1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

El Peregrino: Culp: The
El Pan de Disoriented
Vida Express
Page 3 Page 5
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Volume 26 @ Number 1 @ M ar ch 8, 2015 @ $15 per Y ea r
Oil company flak has San Francisco
Archbishop Cordileone in his sights
Kevin Jones
San Francisco, CA (CNA/EWTN
News). Sam Singer’s public relations firm spun a Chevron oil refinery disaster in California and fought
back a legal ruling in Ecuador that
could have awarded billions of dollars to indigenous people for the
company’s alleged pollution damage to the Amazon.
Now he’s been hired to attack
San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore
Cordileone. He even wants Pope
Francis to do his work.
“Everyone is praying that the
Pope will remove the San Francisco
Archbishop and these priests,” Singer said in a Google+ post on Feb.
18, Ash Wednesday.
“A revolution is brewing in S.F.
Catholic Church against Archbishop Cordileone morality clauses,” he
said in a Feb. 13 tweet referring to
the controversy over standards for
Catholic high school teachers.
The San Francisco-based Singer
Associates, Inc., in its biography of
Singer, said that the firm’s founder
has been described as “one of the
most powerful people in the San
Francisco Bay Area” for “his ability
to impact the news for his clients.”
Singer told the newspaper SF
Weekly that “concerned parents” are
paying for his services in their dispute with Archbishop Cordileone.
The beginning of this public relations war was bland enough.
San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. Photo: Marcio José Sanchez /AP
The Archdiocese of San Francisco
on Feb. 3 announced that explanations of Catholic teaching would be
added to the faculty and staff handbooks for its four high schools. It
also proposed new morals clauses for
teacher contracts that would define
teachers as having a ministerial role.
The archdiocese said the changes to
the handbook and teacher contract
did not contain anything new but
were intended to “clarify existing
expectations that Catholic teachers
in their professional and public lives
uphold Catholic teaching.”
Archbishop Cordileone said the
changes focused on sexual morality and religious practice because
confusion is prevalent about the
church’s stance on these issues.
Protests and opposition greeted
the action.
About 100 people, including
some Catholic high school teachers,
Turn to San Francisco, Page 8
Fr. Hesburgh, legacy-building Notre Dame president, dies at 97
Notre Dame, IN (CNA/EWTN
News). The University of Notre
Dame mourned the death of
its former president Holy Cross
Father Theodore Hesburgh,
prompting outpourings of appreciation and remembrance for his
deeply influential and sometimes
controversial legacy.
“Although saddened by his loss,
I cherish the memory of a mentor,
friend and brother in Holy Cross
and am consoled that he is now at
peace with the God he served so
well,” the university’s current president, Holy Cross Father John I.
Jenkins said Feb. 27.
“In his historic service to the na-
tinued. “Perhaps his
greatest
influence,
though, was on the
lives of generations of
Notre Dame students,
whom he taught,
counseled and befriended.”
Fr. Hesburgh died
Feb. 26 at the age
of 97 at Holy Cross
House in Notre
Father Theodore Hesburgh died Feb. 26. Photo: Notre
Dame, IN.
Dame/St. Mary’s Observer
He was born in
tion, the church and the world, he Syracuse, NY, on May 25, 1917. He
was a steadfast champion for hu- studied at the University of Notre
man rights, the cause of peace and Dame and at the Gregorian Univercare for the poor,” Fr. Jenkins con- sity in Rome, where he received a
bachelor’s degree in philosophy in
1939.
He was ordained a priest for the
Congregation of Holy Cross at Sacred Heart Basilica on the university
campus in June, 1943. He received
a doctorate in sacred theology at the
Catholic University of America in
1945. He joined the Notre Dame’s
Turn to Hesburgh, Page 7
Lent ✠ 2015
Law of Abstinence
No meat is permitted for persons 14 years of age and older
Days of Abstinence
Ash Wednesday (2/18/15), all Fridays of Lent, & Good Friday (4/3/15)
Law of Fast
Allows one full meal and two lighter meals; prohibits eating
between meals; obliges persons 18 to 59 years of age
Days of Fast
Ash Wednesday (2 /518/15) & Good Friday (4/3/15)
Easter Sunday is April 5, 2015
Page 2
March 8, 2015
Lent: It’s not too late
KAreN rOOD
By the time most of you read this, we
will already be into our third week of Lent.
For a season that lasts 40 days, it certainly
seems to be passing by
quickly this year. And
for some, it is hard to
even remember it is
Lent. Many of us missed
celebrating Ash Wednesday and perhaps even
the first Sunday of Lent,
because of the weather. The Rite of Election
and Call to Continuing Conversion, always
taking place on the first Sunday of Lent at
the Cathedral, was delegated to individual
pastors to have at their parishes this year. I
will be inserting the parish papers with the
signatures of our former catechumens now
“elect” into our Diocesan Book of the Elect,
instead of having their actual signatures
recorded there. And what’s more, at the time
of this writing, we still have no announcement of a new bishop. I feel like praying
Psalm 88: “Lord, the God of my salvation, I
call out by day; at night I cry aloud in your
presence. Let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry. For my soul is
filled with troubles.”
Regardless, Lent is here, and I love that
the church gives us this special time of turning to God with our whole heart and soul.
