Akathist to the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ

O invincible Champion in battle and King of glory, when all creation saw Thee, the Creator of heaven and earth, transfigured in glory on Mount Tabor, it marvelled; the heavens trembled, and the earth and all its offspring rejoiced; and we, unworthy of Thy transfiguration wrought for our sake, offer Thee worship with thanksgiving, and with Peter we cry to Thee with soul and heart: O Jesus, God without beginning, it is good for us to be for ever beneath the shelter of Thy grace.

Thy Godhead, hidden from the angels and incomprehensible to men, O Christ, Giver of light, Thou didst reveal to Thy chief disciples on Mount Tabor in unsetting lightning and in the rays of Thy light that knoweth no evening; and they, struck with awe at Thy divine change and made radiant by the cloud of light, when they heard the voice of the Father and understood the mystery of Thine incarnation, cried to Thee thus:

Jesus, Son of the immortal God, shed upon us the light of Thy radiant face; Jesus, good and almighty God, raise us who sleep from the dark depth of the sleep of sin; Jesus, bring us up from the dominion of darkness into the unapproachable light; Jesus, who hast filled the whole world with Thy glory, bring us into the mansions of the kingdom; Jesus, Light of the world, deliver from the evil world us who sit in darkness; Jesus, Sun of righteousness, clothe with Thy power and truth us who sleep in the tent of death; O Jesus, God without beginning, it is good for us to be for ever beneath the shelter of Thy grace.

Seeing, O Lord who lovest mankind, that Thy disciples, not yet having true enlightenment, did not understand why Thou must go up to Jerusalem, suffer much there and die, Thou didst begin from then on to explain to them that Thou must endure all this for our salvation. But since they could not yet discern what is the divine nature and what the human, after six days Thou didst take Peter, James and John and bring them up Mount Tabor, to show them Thy glory before Thy Passion on the Cross, that even in the hour of Thy suffering they might sing to Thee with understanding: Alleluia.

Thy disciples could not understand Thy voluntary Passion, which passeth the grasp of the mind, O Lord. Therefore late at night, before Thy Passion on the Cross, Thou didst bring Thy chosen disciples up a high mountain, that they might see the awesome wonder of Thy transfiguration and the eternal beauty of Thy divine coming, unbearable even from afar, so that when they saw Thee nailed to the Cross they might understand Thy Passion to be voluntary. Therefore we cry to Thee thus:

Jesus, who didst bring Thy disciples up from the depths onto a high mountain, bring us also up the mountain, that we may learn to seek the delights on high; Jesus, who didst draw Peter and the sons of Zebedee away from the cares of life and the multitude of earthly affairs, draw our mind also away from earthly goods, that we may grow used to fleeing base passions; Jesus, who with much toil didst bring Thy friends up to the height, teach us also to struggle every day with much toil and labour; Jesus, who in the stillness of the night, while praying, didst show Thy transfiguration to Thy disciples, make us Thy faithful worthy now also, that the sweetness of Thy words may light up our night; Jesus, who in the stillness of Tabor didst show Thy glory to three witnesses only, undisturbed and withdrawn, grant us now also the eternal contemplation of Thy glory; Jesus, in whose name Tabor and Hermon rejoice, grant us also to ascend the mountain of perfection by calling on Thy sweetest name. O Jesus, God without beginning, it is good for us to be for ever beneath the shelter of Thy grace.

Having clothed Thy chosen apostles with power from on high, O Jesus, Thou didst bring them up Tabor, that they might learn to seek the things above and to set their minds on things on high and not on earth; clothe with Thy glory and power us also, who are bowed down and ever overcome by the weakness of the flesh, that Thy power may make up our lack too, and that we also may cry to Thee with love: Alleluia.

Revealing Thy glory in part to Thy disciples as God, before Thy crucifixion and voluntary Passion, O Christ our Saviour, Thou didst choose only three of the dwellers of the earth to see Thy divine glory, for these three were better in Thine eyes than all peoples and tribes: Peter, who loved Thee more than the others and was the first to confess Thee as the Son of God; James, who in the hope of the good things to come was the first of the apostles to bow his head to the sword and so made a beginning of martyrdom for Thee; and John, as a virgin, who kept purity of soul and body undefiled and therefore received above the others the special grace of ineffable revelations and of the vision of Thy divine glory. Together with them accept from us also such praise:

Jesus, who before the transfiguration didst accept Peter’s confession of faith, accept my fervent confession also; Jesus, who on Mount Tabor didst grant the same Peter boldness to speak with Thee, make my heart also speak with kindness and meekness; Jesus, who for their fervent love didst call the sons of Zebedee sons of thunder, strike not me with the thunder of Thy wrath; Jesus, who didst not accept the wish of the same disciples to call down fire on the Samaritans, quench in me also the fire of the passions; Jesus, bring me up to Mount Tabor with the virgin John, pure in soul and body; Jesus, bring me also into the kingdom with valiant James, who first drank the cup of martyrdom for Thee; O Jesus, it is good for us to be for ever beneath the shelter of Thy grace.

