All the climbing has paid off: The Lord gives them a glimpse of glory — the life that comes from the cross.

It is commonly held that Jesus was transfigured to prepare his apostles for the difficult days ahead. The Lord is showing us what the end shall be: There is a cross to get through, but there is glory on the other side.

The Transfiguration describes the pattern of the Christian life: the climb, the glory of the mountaintop, back down the mountain again — only to climb another mountain (Golgotha), and, through it, find another glory (Easter Sunday).

Mount Tabor is almost 2,000 feet high. Climbing it takes the better part of a day. In life, we often have to climb, to endure, to have our strength tested. What of real value does not come at the price of a climb, of effort and struggle?

“And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. … Peter said to Jesus in reply, ‘Rabbi, it is good that we are here!’ … Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, ‘This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.’”

All the climbing has paid off: The Lord gives them a glimpse of glory — the life that comes from the cross.

“Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.”

Although Peter wanted to stay, Jesus makes it clear that they must go down this mountain for the time being and walk a very dark valley to Golgotha; for now, the pattern must repeat. The cross has led to glory, but more crosses are needed before the final glory.

This is our life: “always carrying within our self the dying of Christ [and also the rising of Christ] so that the life of Christ may be manifest in us” (2 Corinthians 4:10).

This article was originally published by National Catholic Register.