During these 40 days, the church asks us to
take an active approach to the three pillars
of Lenten observance: prayer, fasting, and
almsgiving. Pope Francis has challenged us
to use these pillars this Lent to overcome
indifference, to God and to our neighbor. In
his Lenten message he writes that God “is
not aloof from us. Each one of us has a place
in his heart. He knows us by name, he cares
for us and he seeks us out whenever we turn
away from him. He is interested in each of
us; his love does not allow him to be indifferent to what happens to us. Usually, when
we are healthy and comfortable, we forget
about others (something God the Father
never does): we are unconcerned with their
problems, their sufferings and the injustices
they endure… Our heart grows cold. As long
as I am relatively healthy and comfortable, I
don’t think about those less well off. Today,
this selfish attitude of indifference has taken
on global proportions, to the extent that we
can speak of a globalization of indifference.
It is a problem which we, as Christians, need
to confront.” Pope Francis reminds us that
we need interior renewal, so that we overcome any indifference and self centeredness.
It is not too late for us to begin!
“…let us all ask the Lord: ‘Fac cor nostrum
secundum cor tuum’: Make our hearts like
yo urs (Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus).
In this way we will receive a heart which is
firm and merciful, attentive and generous,
a heart which is not closed, indifferent, or
prey to the globalization of indifference.”
(Lenten message 2015) Pope Francis reminds
us not to underestimate the power of prayer,
especially when our prayer is united with the
church on earth and in heaven. To that end,
he is proposing the “24 Hours for the Lord”
initiative during Lent on Friday, March 13,
and Saturday, March 14, 2015. The theme
that will guide the reflection is: “God rich in
mercy” (Eph. 2:4). If at all possible, plan to go
to your church to pray sometime during the
day. Go to Confession or adore the Eucharist.
“Lent is a fitting time for self-denial; we
would do well to ask ourselves what we can
give up in order to help and enrich others by our own poverty. Let us not forget
that real poverty hurts: no self-denial is real
without this dimension of penance.” (Pope
Francis Lenten message 2014) “Giving up” is
something most of us are very familiar with
for Lent. Yet sometimes giving something
up makes us feel good about ourselves. Pope
Francis reminds us that fasting only makes
sense if it questions our security and if it leads
to some benefit for others. With only 26 days
left before Easter, now is the time to do something that hurts. Fast an extra day and take
the money you would normally spend on that
food and put it in your Rice Bowl, or use it to
buy blankets for the homeless (the Catholic
Action Center needs them), or buy toiletries
for the Catholic Charities office. Take the time
to find out what our brothers and sisters who
are less fortunate need from us. In our poverty,
perhaps, we can lessen theirs.
“Today gratuitousness is often not part
of daily life where everything is bought and
sold. Everything is calculated and measured.
Almsgiving helps us to experience giving freely,
which leads to freedom from the obsession
of possessing, from the fear of losing what we
have, from the sadness of one who does not
wish to share his wealth with others.” (Pope
Francis Homily, March 5, 2014) How much
more almsgiving will mean this Lent if we act
like the poor widow in the Gospel of Mark: “A
Because He promised . . .
“Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (MT 5:4)
The burial and care of the deceased is a matter of deep
spiritual significance and a corporal work of mercy.
In addition to that, there are only two places set aside by
Canon Law as sacred: your church for divine worship
and your final resting place for eternal peace.
Your Catholic cemetery is committed to conscientiously performing a ministry of service to all the
faithful departed, as well as those they left behind.
Jesus promised comfort for those who mourn. And
through Him, we at Calvary Cemetery will do
our part to see that you get it.
OFFICE HOURS
9 AM - 4 PM weekdays
Call Fran Borders for an appointment
GATE HOURS
8 AM - 5 PM everyday, year-round
poor widow also came and put in two small
coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples
to himself, he said to them, ‘Amen, I say to
you, this poor widow put in more than all the
other contributors to the treasury. For they
have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all
she had, her whole livelihood.’” Only in this
way can we be converted to justice, equality,
simplicity and
sharing. Only
in this way
can our acts
of charity
show our concern for others and be a sign of
our belonging to the one human family.
We are already midway into Lent, but
it’s not too late. Let’s approach the remaining days with steadfast determination to
render our hearts to the Lord, so that we are
changed in the way we look at our brothers
and sisters in the world.
ANNOUNCeMeNT: The Diocesan Chrism
Mass will take place on Saturday, March 28,
2015, 10:30 a.m., at the Cathedral of Christ
the King. Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz will be
our presider. Please make plans to come!
The Bi-Weekly Publication of The Catholic Diocese of Lexington
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March 8, 2015
Page 3
¡Dios en la Hostia y en el Vino siempre!
Protecting God’s
Children for Adults
For all employees and
volunteers of the
Diocese of Lexington
who in any way provide a
safe environment
for children.
Step 1: Complete a volunteer application
and acceptance form at your parish or school.
Step 2: Register and attend a class.
Parents and other interested persons are
most welcome. No children, please.
To register, visit www.virtus.org > Registration.
If you have difficulties with the program, call
the Chancellor’s Office at (859) 253-1993.
■ Ss. Peter & Paul, Danville
March 7, 2015, 9:00 AM
■ Queen of All Saints,
Beattyville
March 21, 2015, 9:30 AM
Step 3: Bulletins will begin only after you have
completed your live training and paperwork
has been processed. You will receive email
notices that say [email protected] unless your
computer program blocks them. Access your
bulletins (12 per year; look for them on the first
Monday of the month) using these directions:
• www.virtus.org
• Enter your ID (email address) & password
• Click on MY TRAINING at top toolbar
• Under TRAINING BULLETIN REPORT on
right green panel, click on CLICK HERE TO
SEE YOUR COMPLETE REPORT
• Choose a bulletin to read
• Hit SUBMIT after finishing EACH article
To update your account:
(To change information or where you
volunteer)
• Enter your ID & password
• Click on UPDATE MY ACCOUNT
• Edit your information and save
M. Yvette Millán Torres LL.M.
(M. Yvette Culp LL.M.)
