Más de 200 personas se formaron en la calle durante la eucaristía para posteriormente recibir la imposición de ceniza. Foto: Jazmín Stengel.
Jazmín Stengel.- Más de 300 personas acudieron a la última imposición de ceniza en la parroquia de San Francisco de Asís en Chapala el pasado 2 de marzo.
Durante la misa de las 7:00 de la noche, los asistentes no solo llenaron a tope el interior del templo, sino que se formaron a lo largo de la avenida Francisco I. Madero doblando en la calle Niños Héroes por poco más de una cuadra para recibir su cruz de ceniza.
Durante la homilía, el sacerdote Efrén García Sotelo recordó a la población que la cruz de cenizas simboliza el compromiso que se tiene con Dios y los propósitos que se impongan para mejorar sus vidas, y que el cumplir estas metas lleven a una paz interna.
“En esta cuaresma emprendamos un camino de conversión a Dios nuestro Señor, un cambio de vida… Por eso los invito hoy a emprender ese camino especial para caminar hacia Cristo nuestro Señor, tratando de arrepentirnos de nuestros pecados e ir mejorando así nuestra vida”.
«Las obras de misericordia deben ser rectas y directas hacia Dios, sin hipocresía y quedando bien solo con el Padre Celestial, para poder celebrar con gozo la liberación del pecado y la paz de la pascua», agregó el presbítero durante su sermón.
Al término de la eucaristía, los presentes dentro de la parroquia escucharon una lectura especial y oraron antes de recibir la esperada cruz gris de parte de los monaguillos, mientras el padre García confesó a los fieles.
Al vaciarse la iglesia de las casi 100 personas que había dentro, la guardia de San Francisco permitió el paso a quienes esperaban afuera con paciencia, la fila que comenzó en el atrio de la parroquia era de más de 200 personas.
Esta semana inició la Cuaresma, esto con el Miércoles de Ceniza, práctica conocida por todos, ¿pero en dónde se origina esta? y ¿cuál es el significado? Con este día se marca el inicio de la Cuaresma que representan los 40 días del andar de Jesús por el desierto, los 40 días que duro el diluvio, los 40 años de la marcha del pueblo israelita por el desierto y los 400 años de la estancia de los judíos en Egipto.
¿Pero de dónde proviene la imposición de ceniza? Esto se remonta al año 384 d.C., era una forma de indicar la conversión, la contrición, así como la absolución de los pecados, siendo un signo de acercamiento y fe en Dios. A su vez, nos recuerda que en algún momento todos vamos a morir; por eso, al momento de imponer la ceniza el sacerdote menciona: “Recuerda que polvo eres y en polvo te convertirás”.
Para poder obtener las cenizas que serán utilizadas para ese fin se queman las palmas que se bendicen durante el Domingo de Ramos del año anterior, también son utilizados misales, imágenes de santos, que representa la destrucción de los errores cometidos, así como la vanidad de las cosas.
No solo se practica en el catolicismo, también entre los luteranos, bautistas y ortodoxos, pero para estos es una celebración menor, aunque respetando el significado.
Al Centro, María Alcalá Ortíz reina del Carnaval Chapala 2022, acompañada de la última reina Fernanda Ochoa, Carnaval Chapala 2020 y Omar Alejandro Esparza Urzúa, Rey Feo 2022.
Jazmín Stengel.- En el cierre del carnaval Chapala, en la plaza principal, los organizadores aprovecharon para entregar reconocimientos a los ganadores de las charreadas y patrocinadores del evento. El mismo día se inauguró la exposición de fotografía histórica de Chapala, exhibida a un costado de la plaza principal durante las festividades con alegoría al carnaval. Tras un largo recibimiento por el cierre del carnaval, los ciudadanos de Chapala regresaron al Lienzo Charro J. Jesús González Gallo para disfrutar del último jaripeo de la fiesta más grande de Chapala.
Niños liderando la comparsa, ondeando sin cansancio las banderas del desfile. Foto: Héctor Ruiz.
Héctor Ruíz.- Se celebró con éxito, el Martes de Carnaval “Confeti, Magia y Diversión” en San Juan Cosalá, en el municipio de Jocotepec.
Entre fallas técnicas, carros alegóricos que no pudieron presentarse y más de media hora de retraso, el desfile en el que participaron más de 200 personas, entre ellas alrededor de 150 niños, arrancó casi a las 5:00 de la tarde desde la calle Cardenal Sur.
Fue tanta la afluencia de fieles que, a las 8:00 de la noche la fila de personas esperando la imposición de la ceniza salió de la parroquia y llegó hasta el cruce de las calles Marcos Castellanos con Guadalupe Victoria. Foto: Sofía Medeles.
Sofía Medeles.- Cientos de ajijitecos asistieron a la parroquia de San Andrés Apóstol para la imposición de la ceniza el pasado 2 de marzo, Miércoles de Ceniza. Personal de la notaría comunicó que hubo bastante afluencia de gente en los cuatro horarios y que el día transcurrió sin incidentes.
