Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 1, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The Archbishop of Mexico, Cardinal Norberto Rivera, said this weekend that Christianity should not be stripped of the cross, of pain and temptation, but rather the faithful should discover their authentic meaning in order to arrive at “the glory of the Resurrection.”
After saying that “we cannot oppose death and resurrection,” the Cardinal underscored that “the cross, death, and temptation cannot be erased from Christianity. We should discover the meaning of temptation and of the cross, and we will arrive at the glory of the Resurrection.”
“Christ Jesus wished to experience our temptations and their evil and deceptive power to seduce: not having eaten for forty days, a piece of bread within his reach must have been appealing; the possessing of this world, which he was to pass on to the Father, desirable; and the miracle which he was asked to perform to confirm himself as Messiah to the people, useful. Why should we choose the path of self-denial and the cross? Because only the grain of wheat which falls to the ground and dies will bear fruit. Only through death will we obtain life,” said the Cardinal.