Es la Cuaresma y durante este tiempo es
esperado de nosotros que sacrifiquemos algo
importante para nosotros con la intención
de tener a diario presente el sacrificio que Dios
hizo por nosotros al
morir en la cruz; y nuestra conversión al bien.
Recordemos entonces
quien es nuestro Dios y
la Trinidad como fundamento de nuestra Iglesia Católica.
El Misterio de la Encarnación de Jesús
se expresa en el Evangelio de Juan 1:14. “Y
la Palabra se hizo Carne, e hizo su morada entre nosotros, y vimos su gloria, gloria
que recibe del Padre el Hijo único, lleno de
gracia y de verdad.” Los judíos fueron elegidos para tener a Jesús como uno de ellos y
disfrutar de su presencia como Dios viviendo como humano entre ellos. Muchos no
estaban de acuerdo con esto y no percibían
a Jesús como Dios; cuestionaron su presencia, su santidad, sus decisiones, su humildad, su amor, su paciencia, su capacidad de
relacionarse con los pobres, con los sufridos, y con los pecadores; fue señalado por
muchos, incluyendo los pobres, los ricos y
poderosos de la época, quienes cuestionaron
y dudaron cada milagro que El hizo. Este
trato horrible e injusto contra Jesús terminó
su presencia humana cuando murió por nosotros y nuestra salvación.
Entendemos y creemos que el Hijo de
Dios, Jesús es la segunda persona de la
Santísima Trinidad y que la Santísima Trinidad es el fundamento de nuestra Iglesia
Católica. Jesús se hizo hombre mediante la
Encarnación, que significa poner en carne.
Tomó la naturaleza humana completa y el
cuerpo y el alma como la nuestra para poder
salvarnos y, al mismo tiempo El permaneció
completamente Dios. CIC 461, 464
Jesús también es diferente a nosotros porque no fue concebido con el pecado original.
La santidad de nuestro Dios Jesús es establecida por la forma en que se convirtió en humano, a través de la Inmaculada Concepción
de María en el 18 A.C. y luego a través de
su Anunciación y la Encarnación a principios del 4 A.C. Su concepción por el Espíritu
Santo sobre la Virgen María creó el camino
santo perfecto para que el niño Jesús encarnara y naciera en nuestro mundo humano.
Antes de su encarnación, él era la Palabra
de Dios, pero es hasta su nacimiento que
Jesucristo (Emmanuel) es visto y disfrutado
en persona y se convirtió en el Pan de Vida.
Siempre divino y después de la encarnación,
también humano.
Los signos de la santidad de Jesús y su reconocimiento llegan temprano en su vida,
los 3 Reyes Magos quienes le trajeron regalos
de oro, incienso y mirra a Él como una señal
milagro de estar presente en la eucaristía y es
el privilegio divino para nosotros.
Juan 6: 56-57 dice “El que come mi carne
y bebe mi sangre permanece en mí y yo en
él. Como el Padre, que vive, me ha enviado
y yo vivo por el Padre, así también el que me
come vivirá por mí.” Este es el Misterio de
la Presencia Real. Como
católicos creemos en la
Presencia Real de Jesús en
la Sagrada Eucaristía, que
en latín significa “acción
de gracias”, el Cuerpo y la Sangre de Cristo
junto con Su Alma y Divinidad están contenidos en su totalidad, ya sea en la hostia o
en el vino. De esta manera, si sólo comemos
la hostia o tomamos el vino, hemos recibido
la plena comunión con
Dios, esta es la Doctrina
de la Concomitancia; la
experiencia es más completa si se come y bebe
tanto la hostia y el vino.
Debemos hacer ayuno
durante una hora por
lo menos antes de recibir la comunión y estar
libres de pecado mortal para ser dignos de
este momento celestial
con Dios. Por lo tanto, la Presencia Real de
Dios en la Eucaristía se
explica de la siguiente
manera... Después de la
Consagración durante
la misa, la sustancia del
pan y del vino cambian por el poder del Espíritu Santo (tercera persona de Dios) en la
sustancia del Cuerpo, Sangre, Alma y Divinidad de Nuestro Señor, Esta es la Doctrina
de la Transubstanciación.
La liturgia nos adentra en la hora de la
Pascua de Jesús y celebra el Misterio Pascual cada domingo. Y nosotros, como católicos estamos obligados a asistir a misa los
domingos y días sagrados. La Eucaristía es
Jesús vivo, se levantó a los 3 días después de
haber sido crucificado y ascendió al Cielo.
Enfatizando, el Misterio Pascual es la obra
de Cristo para la redención, en otras palabras
es la Encarnación de Jesús, su Sufrimiento
durante su vida humana/divina, su Muerte a
través de la crucifixión, su Resurrección, y la
Ascensión del Señor al Cielo.
¡Que disfruten este tiempo de conversión
y sacrificio con la intención de ser cada día
mejores y seguir el camino de Dios y así
mismo ser felices! n
El Peregrino
de respeto y lealtad. Igualmente, los que recibieron sus milagros, no dudaron de Él y lo
siguieron hasta el momento en que fue traicionado por Judas Iscariote y mas alla.
