His Beatitude: Venerable Fathers saw the Tabor Light in Lavra Caves

Metropolitan Onuphry. Photo: UOC

On March 8, 2026, on the second Sunday of Great Lent, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Onuphry celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the St. Agapitus Church of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

In his sermon, His Beatitude addressed the theological heritage of Saint Gregory Palamas, whose memory the Church commemorates on the second Sunday of Great Lent. Metropolitan Onuphry reminded the believers that in the 14th century Saint Gregory defended the truth about the uncreated nature of the Tabor Light – the one that the apostles saw during the Transfiguration of the Lord. He was opposed by those who claimed that this light was created by God only temporarily and then ceased to exist. Saint Gregory, himself being a monk of Mount Athos and personally granted the vision of Divine light, proved that this light is an eternal property of the Divine nature.

The Primate particularly focused on the feat of the Venerable Fathers of Kyiv Caves, whose memory is also commemorated on this day. According to His Beatitude, it was precisely the Tabor Light that gave the hermits strength to live in caves – in conditions that are naturally incompatible with life.

"If a person, having shut himself in a cave, did not see God's light, did not feel it, he could not live there. But when a person is under God's protection, he survives in any conditions," said Metropolitan Onuphry.

The Primate also emphasized that every person is a bearer of Divine light even if he himself does not realize it, since it is precisely this light that is the source of life and joy. The Venerable Fathers, however, were granted such a high measure of grace that they saw it with their bodily eyes.

Concluding his sermon, His Beatitude called upon the faithful to imitate the venerable fathers in Christian endeavor – fulfilling the commandments of love, holiness and humility.

"May the Lord help us to be at least small, but followers of our venerable fathers, so that on earth we may be blessed by God, and in heaven be granted eternal life in Christ Jesus," concluded Metropolitan Onuphry.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that, according to Metropolitan Onuphry, through fasting a person returns to Paradise.

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