19 Sep 23 – On Bishop Strickland’s Second and Third Pastoral Letter

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] My name is Terry Barber, and I'm honored to be here every week to talk about, yeah, the person of Jesus Christ and his bride the church with the bishop.

[2] Thanks, Bishop Strickland, for taking the time to share the gospel here on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[3] Thank you, Terry.

[4] Yeah, God bless you.

[5] And Bishop Strickland, I have to say one of the things that I've seen as a layman for the last 43 years being involved in evangelization is the great need to teach the fundamentals of the faith.

[6] and I bet you know you were ordained in the 1980s and I don't think it's changed I think that there's still a lot of Catholics who don't know those fundamental teachings and what I'm noticing about your pastoral letters that you're sending out you've got your third one I'm still on the second one right now but I would like to ask you if we could just move forward with these pastoral letters and cover what you're saying because I see it as a summary of what Catholics believe since the beginning.

[7] beginning and what we could do is we got the first page done last week of your second letter and I will just read a little bit where you said that Christ therefore established his church for all people for all time for the salvation of all and there's no salvation apart from Christ and his one holy Catholic and apostolic church this is an infallible teaching of the church now Bishop Strickland most of us heard that when we were young.

[8] I did.

[9] And there was a call that said, well, if that's true, shouldn't we go out and proclaim it?

[10] Because, you know, this is important that people get to know the church that Christ established, not a break -offs.

[11] I mean, that's great.

[12] They have a certain amount of truth.

[13] I acknowledge that.

[14] But if, you know, this is true, it seems that maybe we've had amnesia.

[15] We forgot that this is a mandate to evangelize.

[16] Your thoughts?

[17] Absolutely.

[18] That's why I believe it needs to be repeated because people aren't clear on it.

[19] And what we have to remember, like we're talking about the fundamentals.

[20] Yes.

[21] It's fundamental that we're all beloved of God.

[22] We all have the call to share his everlasting life.

[23] His son came to save us all.

[24] We're all people of all time.

[25] and the church is the vehicle that his son, Jesus Christ, established.

[26] She's very human.

[27] She's very corrupt at times.

[28] But always the holiness of the guidance of the Holy Spirit is there.

[29] And like we've talked about before, when, from the Catholic Church's perspective, we believe that the church Christ established, once you're baptized, You're part of that church.

[30] Amen.

[31] Maybe not in the fullest love degree because we believe there are seven sacraments.

[32] And to benefit from all seven is the nurturing life of the church, word and sacrament.

[33] So that is really the Catholic Church's perspective is that every baptized Christian is a member of the body of Christ, the church.

[34] Yes.

[35] And every unbaptized person is invited and should be evangelized to invite them.

[36] God leaves us all free and many baptized people.

[37] It's not a guarantee.

[38] It's not some automatic thing.

[39] Oh, you're baptized.

[40] So you're just going to be part of living faithfully the way of Jesus Christ.

[41] It gives you the grace.

[42] It gives you the opportunity.

[43] But all of us have to continue to cooperate.

[44] we're both sinners.

[45] We acknowledge that.

[46] And to the degree that we sin, we're not living as disciples as we should.

[47] I can speak for myself in 64 years.

[48] I've grown in holiness.

[49] I still have a long way to go, but at least I'm moving in the right direction.

[50] Yes.

[51] Trying to, you know, avoid temptations and avoid sin more and more and grow in virtues and do the extra things.

[52] of living grace and doing the corporal works and the spiritual works of mercy that we've talked about, that's living the grace and putting it into action, living the Word of God.

[53] Yes.

[54] So it's both turning from sin and positively embracing the way of Christ, which when you turn from sin and you're more open to the grace, it just all works together.

[55] That's for everyone.

[56] And that's what we have to remind people.

[57] It's a treasure, it's a pearl of great price, Yes.

[58] And it's offered to everyone.

[59] God will never force any of us, but he invites and invites and invites.

[60] Yes.

[61] And we need to cooperate with that.

[62] He's told us to.

[63] He told us, Jesus told his original disciples, go out to all the world and baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach the truth of the faith.

[64] Thank you.

[65] And, you know, today's Feast Day, the day we're recording this is September 13th, St. John Chrysostos, a bishop and doctor of the church.

[66] And I bring his name up because he said a lot of things about bishops, even back in the 4th century, in 5th century, when he lived, that really could scare bishops when he said that the road to hell is paid with skulls of bishops.

[67] Well, you've got to remember, folks, at the time, we had the Aryan heresy going on, and about 80 % of the bishops weren't with the church's teaching about the person of Christ.

[68] So that was a major problem.

