Friday, August 5, 2011

Selected hymns from the Great Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ

The Holy Transfiguration of Christ - Celebrated on August 6 

Selected hymns from the Great Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ


Apolytikion
You were transfigured upon the mountain, O Christ our God, showing to Your disciples Your glory as much as they could bear. Do also in us, sinners though we be, shine Your everlasting light, at the intercession of the Theotokos, O Giver of light. Glory to You.

Kathisma I. Mode 4. Joseph marveled.
You were transfigured on the Mount* Tabor, and demonstrated thus* the transformation mortal men* shall with Your glory undergo* at the fearful Second Coming of You our Savior.* Moses and Elias were conversing with You.* And You called together three of Your disciples there,* who gazed upon Your glory, O Master,* and were astounded by Your fulgurant light.* O Lord who then shined Your light upon them,* do also illuminate our souls.

Kontakion. Grave Mode.
Upon the mountain were You transfigured, and Your disciples beheld Your glory as far as they were able, O Christ our God; so that when they would see You crucified they might understand that Your Passion was deliberate, and declare to the world that in truth You are the Father’s radiance.

Œkos
Awake you dull thoughts, be not always groveling and bending my soul towards the earth; arise and go up to the height of divine ascent. Let us run to join Peter and Zebedeeʹs sons, and with them go directly to Mount Tabor; that with them we may see the glory of our God, and may also hear the voice that they heard from heaven; and they proclaimed the Father’s radiance.

Excerpt from the Ninth Ode of the Second Canon of the Feast, in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone
Glory to You, our God, glory to You.
That You might manifestly show * Your unutterable second descent to come, * how You the Most High God * will then be seen standing in the midst of gods, * You did ineffably shine forth * on Moses and Elias and * on the Apostles, O Lord, * on Mount Tabor. Hence we magnify You, O Christ

Glory.
People, come listen to me. * Let us climb that mountain, holy and heavenly, and immaterially * stand in the city of the living God. * Let us noetically see * the immaterial Divinity * of the Father and the Spirit, * shining forth in the Only‐begotten Son.

Both now.
You have enraptured me, O Christ, * with Your longing and transformed me with love divine. * I pray, completely consume * with immaterial fire all my sins. * And count me worthy to be filled * fully with the delight in You, * that I may magnify * both Your Comings, O good Master, exultantly.

Exaposteilarion. Mode 3. Original Melody.
O Logos, light unaltered* of light, unbegotten Father,* we have beheld light, the Father,* and light the all‐holy Spirit* today in Your light appearing* upon Mount Tabor,* guiding with light all creation.

Prosomoia of the Praises in the Fourth Tone
Before You went to Your precious Cross and Passion,* taking those holy Disciples You had specially* chosen, O Lord, You went up with them* into Mount Tabor,* wishing to show them Your glory as You did.* And when they beheld You thus transfigured and they saw* that You were shining more brightly than* the sun, they fell down* and were astounded by Your authority.* They cried aloud: You are the timeless light,* and the Father’s bright radiance, even though* as You willed You became flesh* without changing and were thus beheld.

O God the Word who exist before the ages,* who cover yourself with light as with a garment, O Lord,* You were transfigured before the eyes* of Your Disciples* and shined, O Logos, more brightly than the sun.* Moses and Elias stood by You betokening* that You are truly the Lord of both* the dead and living,* And they doxologized Your ineffable* mercy and dispensation and Your great* condescension by which You have saved the world* which was lost in transgressions* and was perishing because of sins.

When Your Disciples were there with You together,* the voice of the Father then explicitly declared* that You are His own beloved Son,* the same in essence,* sharing the same throne, in whom He is well pleased,* You who from a virgin cloud were born becoming flesh,* and were transfigured, O sovereign Lord,* upon Mount Tabor,* and were encompassed with a bright shining cloud.* Wherefore did Peter in astonishment* say, “O Master, it is well that we are here,”* not knowing what he was saying,* O Benefactor rich in mercy.

Doxastikon of the Praises in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone
Glory; both now.
Christ took Peter, James, and John,and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ʺThis is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!ʺ


Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

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