Devotional Thoughts for the feast of Tabernacle. 6th Aug 2011
Reading: From the Gospel according to St. Luke: 9: 27-37
In the first verse of today’s reading we hear, “But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Kingdom of God.” And our Lord took St. Peter, St. John and St. Jacob to the top of Mount Tabor and started prayer. At this moment happened the so called Transfiguration of Lord.
The word Transfiguration is not the ideal word for the event that took place on top of Mount Tabor as Transfiguration literally means “change form or figure.” Our Lord did not change His form or figure, where as He revealed His original form and figure. The Holy Gospel confess that Moses and Elijah who had a close conversation with our Lord about the hardships our Lord had to undertake before His sacrifice on the cross for the salvation process of the entire creation especially the entire mankind., were also in the heavenly glory. The blessed Apostles got a wonderful chance to have a vision of the Kingdom of God, where all could think, talk, realize and understand exactly like the living wise people. They witnessed the truth that our Lord is the real light of the world, and He is owner and supplier of the Holy heavenly brightness and light. Lord Jesus revealed His glory and enabled the Apostles to have a look at the Kingdom of God on the feast day of Tabernacle of Israelites We do honor this day as the day on which St. Peter, St. James and St. John were blessed to have a look at the glory of our Lord and His Kingdom.
As far as our Church is concerned, it the day of the Bethany Monastery, the first of its kind in the Church. On this day we do commemorate the blessed memory of two Church Fathers who have been entombed in Bethany Monastery.
Let us beseech God Almighty to enable us all to recognize the glory of our God as it is. May God enable us to witness the glory of His Kingdom.
May God bless us all.
Jose Kurian Puliyeril