The Feast of the Transfiguration

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Bringing Church Home

By KellyT ⋅ August 1, 2008 ⋅

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August 6th marks yet another great feast in the Orthodox Church. This event has manifold significance in Orthodox theology, being seen as a foreshadowing of Christ’s second coming and also as representing the transformed state in which Christians will some day appear. Dependent on the age of your children, this concept might be difficult to explain. However, the basic concept of transfiguration, that of change, is a concept that all children can understand. So the activities presented here will be in order to show/demonstrate the idea of ‘change’ to our children. Our Christian walk is one of continual change as we continue to become more Christ-like.

Greeting the Day: Although this is really an activity that will take more than a day, I think it is a great and simple way to demonstrate the concept of change. There are many variations on this project (you can use carrots, potatoes, onions, papaya seeds), but since my kids are preschoolers, we are sticking with simple beans. Get a clean, glass jar with a lid. Have your child wet a cotton ball or paper towel folded up to fit the jar. It should be damp, but not soaking wet. Place the cotton ball at the bottom of the jar and have your child sprinkle a few dried beans on top (any kind will do. You can mix them up for more variation). Place in indirect sunlight. Over the next week, watch how the seed changes. With sun and water, the seed with sprout and grow into a plant. You can translate this concept into talking about how we ourselves can change and grow through participating in the sacraments, fasting and prayer. We too can bear fruit.

Afternoon Fun: This is a fun art project for little ones. Take a plastic that can be sealed. Place in the bag all sorts of materials: flour, shaving cream, liquid soap, etc. Add a little paint: use a few different colors. Fill the bag no more than a 1/3 full. Seal tightly. Let your child squish it all up. Shake it all up. Talk about how the material inside changes as the child touches it. The colors form new colors as they mix together.

Around the Dinner Table: Fruits are traditionally blessed on this day, particularly grapes and other soft fruits. Why grapes? They show physical transformation and represent a religious transformation (i.e. wine). So, take plenty of grapes with you and your children to liturgy to be blessed. At dinner, light some candles and place them on the table to symbolize the light of Christ and enjoy the blessed fruits with your family while having a discussion of the significance of the fruit in light of the feast of the Transfiguration. If you are feeling ambitious, you can place some of the grapes out to dry and spend the next few weeks watching them change into raisins.

Memory Verse: Matthew 17:5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

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