At the Monastery of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki in Saky, the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord was solemnly celebrated on August 18–19.
The festive celebrations began with an all-night vigil presided over by His Excellency, Bishop Warsonofiusz of Siemiatych. The hierarch was assisted by a large gathering of clergy. At 11:00 PM, an akathist was served to St. Demetrius, the patron of the monastery, and then at midnight, the first Holy Liturgy began.
During the night Holy Liturgy, almost all the faithful in attendance participated in the Holy Eucharist. In accordance with monastic tradition, during the communal agape, the brothers served the pilgrims soup and blessed koliva.
The festive morning began with the blessing of water. Subsequently, a solemn Holy Liturgy was celebrated under the leadership of Bishop Warsonofiusz of Siemiatych.
After the reading of the Gospel pericope, Fr. Rafał Wawreniuk, the parish priest of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Kleszczele, addressed the faithful. The clergyman pointed out the need for reflection on the mystery of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the revelation of Christ's glory, and the strengthening of the apostles' faith. Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John, revealing His divine nature to them. The experience of light and glory was meant to prepare the disciples for the upcoming events of the Passion and to remind them that suffering is not the end, but leads to the resurrection. The preacher emphasized that the words: "Listen to Him" are an encouragement to trust Christ in daily life and to listen to His word, even in moments of trial. The sermon concluded with a reflection stating that every person needs moments of spiritual transformation that strengthen them in faith and allow them to return to everyday life with new hope. The faithful were encouraged to turn to God in life's problems and worries, noting that only in Him can a person find true joy.
Following the solemn procession that concluded the festive celebrations at the monastery in Saky, His Excellency Bishop Warsonofiusz addressed the clergy and the faithful. The hierarch emphasized that an encounter with Christ should lead to a person's internal transformation, strengthen their faith, and help them to courageously experience difficulties and trials.
His Excellency noted that the faithful should not stop at temporary spiritual experiences, but should be able to carry their fruits into daily life, witnessing to their faith through prayer, love for their neighbor, and faithfulness to the Gospel.
The festive celebrations concluded with words of thanks addressed to the hierarch, the clergy, and the many faithful by Archimandrite Włodzimierz, thanking them for the communal celebration of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
Fr. Bogumił Korniluk
Photos: Łukasz Troc