… ascent: Peter calls to mind faith, James — hope, and John — love. "In order to be worthy of beholding the beauty of the Divine nature, its majesty, its glory, a person must rise above the earthly, above all that is temporal," he said. This path, in the words of the hierarch, passes through prayer, fasting, and other Christian ascetic endeavors, and its goal is the purification of the human heart, for "blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
Concluding the sermon, His Beatitude expressed the wish that the Lord would help Christians to ascend spiritually toward the heights of perfection, to preserve purity of heart, and to be capable of contemplating the glory of God. In his words, a person who has come to know the joy of Divine glory receives the spiritual strength to remain unshaken amid sorrows and trials, and to walk with confidence …
His Beatitude explained how to attain spiritual steadfastness
Metropolitan Onufriy, in his sermon on the Transfiguration, said that the glory of God is revealed to a pure heart.
His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy on August 19, 2026, on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the church of Venerable Agapitus of the Caves of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and addressed the faithful with a sermon on spiritual ascent and steadfastness.
The Primate recalled the Gospel event in which the Lord Jesus Christ ascended Mount Tabor together with the Apostles Peter, James, and John. During prayer, the Savior was transfigured before them: His face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as light, and the apostles beheld His Divine glory, as well as the prophets Moses and Elijah, who were conversing with the Savior. Metropolitan Onufriy noted that during Christ's earthly ministry the apostles had witnessed many miracles and His Divine power, yet it was on Tabor that the Lord revealed to them His Divine glory.
According to the Primate, the names of the three apostles symbolically point to the path of spiritual ascent: Peter calls to mind faith, James — hope, and John — love. "In order to be worthy of beholding the beauty of the Divine nature, its majesty, its glory, a person must rise above the earthly, above all that is temporal," he said. This path, in the words of the hierarch, passes through prayer, fasting, and other Christian ascetic endeavors, and its goal is the purification of the human heart, for "blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
Concluding the sermon, His Beatitude expressed the wish that the Lord would help Christians to ascend spiritually toward the heights of perfection, to preserve purity of heart, and to be capable of contemplating the glory of God. In his words, a person who has come to know the joy of Divine glory receives the spiritual strength to remain unshaken amid sorrows and trials, and to walk with confidence along the path leading to salvation in Christ Jesus.
As the UOJ reported, His Beatitude on the anniversary of his enthronement stated: All our hope is in Christ alone.