Nuestra tradición católica de Cuaresma, es un momento poderoso en nuestra vida de fe. Estamos invitados a prestar más
atención a aquellos aspectos de nuestra fe y de nuestra religión que nos acercan a Dios: el sacrificio para no dejar que el
egoísmo gobierne nuestra vida, la limosna para hacernos más generosos y menos egocéntricos, la oración para
profundizar nuestra relación con Dios y el arrepentimiento de nuestros pecados con el fin de cambiar lo que necesitamos
cambiar en nuestras vidas para ser más comprensivos, rápidos a perdonar y compasivos.
It all serves us as individuals and as a community of disciples of Jesus to experience a profound inner conversion and transformation toward everything that is good and holy.
During Lent we take time for more honest prayer which is nothing more nor less than an honest and ongoing
conversation with God about everything and anything that is going on in our lives. We take time for quiet and peaceful meditation on Sacred Scripture which opens the doors to allowing God to take us into the depths of self-knowledge and to discover his compassionate presence as we go through life. We become more conscious of others, especially those in need and we turn our gaze toward them in a way that it takes us beyond ourselves and respond selflessly to alleviating the needs and sufferings of others. We become more conscious of our sins and mistakes with the hope of repenting and desiring to keep away from those situations or thinking patterns that lead us to sin.
Lent is a time when we consider ourselves who possess the image and likeness of God. It’s a time when we honor the
honor given us by loving ourselves, loving God, and loving others in ways that, perhaps, we either have not practiced for a while, ways we have forgotten and reawakened, or even in new ways that have captured our imagination and we put into practice.
It is my hope and prayer that we are all pleasantly surprised by God as we desire God all the more in our lives. May this Lenten Season be genuine for all of us. May it be a time of real conversion and transformation that leads us all to become more compassionate human beings, better friends of Jesus, and people who honor their God-given dignity as we honor the dignity of others.
You are in my prayers and in my heart. Peace. Friar Julio
