The dedication of the Monastery to the Transfiguration (Μεταμόρφωση) of Christ the Saviour has special meaning within the historical context in which it occurred. At that time in particular, Mt Athos strictly followed the ascetic system of hesychasm, or silent prayer. St Grigorios Palamas (who died in 1359), the most important defender of hesychasm, attached great significance to the event of the Transfiguration on Mt Tabor, where Christ revealed his divine nature to a select group of disciples. The goal of a hesychastic life is the union of man with the Holy Trinity, i.e., a union with the divine essence, the divine light and beauty of Christ, as witnessed by his disciples during the Transfiguration. (See also the surprising history of the Monastery’s artwork below.)
