La Cuaresma, que dio comienzo con el Miércoles de Ceniza, es un tiempo de preparación para la Pascua. La Iglesia nos invita a vivir en nosotros el recuerdo de la Pasión, Muerte y Resurrección del Señor. Es un tiempo para recordar la historia de la salvación. Las lecturas nos llevan a meditar el libro del Éxodo. Tiempo donde se invita a ir al desierto para reflexionar en las propias tentaciones que nos alejan de Dios. Se invita a hacer penitencia, a convertirse, a compartir, y a dialogar con nosotros mismos entrando en lo profundo del corazón y preguntarse: ¿Cómo es mi ayuno? ¿Cuál es mi penitencia que me acerca a Dios y a los demás? ¿Qué debo compartir con los demás?
Hoy escuchamos las tentaciones de Jesús en el desierto. La Liturgia nos pone de frente a la tradición del relato de las tentaciones, Jesús es tentado, pero no vencido. Nos dice el Evangelio que: “Al ver el diablo que había agotado todas las formas de tentación, se aleó de Jesús, a la espera de otra oportunidad” (Lucas 4,13). La tentación no es pecado, lo malo es caer en ella. En la sociedad existen muchas tentaciones y, durante este período de Cuaresma, se deben purificar y luchar contra ellas con la gracia de Dios. Perseverar en la oración es otra clave para alejarse del mal. Estemos listos y acompañemos al Señor en su camino a Jerusalén a morir en la cruz. ©LPi One of the greatest temptations human beings face is leaving the truth of who they are, where they came from and who created them in pursuit of more personal satisfactions. When we consider all that desires our attention in a given day, there are many lures that attract us to illusions about ourselves. We can easily find ourselves distracted or tired, preoccupied with preserving our status in life, social relationships, current trends, and corporate demands, and intrigued by pursuing what we perceive to be the “path of least resistance.” The daily concerns of life can quickly take our eyes off of our truth, making the empty promises of worldly accomplishments and ideologies seem so attractive. What is at risk in giving into this temptation?
We cease giving thanks to and worshipping our Creator as we pursue our own self-sufficiency, power, and prestige. We replace the true God with a “pet” one. While many do not totally dismiss the idea of God and pretend to remain at least remotely connected, they do not invest themselves heart, mind, and soul in the relationship either. That is why we are so easily swayed. If something attractive comes along, we lunge for it. After all, having a position above and over everyone else is a good thing, isn’t it? In more honest moments, many have to admit that they believe this to be true. The Evil One is very convincing. But he can only gain control if we allow him to.”
About temptation, St. Basil remarks, “As the pilot of a vessel is tried in the storm, as the wrestler is tried in the ring, the soldier in the battle and the hero in adversity, so is the Christian tried in temptation.” And here is found the reason for Lent. It is a wonderful opportunity to get a handle on the attractive lures of illusion that easily captivate us and bring us off track. It is also a time for some honest reflection rooted in prayer, fasting, and selfless giving that can bring us to temptation’s remedy: love. Love of his Father gave Jesus resistance. It can do the same for us. ©LPi 
Después de resumir las cuatro bienaventuranzas del domingo pasado, san Lucas nos ayuda a profundizar en la doctrina de Jesús y en sus palabras. Alerta con frases sabias a todos los cristianos, que de alguna manera se acercan al Evangelio: “Yo les digo a ustedes que me escuchan” (Lucas 6,27). Se trata de una colección de principios que versan así : “Amen a sus enemigos, hagan el bien a los que los odian, bendigan a los que los maldicen, y rueguen por los que los maltratan” (Lucas 6, 27-28). Cada uno de estos principios o reglas invitan a una seria reflexión. Deben penetrar en el corazón y en la mente para que produzcan mucho fruto.
