The road to glory

"And it happened that, as Jesus was praying, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became sparkling white. And suddenly there were two men talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem." (Luke 9:29-31)

The only way to glory is to follow the way of the cross.
The great lie of our age is to think that we can live meaningful lives without going through difficulties, that the most clever people are those who succeed with little price to pay. So many people live forever, or almost forever, trying to evade suffering or to cushion themselves from the blows of life.
But that wouldn't do. Somehow, life will deal you a blow, one way or another.
And here is where our attitude towards suffering enters.
To forever evade suffering is to refuse to grow up. It is to never discover the depths of strength, hope and creativity that we have in us.
When we face suffering head on, with our bruised egos and tear-stained faces, but with the certainty that we are not alone, we discover that glory is not something that is from the outside. Glory is within us and it takes suffering, the cross to let it shine.