Lent brings the image of the desert. Generations of Christians, following God's people and accompanying Christ, have felt the call on his journey to God to make it central to espiritualidad.Juan Bautista is the man of the desert par excellence voice crying conversion: Its existence makes way for the Lord. Jesus, after baptism, live in the wilderness experience as you are taken to the full acceptance of their own identity and mission assigned.
The Church will have the same wilderness experience. Appears in the Apocalypse. Women-church is led into the wilderness, a place that God has prepared a refuge, purification and overcoming test persecution: an experience of salvation that the Church has to live in fidelity.
For Christian spirituality, the desert has become a symbol. Everyone has before it a desert to cross, which can take many forms. The wisdom will cross it, as has overcome temptation and threat. Arises, for example, in the experience of aging, of falling ill, to suffer the consequences of an accident. Crossing this type of desert is a long and painful: forget the clear sky, the fatigue and pain exert a heavy burden. Accepting this fact, however, can awaken in us an oasis. Sometimes it is the desert of the lack of love, loneliness: the distance that separates us from other human beings we are made impassable. Although they are close, lack communion is a hard and painful breakup. Others think, live and love differently. All this in a positive sense, can dar lugar al oportuno despego del otro, a renunciar a poseerlo, y que en esa renuncia se nos dé la alegría de ser con él. Hay quien, en la situación depresiva que vive, llegue a experimentar la ausencia de Dios,él sin sentido de muchas cosas, la aridez de la fe, la noche oscura. Parece que Dios se retira, se oculta que nos abandona. Pero no es así. Lo que nos abandonan son nuestras ilusiones y fantasías; la fe no se pierde, por el contrario se comienza a profundizar en ella al perder nuestras supuestas creencias.
Resumiendo los rasgos característicos de esa espiritualidad del desierto.
Llamada al silencio y la soledad para recorrer nuestro camino interior.
Living the direction of passage, purification and provisional. Learning
poverty itself, supported by the Absolute. Confidence
walk blindly and austerity, open to solidarity.
Change of heart for, freedom, being able to offer life.
individual gestures suggests that the Church
Fast. Specially on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Abstinence. More properly on Friday.
Alms. The savings of fasting and abstinence is not for us.
Prayer. Listening to God through his words addressed to him
(Every believer must see concrete and updates in your situation these expressions of fasting, abstinence, almsgiving and prayer)
The previous essay is part of the text that I selected the extension of the leaf-parish published by the parishes of Mare de Deu de Bellvitge, Santa Maria del Gornal and San Juan Evangelista. L 'Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona)
during Lent we invite you to believers and non believers to reflect on this letter because we all will be good to do, will help us better cross our desert.
Happy and reflective Holy Week!
