Pope reflects on temptation to follow Christ without a Cross

Source: Vatican Radio/VIS

Before the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis reflected on the meaning of the day's Gospel reading, telling pilgrims in St Peter’s Square that, “there is always the temptation to follow a Christ without a Cross, rather, to teach God the right path."

He was referring to the passage where Jesus, "reveals to the disciples that he will suffer, be killed and rise again in Jerusalem and he is reproached by Peter because he cannot accept that all this will happen to the Messiah.” Jesus, said the Pope, “responds with a reproach in turn: "Get behind me, Satan! You are scandalized, because you do not think according to God, but according to men!"

The Holy Father went on to say, "at that point, the Master addresses all those who followed him, clearly presenting the way to go." The Lord says" “if anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, take up his Cross, and follow me ". Again, even today, noted the Pope, “the temptation is to follow a Christ without a Cross, rather, to teach God the right path.”

"But Jesus reminds us that his way is the way of love, and there is no true love without self-sacrifice.”

Jesus commented the Pope, exhorts that "whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my cause will find it". The Holy Father explained that, “in this paradox there is the golden rule that God has inscribed into human nature created in Christ - the rule that only love gives meaning and happiness to life.”

During his address Pope Francis renewed his spiritual closeness to the people of South Asia, who are still suffering the consequences of devastating floods. More than 1,000 people are known to have died in floods across South Asia and at least 41 million people in Nepal, India and Bangladesh have been affected by landslides and exceptional rainfall.

The Holy Father also had words of comfort for the residents of Texas and Louisiana in the US, suffering as a result of Hurricane Harvey which has caused material damage and displaced thousands of people.

The Pope asked Mary the Most Holy, consoler of the afflicted, to obtain "from the Lord the grace of comfort for the whole Texan community in these painful circumstances."

The Holy Father travels to Columbia on Wednesday on a five day Apostolic journey . He thanked everyone for their good wishes ahead of the visit.