04 Apr 23 – True Understanding of “Development of Doctrine”

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] My name is Terry Barber with Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[2] I'm honored to talk with the good bishop once a week about what?

[3] About Jesus Christ and his bright in the church and how to fall in love with Jesus.

[4] Bishop Strickland, thanks for taking another hour out of your time to share the gospel with all of our listeners.

[5] Thanks, Terry.

[6] Good to be here.

[7] Glad to have you.

[8] Bishop Strickland, I am very happy to hear that you put this letter out.

[9] I don't know if it's a letter, but it's a statement.

[10] on basic catechesis on the teachings of the church regarding true understanding of the development of doctrine.

[11] The title of this is the German bishops error and the true understanding of development of doctrine.

[12] Now, this is in this, well, statements here you wrote applies to not just to German bishops, it applies to all of us.

[13] But I want to read some of this, and then you give commentary of developing, why are you doing this?

[14] I mean, you're a bishop, you're supposed to teach, govern, and sanctify, so here you are teaching us, so thank you for that.

[15] But you start the letter out, the time is sure, and this is right from 2nd Timothy, chapter 3, verse 4 to 5, the time is sure to come when people will not accept sound teaching.

[16] Oh, but their ears will be itching for anything new, and they will collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their own tastes.

[17] and then they will shut their ears to what the truth wow that scripture verse sure sounds applicable for us today well yeah I think it it very much applies to the situation we're in because the the truth can be challenging it's always good news ultimately to follow the truth but it means we have to change.

[18] It means things that we may need to correct in our lives or take a different path, and people don't like to be told what to do, but the Lord has revealed his truth to us for our own salvation.

[19] And so that Second Timothy, I mean, how long ago was that written?

[20] But it's very pertinent to our time.

[21] Right.

[22] And now in the big, now you read the next paragraph says, beginning the letter of Jude, the apostles use a phrase which is of great importance.

[23] The letter was written to deal with a similar smoke of confusion in the early church, as we see in the German church, and how like this because it's true, and are increasingly experiencing in the whole church today.

[24] The fundamental doctrines of the church, of the Christian faith, were being challenged and in some cases rejected and replaced by error.

[25] Jude writes, He loved, being very eager to write to you of our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

[26] Your thoughts on that paragraph?

[27] Well, I think a key phrase that, there in that letter of Jude is once for all.

[28] Yeah.

[29] That really says it very clearly.

[30] The truth doesn't change.

[31] The truth has been revealed to us once for all.

[32] Yeah.

[33] I mean, just literally taking those words once for all, for all of humanity, for all time, it's been revealed.

[34] And that's not what we're hearing today.

[35] Truth in whatever form, even, you know, the truth that was captured by our national, you know, the founding fathers, some basic truths.

[36] We hold these truths to be unalienable, you know, a lot of truth.

[37] It seems to be up for grabs.

[38] And hopefully people will read this and understand that the truth of our Catholic faith, faith is once and for all stated by God, as he revealed in sacred scripture and through his own divine son incarnate among us.

[39] I like the way you said even some ordained leaders are telling the faithful amidst the smoke of the current theological confusion that certain inerrant teachings and practices are a development of doctrine.

[40] But you said in the letter, but this concept of development is being in.

[41] improperly used as a cover for attempts to change what is unchangeable.

[42] My only comment on that is people use this.

[43] My conscience tells me that contraception is okay.

[44] See, they try to use these false ideas, not an informed conscience.

[45] It's just I have an uninformed conscience, so I get to make up whatever I want to believe.

[46] That's not how the Catholic Church operates, and I thank you for that.

[47] Now, the next part of the letter, everybody's going to know this.

[48] Mark this date down, everybody.

[49] You can congratulate Bishop Strickland.

[50] November 28, 2012, his eminence Cardinal Daniel De Nardo ordained you as the fourth Catholic bishop of Tyler, Texas, in a small auditorium just down the street from the cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in a parish elementary school at St. Gregory's.

[51] Now, why is that important?