[69] But what I wanted to ask you is if you find inspiration because one of the things they called his eloquent, powerful preaching the golden mouth because he had a way to preach the fundamentals of the faith.

[70] I'm not saying you're a St. John Chrysostleson, but as a bishop, if I were you, I would look at some of the bishops from the past and see that, you know, what did they do?

[71] Well, he was resolved to teach Christ even when it meant he was being exiled for this.

[72] He ended up dying in exile, but he was a saint for the church and a doctor.

[73] And so I'm sure that when he was preaching, people were persecuting him and saying, no, no, you're all wet, get along with the program.

[74] So my question to you, Bishop Strickland, is he someone that you look up to as a bishop today?

[75] Absolutely.

[76] There was an excerpt from his writings in the office of readings for today.

[77] Beautiful inspiration and challenge.

[78] Most things that inspire us also challenges to do a better job.

[79] And his name, Chris Ostum, Golden Mouth, because he was a good preacher.

[80] And he suffered, and that combination is powerful because that's Jesus Christ.

[81] He's the suffering servant.

[82] You know, in your letter, in your pastoral letter, you talk about, some may ask however, what about those outside the church?

[83] That's a reasonable question.

[84] And the catechism covers all this, folks.

[85] But you just summarized it.

[86] You said, what about those who have never heard of Christ?

[87] Can they be saved?

[88] And then you said, for those who are not united to Christ through his church, through the grace of the sacraments, we simply pray for them and entrust them to God.

[89] That's what the catechism says, although we must never be presumptuous, and this is something very important, of God's grace.

[90] We recognize that God is sovereign, and if his mercy he would choose to operate in ways beyond our knowledge and understanding, he has full authority to operate however he chooses because he's not bound by anything other than his own perfect nature.

[91] Quick comment.

[92] The thought I had when you were writing this, and I read it, I thought, well, we can interpret that why go out and evangelize because everybody's going to be saved?

[93] covered this before, that we can misinterpret that, oh, leave it to God.

[94] And I say the word quietism back in the 16th century.

[95] That was a real popular thing, that, oh, let God take care of everything.

[96] I don't need to do anything.

[97] And so my question to you, Bishop Strickland, is the issue of forgetting about the zeal of to evangelize and saying, you know, that's God's business, not mine.

[98] I think that's not what we should be today.

[99] No, you can read Paul's letters, the letter of James.

[100] I mean, in the New Testament, the apostles make it clear.

[101] Jesus makes it clear.

[102] As already said, he says, go out, get to work in a sense.

[103] And what those words that you've just quoted are saying, it's not limited to that.

[104] Right.

[105] And God can work beyond when we're not evangelized.

[106] well, God can still bring the light of truth to his people.

[107] He wants us to know it.

[108] So God's not bound, but what the language the church uses, the sacraments are the ordinary instrument that God has given us.

[109] Yeah, excellent.

[110] Bringing us into a life of grace, forgiving our sins, strengthening us in that grace.

[111] I just watched a video of a Muslim woman in Iran where she was eight years old, she fell and she tells her story how she converted to the Catholic Church and she said the Blessed Mother had appeared to her and helped her up and she said well who are you and she said I'm the mother of Jesus and that was the first thing she was like wow who's all so she actually became a Catholic outside of anybody evangelizing her God used his mother to introduce her to Jesus and you know there you go there's an example of God working outside and giving her the desire to come to know Jesus and his church.

[112] All right, here's my other, I'm going to shift gears down to another paragraph.

[113] You said we ourselves must cling tightly to the church and the sacraments as he gave them to us, but we must also pray always for souls outside the church that God offers his grace to those souls in ways unknown and unseen to us.

[114] like the example of a Muslim woman.

[115] However, I want to emphasize this point.

[116] If God would choose to offer grace beyond the normal sacramental means, we recognize that this grace would always still flow to every soul from Christ and through his church in a mystical way.

[117] I want you to explain that.

[118] Hang on, we've got to break.

[119] I shouldn't have said that because I see the talk.

[120] When we come back, I'm going to have Bishop Strickland to explain how graces flow from Christ through his church in this mystical way.

[121] So when people receive those graces, they're coming from Jesus and his church.

[122] How's that work?

[123] When we come back, you'll find out.

[124] You're listening to the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Power.

[125] Stay with us, family.

[126] We'll be right back.

[127] And now back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[128] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[129] We're covering the pastoral letters from Bishop Strickland, the Bishop of Tyler, Texas, comes on every week here at Virgin Most Powerful to share the gospel with us, and Bishop Strickland was a teaser when we left for the break.

[130] I mentioned that in your letter, you said, if God would choose to offer grace beyond the normal sacramental means, you want to emphasize this point.

