Christian celebrate Transfiguration of Jesus on Sunday
Orthodox Christians, who follow the Julian calendar, will celebrate the Transfiguration of Jesus on Sunday, August 19. It is one of the 12 Royal Feasts, also called Probrazhnja by the folk (from the Slavic name of the holiday – Preobrazhenje Gospoda Boga, literally, the Transfiguration of the Son of God). It is the only day of the Fast of St Mary in which eating fish, drinking wine and using oil is allowed, says priest Victor Cerasau, from the Candlemas Church in Chisinau, cited by Info-Prim Neo.
“It is a Royal Feast dedicated to Jesus, the Messiah. Through this holiday, the Messiah set the public foundations of His divinity; by uniting his three disciples on the “synod” mount, He showed His Holy Light and proved Himself to be the real God”, the priest said.
According to the priest, since the holiday is dedicated to Jesus, it is also the Church’s duty to turn the Christians away from darkness and towards the light, from a life lived in spiritual ignorance to a live of spiritual care.
This is the day when parishioners go to Church to receive the Eucharist. Christians take along grapes, to get them blessed, because it is the day when grape yields and new wine are blessed. Many believers don’t even eat grapes before this Feast.