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Holy Transfiguration
Orthodox Church
3491 Pleasant Grove Church Rd
Morrisville, NC 27560
(Raleigh/Durham)
All Services in English
на
русском
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The
Transfiguration of Our Lord
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His
face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as snow.
A bright cloud overshadowed
them and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Beloved Son,
with whom I am well pleased;
listen to Him." When the disciples heard this, they fell on
their faces with awe. But Jesus
came and touched them saying, "rise, and have no fear."
(Matthew 17)
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PASTORAL
MESSAGE |
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This
month we will be celebrating both Ascension (13th) and Pentecost
(23rd). Ascension means that Christ is no longer physically
in the world. How then are we to appropriate the things that
Christ accomplished in his Life, on the Cross, through the Resurrection?
How is a personal relationship with One who is absent even possible?
With the Ascension and His glorification, He finished His work
here and reoccupied His place next to the Father. He prays that
the Father will send “Another Comforter,” (John 14:16).
This occurred on Pentecost and if that event is read in the
context of Jesus’ words at His last discourse, it becomes
apparent that what is significant here is the personal descent
of the third person of the Trinity. We see evidence of the personal
nature of this descent in the way Jesus speaks about Him abiding
with the disciples forever, teaching them, and reminding them
of all that Christ taught them (John 14:26). The same personal
character is evident in references to the Spirit’s actions,
such as searching, helping, groaning in prayer (Rom. 2:10, 8:26),
and in the possibility that he can be grieved (Eph. 4:30).
The most concrete manifestations of the Holy Spirit’s descent
occur in the Church. It is the Body of Christ, by virtue of
the Spirit’s presence. In the Church believers are molded
into a multi-hypostatic whole through the ministry of the Holy
Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit, who is called down to sanctify
the elements at the Eucharist, transforming them into the very
presence of Christ. The Holy Spirit equips the Church with a
fullness of gifts enabling the faithful to witness to Christ,
making Him known to the world.
So it is the gift of the Holy Spirit which represents a release
of divine personhood, a self-giving transcendence of divine
boundaries that allows Christ to remain personally present-inabsence.
It is precisely in His absence that Christ can now be known
by all. |
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
June
12 :
Great Vespers with Litya for the Feast Day of
Ascension - Wednesday 6:30 pm
June 13 :
Divine Liturgy for the Ascension of Our Lord
Jesus Christ - Thursday 10:00 am
June
16 :
Family Church School - All Are Welcome - Sunday
at 9:00 am
June
30 :
A Missionary from OCMC will be here to give
a presentation
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© 2013 Holy Transfiguration
Orthodox Church - Raleigh/Durham, NC
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