[131] If God does this, we recognize that this grace would always still flow to every soul from Christ through his church in a mystical way.

[132] Can you elaborate more on that?

[133] Well, Terry, what I believe that is referring to, I think the best way I understand it is that it's reminding us that the church is the body of Christ, the mystical body of Christ.

[134] And so anyone who comes to Christ is coming through his church.

[135] I mean, that, I believe, is what that's getting at.

[136] That's not just, you know, I mean, it happens in all kinds of ways.

[137] like the Muslim woman you mentioned.

[138] I mean, I just visited a couple of weeks ago.

[139] One had been Buddhist, one had been Hindu.

[140] They both converted to the Catholic faith.

[141] Awesome.

[142] So I think it's a reminder to us that God's grace in the body of his son that is in church is available to people in ways that it's all mystery.

[143] I mean, that's what sacraments mean.

[144] And I think it's a reminder.

[145] that we need to remember that, that we're talking about the mysteries of ourselves and our relationship with God, our creator.

[146] And so God is always calling his people to himself through his son and the power of his spirit.

[147] So I think that's what that's referring to, that what we talk about, the seven sacraments, which are beautiful gifts, the Word of God, all of this that's been revealed to us, but God can reach out directly to someone or his mother can and bring them close to him using the same grace, using the same life of the body of his son, but maybe not in our limited understanding, you know, using the sacrament of baptism, for example.

[148] Got it.

[149] Well, very good.

[150] Bishop Strickland, one of the things you stated in your pastoral letter, we live in an age of great interconnectedness where people across the globe, it's so true through the internet, can share and learn with each other as never before in history.

[151] I mean, I get calls around halfway around the world.

[152] You do too.

[153] And it's like, wow, I mean, I do radio shows from Europe nine hours later.

[154] They're nine, I mean, it's just, we've never had that.

[155] in our lifetime or even before, said this is a great blessing in many respects as it opens the possibility.

[156] Like right now, people are listening to us in Europe, in China.

[157] We get the demographics.

[158] They're all over the world listening.

[159] They're sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in ways never before.

[160] And then I like what you said about true ecumenism because this is important.

[161] There's a lot of people, unfortunately, we call false ecumenism where they're just saying, well, we'll give up on this, and you give up on that.

[162] No, what you said is true ecumenism, however, is an open invitation to all people to experience and embrace the fullness of Christ and the Christian life, which can be found only in the Catholic Church.

[163] That's a very bold statement.

[164] I agree with it.

[165] But, I mean, in our culture today, you state that very clear, they look at you like, what do you think you got some corner on truth?

[166] Is there anything called truth?

[167] Yes, we do have a corner of the truth.

[168] And that corner is Jesus Christ.

[169] Amen.

[170] I think that's what it comes down to is understanding that Jesus Christ is the one savior of all humanity.

[171] Right.

[172] He's the son of God.

[173] There is no other.

[174] The scriptures tell us this very clearly.

[175] And the tradition of the church reminds us.

[176] us over and over again, that Jesus Christ is Lord of all.

[177] He says in Scripture, he says in the gospel, all power in heaven and on earth has been granted to him.

[178] So everyone, and he tells us this also, the only way to the Father, the only way to return to our Creator is through his son in the power of their Spirit, the Holy Spirit.

[179] So it's a always Jesus Christ.

[180] And I think that it answers so many questions when we remember that Jesus Christ is a real person.

[181] He's fully God and fully man. And that you, I mean, it's not like he can morph into something else.

[182] He is truth incarnate.

[183] And so certainly.

[184] before the incarnation, he was the word, the eternal word, even more mysterious for us.

[185] But he's always been the eternal son of God.

[186] And by his revelation, through his incarnation, we've come to know him beautifully and intimately as one who walked among us for 33 years.

[187] And it's still with us, as he promised, in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.

[188] Yes.

[189] So it's all about knowing who Jesus Christ is.

[190] Yes.

[191] I think that that's where, you know, I fail as a Catholic.

[192] I'm given the fullness of the truth, but none of us embraces it perfectly.

[193] And in our sinfulness and in a concupiscence, we all get things distorted.

[194] But we have to remember we're.

[195] called to relationship with a person.

[196] That's right.

[197] A personal God and God, the father, son, and spirit, God has chosen that we would come to him through his son.

[198] And Bishop Strickland, you're quoting scripture.

[199] I use a kind of a funny, I see that's the highest form of truth in our church.

[200] It's the top of the food chain, the Bible, because it's inerrant.

[201] And I eat nobody in the church, however high you are in the church, can't change biblical teaching because this is, you know, the apostles, the death of last apostle, divine revelation ended.