At Thy divine revelation on Mount Sinai there was a tempest of wind, when Thou didst give the Law with thunder and lightning to Moses who pleased Thee; likewise, when the prophet Elijah longed to see Thee, there was a strong wind on Mount Horeb, an earthquake and fire that shattered the mountains; yet the Lord was not in the strong wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but in the voice of a gentle breeze Thou didst show Thy face and the glory of Thy Godhead, when on Mount Tabor Thou didst stand before those who cried to Thee with joy: Alleluia.

When Moses and Elijah heard on Tabor Thy words of the departure which Thou wast to accomplish at Jerusalem, they bore witness before the whole world, O Lord, that Thou art truly the Son of God, sent by God the Father for the salvation of men, as His voice from heaven also declared. Moses was called up from the dead to bear witness in hell to Thy coming into the world, and Elijah Thou didst summon from the kingdom to tell Enoch of Thy glory, which he beheld at the transfiguration of Thy holy flesh; and we, amazed at the mystical revelation of Thy prophets on Mount Tabor, cry to Thee with a broken heart:

Jesus, who didst appear face to face on Mount Tabor to Moses the beholder of God, who longed to see Thy face, show us also in the age to come the most desired sweetness of Thy face; Jesus, who of old in the vision of God didst show Moses the brightness of Thy glory from behind, show us also face to face in the kingdom the image of Thine ineffable goodness; Jesus, who didst teach Elijah by stillness and by revelation in the voice of a gentle breeze, teach us also in the stillness of divine peace; Jesus, who didst take Elijah up unharmed into heaven in a fiery chariot and bring him into the kingdom, raise me also wondrously to the height of the perfect life; Jesus, who of old spoke to the prophets in many ways and on Mount Tabor didst tell of Thine end, water my thirsting soul also with the words of eternal life; Jesus, who before two witnesses didst reveal to Thy disciples the mystery of Thy transfiguration, make my lukewarm faith fervent with the unutterable groanings of the Holy Spirit; O Jesus, God without beginning, it is good for us to be for ever beneath the shelter of Thy grace.

Like a star made manifest by God’s providence and shining in the night, O Lord, Giver of light, was the ineffable radiance of Thy holy flesh, when beside Thy sleeping disciples, in a night already drawing towards dawn, Thou didst offer Thy lofty prayer to Thy Father from the high mountain. Then Thy face shone like the sun, and Thy garments became radiant and white as snow. And the apostles, awakened by the descent of divine power, beheld Thy glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, and they stood trembling and sang to Thee: Alleluia.

When the apostles saw Thee on Mount Tabor in human form yet transfigured with divine glory, as Thou didst speak with Moses and Elijah of Thy departure, they understood Thine eternal power and the Godhead hidden beneath the veil of the flesh; hearing the words that were spoken, they delighted in the contemplation of Thy divine glory, seeing it only so far as their bodily eyes could contain it; and with them we too sing to Thee thus:

Jesus, who didst make Thine ineffable and divinely radiant glory shine upon Thy disciples, make Thine eternal light shine in our souls also; Jesus, who didst make the servants of God who stood under the Law sharers in Thy heavenly light, by communion with it enlighten our ever-wandering mind also; Jesus, who on Mount Tabor didst reveal a little the radiance of Thy Godhead hidden by the flesh, bring to light my falls into sin, hidden by my bitter conscience; Jesus, who didst send forth rays of uncreated light from Thy flesh and enlighten the holy mountain, make the light of Thy commandments shine in the darkness of my soul; Jesus, who by the transfiguration of Thy holy flesh didst enlighten the ends of the world, enlighten and adorn us also, who are wrapped in gloom; Jesus, who by the brightness of the light of Tabor didst make Thy disciples white as snow, cleanse and renew us also who have gone astray; O Jesus, God without beginning, it is good for us to be for ever beneath the shelter of Thy grace.

