A few days ago we celebrated the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ on Mt. Tabor. This was a significant event in the life of Christ because it revealed, in a supernatural way, the divine nature of our Lord. His humanity was already on display by merely being a human, but his divinity was something that was yet to be grasped; however, this transfiguration gave the disciples who were present (Peter, James, and John) a glimpse of that divinity. It also marked a clear turning point for the disciples. That is, it showed them that Jesus is not one among the prophets, like that of Moses or Elijah. He was different! In our time we might say that “Jesus was in a league of his own.” The fact that He was God, truly divine and truly God, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, would be a matter that would be more concretely understood later on, as the disciples experienced the redemptive work of Christ and his post-resurrection appearance and his ascension into heaven.
First, we are to uphold Christ as distinct and completely different from all others within the framework of Christianity. We do it theologically. But in practices do we? We need to pray to the saints, especially St. Mary, but we should never forget that it is Christ that is our focus. St. Mary and all the saints are there to aid us in one single pursuit – a relationship with Jesus Christ. Every aspect of the Christian life is to bring out attention to the crucified and risen Messiah.
Second, as Orthodox, we are often very keen on reading the writings of the Fathers and other preeminent works of current theologians. But often, we miss the greatest book of all time—the Bible--particularly the Gospels. We should be excited to read the source as much as we are willing to read the “outworking” of the source. There is no greater learning that a Christian can participate in than reading the Bible. There lies the treasure house of knowledge and truth. It is indeed the foundation of the Church.
Third, as Orthodox Christians, it is our practice to have a close relationship with the spiritual father. In as much as it can be a blessing, it can also be a stumbling block. Meaning, a spiritual father is there to guide us, not to make decisions for us. As he guides us, we make the best decision that is necessary for our spiritual well being.
Fourth, in our generation, there is so much “spiritual stuff” to “feed on.” In the time of Jesus, as explained in the Gospels, John the Baptist came to the Jewish people in righteousness. And even when the harlots and tax collectors changed their ways, they still did not believe. They had everything that they needed to change their ways, but yet they chose to stay where they were. In our present time, we have all that we need to know and live for Christ. Yet, many Christians have minimal spiritual growth or they stay “nominal” for the rest of their lives. In my opinion that is because we have put the “cart” before the “horse.” For example, we seek after “mindfulness,” “yoga,” “meditation” but we neglect to seek after Christ. There are aspects of the aforementioned that are good and could be incorporated into Christian spiritual life, but the main focus, the foundation, the framework, should be Christ, but if that is “sidelined,” then we will not grow or make progress in our Christian faith.