[202] So that's our church's position.

[203] And so whenever you quote scripture, I really like that because what you were just doing was very scriptural.

[204] And I think we as Catholics need to get back more on that because it's such a, you know, we talk about as a love letter to us.

[205] Well, thank you for quoting scripture so much.

[206] I'm going to jump to another topic.

[207] and, you know, it's controversial, but, you know, the truth is controversial today.

[208] I mean, just speaking on the fundamentals of the faith, you're going to get attacked from left and right and all the political, the church.

[209] It's unfortunate, but that shouldn't stop us from speaking the truth just because we're not going to be popular.

[210] All right.

[211] Another topic you said in your pastoral letter that you want to discuss because it's reportedly to be a topic of discussion at the upcoming Senate on Senate.

[212] is the divinely instituted structure of the church as it applies to the ordination of women.

[213] As sacred scripture tells us, Christ ordained only men as apostles.

[214] The sacred tradition and the ordinary magistrate of the church have affirmed throughout the ages that the church has no authority whatsoever to ordain women to the priesthood.

[215] This cannot be changed because Christ instituted a male priesthood in order to image himself as the bridegroom with the church as his bride.

[216] As St. John Paul II solemnly stated in his apostolic letter, he said, I declare the church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women, and that is my judgment to be definitively held by all of the church's faithful.

[217] I can't see you've been any clearer on this issue, but you're right.

[218] We have people still saying it's an injustice.

[219] What would you say to them other than what you said there?

[220] that we're not giving women their dignity or something.

[221] They have all kinds of answers.

[222] What would you say to people who say that it's unjust to not let women be ordained?

[223] Well, first, I would say, once again, it goes back to the reality of who Jesus Christ is.

[224] I mean, we speak of the ordained.

[225] I mean, and it's a tremendous humbling call because none of us, none of us, the ordain, can live up to it, bishop, priest, or deacon.

[226] Right.

[227] But we use the language of altar Christus, another Christ.

[228] And to me, that's just a basic reality that Christ was male.

[229] Christ was, came incarnate as a male, as a man. Yeah.

[230] He grew to be a man. That, and so his priest's, stood as an altar of him, another image of Christ that the priest is challenged to be, especially at the Eucharistic altar.

[231] Yes.

[232] Altar Christus Kapitis is the head of the altar Christus.

[233] The other Christ, the head of Christus, the other Christ, the head of Christ is there.

[234] that's one part of this.

[235] Yes.

[236] Another aspect is, you know, if, I mean, in today's world, it's like, oh, there's got to be the equality between men and women.

[237] Men and women, male and female, boys and girls are different in beautiful ways.

[238] There's a complementarity.

[239] And if, you know, women need to remember, no, in God's plan, and we are seeking to follow God's plan and not some, human design.

[240] In God's plan, it's a male priesthood.

[241] But also in God's plan, what human being was chosen to be perfectly sinless?

[242] A woman.

[243] Exactly.

[244] Not a man. Nope.

[245] So, I mean, the men could say, well, how come we don't get to have a perfectly sinless man to match up with marriage?

[246] And the women can say, well, how come we don't get to be priest?

[247] Because we're different and God made us that way.

[248] the beautiful complementarity.

[249] I mean, the Blessed Virgin Mary, what a wondrous gift to all humanity.

[250] Yes.

[251] And what a wondrous honor to female humanity that one of their race, one of their sex was chosen in God's plan.

[252] I mean, because only women can be mothers besides, in spite of some of the confusing things that are happening, only women can be mothers.

[253] And And so a woman was chosen to be immaculately conceived and prepared to be the vessel, the first tabernacle, that would be the mother of Jesus Christ, the son of God.

[254] So I think if we look at both of those, yes, there's a male ordained priesthood.

[255] But there's also the Virgin Mary as the most perfect human being that ever lived.

[256] So men and women are both blessed in God's plan in a complimentary way.

[257] You sound like Bishop Fulton Sheen.

[258] He said a very similar thing back 40 years ago.

[259] It's on YouTube, folks.

[260] So you're consistent.

[261] I want to just say that before we take the break, we're going to continue with this pastoral letter that Bishop Strickland is writing to the flock.

[262] And this is his third letter.

[263] So if anybody wants to get it, it's easy.

[264] Go to the Bishop's Diocese of Tyler, Texas, and it's on the website.

[265] Just download it, read it, pass it around.

[266] It's really Terry the easiest even beyond that because, you know, there's a lot on the Diocese and website.

[267] Oh, okay.

[268] My personal website, Bishop Strickland .com, I mean, you can find it very easily.

[269] Thank you.

[270] Bishop Strickland .com.

