The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord was solemnly celebrated at the Monastery of St Demetrius of Thessaloniki in Saki, Poland, on August 18–19.
The celebrations began with an All-Night Vigil presided over by Bishop Warsanofiusz of Siemiatycze, with the participation of numerous clergy. At 11 p.m., an Akathist to St Demetrius, the patron saint of the monastery, was celebrated, followed by the first Divine Liturgy at midnight.
On the morning of the feast, the blessing of water was followed by a festal Divine Liturgy, again presided over by Bishop Warsanofiusz.
In his homily, Fr Rafał Wawreniuk reflected on the mystery of the Transfiguration and Christ’s revelation of His divine glory to Peter, James and John. He stressed that the experience prepared the disciples for Christ’s Passion and reminded them that suffering is not the end but leads to the Resurrection.
Following the concluding procession, Bishop Warsanofiusz emphasized that an encounter with Christ should lead to an inner transformation, strengthen faith and help believers face life’s difficulties with courage.
He encouraged the faithful not to limit spiritual experiences to passing moments, but to bring their fruits into everyday life through prayer, love for one’s neighbor and faithfulness to the Gospel.
The celebrations concluded with words of gratitude from Archimandrite Włodzimierz to the bishop, clergy and numerous faithful who had gathered for the feast.
Text: Fr Bogumił Korniluk, Photos: Łukasz Troc