Como católicos siempre debemos estar
preparados para hablar, hacer eco la realidad
de Dios y corregir si es necesario herejías
cristológicas como el Arrianismo, que nos
dice que “Jesús es solo humano - un hombre
inspirado por Dios”; Nestorianismo, “Jesús
es una persona humana en la cual, la persona divina está presente” como flores en un
florero; Monofisismo, “Jesús es solo Dios”.
Y recordemos que la Encarnación de Jesús ocurrió con la intención de Dios para
salvarnos, mostrarnos su amor, mostrarnos
el camino al Cielo o Paraiso y darnos una
parte de la vida de Dios mediante su gracia.
Nuestra Liturgia conocida comúnmente
como la misa, que viene del griego leitourgia, que significa trabajo público, función
pública, el servicio en el nombre de / y para
el bien del pueblo. En el sentido cristiano
es la participación del Pueblo de Dios, la
Iglesia en la “Obra de Dios”. CIC 100681069 La obra de Dios es nuestra salvación
y santificación. Aquí dia a dia Dios hace el
Page 4
March 8, 2015
University of Kentucky students from Holy Spirit Parish Newman Center
gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
for Mass before the March for Life on Thursday Jan. 22. Before the march, the
group visited the statue of St. Theodore Guerin, founder of the Sisters of
Providence, the community of Holy Spirit Parish Newman Center Pastoral
Associate Sr. Ellen Kehoe. Photos: Kevin Steele
Join Father Robert Hadden
What’s going on in your parish?
Send us your photos & a brief description
(who, what, when & where) and we’ll publish them
in Cross Roads!
[email protected]
October 10-21, 2015 on a 12 day pilgrimage to
The Shrines of
And World War II Sites
Early registration price $3,299 +
$679* per person from Louisville if
deposit is paid by 7/2/15
(Add $100/person after 7/2/15)
Now accepting registrations for
March 20-22, 2015
retreat
Contact Catholic Charities (606) 874-9170
[email protected]
*Estimated airline taxes & fuel surcharges subject
to increase/decrease at 30 days prior.
Sponsored by
For more information, contact
Tom Shaughnessy
859/253-1993 ext. 258
[email protected]
Travel by
800/713-9800
March 8, 2015
he Catholic Church
teaches us that there
are four laws that gov
govern existence: eternal,
divine, natural, and human.
Eternal law refers to the Divine Wisdom of God that
moves all things to their appropriate end. The focus of
this law is the common good
DOUGLAS CULP
of all things. Divine law is
the revealed law of God to
humanity (e.g., Ten Commandments or the Two Great
Commandments).
Natural law is the eternal law of
“We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize
God imprinted on all things,
from which, in the words of
anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one’s own
St. Thomas Aquinas, “they
ego and one’s own desires.”
~ Pope Benedict XVI (2005)
derive their respective inclinations to their proper acts
which is that points of view have no absoand ends.” Human law consists of laws of gov- ing the Enlightenment.
Among the numerous contributors to lute truth or validity only relative, subjective
ernment derived from the general precepts of
natural law through the use of practical reason. the ideas that would give rise to relativism value. This means that all truth is “relative” to
In terms of humanity, the church teaches was Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) of “Le- the individual. And it is, in fact, a seductive
that we are created freely and out of love viathan” fame. He argued that the “good” philosophy which explains its success in our
by God for eternal life in communion with is whatever the appetites of a person desire, culture today.
First, everyday experience of differences,
God. Consequently, our ultimate and prop- whereas the “bad” is whatever those same
er end is the kingdom of Heaven. If we are appetites dislike. Nonetheless, he main- for example in cultural norms, can seem to
to truly live and be most fully alive, it only tained that the state is needed to guarantee affirm the relative nature of things. What is
makes sense that we need to live in har- conduct less chaos ensue—but whatever is acceptable in one place may not be acceptable in another. Relativism can also appear
mony with this end, that we need to live in legal is, by definition, moral.
Then, there is the very influential Rene to be an appropriate stance in regards to the
harmony with that for which we are made.
Communion with God, i.e., being of the Descartes (1596-1650) who put forth a knowledge of God. Since the truth about
same mind, with the same love, united in philosophy emphasizing the subjective over God always transcends our ability to deheart, thinking one thing with God (see the objective, immanence over transcen- finitively “know,” humility would seem to
Phil 2:2), then becomes the goal and foun- dence, and philosophy over theology. Da- demand that we forgo any objective truth
dation of Christian life. This is the goal as vid Hume (1711-1776) said that feelings claim about God.
Relativism can be appealing as a way to
it is dictated by the eternal law, which is (or emotions) trump reason, when it comes
to
moral
decision-making
and
that
moralavoid conflict with others. After all, if all
imprinted on us through natural law, and
revealed to us by divine law. Human law, ity consists of whatever is acceptable to the truth is relative and one person’s truth is
then, must conform to this very same goal, culture at a given time. Immanuel Kant just as valid as another person’s truth, there
if our society is to be ordered to the com- (1724-1804), asserted that whatever is be- is no need to argue about norms of moralyond the senses is altogether unknowable, ity, there is no need to engage in endless
mon good of all.
while Karl Marx (1818-1883) promulgated debate over divisive “personal choices.”