Además, se nos dan pautas para caminar el camino de Jesús. Realidades increíbles que dice el Maestro, muchas veces imposibles de llevar a cabo. Poner la otra mejilla al ser golpeados, al que arrebata el manto darle también el vestido, da al que pide, y al que te quita no reclamarle. ¿Cómo se hace esto? Son ejemplo concretos de conducta cristiana que no fallan al ponerlos en práctica. Jesús nos enseña que lo que importa es la persona y que debemos dejar a un lado los prejuicios y diferencias sociales. Si mi prójimo me necesita, ahí debo estar sin fijarme en la raza o color. Por esa razón existe la regla de oro: "Traten a los demás como quieren que ellos les traten a ustedes" (Lucas 6,31). ©LPi Sometimes, Jesus’ teachings don’t seem to make practical sense. When we hear things like love your enemies and do good to them, turn the other cheek when struck, give to anyone who asks, do to others as you would have them do to you, be merciful, stop judging, forgive, and give to others, we get a bit unsettled. After all, it’s okay for God to do all of these things, but does He really want us to do them, too? Many good-hearted Christians really draw the line with some of these ideals and say, “No way!” They even remark that if someone did something hurtful to someone they loved, they would have no reservations seeking severe retribution. There is still this persistent thinking, even among those who consider themselves Christian, that a violent action deserves a violent response. Somehow, we continue to justify.
Yet, it is most clearly against the very grain of the Gospel. Part of our difficulty has more to do with understanding God’s love. We wrongly think that sinful or hurtful actions and evil people somehow are seen as lesser in God’s eyes. They are not. God loves the sinner as much as He does the saint. And, both of these inclinations exist in every human being, even those who consider themselves holy. Both the capacity for good and the disposition toward evil exist in every one of us. Viktor Frankl has this to
say when reflecting on the Holocaust: “Our generation is a realistic generation because we have learned what a human being really is. When all is said and done, man is that same creature who invented the gas-chambers of Auschwitz; but he is also that being who walked upright into those chambers with the prayer ‘Shema Yisrael’ on his lips.”
If we believe in God, we have to actlike God. Whether we like that idea is another issue. If we don’t then perhaps, we need to reconsider our faith and whether we really believe in Jesus Christ. We are made in the image of God, not the image of ourselves. The Christian must, at all costs, leave resentment and the need for retaliation behind, lose defensiveness and bring into the mind and heart the realization of who we represent in this world. ©LPi God delights in you. How do you feel when you hear that? Delight usually comes with an exuberant flow of joy that seemingly arises from one’s toes with the expression of great glee. Reflecting upon the deep measure of joy God has in us can be a source of joy for ourselves. Delight is infectious. A very young brother and sister were playing on the beach when the all too familiar ice cream truck made its daily rounds. The boy shook with excitement and delight as he took his sister’s hand and exclaimed, “The ice cream man is here, isn’t it great!” As they ran off toward the truck, one could hear the girl reply, “Yeah, I can’t wait!” The experience of a child’s delight in something so simple as ice cream, lifts our spirits from our burdens and transports us to the lighter, more innocent side of life.
Life is not meant to be a burden. Believe it or not, God actually wants us to be happy! In fact, the wedding feast at Cana shows us that God even puts His blessing on our happiness. It is okay to celebrate the wonder of ourselves and others. Life is good. It is always interesting to note that Jesus saves the good wine until last. You would think it would be the other way around. The superb quality of Jesus’ wine points to the superior quality of life we find in Christ. It is not a life of burdens but a life of wonder and delight! In Christ, we are lifted from the superficial and mundane to a life of purpose, hope, and love.
God is with us through the long haul, through the challenges and sorrows as well as the successes and accomplishments. In spite of the fact that we often wander from the path, God’s celebratory delight in us remains. As spouses are asked to remain faithful to each other through whatever life brings, God remains faithful too. This promise remains through this life and into the next. All we have to do is take the advice of Jesus’ mother to heart when she says, “Listen to him.” This wisdom saves us from foolishly giving in to the illusion that we can make better wine than Jesus. ©LPi 
