabernacles, when the tents of reserve are built, which the Apostle Peter mentions The connection can also be traced in some special traditions - the consecration of fruits as gifts of the earth Mount Tabor was considered the exact place where the Transfiguration took place, but historical evidence and the logical assumptions of some theologians cast doubt on this location In ancient sources it is concretized only after the 4th century, namely after the pilgrimage of Helen Augusta, mother of Emperor Constantine Mount Hermon is the main alternative contender for the title of the place where a holy action took place, important for all Catholics The Transfiguration symbolizes the revelation of all the persons of the Trinity - the voice of the Father, the cloud of the Holy Spirit, and the ability of Christ to demonstrate the divine nature