the idea that humanity itself is essentially This thought system, through its affirmaNow, the seeds of relativism were dis- god. And, of course, we cannot forget the tion of the values of autonomy, respect,
cernibly planted in the Middle Ages. For prophet of the “Will to Power,” Friedrich tolerance, and equality, actually promises
example, the French theologian, Roscel- Nietzsche (1844-1900), who claimed that us a way back into that garden paradise
linus (1050-1022), was one of the first to the “good” is equated to whatever assures where our first parents experienced unity
give definite expression to nominalism, survival or well-being and that the will and communion with each other and with
which maintained that there was no such trumps reason in moral decision-making.
their God.
thing as universals beyond the sphere of the
Finally, relativism means never having to
intellect. However, it firmly took root in
say we are sorry, because we can never be
what is known in philosophy as the “turn
From the “turn to the subject,” we have wrong when it comes to what we believe to
to the subject” that occurred primarily dur- the blossoming of relativism, the essence of be true. We cannot be judged, questioned,
Page 5
or constrained, because the
standard of what is true,
good, and beautiful is what
each one of us says is true,
good, and beautiful—for us,
and this is beyond the reproach of all others.
But does it deliver? Can it
deliver?
As we can see from the
brief discussion of its roots,
relativism is a philosophy
that is predicated on the
denial of objective truth—
which amounts to the denial of the revealed truth of
God, of faith in the God of
revelation, and, ultimately,
of God. It relies on reason
alone and, thereby, is blind to or intentionally ignores the limits of human reasoning.
Then again, since there was no Fall, why
would this be a concern?
Consequently, relativism trends to a morality whose ultimate standard and guide of
conduct is desire. Relativism is about what
we, as individuals, want. In such a system,
pragmatism gains ascendancy. Pragmatism
holds that whatever works for the individual is true. This means that action is what
matters in terms of making moral determinations, i.e., we cannot know whether
something is true or not until we do it and
see if it works. Naturally, a mindset of “the
ends justify the means” generally accompanies relativism and pragmatism, though the
ends are constantly changing.
This reality of constantly changing ends
is what is so problematic about relativism.
When our ultimate standard and guide of
conduct is desire, we are ultimately left with
no standard at all, because desires change
and can even be disordered. The denial of
objective truth, of ultimate ends, and of
God leaves desire with no final destination
to which it can be directed and ordered.
This means that our standard and guide of
conduct is disoriented and can produce only
further disorientation in our moral choices,
because we have denied it its proper orientation. The consequences of this disorientadisorienta
tion will be our topic next time.
Page 6
March 8, 2015
Jesus shocks Temple hearers with “my Father’s house”
MSgr. JOSePH g. PrIOr
3rd Sunday in Lent • March 8, 2015
“Destroy this temple and in three days I
will raise it up.” Jesus says
in response to those who
question his cleansing of
the Temple. The reference
is to his body that will be
offered on the cross. His
hearers do not understand.
The Temple was
the locus of Jewish worship. The moneychangers are present so that Roman money
can be changed into local coinage. The
Roman coins had the image of the Emperor
and would have been unacceptable for the
Temple tax. The merchants in the Temple
were selling animals for the sacrifice. The
activities associated with the sales prompt
Jesus to action. He overturns the tables and
cries out: “Stop making my Father’s house a
market place.”
Jesus expresses rage at the denigration of
the Temple into a place of business. In this
context, a contrast emerges between viewing
the temple as a public gathering space for
commerce and worship and a place where
Jesus’ Father dwells. Jesus refers to God as
his Father. The temple is his home on earth.
Here he gathers his family together to be
with him. Jesus calls for a reevaluation of
the people’s relationship with God. The
people gathered in the Temple courtyard
were shocked not only by Jesus’s actions but,
perhaps, even more so by his referring to
God as his Father.
Jesus associates the Father’s dwelling place
with himself. The Father and Jesus are one.
The Father dwells in Jesus. Thus, Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection manifest God’s
dwelling among men in his Son. The paschal
mystery becomes the “sign” for which the
Jews ask. Many do not understand, for they
think Jesus is referring to the Temple built of
stone. The disciples, however, come to understand following the resurrection. St. John tells
us that it is then that they “came to believe
the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.”
The Passover context for Jesus’ purification
of the Temple is a reminder that God’s love
for mankind is manifest in Jesus’ sacrificial
offering on the cross. The Passover recalls Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The
ritual celebration involves the sacrifice of the
lamb. In his passion, Jesus offers himself as
a sacrifice that will deliver mankind from
the slavery to sin and death. On the cross
the revelation of God’s love and mercy is
complete. Thus Jesus is, as the Baptist refers to him, the “lamb of God” who takes
away the sins of the world.
For many the cross is hard to understand.
St. Paul reminds us of this in the passage
from I Corinthians which serves as the
second reading. He says: we “proclaim Christ
crucified.” The cross becomes a symbol of
divine love in the emptying of self in love
for another. The Father’s love for the Son,
the Son’s love for the Father, God’s love for
his people—the triumph of the cross is love.
This is the “way” of God.
The first reading comes from the Book of
Exodus. The passage recalls the Lord giving
the law to Moses, specifically the Ten Commandments. The commandments are part of
the larger Mosaic law. The law regulates the
covenant and symbolizes it. In Jewish thought
at the time of Jesus, righteousness was
achieved through faithfulness to the covenant.
St. Paul will point out that, while the law still
has force, it does not have the power to justify
or make us “righteous.” Jesus is the one who
lives the Father’s will and in offering himself
on the cross accomplishes salvation. It is Jesus
where the locus of salvation and righteousness resides. We are made “right” with God
through Christ Jesus. We are united to Christ
in his passion, death and resurrection through
the Sacraments of Initiation.
