The Testimony of the Evangelists

Continued 👇🏾 The Testimony of the Evangelists Notice, dearly beloved, how the Evangelists strained for words to describe this sight. Matthew says: “His face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as light.” Mark declares: “His garments became radiant, exceedingly white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.” Luke proclaims: “The appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became dazzling white.” Their words falter, not because the light was dim, but because it was too much for human speech. If even the sun blinds our eyes, how shall the glory of the Sun of Righteousness be contained in ink and parchment? And not only sight, but hearing also bore witness. The Father spoke from the cloud: “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him.” The Holy Spirit overshadowed them, revealing the unity of the Holy Trinity. Thus, on this mountain, the Trinity was revealed to the disciples as at the Jordan, that our faith might be firm. The Feast in Ethiopia: Buhe Now, my children, let us turn to the tradition of our fathers in Ethiopia, who have celebrated this mystery with deep devotion under the name Buhe. Every year, on the 13th of Nehase, the faithful remember the divine light that shone on Debre Tabor. Why “Buhe”? The word means to be stripped and indeed, was not Christ’s glory stripped of its veil for a moment, revealing His hidden divinity? It is also the season when light breaks forth in the Ethiopian winter, when children gather, singing, dancing, and shouting “Buhe, Buhe!” just as once Peter, James, and John trembled before the brightness of Christ. Mothers prepare special bread, recalling the nourishment of the feast. Children receive Buhe bread from their neighbors, just as the apostles received the Bread of Life on the mountain. The cracking sound of the whip, used playfully in the festivity, recalls the shock of the disciples who fell to the ground at the voice of God. In some villages, torches are lit, symbolizing the divine radiance that shone on Tabor. Thus, nature and culture conspire to remind us of that eternal light. It is said among the people: “If Buhe is gone, there will be no winter; if the rooster crows, there will be no night.” For Buhe signals the turning of seasons, even as the Transfiguration signals the turning of ages from the old covenant to the new, from shadow to reality, from the law to grace. The Lesson of Debre Tabor What, then, shall we take from this feast? First, that Christ is not merely a man, nor one prophet among others, but the eternal Son of God,. Second, that the Cross is not shame but glory, and that suffering in Christ is the path to resurrection. Third, that we, too, are called to be transfigured, to let the divine light shine in our faces through purity, humility, and prayer. Therefore, beloved, let us ascend the mountain not in body but in spirit. Let us lay aside the weight of sin, so that on the day of His appearing, we may shine like the sun in the kingdom of our Father. May the name of the Holy God be praised forever and ever in every tongue that He has created, today and always. May the blessings of God's mother, the virgin, and the cross be upon us. Amen. © John's Repentance Reach out to us on our social media platforms and share it with your friends:https://linktr.ee/johnsrepentance