When Peter, James and John, Thy disciples, saw on Mount Tabor Thine all-good and saving converse with Moses and Elijah, O Christ our God, they rejoiced greatly; and Peter, filled with divine love, spoke to Thee aloud: “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles: one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But we the unworthy dare not ask Thee directly; yet in humility we beg Thy mercy, and with a voice full of awe we cry to Thee: Alleluia.

When the cloud of light shone upon Mount Tabor as a wonder for the whole world, Peter, who asked for tabernacles, was answered by the declaration of the Father’s voice and the descent of the Holy Spirit; and the apostles standing round the summit, when Thou didst overshadow them, feared Thee all the more; and entering the cloud in fear, they knew Thine incomprehensible Godhead and cried to Thee with great boldness thus:

Jesus, who of old didst lead Israel in the wilderness by a pillar of cloud, show us now also the way to Thy kingdom; Jesus, who on Mount Tabor didst shelter and overshadow Thine apostles with a cloud of light, refresh us also with the dew of Thy Holy Spirit; Jesus, who dwellest in heaven in a temple not made with hands, show us also the light-revealing temple of Thy Godhead and the all-holy tabernacle; Jesus, who didst not desire tabernacles made with hands on earth, make me, raised to the heavens, a fair tabernacle hidden in Thy Spirit; Jesus, who didst put on light as a garment, clothe me also, who am naked, with the God-woven garment of innocence and holiness; Jesus, who didst stretch out the heavens as a tent, clothe me also, covered with wounds, with the snow-white garment of Thy heavenly beauty; O Jesus, God without beginning, it is good for us to be for ever beneath the shelter of Thy grace.

Willing to reveal the mystery of Thy Godhead hidden from the ages, Thy heavenly Father, as before at Thy baptism in the Jordan, proclaimed Thy divine Sonship and bore witness with a voice from the cloud, declaring: “This is My beloved Son; hear ye Him.” And the apostles, bereft of strength by great amazement, fell on their faces to the ground, crying to Thee: Alleluia.

When they beheld on Mount Tabor Thy new and glorious manifestation, O Master and Lord, and heard the voice of the Father from the cloud, the eyewitnesses and ministers, struck with awe and suddenly enlightened by the outpouring of new light, gazed at one another in amazement, fell on their faces to the ground and worshipped Thee, the King of all, and offered Thee such praise:

Jesus, Image of the radiance of the Father’s Person, change my darkened and impure life; Jesus, Brightness of the Father’s glory, enlighten my soul fallen into darkness; Jesus, wondrous and awesome in the glory of Thy divine form, renew also our spiritual form corrupted by decay; Jesus, meek and perfect Love, by the ineffable radiance of Thy flesh make all the impurity of my flesh whiter than snow; Jesus, Light without beginning, in Thy light revealed on Mount Tabor show us the light of the Father; Jesus, unchanging Light, in the invisible light of Thy kingdom show us the light of the Spirit; O Jesus, God without beginning, it is good for us to be for ever beneath the shelter of Thy grace.

Wondrously and strangely Moses and Elijah appeared to Thee, O Master and Lord, on Mount Tabor, and seeing the form of the divine Person they spoke of Thy voluntary Passion, which awaited Thee as befitted holiness; and when Thou didst overshadow them with the cloud of light and a voice came from heaven, the glory of the Lord vanished from the disciples’ sight, and the prophets too were taken back to their places, singing to Thee: Alleluia.

All this, O unsearchable Word of God, was from on high, when Thine all-holy flesh was transfigured on Tabor; yet Thou didst not depart from the lowly: when the prophets had gone and the vision ended, Thou didst come to the disciples lying on the ground in fear, touched them and said to them: “Arise, and be not afraid.” And the disciples, lifting up their eyes and seeing that Thou alone wast with them, rejoiced greatly and gave thanks to God, singing thus:

Jesus, who hast the words of eternal life, be ever with us in our earthly sojourn; Jesus, who hast filled us with the vision of Thy Godhead, leave us not without help in Thy service; Jesus, who before Thy crucifixion didst shed light on the mystery of Thy voluntary Passion, grant us ever the remembrance of Thy humiliation for our sake; Jesus, who before Thy death didst show us Thy glory, grant us ever to understand the deification of Thy flesh; Jesus, unchanging Image of the divine Essence, renew in my soul the image and likeness of Thy longed-for countenance; O Jesus, God without beginning, it is good for us to be for ever beneath the shelter of Thy grace.