At the same time, the Ten Commandments retain their authority, as they help us
to love God and neighbor. The Commandments, along with Jesus’ example, interpretation of the law, teachings, and the presence
of the Spirit give us guidance and direction
as to how to live the law of love and mercy.
During the Season of Lent we reflect
on these central mysteries of our faith. We
ponder Jesus passion. We are awed by his
faithfulness to the Father. We recognize his
love for us in offering himself. We recognize this is an undeserved love, a love that
is freely given. In response we seek to live
in this love. We repent of our sins, seeking
forgiveness, so that we can strive ever more
to love God and neighbor.
What is the “messianic secret” in Mark’s gospel?
FATHer PAUL PrAbeLL
Q
A
I have read that there is a “messianic
secret” in Mark’s Gospel. What does
this mean?
God’s people had yearned for a
Messiah for many centuries. The
Messiah would restore freedom, peace,
joy, and justice to the people who had
long been oppressed.
The Messiah would
be sent by God. The
Messiah would be the
Savior and Redeemer
and would have great
power as he would
draw from God’s
Spirit dwelling within. The Messiah would
be anointed by God as the Christ. The
Messiah is the Son of God.
In Mark’s Gospel the climax is when
the centurion witnesses the way Jesus died
on the cross and proclaims “Clearly, this
man was the Son of God.” (15:39) One
of the prime themes of the Gospel of
Mark is that the disciples and many others
encountering Jesus could not or would
not see that Jesus was the Son of God,
until after his resurrection. However, some
passages in Mark suggest that Jesus did not
want his identity to be known until “the
right time.”
The “messianic secret” refers to the
occasions when Jesus told his disciples,
people he cured, and demons he expelled
to tell no one about the healings and
exorcisms, and when he told the apostles
not to speak of a revelation about his
identity which he had given to them.
The term messianic secret can be traced
to William Wrede, a German Scripture
scholar who, in the early part of the 20th
Century, was part of a breakthrough
movement which realized that the divinely
inspired author of Mark’s Gospel was not
only recording history, but also offering
theological insights and interpretations
of Jesus’ life and message. Wrede thought
that the “messianic secret” was a key unifying element in the theological construction of Mark’s Gospel. The vast majority
of contemporary Scripture scholars do not
accept the extensiveness of Wrede’s theory.
Even though Wrede over-evaluated the
importance of the messianic secret, it still
offers some insight into the theology of
Mark’s Gospel.
At the time that Mark’s Gospel was
written, paradoxes were often used to emphasize the mysterious nature of life. The
messianic secret is one side of a paradox
(or seeming contradiction) in Mark’s Gospel. There are several occasions in Mark’s
Gospel where Jesus preaches publicly, does
miracles in
public, teaches publicly,
and speaks to
crowds of his
mission and divinity. There is no constant
secret about his messiahship.
Yet in Mark’s Gospel 1:34 and 3:12,
Jesus commands driven out demons to say
nothing about him. The healed leper in
1:43-45 is ordered to say nothing, just as
are witnesses to other healings (5:43,7:36).
When Peter declares that Jesus is the
Messiah (8:30) and in the aftermath of
the transfiguration (9:9), Jesus tells the
disciples to tell no one.
The messianic secret does seem to have
its purposes in Mark’s Gospel. In the
aftermath of miracles, Jesus could easily
have been perceived as a wonder-working
medicine man more so than a spiritual
teacher and leader. For those who had
been healed, the message to keep the
work of Jesus secret was a call to live a
healed and converted life rather than bask
in their status of having been specially
touched by Jesus.
If the powers of Jesus were too wellknown, the oppressed and the oppressors
would see him as a military or political
messiah, rather than one whose power
was spiritual. The oppressed would follow
him for the wrong reasons, and the oppressors would quickly seek to discredit
or destroy him.
The messianic secret accounts for the
disciples’ occasional obtuseness but also
heightens the importance of his death
and resurrection as the heart of the messianic ministry of Jesus. He gave his life
and rose from the dead, so that we all can
live the fullness of life and can proclaim,
with the centurion, that Jesus truly is the
Messiah.
March 8, 2015
Hesburgh
Continued from Page 1
religion department that year and served as a
chaplain for war veterans on campus.
He became head of the religion department
in 1948 and then was named executive vice
president for the university. He became the
university’s 15th president in June, 1952, at
the age of 35.
Fr. Hesburgh served as president until 1987.
He was one of the longest-serving presidents of
Page 7
any U.S. university. During his tenure, Notre
Dame’s enrollment grew from about 5,000
students to 9,600, while the number of faculty
more than doubled from 389 to 950.
U.S. presidents appointed him to 16 positions dealing with civil rights, atomic energy,
campus unrest, humanitarian development,
and immigration.
At a 1964 civil rights rally at Chicago’s Soldier Field, Fr. Hesburgh joined hands with
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and sang “We
Shall Overcome.” President Richard Nixon
later removed the priest from the U.S. Com-
ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, KY
(www.covdio.org) is seeking qualified candidates for the
position of Assistant Superintendent of Schools. The Assistant Superintendent is responsible for collecting and aggregating statistical data for each school i.e. test scores, student information, faculty and staff information, tuition and fees, attendance, calendar, etc. The Assistant Superintendent helps with the educational
administration of the Alliance for Catholic Urban Education (ACUE)
schools, and facilitates government programs/funding, curriculum and
assessment, professional development, the Kentucky Excellence in
Education Scholarship (KEES) program, and school communication.