[52] Because, as you said, this auditorium was familiar to us because several occasions he had joined the students in their annual musicals and things like that so lots of people were there but there were 1 ,800 people at this event during your right of ordination and this is really critical that the Cardinal asked you several questions two of which you said are vital to the mission as a bishop.

[53] First are you resolved to be faithful and consent to proclaiming the gospel of Christ?

[54] Yes or no?

[55] Yeah.

[56] And second are you resolved to maintain and I love this that deposit of faith entire and incorrupt as handed down by the apostles and professed by the church everywhere I love this line everywhere and at all times and you said in the letter my response to both questions was a resounding I am now Bishop Strickland this wasn't written just for you isn't it true that every Catholic priest who's going to be bring up to a becoming a Bishop, has these same questions asked around the world?

[57] Yep.

[58] That's the ordination right.

[59] Well, if that's the case, Bishop Strickland, then we're doing you a favor, and all of us, in my opinion, as a layman, to say to each bishop, and I've done this to a bishop in a nice polite way, I said, Bishop, you made promises when you were ordained and you brought it as the Episcopacy, and, you know, I said this, Bishop, Strickland, I would say it to you as a bishop.

[60] friend.

[61] If you don't, if you wouldn't say yes to those two questions, then step down and retire and let someone else take that position that will do that because that can affect so many souls and that's what the church is all about, saving souls.

[62] So I just say thank you for saying yes and not only saying yes, but living it out.

[63] Well, that it's pretty meat and potatoes is Catholic, really.

[64] It's basic.

[65] And, you know, like you said, Terry, every bishop has made the same promises.

[66] Wow.

[67] And it really isn't, it's not complex.

[68] No. It's not confusing.

[69] It's very clear.

[70] The deposit of faith, we promise to maintain and guard it to make sure that it's passed on that we live it to the best of our ability.

[71] generation has lived it perfectly.

[72] We're all sinners, but to say that we can change it is it's letting go of the true gospel and it's in what are we passing on to the next generation if we've altered it to suit us.

[73] It, you know, it's just pretty matter of fact.

[74] But these days, things that are matter of fact tend to be up for debate.

[75] And we need to to remember they're not.

[76] Amen.

[77] And I say that what you made your promise before the altar, men like me who are married did something similar at my marriage ceremony.

[78] I made a promise to my wife in front of my friends and family, but most important in front of God at the altar, that I would be true to my wife and that I would stick with her in good times and in bad.

[79] And it seems to me that I'm going to be judged by how well I live my marriage vows to my wife.

[80] And I would imagine that also applies to the promises you made.

[81] You'll be judged on how well you live out those promises.

[82] Am I on to something, Bishop, or do you think I'm not fair analogies?

[83] Oh, no, that's perfect.

[84] And I think it's great, Terry, because we can get so, you know, things can get so kind of complicated and, you know, in these, intellectual endeavors and, but what it comes down to, just like with your marriage, it's about a relationship with you, it's a relationship with your wife.

[85] Amen.

[86] And you're committing to her in all those things that your vows say, for better for worse and sickness and health, for richer for poorer.

[87] And if you really think about those ways, vows, it means you're committing to the person.

[88] This person may be poorer or richer, maybe healthy or not healthy.

[89] Maybe, you know, the person you thought they were, maybe not, but you're committing to that person.

[90] And I think to personalize it, really these promises of a business bishop are committing to Jesus Christ and his church.

[91] And so that same personal commitment really needs to be there.

[92] And yeah, we changed through the years, but the core of us as human beings doesn't change.

[93] That's what you counted on when you married your wife.

[94] That's what she counted on with you.

[95] Yeah, the accidents of life will change.

[96] But the same.

[97] But the substance of the person that I'm marrying is not going to change no matter what.

[98] That's the same commitment that a bishop makes to the church when he's ordained.

[99] Well, said, when we come back, we're going to continue on this teaching document by Bishop Joseph Strickland, the German bishop's error and the true understanding of the development of doctrine.

[100] Stay with us, family.

[101] We'll be ragged back after a quick break.

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

[103] Welcome back indeed.

