At first New Zealand liturgy, Bishop Iachint calls Transfiguration a path to spiritual renewal

“To see Christ in the light of His divinity, we too must ascend a Mount Tabor,” Assistant Bishop Iachint of the Pacific of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand said on Thursday at his first Divine Liturgy celebrated in New Zealand.

Addressing the faithful of the Romanian Orthodox Parish of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Christchurch, New Zealand, His Grace explained that the Transfiguration of the Lord was the revelation of Christ’s divine nature to His disciples rather than a change in His nature.

“This event, in which Christ was transfigured before His disciples, is recounted by both the Holy Apostle Matthew and the Apostle Mark, and shows how Christ revealed Himself to mankind as God, in all the light and radiance of His divine being.”

Referring to the three apostles who accompanied the Saviour to Mount Tabor, the assistant bishop highlighted the virtues that made them witnesses of this divine revelation: St Peter’s faith, St James’ courage, and St John’s love.

A state of inner stillness Bishop Iachint of the Pacific preached at the Romanian Parish in Christchurch, New Zealand. 06.08.2026. Photo credit: Diocese of Australia and New…