Overall, the position encounters a wide diversity of work situations
and involves a high degree of complexity with responsibility for
advising and decision making in many areas. Candidates must be
practicing Roman Catholics in good standing, able and willing to give
witness to the Catholic faith at all times, with a Master’s degree in
Education/Administration and a minimum of three years’ experience
in school administrative leadership.
Interested individuals should submit a letter of interest along with a
comprehensive resume or C-V, recent Baptismal certificate indicating
sacramental preparation, and a list of at least five professional
references to Stephen Koplyay, SPHR:
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mission on Civil Rights, which he had served
as a charter member, due to his criticism of the
Nixon administration on the issue.
President Lyndon Johnson awarded Fr. Hesburgh the Medal of Freedom in 1964. He received the American Association of University
Professors’ Meiklejohn Award in 1970 for his
opposition to the Nixon administration’s attempt to use federal troops to break up campus
demonstrations. He also served on President
Gerald Ford’s clemency board which ruled on
cases of Vietnam draft dodgers.
He was the first Catholic priest to serve in
a formal diplomatic role for the U.S. government, as U.S. ambassador to the 1979 United
Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development.
As part of the Overseas Development Council, Fr. Hesburgh helped fundraising efforts to
avert starvation in Cambodia in 1979 and
1980. He also worked in nuclear disarmament
and college athletics.
Fr. Hesburgh also served four popes. He
was the Holy See’s representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency from 1956
to 1970. He built the Notre Dame-operated
Ecumenical Institute at Tantur, Jerusalem, in
1972 at the request of Paul VI and headed the
Holy See’s delegation to the United Nations
in the 1970s. Pope John Paul II appointed Fr.
Hesburgh to the Pontifical Council for Culture in 1983.
Fr. Hesburgh served as a director of the
Chase Manhattan Bank and was president of
the Board of Overseers at Harvard University.
His influence was not without controversy.
During his time as chairman of the International Federation of Catholic Universities, Fr.
Hesburgh led academics and over two dozen
Catholic university presidents in signing the
1967 “Land O’Lakes Statement” which asserted the Catholic university’s “true autonomy
and academic freedom in the face of authority of whatever kind, lay or clerical, external
to the academic community itself.” Critics of
the statement have said it distorted the role of
the church in Catholic university life and functioned as a “declaration of independence” from
the Catholic hierarchy, undermining universities’ Catholic identity.
Under Fr. Hesburgh, the University of Notre
Dame played a significant role in the run-up to
one of the major Catholic controversies of the
1960s: Pope Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae, which reaffirmed Catholic teaching
on the immorality of contraception.
With the involvement of Fr. Hesburgh’s personal assistant George Shuster, a series of meetings on human population growth were held
at Notre Dame from 1963 to 1967 under the
sponsorship of the Rockefeller Foundation and
the Ford Foundation. They brought together
selected Catholic leaders to meet with leaders of
the Planned Parenthood Federation of America
and the Population Council, as well as with
leaders of the Ford and Rockefeller foundations.
Rockefeller appointed Fr. Hesburgh to the
Rockefeller Foundation’s executive committee in 1966, with the understanding that he
would abstain from voting on issues involving
contraception, sterilization, and abortion. Fr.
Hesburgh served as the foundation’s chairman
from 1977 to 1982.
The university president received 150 honorary degrees. His books include a 1990 autobiography “God, Country, Notre Dame.”
Notre Dame’s library, whose 13-story building
towers over the campus, bears his name.
In a Feb. 27 statement, President Barack
Obama praised Fr. Hesburgh’s “lifetime of
service.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his friends, and the Notre Dame community that loved him so dearly,” the president said.
The university held public visitation at
Notre Dame’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart
March 3. A funeral Mass for Fr. Hesburgh was
celebrated at the basilica on March 4.
Fr. Hesburgh’s body will be interred at Holy
Cross Community Cemetery. n
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Page 8
March 8, 2015
Fr. Damron nominated for 2015 Lumen Christi Award
Lexington. The Diocese of Lexington has
nominated Fr. Bob Damron for the 2015
Lumen Christi Award. The Catholic Extension Society presents this annual award,
which means “Light of Christ,” to an individual or group working in a U.S. mission
diocese who demonstrates how the power of
faith can transform lives and communities.
Fr. Damron has had many adventures as
part of his faith journey. Born in Pikeville,
he grew up in a “holler” in Caney Creek
and was raised in the Baptist tradition.
After serving in Vietnam, 1971-‘73, with
the US Army, he then joined the Peace
Corps and taught for two years in a small
village in Ethiopia.
After returning to the U.S., Fr. Damron
taught high school in Pike County and was
San Francisco
eventually drawn to the Catholic Church.
He was baptized in 1976 at St. Francis of
Assisi Church in Pikeville, and then decided to take a leave from teaching to spend a
year at a Benedictine Abbey in Alabama in
discernment of his vocation.
Fr. Damron was ordained in 1983 and
will celebrate 32 years as a priest this June.
He has had assignments in Lexington, Williamsburg, Jellico and Corbin, and also
in Cali, Columbia. Fr. Damron has been
serving as the pastor of St. Martha in Prestonsburg and St. Luke in Salyersville for the
past 12 years.