[271] Stay with us, family.

[272] We'll be back with more on a Bishop Strickland.

[273] Hour on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[274] And now back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[275] Welcome back.

[276] Indeed.

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[284] Bishop Strickland, we're talking about your pastoral letter.

[285] Before I go on more, can you just tell us why you feel compelled to do these pastoral letters?

[286] I mean, I've never asked a bishop that question, but is it your concern for your flock?

[287] Is that why you're just hitting them with these catechical teachings of the faith?

[288] Absolutely, Tara.

[289] I think, as you said earlier, people don't know their faith.

[290] And it really surprises me. It shouldn't, I suppose, but I still am surprised the kind of questions that people have.

[291] Good, goodhearted, not trying to create a controversy or not in opposition, but just honestly saying, what does the church teach in this area?

[292] And I think so I think it's important for these basic things that came from that original August 22nd letter that was prompted by the confusion that's out there over this synod that's coming.

[293] Yes.

[294] Trying to just give people, I mean, like you've said, it's really, again, just quoting the catechism.

[295] Yeah.

[296] It's paraphrasing what's already there in the catechism.

[297] in the various ways.

[298] Because the truth is the truth.

[299] I mean, you just express it.

[300] In one way you express it may help a person that they don't quite, it doesn't sink in.

[301] You know, I mean, that's the beauty of language.

[302] But it's important that we know what we've been talking about, that there is no other church.

[303] There are no equal churches.

[304] There's the church that Christ established.

[305] He's the only son of God.

[306] And what I tried to do in that original letter was start off with, if we know Jesus Christ, and we say he is God's son incarnate and know the basic corigma, as it's called, the basic message and story of Jesus Christ, he lived among us, he taught, he healed, he suffered, he died, he rose, he ascended to the father.

[307] What the creed expresses, if we know who Jesus Christ is, then logically we can move to knowing what his church is.

[308] Really is an extension of Jesus Christ.

[309] So people need to know these basic things.

[310] Yes.

[311] They help them navigate some of the things that are going on in the world.

[312] Well, I want to just, before I get into this next letter, a pastoral letter, September 12th, you had a tweet that I think a lot of people were concerned they've been praying for you before we came in to do this hour show I have the blessed sacrament a hundred feet away from here in our chapel and I went in prayed and you know lifted up it lifted up everything we're doing to him and the blessed sacrament and we're going to talk about those sacraments in a minute but you tweeted this that's I thought was beautiful for anyone who may be concerned be assured that I am Jesus strong I've not heard anybody say Jesus strong.

[313] I like that.

[314] Pray for Pope Francis and Christ bride the church.

[315] She has to wither, the turmoil, before she will continue to do so.

[316] Vival, Christo, Ray, long live Christ, the king.

[317] And the church has been through lots of crises, and we need to pray.

[318] And I'm assuming we're talking about the October 4th Senate coming up, because you've already covered some of that, that there are people at this Senate that are there to try and bring up topics that can't change.

[319] So I think, is that what you're saying?

[320] We need to pray for the Holy Father and the successors of the bishops and the priests that they can wither this storm.

[321] The storm is we've got people wanting to change things they can't change.

[322] Is that what you were referring to?

[323] Sure.

[324] Absolutely.

[325] And it's joyful, good news that doesn't change, just like the person of Christ doesn't change, like we've just said.

[326] Yeah.

[327] Well, in your next letter, September 12th, you write, my dear sons and daughters in Christ, you know, spiritual fatherhood.

[328] This is what a, you know, you're a spiritual father to me out here in Los Angeles.

[329] There are people all over the world who see you as a shepherd who's concerned for the flock.

[330] So thank you for acknowledging that.

[331] You said, I write today to discuss more fully the second basic truth that I spoke in my first pastoral letter issued on the 22nd of August.

[332] And this is beautiful.

[333] The Eucharist and all the sacraments are divinely instituted, not developed by man. Thank you.

[334] The Eucharist is truly Christ, body, blood, soul, and divinity, and to receive him in communion unworthily, for example, in the state of grave, unrepentant sin, is a devastating sacrilege for individuals and for the church.

[335] And then you quote Corinthians.

[336] Bishop Strickland, that shouldn't be controversial, but it is.

[337] Yeah It didn't be But it's It's the truth of our faith And people And it's beautiful It's life -giving Yes It frees people from the burdens That this life throws at us Yes People need this truth Yeah And that's why we have to keep Putting it out there Thank you, thank you Thank you Thank you in Christ and are above all a divine love story so well stated I love it the sacraments are channels of God's divine grace which flow from Christ himself love incarnate among us sanctify each of us on our journey towards heaven mr. Strickland it's refreshing to hear a shepherd talk about my final destination and that sounds like what are he talking about no we need more of that.