[104] Bishop Joseph Strickland put a document out the German bishop's error and the true understanding of development of doctrine.

[105] We're going to put this on our website because we really want people to read it, but I realize not everybody reads as much as they should, and that's why I'm going through it paragraph by paragraph, because it's a teaching document on something very important called authority of the Catholic Church.

[106] One of the things that I want to be paragraphs, oops, wait a minute, wait a one said, second okay one of the paragraphs we'll start out is as baptized christians bishop strickland was saying there is a way in which we all have been given the deposit of faith from our lord himself handed down to the apostles along with the charge to guard it is a deposit for which we cannot and must not seek to change thank you for saying that the deposit of faith is the truth given to us from the one who is the way the truth and the life taken right from the gospel again John 14 verse 6 it must be handed on without alteration you know Bishop Strickland that goes to what I call the inerrancy of scripture that the Bible is true today a thousand years ago 500 years ago whatever year 500 years from now we're dead okay guarantee it I guarantee it we'll all be gone here on planet earth but God's word will be as true as it was when we were alive.

[107] And so I just wanted to say thank you for that paragraph because that's a very good teaching.

[108] The next paragraph where you said that Jesus makes it clear in his charge to the first apostles, can you talk about that paragraph because that's also quoting Matthew?

[109] Yeah, everything I have commanded you, he promised, know that I'm with you always until the end of the world.

[110] And really, Terry, that really, to me, highlights what's so important.

[111] yeah the truth jesus christ is truth incarnate yeah and we've talked about before through the incarnation of the son of god that we just celebrated march 25th right truth has a face amen it's the face of jesus christ and so he is with us in the truth so a betrayal of the truth is a betrayal of Jesus Christ himself.

[112] That's why it's so important for his apostles, for me as successor of the apostles, to guard the truth, to guard the deposit of faith, it's guarding Christ himself.

[113] Yeah.

[114] And so to me it's all woven together with the real presence of Christ.

[115] I mean, if you really believe he's there, which we do.

[116] Amen.

[117] We know that when we when I celebrate mass or when you attend mass and the priest takes bread and wine and says the words of consecration.

[118] Yep.

[119] The same one that this is referring to know that I am with you always until the end of the world.

[120] That that's fulfilled in so many different ways.

[121] and he is truth.

[122] So we could we could say truth is with you always until the end of the world.

[123] He's truth incarnate.

[124] And I think we need to really strengthen people and that, you know, we hear a lot about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

[125] How do you have that personal relationship by knowing his truth?

[126] What does he tell us in John's Gospel?

[127] I quoted a lot at Confirmations because it's one of the Gospels they like to use.

[128] If you love me, keep my commandments.

[129] All of it's woven into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

[130] And so all of these efforts to change the truth and say, oh, this scripture passage, it needs to be changed, or this part of the catechism, we need to change this word to change the truth.

[131] truth is to deny Jesus Christ.

[132] He's truth incarnate.

[133] So it's very dangerous and it's blasphemous to our Lord and Savior who promises to be with us.

[134] I will be with you always until the end of the world.

[135] That's him.

[136] Yes.

[137] And he's, that's one of the ways he's with us.

[138] Yes.

[139] In, in the living word that is the deposit of faith.

[140] We've got to be vigorous about protecting it and passing it on now and in the next generation.

[141] Well said in your next paragraph you said yet sadly there's an increasing effort among some to deny the very existence of such a deposit of faith.

[142] Yeah inside the church I might add but you said and even by some way I ordained ministry to change the unchangeable.

[143] I love that language to change the unchangeable.

[144] Perhaps the most blatant and obvious example of this is recently the occurred in Germany.

[145] And then I like what you did with your brother bishop.

[146] You said, I affirm and support a statement by my brother bishop, His Excellency, Donald Heing.

[147] How do I say that name?

[148] Heine.

[149] On March 21, 2023, the entire statement can be read on the Diocese of Madison.

[150] But what he basically has said was similar to what you're saying.

[151] You want to summarize what the good bishop has to say?

[152] Well, he just goes into specifically this senatoral way that's developed in Germany.