La misa de las 8:00 de la noche fue la que recibió más fieles. La fila de más de 300 personas se extendió hasta las afueras de la iglesia, llegando incluso al cruce de Marcos Castellanos con Guadalupe Victoria; sin embargo, la fila avanzó rápidamente.
La muestra estuvo integrada por 21 fotografías tomadas a finales de 1800 y principios de 1900. Foto: Jazmín Stengel.
Jazmín Stengel.- En el marco de los festejos del Carnaval de Chapala 2022, la dirección de Cultura y el Archivo Histórico presentaron “Chapala es Tradición”, una muestra de fotografías antiguas del municipio.
La exposición duró del 26 de febrero al primero de marzo junto a la plaza principal de Chapala y estuvo integrada de 21 fotografías históricas tomadas entre los años de 1872 y 1900, pertenecientes a las 85 obras resguardadas en el Archivo Histórico de Chapala.
Las imágenes originalmente, en su versión digital se encuentran en la base de datos de la Fototeca Nacional. Sin embargo, las impresiones fueron donadas en el 2017 por Laboratorios Julio y los Hijos Ausentes, con el afán de rescatar las escenas más antiguas y relevantes del municipio, así como conservar una fototeca en Chapala.
Esta colección de fotografías antiguas se planea ser exhibida en las Casas y Centros Culturales de las delegaciones según la temática cultural que destaca en cada población, aseguró Alberto Portillo director del Archivo Histórico. Sin embargo, aún no se definen las fechas.
There is still 15 percent to go before the completion of the San Juan Cosalá section of the bicycle lane. Photo: Héctor Ruiz.
Héctor Ruiz Mejía (Jocotepec).– The bicycle lane under construction on the Chapala-Jocotepec highway in the San Juan Cosalá section in the municipality of Jocotepec, is 85 percent complete.
Enrique González Ramírez, head of Social Communication of the Jalisco Secretariat of Infrastructure and Public Works (SIOP), said that by the end of March the project will be completed and handed over to the municipality.
Although last November the bicycle lane was 68 percent complete, in the last three months it only advanced 17 percent, due to setbacks suffered in the section, including the landslides that affected the areas in October and negotiations with the inhabitants of the town.
The remaining 15 percent of the work includes the leveling of sidewalks, as well as the replacement of drinking water and drainage pipes. Gonzalez Ramirez said that the bike lane was designed with flexible lines depending on the topography of the site; it will be enclosed by two side curbs, and a red terracotta asphalt seal on the roadway, street lighting, vegetation and road safety devices.
Neighbors and owners of businesses established on the bike path demanded the completion of the road, arguing that they were tired of the traffic and dust generated by the work.
«I pass by here every day and I just don’t see when they will finish; I see that they keep adding and adding cement, and they don’t stop», commented Ricardo, a bricklayer who passes through this section every day.
Translated by Sydney Metrick
Students and teachers of the Tarranova Institute will face each other in the Terranova 2022 Inter School Tournament, at the school’s facilities. Photo: courtesy.
Editor. – High school and middle school students and teachers of the Terranova Institute kicked off the Terranova 2022 Inter-School Soccer Tournament, which will last seven weeks starting on Tuesday, February 22.
The tournament will have a regular phase of five weeks and two weeks for the semifinals and finals, with six mixed teams, each with five players.
In the first match, Los Bichos defeated Los Cuervos, five to zero. In the second match, the Bomboneros won over the Leñadores Terra, two to zero; and to finish the first day, the teams Naranja Mecánica and Los Negros tied two to two.
Translated by Sandy Britton
State officials Javier de Jesús Lechuga Millán, director of the Area of Political Development and Attention to State Problems; Luis Pablo Guerrero Preciado, director of Government Transportation Management; the municipal president of Chapala, Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel and the leaders of Ubers Unidos, in Chapala’s Lakeside
Editor – State officials have requested that the Chapala municipality regulate local independent Uber-style drivers to prevent abuses of power by State Police. In exchange, the self-styled Ubers of Chapala were asked to regulate their legal status. These actions were decided on during a meeting held February 18, 2022 where the protesters met with state authorities at Chapala City Hall.
The leaders of Ubers Unidos, who led the public demonstrations in Chapala on February 7 and 12, 2022 against State police intimidation, were invited to present their problems to Javier de Jesús Lechuga Millán, director of the Area of Political Development and Attention to State Problems of the General Secretariat of the Government of Jalisco, and Luis Pablo Guerrero Preciado, director of Transportation Management of the State Government.
Omar, the leader of the protesters, opened the dialogue by describing the current situation of corruption that the inhabitants of Chapala face at the hands of State Police. The police involved have been identified as State, rather than municipal, police by their unit numbers. Units CP-003, PA-024 and CP-028 are all associated with State Police, whereas units of the Chapala State Regional Police Base are first identified by the initials PRJ, according to the complainants.
He also explained that protesters from the municipalities of Jocotepec and Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos had decided to join forces with the demonstrators in Chapala since the State Regional Police Base is located in the Chapala municipality, and not their own.
The protesters’ complaints included the well-known «routine inspections» that the State Police carry out on private vehicles, which often result in many cases of alleged corruption. «They ask if we are hawks [lookouts for drug dealers], change our license plates, check our cell phones, plant small bags [of drugs] or take our money.» Victims do not want to sue in the Prosecutor’s Office because they are under threat, explained the affected party.
