Who doesn’t love a good “sneak peek” into what’s to come? That’s exactly what Jesus gives Peter, John and James in yesterday’s Gospel reading (Lk 9:28b-36). For a brief moment, these three men receive an uncensored glimpse of God’s glory - and this “preview” could not have come at a better time!  

If we look at the surrounding context of Jesus’ Transfiguration we see that Jesus is trying to teach the Apostles that His glory, and their salvation, come to fulfillment not through power and might, but by way of the cross. As a good teacher, Jesus understands that to embrace the difficult truth of the cross, everyone needs a touchstone of hope upon which they can cling. As post-resurrection Christians, we have the privilege of clinging to Easter morning. Here at the Transfiguration, as they behold the revelation of Jesus’ divinity and his identity as God’s chosen to whom they are to listen, Peter, John, and James receive the hope they need. (Lk 9:35) 

As we continue our Lenten journey with Christ on the way to the cross, may we take this week to pause and remember that we already know how everything ends. That no matter what we have to face in the coming days, be it the simple struggles of our own Lenten sacrifices or the horrors of a war torn world, we know that in the end “Our citizenship is in heaven and … He will … bring all things … to Himself.” (Phil 3:20-21). Let’s take Sunday’s Gospel as the shot of hope we need to continue on the journey toward the cross of Christ knowing that it is the path to His resurrection.