All nature rejoiced, beholding Thy glorious transfiguration on Mount Tabor, O Christ our Saviour: the angels stood invisibly before Thee and served Thee, the heavens feared and were shaken, and the whole earth trembled when it saw the glory of the Lord; “Mount Tabor, once dark and smoking”, was covered with a cloud of light, and on it “stood Thine all-holy feet”; Thy disciples could not gaze on Thine unbearable face, and falling to the ground they covered their faces, until Thou Thyself, when the vision had ended, didst raise them up, crying to Thee: Alleluia.

The eloquent who are wise in vain, unenlightened by grace, cannot understand the mystery of Thy glorious transfiguration, O Lord; therefore, as the disciples came down from the mountain at dawn, Thou didst charge Thy friends to tell no one of the vision until Thou hadst endured the Passion and risen from the tomb on the third day. And they kept silence and in those days told no one anything of what they had seen and heard, but only in their hearts they cried to Thee thus:

Jesus, who didst put on the whole Adam, enlighten also our darkened human nature; Jesus, blot out with Thy light every spiritual darkness within us; Jesus, who didst delight Thine apostles with divine radiance, delight us also ever with the words of Thy divine revelation; Jesus, who didst enlighten Thy disciples with the dew-giving cloud, enlighten us also ever with the light of Thy glorious transfiguration; Jesus, who by the touch of Thy holy feet didst bless Mount Tabor, direct our feet also ever to Thy service; Jesus, who didst command that Thy mountain be ascended with innocent hands, raise our hands also on the mountain, lifted up in prayer; O Jesus, God without beginning, it is good for us to be for ever beneath the shelter of Thy grace.

Willing the salvation of the world, Thou wast transfigured on Mount Tabor for our sake, O Lord; yet creatures are unworthy of the heavenly glory prepared for Thine elect, and of the transfiguration of our lowly body, that at the time of the general resurrection it may be conformed to the body of Thy glory, and of the endless kingdom which from the foundation of the world Thou didst prepare for those who love Thee: make us also worthy to dwell in it, like Moses and Elijah, who behold Thee face to face and with all the saints sing to Thee the eternal hymn: Alleluia.

O eternal King, who hast done all things for our salvation: for us Thou didst take holy flesh of the all-holy Virgin Mary and come into this world in the form of a servant; likewise on the holy mountain Thou wast transfigured, not to please Thyself — for being Light Thou needest no enlightening — but for us, the condemned: Thou didst give light to us who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, and from children of wrath didst change us into Thy beloved children; therefore with thanksgiving we cry to Thee thus:

Jesus, who on Mount Tabor didst transfigure the form of a servant, change us also from children of sin into children of God; Jesus, who didst take on weakness in Thy flesh, change our fallen nature also together with Thee; Jesus, who on Mount Tabor didst show the ineffable beauty of Thy kingdom, establish in us joy, peace and truth in the Holy Spirit; Jesus, who by Thy divine flesh didst deify all creation, renew us also at Thy Second Coming by the deification of the flesh; Jesus, who on Tabor didst reveal the fire of Thy Godhead, burn up my sins with immaterial fire; Jesus, who there didst fill Thy disciples with Thy sweetest converse, bless my hungry soul also with Thy holy Mysteries; O Jesus, God without beginning, it is good for us to be for ever beneath the shelter of Thy grace.

I, the unworthy, offer Thee a most contrite hymn, Thou who by Thy transfiguration hast accomplished the radiant feast, and I cry to Thee: grant now also to Thy servants the height of heavenly life and the glories of eternal divine radiance, and make us also worthy with a pure heart to ascend in mind Thy holy mountain and with the eye of the mind to behold Thine all-glorious transfiguration, that we may sing to Thee aloud: Alleluia.

