Patriarch Bechara Peter Rai presided over a celebratory Mass for the Feast of the Transfiguration in the courtyard of the Transfiguration Church amidst the centuries-old cedar forest, assisted by the Patriarchal Vicar in Jbeil, Bishop Joseph Na'fan, Monsignor Joseph Fakhry, and Father Pierre Sakar. The ceremony was attended by Patriarchal Deacon Father Tony Al-Agha, Chancery Secretary Father Khalil Arab, and several priests including Sharbel Makhlouf, Simon Fakhry, Paul Murad, Joseph Safir, Edgar Tansi, and Father Rwad Kadi of the Antonine Order.
Attendees included MP William Tohme, Vice President of the "Friends of the Cedar Forest Committee," Joseph Fneanous, representing MP Strida Geagea, former Minister Ibrahim Al-Daher, Honorary President of the Court of Cassation Judge Dr. Anthony Issa Khoury, President of the Association of Former Judges in Lebanon Pierre Khoury, Coordinator of the Episcopal Committee for Christian-Muslim Dialogue in the North Joseph Mahfoud, community leaders from Bcharre, members of the municipal council, several monks and nuns, as well as a large gathering of believers from different areas.
The Mass began with a welcoming and thank-you speech by Father Makhlouf, discussing the event of the Transfiguration. After the sacred Gospel was read, the patriarch delivered a sermon titled "Jesus was Transfigured before them, his clothes dazzling white," in which he spoke about "the appearance of the Lord Jesus and His shining like the sun in the kingdom of the Father." He also talked about the Transfiguration of Blessed Estephan Doueihi and the saints in heaven.
He continued: "The Lord tells us in today’s Gospel that we are all called to have the beauty and splendor of God’s image shine within us through the grace we have. This is the work of grace in a person that manifests after death and appears in the saints at the time of their passing, like Blessed Doueihi on the day of his death on May 3, 1704, when he appeared as white as snow because he was born that day in heaven, and that is his feast. Since then, he has been blessed, but the cause was recently advanced, and the church is conducting the needed processes; however, since 1704, he has shone like the sun in the kingdom of the Father."
He added: "He also tells us that we have never seen the Transfiguration of the image of God in the Virgin Mary, the all-holy, but she is in heaven, in her soul and body, shining like the sun in the kingdom of the Father. This is the fate of each one of us. This is the meaning of the Feast of the Transfiguration, which is the feast of the Lord Jesus but also a feast for every Christian. When we live in a state of grace, we realize that the glory of God's image is revealed in us and appears at the moment of our death when we come before God. Despite all this, the disciples doubted when they saw Jesus crucified and suffering as if He was abandoned by God; this is human nature's weakness. But this feast strengthens and empowers us to maintain the state of grace within us and the beauty and splendor of God's image in us."
He concluded: "O Lord, we thank You today because through Your Transfiguration, You revealed Your hidden divinity behind the weakness of Your humanity, just as You show the glory of God's image behind the weakness of every human life. We ask You today to renew grace within us so that the glory and beauty of God's image may be renewed within us; to You be glory forever."