[338] We need you to direct us towards the person of Jesus Christ and how we, how to get to heaven.

[339] You mentioned this, that there are visible signs of God's love for us.

[340] The worthy reception of the sacraments, God's supernatural grace is brought forth in a visible and tangible form, and the work of God's salvation is made manifest in each of us.

[341] And then you quote, as the catechism of the Catholic Church states, this can be controversial, folks, the sacraments are efficacious the signs of grace instituted by Christ and entrusted to the church by which divine life is dispensed to us, the visible rights by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament.

[342] They bear fruit in those who receive them the required depositions.

[343] They're quoting Catechism paragraph 1131.

[344] Again, Bishop Strickland, this is fundamental thank you you're not coming this isn't bishop strickland's idea folks no this is what the church has always taught about the sacraments and thank you for being bold because it is bold today in the church to speak like this and thank you for that your thoughts well like we've said terry we need to just get back to the basics and what as you were talking what comes to mind for me is that basic of a sacrament that we all need to know very easily.

[345] Yes.

[346] It's an outward sign instituted by Christ that gives grace.

[347] And it applies to all seven sacraments.

[348] And if we understand the sacraments, then we understand Christ.

[349] If we understand Christ, we understand the sacraments because they're facets of his love.

[350] Yes.

[351] That's what they come down to.

[352] I just have to make a plug for my good friend, Dr. Scott Hahn, back in 1990.

[353] I brought him to California to do a series for a confirmation class up in the mountains on the seven sacraments.

[354] And Bishop Strickland, to have a convert teach the seven sacraments, he gave such a biblical teaching on it.

[355] I'll give it away to anybody who wants it.

[356] Call us at 877 -526215.

[357] You can buy it in the store, but I'll give you a link where you can download the, I think it's 15 hours of teaching on the seven sacraments.

[358] by one of the great lay theologians in the church today.

[359] So check that out by calling us.

[360] All right, you point out there are seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, baptism, confirmation, holy Eucharist, reconciliation, which is confession, anointing of the sick, matrimony, and holy orders.

[361] The sacraments are not isolated from one another, but instead are woven together in a unity of divine love that reflects and connects us to the ministry of Jesus Christ and his church.

[362] the saints and the doctors of the church have given us many well given us many beautiful reflections to ponder regarding the origin of the sacraments you can't go to better you write to St. Thomas Aquinas said that from the pierced side of Christ flowed the sacraments of the church what a visual without which there is no entrance to the life which is true life the blood was shed for the remission of sins and that water is it is that makes up the health giving cup.

[363] So, you know, you just said the Eucharist is the very center of our sacramental life because the Eucharist is real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

[364] It is my intent, you're saying in this letter, to speak mainly of the Eucharist and the importance of not receiving Holy Communion unworthily.

[365] And, you know, you're going to discuss that.

[366] When you say unworthily, you talked about that in the state of objective mortal sin.

[367] And again, Bishop Strickland, And this sounds very controversial today when there are people in the church that say, you know, the Eucharist isn't a prize.

[368] You know, it's for everyone that, you know, we have just recently at a funeral here, the guy actually told the priest.

[369] Now, I'm being told this happened right in our chapel at a funeral.

[370] He hadn't been to confession in 20 years.

[371] And unfortunately, the priest still gave him Holy Communion because he didn't want to make him feel bad.

[372] Well, Bishop Strickland, that kind of pastoral application is just plain wrong.

[373] Your thoughts?

[374] Absolutely.

[375] The loving thing to do is to tell people, like St. Paul says very clearly, to receive the sacrament, the body of Christ, when we are not in the state of grace, it brings harm.

[376] It brings because it puts a burden on us.

[377] And that's an answer that I used to give as a pastor, because I'm in a very non -Catholic area.

[378] Yeah.

[379] What we have to realize is receiving the body of Christ brings a responsibility as well as the wonderful blessing of receiving the Lord.

[380] It brings a responsibility to configure our lives to his.

[381] If we're not even close, it's like putting a burden on somebody's shoulder.

[382] that can hardly walk.

[383] I mean, it's not love.

[384] Amen.

[385] Well, said, when we come back, we'll talk more about the pastoral letter on the Holy Eucharist.

[386] He's going to quote the famous scripture, John 6, 53 to 58.

[387] Stay with us, Emily.

[388] We'll be right back.

[389] And now back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[390] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[391] Indeed, we're talking about a pastoral letter.

[392] Bishop Strickland is catechizing us on the Holy Eucharist.

[393] Bishop Strickland, 50 years ago, when I was a teenager, I remember a person trying to persuade me to join their Protestant church.