This light is Thy Light, O incomprehensible Jesus, Giver of light, Light without beginning and eternal, which Thou didst bring into the world when with Thine all-holy flesh Thou didst go up Mount Tabor and there make the uncreated and divine light shine upon Thy disciples, showing the image of the Father’s glory. Longing for communion with this light beyond nature, we cry to Thee from the depth of the soul thus: Jesus Christ, true Light, give life to my soul also with good thoughts every day of my earthly sojourn:

Jesus Christ, true Light, give life to my soul also with good thoughts every day of my earthly sojourn; Jesus the King, Light without beginning, kindle again the extinguished lamp of my soul until the day of my end; Jesus, gentle Light, grant me life, and in the dread moment of death grant my soul light and salvation; Jesus, holy Light, in that hour shine and blaze with unquenchable fire and drive away the darkness that surroundeth me; Jesus, sweetest and all-holy Light, lead me through the realm of the air, between the borders of sorrow, towards the light of Thy heavenly palace; Jesus, Light brighter than every sun, enlighten me also in the radiance of Thy saints, in the unwaning day of Thy kingdom; O Jesus, God without beginning, it is good for us to be for ever beneath the shelter of Thy grace.

Grant me, O Jesus my God, the grace that Thou didst grant on Tabor to Thy chosen disciples Peter, John and James, and receive us like them, clothed with Thy power from on high and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, that, pure in heart and renewed in spirit, we may ascend the Tabor of the mind, going up from strength to strength, struggling above all with fasting and prayer and abiding in innocence and purity, and there cry to Thee: Alleluia.

Singing the glorious transfiguration of Thine all-holy flesh, we magnify Thy divine glory revealed on Mount Tabor; we worship Thine eternal power and Godhead, whose light Thou didst there reveal in part, O Christ; and with Peter we believe that Thou art truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, come to save the sinful world; therefore with him we cry to Thee from the depth of the soul: It is good for us to be here with Thee. Put us not to shame, then, who believe rightly in Thee, but shelter us, weak and hemmed in by the flesh, with the light of Thy divinely radiant flesh, as we call to Thee with love thus:

Jesus, unsetting Sun who didst shine forth on Tabor, make me also radiant with Thy divine brightness; Jesus, unconcealed Light revealed at the hour of the transfiguration, warm me also by communion in Thy grace; Jesus, eternal Temple of the heavenly Jerusalem, make me also to dwell in the tabernacle of God not made by man; Jesus, fragrant Light of the all-holy paradise, pour on me also the heavenly fragrance of holiness and innocence; Jesus, cleansing Fire, who art pleased to cleanse heaven and earth from every stain, cleanse me also from every stain of soul and body; Jesus, all-precious Stone, who hast lit up the heavenly Zion with divine beauty in place of the sun, free me from the contemplation of other beauties; O Jesus, God without beginning, it is good for us to be for ever beneath the shelter of Thy grace.

O all-sweet Jesus, bountiful Giver of mercy, who didst shine with glory on Tabor: accept now also this small supplication of ours, and as on the holy mountain Thou didst accept the worship of Thy disciples, make us also worthy to worship Thy glorious transfiguration, that Thou mayest enlighten the darkness of sin within us, and we may be found worthy to inherit Thine endless kingdom in heaven, where Thou wilt make us worthy to sing to Thee with all the saints: Alleluia.

(This kontakion thrice, then Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1)

O Lord Jesus Christ our God, unapproachable Light, radiance of the Father’s glory and image of His Person! When the fulness of time was come, out of Thine ineffable compassion for the fallen race of men Thou didst humble Thyself, take the form of a servant, and in humility and obedience taste even death. But before Thy crucifixion and voluntary Passion Thou wast transfigured on Mount Tabor with Thy divine glory before Thy holy disciples, that when they saw Thee nailed to the Cross and given over to death they might understand that Thy Passion was voluntary and know Thy Godhead. Grant us also, all who keep the feast of the transfiguration of Thine all-holy flesh, to ascend with a pure heart and an undefiled mind Thy holy mountain, the dwelling of Thy holy glory, where the saints keep the feast with a song of ineffable joy, that there with them we may behold Thy glory face to face in the unwaning day of Thy kingdom, and with all the saints who have pleased Thee from the ages glorify Thine all-holy name, together with Thy Father who is without beginning and Thine all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The Akathist to the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ was translated especially for the Monastery of the Transfiguration, built on Mount Tabor in Tbilisi with the blessing of His Holiness. Found by Elene Aburseridze; distributed with the blessing of Father Luka, rector of the Church of St Panteleimon in Batumi.

The Akathist to the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ was translated especially for the Monastery of the Transfiguration, built on Mount Tabor in Tbilisi with the blessing of His Holiness. Found by Elene Aburseridze; distributed with the blessing of Father Luka, rector of the Church of St Panteleimon in Batumi.