A Liturgical Note For You: A Glimpse of Our Future
Transfiguration Sunday: Last Sunday after the Epiphany (Feb.15). Although the long name sounds like this must be a very important day (and it is – all Sundays are important), the colour of this Sunday remains green – it is a part of the Ordinary Time (numbered time) we are currently marking until Lent begins.
Why do we have a Transfiguration Sunday when we already have a day for the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on August 6? The two days serve different purposes. Transfiguration Sunday is a part of our journey through the drama of our Salvation Story that unfolds in the liturgy across the Sundays of our Christian calendar. Our liturgy is always forward looking. For example, we celebrate Christ as our king – risen and ascended and reigning – on the Sunday before Advent begins, before Christ’s birth is celebrated. This aims our gaze forward not only to his birth but also to his reign in glory at the end of time. Likewise, Transfiguration Sunday reminds us of Christ’s coming glory – and of our glory through him – as Christ’s baptismal journey culminates in his death, resurrection, and ascension.
In Christ’s transfiguration, we are provided with a glimpse of what is in store for us and this hope of our salvation is the foundation for all that we do in preparation for the coming glory of Easter. Our penitence, disciplines, and devotions throughout Lent are all meant to bring us closer to our intended human fullness that we see in Christ’s transfiguration.
Since the focus of the two days (Transfiguration Sunday and The Transfiguration of the Lord) differs, they share the story of Jesus’ transfiguration on the mount but they do not share the other scripture readings. On August 6, we concentrate on Jesus’ transfiguration – what this means in terms of the nature of Christ (he is God: Jesus is not only the messenger of our salvation but also the saving message itself). On Transfiguration Sunday, the focus is on the amazing reality that we, and our world, are being brought through this transformation into the glory of Christ through the glory of Christ.
Here is the Collect from the Church of England to assist in your worship:
Almighty Father, whose Son was revealed in majesty before he suffered death upon the cross: give us grace to perceive his glory, that we may be strengthened to suffer with him and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
By the way, this would be the Sunday when parishioners returned last year’s palms (if they had taken them home to keep for the year) in order to burn them to make ashes for Ash Wednesday.
For Your Devotions:
Monday, February 9th is the commemoration of Hannah Grier Coome, Founder of the Sisterhood of Saint John the Divine, died in 1921. When her husband died, Hannah thought of returning to England to join an already established sisterhood but some people who knew her had other plans…They thought Canada could use a sisterhood of its own and convinced Hannah to stay. The new sisterhood started off in a former stable in Toronto and the rest is history, as they say. Here’s a sample of their work:
“Shortly after, they acquired the house next door, on the corner of Euclid Avenue and Robinson Street, where they opened the first surgical hospital for women in Toronto. Since that time, our community has pioneered in training nurses, in convalescent care, and in rehabilitation; we have administered schools and an orphanage; worked with the mentally handicapped; ministered to the elderly; and worked with the poor in large cities and depressed rural areas.” Check out the website for more: https://ssjd.ca/history.html
Saturday, February 14th is the memorial of Cyril and Methodius, Apostles to the Slavs, died in 869 and 885 respectively. Cyril and Methodius were brothers chosen to be missionaries to the Slavic people. They got into hot water for using Slavonic in the liturgy. It was a “no-no” to use anything other than the Latin liturgy in the Roman Church at that time. Luckily, Pope Adrian II sided with them and they were able to continue their evangelizing. Believe it or not, neither were martyred but, their disciples were forced into exile when Pope Stephen V banned the use of anything but Latin. To learn more: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saints-Cyril-and-Methodius
— The Reverend Susan Montague Koyle