[394] And my first question was, what do you guys teach about the Eucharist?

[395] Well, what do you mean?

[396] You know, John 6.

[397] And they told me, well, that's just, you know, a symbol.

[398] We have the real deal.

[399] We have body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ in our church.

[400] Why would I want to go and receive a symbol when I can receive Jesus?

[401] and I remember the person saying to me I don't know in other words they didn't know and I say this because if Catholics really understood the treasure we have with the blessed sacrament it would change the whole world and that's why I appreciate you giving this teaching about in your letter here saying that communion is an intimate encounter with the person of Jesus Christ and Jesus said amen amen I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood you do not have life within you whoever eats my flesh drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day for my flesh is true food and my blood is real drink whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I and him just as the living father sent me I have life because of the father so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me this is the bread that came down from heaven, unlike your ancestors who ate and still died.

[402] And this is a promise right from the Bible, whoever eats this bread will live forever.

[403] Bishop Strickland, you know, that is gold right there.

[404] The Bible tells us that unless we eat of his body and blood, that we have no life in you.

[405] Thank you for sharing that because I think there are still people in the church who don't realize that.

[406] Yeah, and it emphasizes The other part of what the letter talks about is we have the obligation to be as properly disposed to receive the body and blood of God's divine son as we possibly can be.

[407] I mean, thankfully, in the liturgy, we still say, Lord, I'm not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

[408] We need to say that.

[409] We say it three times in the Anglican Ordinariate and three times in the old Trinantine Mass. So at least I agree.

[410] We still say it at least once in the Novosorto Mass. So, yeah, it's a very biblical prayer.

[411] And it's a prayer that, you know, think about this.

[412] And my soul shall be healed.

[413] I mean, when we really think about when we have the Mass, it's such a biblical prayer.

[414] You know, everything we're saying is taking so much right out of the Bible.

[415] So thank you for that.

[416] And then, Bishop Strickland, I won't go into it, but you give.

[417] history of stories of the saints.

[418] Can you talk a little bit about some of the saints, whether St. Maliki, who was the Belgian priest in the Hawaiian Islands who worked with the leper colony?

[419] I thought this was just so inspirational to hear what they said about their relationship with Jesus and the Holy Eucharist.

[420] Yeah, Terry, and it really reminded me of my own experience because St. Damien of Molokai said he couldn't have done.

[421] I mean, he's the famous saint i know working with lepers and he ultimately died yes working with lepers he gave himself to that work yes they tried to talk him out of it but he said no this is what i'm called to do he had the strength to do that and he said yes that's what's quoted there yes it said that that the strength came from having christ in the blessed sacrament there with him to give him strength yes to feed him and in adoration to be with him, to accompany him in this great ministry that is extending the ministry of Jesus Christ across the edges because he's really there.

[422] And St. Damien knew that.

[423] Oh, man, did he?

[424] Because he said it this way.

[425] Were it not for the constant presence of our divine master in our humble chapel, I would not have found it possible to persevere and sharing the lot of the afflicted in Malachi.

[426] Bishop Strickland, I can relate to that.

[427] because we have the blessed sacrament here at our chapel.

[428] And I can honestly say, I would not hang in there.

[429] I would not be able to do what I'm doing without having time before our blessed sacrament and receiving him every day.

[430] It just wouldn't work.

[431] I can see that in my life.

[432] And so this story of St. Maliki, St. Damien, who gives that story, is just so touching for me. You also mentioned this, that living a sacramental life as members of the Catholic Church, the mystical body of Christ, hinges on our belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

[433] Let me ask you, because I see this today, we had these evaluations of how many Catholics believe in the real presence.

[434] I'm just going to ask it for you.

[435] For me, I've been asking people what their belief is about the Eucharist for about 40 years, and when I'm at a parish just when they're in the parking lot coming in, I ask them, what do they believe?

[436] Bishop Strickland, are you sitting down?

[437] Nine out of ten, do not give me the right answer.

[438] Well, that's sad.

[439] It's sad.

[440] And these are people who come to church every Sunday.

[441] So this Eucharistic revival like the bishops are trying to do, I applaud them for that.

[442] But I'm going to tell you what I think is a really a good idea.

[443] And I know some of the bishops in the Midwest didn't like this idea of Eucharistic processions, holy hours of power I think we have to bring people before the Eucharist to get them to know who Jesus is that to me will bring back a real people to understand that this is not a symbol this is actually the person of Jesus Christ Absolutely and really Terry I think I believe and I've tried my best here but you know some of the priests really embrace it and some don't But it's about the priest really recognizing that everything we do is, should always be secondary to spending time with the Lord.

