Brazilian author and educator known for his works on critical pedagogy.

Full temples, empty souls. In no way can this appear to be a sign of the holy spirit.

Time doesn’t pass; its relativity is ever-present. It is we who pass by and are pierced by it. Like the slow fall of sand through an hourglass, our breath marks the rhythm of our fleeting existence.

When questioned by the Pharisees about the wisdom of his words, the Son of Man repeated: These words are holy, not in themselves, but because they have been sanctified by Him who sent me. He who has ears, let him hear.

The corrupt faith of men takes us away from God, while the pure and true faith of our personal relationship with the Lord brings us closer to Him.

When we are young, we want to experience everything quickly. It's a time of discovery, news and adventure. The years come and then we suddenly change, we want quality and content. We start to perceive things differently. It's another moment in the journey: we learn the importance of each experience, how each event has a meaning and how this meaning connects to so many others. In this chain of cause and consequence, we realize the interconnection between all things. It is the moment of understanding. Aware of this and as the years pass, we go to internships. At a certain point, we realize the depth of things. It's a scary time. Our previous beliefs are put to the test by the complexity of reality. That moment when time stops and we begin to see beyond the surface. And life takes on a new meaning. We begin to revisit memories, spaces and places seeking a new interpretation, a new perspective and a new look, above all, at ourselves. It is the moment of Being and also of Time. A thinker once said, it is not Time that passes, it is We who pass.

Dante's path can be understood as a metaphor for the condition of medieval man, before the advent of the Renaissance: in a state of sin (Hell), passing through sincere repentance and forgiveness (Purgatory), and finally reaching communion with the fullness of the divine (Paradise). It is a search for truth through faith. Initially, the poet relies on the help of Virgil, a representative of classical pagan culture, and then follows the guidance of true love and holiness, which lead him to the very essence of the divine. This journey is not limited to the search for true love, although this is, naturally, the initial motivation. True love is transmuted into Divine Grace, which, through the contemplation of love and beauty, grants the poet a reflection of divine perfection. Human reason leads the soul to the threshold of faith, where Beatrice, the personification of divine love, takes over. In modern times, the path would be analogous, but the object of love would become reason. The search for truth would then be carried out through rational means. From ignorance (the “dark forest”), through reflection and the practice of virtues, man would arrive at knowledge, so that reason would guide him to the supreme truth. Both in the Middle Ages and in later periods, the search for the meaning of the absolute continued, whether through perfect faith or perfect reason.

Let us ask ourselves: what faith, what beliefs, what dogmas and what principles have served this present Kingdom of things? Which divides, instead of uniting; which binds humanity to the yoke of guilt and sin, instead of freeing it through salvation and grace; which deceives, instead of enlightening; which fosters an elite of leaders distant from the people and their values; which deifies the things of this world and despises sacred things; which begs the Sacred for that which is profane; which chooses the relief of a dormant and alienated conscience, instead of facing the scandal of a world marked by the lack of brotherhood and fraternity. Certainly, none of this comes from Above. And let us not deceive ourselves: let us be attentive and vigilant, for there are many traps — easy to fall into — and few are the destinies that lead to a fuller existence than that very fullness that is not of this world and cannot originate from it.

Heidegger, in Being and Time, while challenging the logical principle of identity, seeks to bring the concept of Being closer to that of Time, even though they are ontologically distinct elements. This approximation results in a potential conflation of the identity of Being with the necessary condition for its manifestation. Temporality, as the underlying condition for the existence and manifestation of all entities, cannot be considered a defining attribute of Being itself. Thus, it is not appropriate to qualify it as essential to Being. Furthermore, the thesis that Time manifests only because of Being seems to reflect a problematic subjectivism, as it reduces the autonomy of Time to the existential scope of “Dasein”. Although Being and Time are related, it is necessary to acknowledge that they remain distinct in their essence. Nevertheless, in the case of Being, Heidegger argues that without Time, there is no horizon within which it can manifest, indicating a structural dependency between the two. This relationship, though significant, does not imply ontological equivalence.

We killed the essence of religiosity and Faith in the West because we took away its transcendence, mysticism and enigmas... As if, being human, we could reach eternity, find absolute truth and understand the nature of divinity. When, in fact, we understand that we do not have all the answers, that there is still much to be discovered and that doubt and uncertainty are the only real constants in existence, we recover the perspective of our smallness, ignorance and the eternal state of doubt at hand. that we are subjected to. The moment the Unknown returns, we awaken to the possibility of a truer understanding of existence – then the flame of Faith ignites again...

A drop of poison a liter of kindness. This is the essence of religions.

Prophetic discourse brings with it universal and transcendent truths. When it was said, “My Kingdom is not of this world,” we were told to direct our faith beyond this world to the promise of eternity. What is the true Gospel that we have learned? He who promises earthly riches, puffs us up and corrupts us with material promises. Cursed be he who distorts the Word to satisfy his own will, seeking eternity in temporal pleasures. That person will be condemned, just like the seed that does not bear fruit. It has also been said, Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Where is your heart's faith: in the things of this world or in the promise of eternity? We must restore the true meaning of the Gospel, which emanates from the heart - the eternal treasure that cannot be stolen, always present here and now - the Love of the Lord. Salvation has already arrived, but we blind people do not recognize it. Even if we touched it we wouldn't have really noticed it. They are blind, deaf and ignorant regarding the truth of Salvation, as the Lord wanted it. “Do not give pearls to swine.” For, when the disciple is ready, the master appears. Seek in words and reflection the truth that exists beyond time. The correct interpretation of the word must seek this.

Freud did nothing more than take science from the laboratory to bed..

People have an inherent desire to be deceived, often going to extremes to preserve their own beliefs. Most humans are naturally inclined to believe, with doubt being a rare quality among us. The ability to question and tolerate a continuous state of uncertainty is a privilege of the few, often accompanied by an innate pessimism, typical of serious intellectuals. Over time, they develop a mordant and ironic sense of humor—understanding the tragic fate of humanity, yet unable to do much about it, much like Cassandra at the gates of Troy.

The poet read the scriptures, questioning whether the gifts received by men came from deities or from other men. And he did not understand why they were not all distributed equally. This bothered him, for he believed deep within that, according to the law of causality – he thought – there must be a reason, even if obscure or secret. This occupied his nights and days, for he did not understand the differences, luck, and injustices. How could there be evil in a world with a Good Creator? Or, even if there were no creator, he knew that the belief in transcendent justice was the foundation of everything. It was necessary to believe in it, he thought. Until one day, in a dream, he encountered King Solomon, seated on his throne, who was said to be the wisest of men. Then, the poet raised his face towards the King and asked: Oh wisest of men, answer me, why do some have more, others have less, why you, even being a King, are nobler than any of those vagabonds who pass through Jerusalem? Is your blood made of gold, your skin of silver, and your hair of silk? Then, the King, staring at the poet and scratching his beard, also amazed by his boldness, took a deep breath, thought, and then said: “You have many doubts, my friend, indeed; I may not have the answers to all of them and it would not be wise to answer what has no answer. Only God properly fully understands destiny and divine will; but I tell you: if you have been honored by destiny with any gift, possessions, benefits, or even time, use them in favor of your neighbor. For example, I am not a King for myself; I bear the burden of governance and use it for the benefit of my people. If you have been honored in some way, it is to honor others with the most valuable thing you possess.