La carta a los Efesios exhorta: “¡Enójense, pero sin pecar!” (Ef 4:26). ¿Cómo es posible enojarse sin pecar? ¿Cómo podemos encontrar expresiones de ira en la Biblia, incluso en la vida de Jesús, cuando es un pecado mortal?
Sentir no es consentir
Lo primero que tenemos que hacer es distinguir el sentimiento de enojo/ira del pecado de la ira. Nos enseñan la psicología y el Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica que sentir y consentir no es lo mismo, y que los sentimientos en sí mismos son amorales. “El término ‘pasiones’ designa los afectos y los sentimientos. Ejemplos eminentes de pasiones son el amor y el odio, el deseo y el temor, la alegría, la tristeza y la ira. En sí mismas, las pasiones no son buenas ni malas. Las emociones y sentimientos pueden ser asumidos por las virtudes, o pervertidos en los vicios”. (Catecismo #s 1767-1774.)
En segundo lugar, analicemos qué causa la ira. El sentimiento de ira surge cuando lo que la persona espera, necesita o desea no es alcanzado. Por ejemplo: si yo espero que mis hijos se porten siempre bien, hagan la tarea sin protestar, y mantengan sus cuartos en orden, me voy a frustrar. La emoción de la ira es una reacción a mi frustración, porque las cosas no son como yo quisiera que fueran.
(Esperen la 3era parte)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Trusting in God
A few weeks ago, Emmanuel wrote me asking an excellent question. It seems that he went to church on Sunday (a Catholic Mass) and was shocked by some comments made by the priest during the homily. I must admit that I was also shocked when I read them and decided to answer them in my blog in case somebody else heard similar ideas.
The topic was trust in God. The comments were: "one who trusts in God is a glorious person, but damned is the one who trust in others, because one can only trust God. Happy the poor, the hungry and the less fortunate, because in the future he or she will be wealthy. But woe the rich and the people who receive praise from others."
These words, Emmanuel, are a bit related to the sermon on the mountain, but maybe the way it was explained was unclear.
Trusting God is a blessing because God never fails. God is the only one that is forever with us unconditionally. That does not mean that we should not trust one another. Actually, the foundation of any relationship is trust. Just look at what is happening in our government today. No one trusts any one else. This mistrust turns into self-righteousness, and this in turn becomes anger and eventually violence.
The poor, Jesus said, are blessed, because they know that everything they have comes from God and is a gift. The poor in spirit, even if they are millionaires, know that whatever they have is a gift to be used for the common good and not to be abused and to fill them with contempt for others and feelings of superiority.
When the rich are not grateful for their wealth and instead of using it for good they allow themselves to be controlled by GREED, COMPETITION, NARCISSISM, ETC., they are indeed very poor, sad people without identity other than what they have. They go through life unaware of who they are and measure their worth by possessions.
I think this may be what the priest tried to say. I hope you and any one who reads these comments find them helpful.
The topic was trust in God. The comments were: "one who trusts in God is a glorious person, but damned is the one who trust in others, because one can only trust God. Happy the poor, the hungry and the less fortunate, because in the future he or she will be wealthy. But woe the rich and the people who receive praise from others."
These words, Emmanuel, are a bit related to the sermon on the mountain, but maybe the way it was explained was unclear.
Trusting God is a blessing because God never fails. God is the only one that is forever with us unconditionally. That does not mean that we should not trust one another. Actually, the foundation of any relationship is trust. Just look at what is happening in our government today. No one trusts any one else. This mistrust turns into self-righteousness, and this in turn becomes anger and eventually violence.
The poor, Jesus said, are blessed, because they know that everything they have comes from God and is a gift. The poor in spirit, even if they are millionaires, know that whatever they have is a gift to be used for the common good and not to be abused and to fill them with contempt for others and feelings of superiority.
When the rich are not grateful for their wealth and instead of using it for good they allow themselves to be controlled by GREED, COMPETITION, NARCISSISM, ETC., they are indeed very poor, sad people without identity other than what they have. They go through life unaware of who they are and measure their worth by possessions.
I think this may be what the priest tried to say. I hope you and any one who reads these comments find them helpful.
Friday, March 12, 2010
LA IRA
La ira es una de las emociones más difíciles de controlar. Los cristianos la consideramos un pecado capital. Sin embargo, la Biblia está llena de pasajes donde la ira desempeña un papel sobresaliente.
En el Antiguo Testamento encontramos sentimientos de ira en la literatura profética: Isaías 1:11-20; 58; Jeremías 7:8-14; Amós 5:21-24. Los profetas hablan del enojo de Yavé cuando el pueblo de Israel actúa en contra de la Alianza, es decir, cuando adoran ídolos falsos o cuando dejan de ayudar a los pobres, a los afligidos y a los extranjeros. También en el Libro de los Salmos, encontramos la ira expresada en forma de oración, cuando el salmista siente que sus enemigos lo acosan y Dios parece estar sordo a su plegaria. También en los Evangelios encontramos historias en las que Jesús se enoja contra los mercaderes en el templo de Jerusalén (Juan 2:13-16), o cuando los fariseos quisieron ridiculizarlo por curar en el día sábado y Jesús “paseó sobre ellos su mirada enojado y apenado por su ceguera…” (Mc 3:5).
CONTINUA...
En el Antiguo Testamento encontramos sentimientos de ira en la literatura profética: Isaías 1:11-20; 58; Jeremías 7:8-14; Amós 5:21-24. Los profetas hablan del enojo de Yavé cuando el pueblo de Israel actúa en contra de la Alianza, es decir, cuando adoran ídolos falsos o cuando dejan de ayudar a los pobres, a los afligidos y a los extranjeros. También en el Libro de los Salmos, encontramos la ira expresada en forma de oración, cuando el salmista siente que sus enemigos lo acosan y Dios parece estar sordo a su plegaria. También en los Evangelios encontramos historias en las que Jesús se enoja contra los mercaderes en el templo de Jerusalén (Juan 2:13-16), o cuando los fariseos quisieron ridiculizarlo por curar en el día sábado y Jesús “paseó sobre ellos su mirada enojado y apenado por su ceguera…” (Mc 3:5).
CONTINUA...
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