[444] Spending time with the Lord of the universe who's right there in our tabernacles.

[445] In adoration, we need to be with him.

[446] that's that's where my strength comes from if if I accomplish anything as a bishop in these past 10 years it's because I've learned that I have to spend quality time just like you know I think of your relationship with your beloved wife course your marriage would start to fall apart of course if you stop spending time with your beloved that works just that's just that's how we are.

[447] I mean, that's our humanity.

[448] And Christ knows our humanity.

[449] It was always fully God and fully man. But Christ wants his priest to spend time with him.

[450] And then we can be the men who help his priestly people, his mystical body, to grow closer to him.

[451] I mean, you know, the the priests that are not so reverent at mass, that has an effect on the people.

[452] Big time.

[453] The more reverent of priests celebrating the mass, the more it telegraphs that we as priest standing at the altar understand and know the great mystery of what we're doing.

[454] But if we treat it casually and it's like, oh, well, father's having.

[455] to make the Mass happen as quickly as possible.

[456] And I mean, you know, we've probably both known priests that we brag about how quickly they could celebrate a Sunday Mass. And it's sad because, again, going back just to just the basic humanity, how impressed would your wife be if you said, oh, well, I'm going to give you five minutes, but I got to run off and do important things now.

[457] So, yeah, I'll give you a quick five.

[458] minutes but i'm out of here after that yeah that's not going to be a marriage very long no you're right it's not going to be a relationship with our lord as priests and as priestly people we need time that's right is one of the the most important commodities we have that's right we're all given a certain amount of time and how we use our time is significant priests need to spend time with our lord to say amen, amen, amen, I say to you.

[459] What you just said brings joy to my heart.

[460] Bishop Strickland, you just said that this is what gets you through the day, your love for the blessed sacrament.

[461] And you mentioned earlier weeks ago, months ago, to me, that this is where many times you get inspiration to actually write letters, to communicate tweets, because you're dialoguing with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

[462] Is that still a fair statement?

[463] Absolutely.

[464] Because, you know, like I said, anything that I do well comes from my relationship with him, really.

[465] Yeah, well, I like what the way Bishop Sheen says, any good I do comes from God, and I thank him for it, because I'm just the instrument.

[466] And I see you as the successor of an apostle with your bishopry and that you take it serious to teach, govern, and sanctify the people, and I thank you for that.

[467] I also want to recommend people to go to the St. Philip Institute.

[468] We have been going through a catechism before these pastoral letters, and I still want people to get that letter, the catechism, I should say, from the St. Philip Institute.

[469] It's part of the Diocese of Tyler, and they do a lot of great things with family life.

[470] There's teachings there.

[471] Give us a little bit before we have to get your blessing, Father.

[472] Tell us more about that St. Philip Institute, please.

[473] Well, it focuses right now on marriage and family life on catechises.

[474] And then we have a Catholic East Texas magazine that comes out four times a year.

[475] It's online as well.

[476] Good.

[477] Good.

[478] To just share the faith.

[479] Excellent.

[480] And have articles about inspiring people with people in the diocese that are living their Catholic faith.

[481] Awesome.

[482] Involved in adoration and involved in all the ministries that are part of the church.

[483] Beautiful.

[484] A couple weeks ago, I was in Tyler for the Defending the Faith Conference.

[485] Bishop Strickland had a holy hour of power that we recorded, and you can get that by calling 877526215, and go to our website, vmpr .org.

[486] All the talks were recorded.

[487] Very inspirational, fundamental to the faith.

[488] that's available at virgin most powerful radio .org.

[489] Bishop Strickland, how about a blessing for our listeners, please?

[490] Heavenly Father, we ask your blessing for all who are listening and involved in Virgin Most Powerful Radio that we may continue to grow in your light and grace that's available to us through your son with the inspiration of the saints and the Queen of Saints, the Immaculate Virgin Mary.

[491] We ask this blessing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

[492] Thank you so much, Bishop Strickland.

[493] Remember everyone, we can pray for Holy Mother the Church through our prayers.

[494] And remember what our lady said at Fatima.

[495] She said that souls are going to hell because no one's there to pray and make reparation for them.

[496] Can we pray for our relatives, for friends, for leaders in our church, for everyone, that they may come to a greater knowledge of Jesus Christ and his bride to church.

[497] Because every action is like a blank check.

[498] If Christ's name is on it, it has infinite value.

[499] Thank you again for listening to us here on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[500] All the shows that we have are on podcasts on our website.

[501] You can just go to vmpr .org and download any of them.

[502] God bless you, and we'll see you again, God willing, next week here on Bishop Strickland Hour.