August is a pivotal month in our calendar at Holy Transfiguration. For one thing, many of our members are home from summer vacations, and the new school year begins, which affects so many of our families.
August is also the last month of the Ecclesiastical Year, and is a rich spiritual time. The Dormition Fast begins on August 1 and continues until the feast day on the 15th. It is sometimes called “The Summer Pascha” and is stricter than the Advent Fast and the Apostles’ Fast, although it is fairly brief.
At Holy Transfiguration we will be celebrating two of the great Feasts of the Church during the first half of August. The Feast of the Lord’s Transfiguration on August 6 is the Patronal Feast, or Name Day, of our parish. It falls on a Thursday this year, and we will celebrate it with the Divine Liturgy at 7 a.m. that day. The Feast of the Dormition (Falling Asleep) of the Mother of God is for Orthodox Christians one of the highlights of the liturgical year, and it falls on a Saturday this time, so we will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m. Please plan to take part!