Incidents of abuse of power and violation of personal data privacy such as these occur not only to independent transportation providers, but also to general civilians and merchants. Examples of these abuses have gone viral in the WhatsApp group ‘Anti Tamaros’ [roughly translated to Against Dark Forces] that circulates in Chapala lakeside.
In response to these claims, Lechuga Millán expressed his concern and promised to review the State Police units identified. The units are currently under the command of Commander Juan Bosco Pacheco Medrano, Secretary General of Security Jalisco, who will be responsible ultimately for determining whether the officers should be replaced or just relocated to another base.
Lechuga Millán also said that he would see that a direct link to the Area of Political Development and Attention to State Problems would be created, to facilitate addressing complaints anonymously and according to the law. «The rights of the people must be respected, but they also have obligations,» Lechuga Millán reminded the protesters.
He further explained that complaints would be addressed on a case-by-case basis. Since the drivers are not registered with the State Transportation Secretariat, nor with the Tax Administration Service (SAT), they are in effect breaking the law. «It is as if you were robbing a bank and a policeman shoots at you,» he observed.
For his part, Luis Pablo Guerrero Preciado, director of Transportation Management of the State Government, urged protesters to join one of the services already registered in the Guadalajara metropolitan area such as Didi, Uber or Siggo Drive. Alternatively, he suggested, they could present and register a new service specific to the Chapala-Jocotepec region.
He explained that, because the «unauthorized artisanal» services (which is what he called the WhatsApp groups the drivers use to organize themselves) do not have any type of legal backing or insurance, they are vulnerable to extortion.
Guerrero Preciado also stated that, should the Secretary of Transportation of Jalisco decide to carry out an operation to discourage unregulated transportation services, the protesters risk having their vehicles confiscated because “it is an illegal act.” Once the drivers legalize their services, however, they will benefit from the protection of the law, insurance and legal representation. In addition, they will be providing a safer service to paying passengers.
The local drivers, however, say that the registered services like Uber, etc. are not profitable. The mileage fees they impose combined with commissions, weekly car rental charges, and gasoline costs make it impossible for the drivers to survive on the typical fares earned of 20 to 30 pesos. The drivers prefer – out of necessity – to go it alone.
Translated by Rebecca Zittle
By Leticia Trejo
Like many people, I have a chat room made up of high school classmates, all of us between 54 and 55 years old. Our childhoods and teenage years were very similar: same economic group, same family environment, similar education and lifestyle. However, five of these classmates died of Covid-19, some in a very painful and distressing way, and others fared very poorly during the illness. They were apparently healthy before they became infected, but I am sure that was not true.
If anything has become clear to us with this virus, it is that the vast majority of people who became very ill had one or more latent ailments that had not yet manifested themselves. If we translate as STRENGTH the resistance of the immune system, then, in reality, people who do badly or very badly with this illness are not strong.
In the physical practice of hatha yoga there is a small group of asanas (postures) that are called Warriors 1, 2 and 3. In Sanskrit they are Virabadrasana, honoring a respected and admired Warrior named Virabadra. These asanas are challenging on a muscular and endurance level; the mind begins to despair at the physical challenge and becomes agitated and restless, struggling to get out of the posture. With perseverance and discipline, we can realize that the mind struggles less and less and concentrates more, and that the muscles respond better, achieving states of mindfulness. The person feels this and knows that he/she has developed integral strength, mind and body in synchrony.
I tell my students that warriors or soldiers, in real life, are always prepared, even if there is no war, even if there is no conflict. They continually train, physically and mentally, to have an efficient command and be ready in case it is necessary to confront the enemy. Avoiding physical pain while training the muscles, avoiding what they do not like, has no place in the thinking of a warrior. On the contrary, entering into the discomfort of discipline, transcending the restlessness of the mind and achieving good emotional and physical governance lead to guaranteed success in facing challenges.
The discipline of physical activity is a test of self-mastery; if we add to that the component of self-reflection and recognition of our thought patterns, then we are warriors and we are strong. If we were really strong, if we would get Covid-19 there would be a much better chance of staying alive and avoiding the devastation that we can see in the bodies of a large number of people who have suffered from this condition.
Up to what age can you be a Warrior?
When I started the Classes for the Tercer Edad (Third Age – people 60+ years old) project, this discipline was not taught in any gym in Guadalajara, so I had no reference to the success or failure that could result from these activities. I was scared to death when I received my first student, Don Pedro. He was 82 years old and had eleven children. He sent all of them to university and also took care of his sick wife for ten years. He came to the class with a cane and could hardly do any of the exercises I taught him. But thanks to his discipline and good spirit, a year after starting this activity, Don Pedro left the cane, eliminated his abdominal fat, became more agile and became independent (when I met him he lived at the house of one of his daughters who did not let him do anything, because he was so «old»).
So I invite you, dear reader, to ask yourself the question: What if you were really strong? And in answering, may you find areas of opportunity that will give a positive turn to your health and well-being.
Translated by Sandy Britton
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