Catholics number less than one percent
in this part of Kentucky, and Fr. Damron
encourages parishioners to always be ready
to speak with knowledge and enthusiasm
standards as “a loyalty oath.”
Nonetheless, Archbishop Cordileone
Continued from Page 1
has withstood the media controversy and
students, and students’ parents, gathered threats from state and city legislators. He
outside San Francisco’s St. Mary’s Cathe- suggested replacing proposed contractual
description of teachers as ministers with
dral on Ash Wednesday to protest.
Several activist groups like the Human wording about the teaching ministry.
Since mid-February, Singer’s social media
Rights Campaign, Faithful America, and
the Equally Blessed Coalition have attacked accounts have sent out many news stories
highly critical of
the archdiocese.
His tweets build a
narrative that appears to focus on
publicizing both
opposition to the
archbishop
and
the admitted mistakes of some local
Catholic leaders.
Singer’s
Feb.
18 Google+ post,
which claimed that
everyone was praying for Pope Francis
to remove Archbishop Cordileone,
Sam Singer, head of Singer Associates, Inc., a San Francisco PR firm has been
linked to a story
hired to attack San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone over morals
clauses in teachers’ handbooks and contracts. Photo: Marcio José Sanchez/AP about priests at Star
of the Sea Church
Archbishop Cordileone as well.
who handed out pamphlets about examinaBut the SF Weekly claimed that the Ash tion of conscience to elementary school stuWednesday protest “bore the signature dents ahead of confession.
slickness of a Singer campaign.” The newsFebruary press coverage of the pamphlets
paper noted the widespread news coverage focused on passages pertaining to adult
it received.
sexual sins. Father Joseph Illo, the parish’s
Singer said he hopes the archbishop sees pastoral administrator, apologized for the
that the standards he is asking of teach- incidents as an “oversight” and said the
ers are something that doesn’t “keep with pamphlets should have been given to the
Catholic values.” Singer characterized the parents instead of the children.
In late spring, the Cathabout their faith and evangelize in many different
olic Extension Society will
ways. Fr. Damron also leads
post a Facebook page with
the parishes’ efforts to bring
a photo and brief descriprelief and hope to a region
tion of all the Lumen
Christi nominees from
that struggles with unemacross the US. The Society
ployment and poverty. As
Diocesan Administrator Fr.
invites people to vote for
Robert Nieberding noted
the nominee of their choice
in the Lumen Christi nomand to comment about
ination form, “Through
that nominee’s impact on
his perseverance and his
their parish and diocese.
willingness to help anyone Father Bob Damron has been
We hope the people of
pastor of St. Luke, Salyersville and
the Diocese of Lexington
who comes to his parish in
St. Martha, Prestonsburg for 12
will “Like” the Catholic Exneed, Fr. Damron has won years. Photo provided
the trust and admiration of
tension Society’s page and
many as an example of truly living the Gos- be ready to vote for Fr. Damron and thank
pel message.”
him for his service. n
Singer also sought to capitalize on controversy from Fr. Illo’s decision to have
male-only altar servers at his church, claiming that the “fight continues” for altar girls.
He tweeted a quote from Fr. Illo defending the practice of male-only servers—and
included a picture of the Monty Python
sketch on the Spanish Inquisition.
Singer’s Twitter account repeated a San
Francisco Chronicle columnist’s attack,
saying: “Don’t let S.F. Archbishop’s charm
fool you: his message of exclusion and
hate.” Another tweet claimed the archbishop will “purge gay, lesbian, pro-choice
teachers from Catholic schools.”
On Feb. 24 Archbishop Cordileone rejected similar characterizations, telling the
New York Times “we’re not on a witch hunt;
we’re not looking to terminate teachers.”
Singer Associates clients include the San
Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco
Chronicle. Both newspapers have been
highly critical of the San Francisco archdiocese’s Catholic schools.
The PR firm’s employees include former
reporters, former political staffers as well as
former political and legal strategists.
The SF Weekly profiled Singer’s abilities in
August, 2014, with a focus on his firm’s threedecade relationship with oil giant Chevron.
Singer Associates led the public relations
response to a major fire at a Richmond, CA,
oil refinery after its third catastrophic failure
since 1989. The 2012 pipeline explosion
produced a massive cloud of thick smoke.
At the time of the fire, local authorities gave a shelter-in-place order for Richmond and two other cities. In the following
weeks, an estimated 15,000 people in nearby communities sought medical treatment
for breathing problems, chest pain, shortness of breath, sore throat and headaches,
with 20 people being hospitalized, the U.S.
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation
Board’s 2015 report on the incident said.
The City of Richmond’s 39-page legal
complaint against Chevron accused the
company of “willful and conscious disregard
of public safety” as well as “years of neglect,
lax oversight and corporate indifference to
necessary safety inspection and repairs.”
In response to the disaster, Singer’s firm
engaged in a major public relations campaign. It created a newspaper to produce
pro-Chevron messages alongside community news and to shape the political and legal reaction. Chevron paid only $2 million
in penalties for the incident.
Singer’s firm is also credited with helping to fight back a threatened multi-billion
dollar legal judgment against Chevron that
could have benefited indigenous Ecuadorans and farmers in the Amazon region who
said the oil giant was responsible for massive pollution there. Singer’s firm said the
lawsuit was fraudulent. n
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual abuse or
sexual misconduct by church personnel,contact the Diocese of Lexington’s
Victim Advocate,
NELDA JACKSON • 859-253-1993, ext. 214 • [email protected]