[153] And, you know, we've been hearing reports through for several months, probably more than a year of what looked like the direction they were heading.

[154] And many have tried to say, you know, you're heading in the wrong direction.

[155] You're heading away from Christ.

[156] You're heading away from the deposit of faith.

[157] And so I really appreciate what Bishop Heying said in his statement, just reminding us that this didn't happen overnight.

[158] And this senatoral way that the German church has embraced, it's proving to be quite dangerous.

[159] Yeah.

[160] He also said this in that letter that he says, no one has the authority to change.

[161] the church teaching, as if the truth given a malible and adaptive to change cultural norms, such a path would lead to both error and irreverence.

[162] When people express their dismay to me about the turbulence of the church and the many conflicting opinions about doctrine and morality, he says, I simply reaffirm that the faith does not change.

[163] We have the scriptures, tradition, and the catechism.

[164] I like how simple he just responds to people.

[165] So, yeah, we got to cheat.

[166] No, we don't.

[167] We're not changing.

[168] So you put in the next paragraph that I join my brother bishops in this reaffirmation that faith does not change.

[169] Furthermore, I thank him for his clarity, his charity, which was reflected in his March 21st statement.

[170] In this letter, I wish to address the efforts to use false notion of concept of development of doctrine to change the unchangeable doctrine.

[171] Now, this is getting into some good stuff because in your next paragraph you point, the concept of development of doctrine is not in itself a doctrine.

[172] It's a theory by which we explain how our understanding of doctrine deepens and grows and how our expression of the unchangeable doctrine can also develop in the wake of welcoming the canonization of St. John Henry Cardinal Newman.

[173] there appears to be a concerted effort among some to misuse his teaching on the development of doctrine as a vehicle to push false teaching forward.

[174] It is a betrayal of this saint teaching.

[175] Bishop, before you answer that question, Father Joe Fessio, when we were, you know, I was at St. Ignatius Institute, when we were questioning about doctrine and in development of doctrine, he said, you know, oh yeah, when the church defined the Trinity and explained all that.

[176] Did the Trinity exist before?

[177] Yes, the church was clarifying its teaching.

[178] So give us your comments about St. John Henry Cardinal Newman and how people sometimes can use his development of doctrine in a bad way.

[179] Well, again, I like to take it to a personal relationship level.

[180] Oh, good.

[181] If all of the body of truth is Jesus Christ, He's truth incarnate.

[182] He's the face of truth.

[183] Then a proper development of doctrine is knowing him more deeply.

[184] And again, I'd bring it back to your relationship with your wife.

[185] How many years, Mary?

[186] 35.

[187] In those 35 years, I would wager that you've come to know this woman that you married, even more deeply.

[188] Of course.

[189] She's the same woman, though.

[190] Yeah, I get it.

[191] She hasn't changed into a different person.

[192] No. But you know her more deeply than you did when you said I do.

[193] That's part of what the commitment, both covenant and contract that marriage is, it has aspects of both.

[194] But you're saying whatever happens, I trust in you, my dear, wife.

[195] Yep.

[196] And I will be faithful to you through it all, trusting that through 35 years, and we hope 35 more, you are able to live knowing each other more and more deeply.

[197] That's the beauty of marriages that I've celebrated with people.

[198] Married 50 years, married 60 years.

[199] They continue to grow to know the same person more and more deeply.

[200] I think that's an analogy that we can remind ourselves when it comes to knowing Jesus Christ, he is doctrine.

[201] And I think that's a great thing that you said about the Trinity.

[202] Yeah.

[203] The Trinity was the truth long before that word was used, long before when Moses was coming to know God, that God was triumed.

[204] the Trinity was the reality, but Moses didn't know that.

[205] It was a huge step for Moses and the people of Israel to come to know God is one, that there aren't the God of the sun, the God of the moon, the God of wheat, all the different gods.

[206] The one true God, that was the revelation to the people of Israel.

[207] It was always true, even when people were worshipping, you know, like Ball, worshiping these constructed gods, these made -up gods that are only God with a small G. God was always who he is, Father, Son, and Spirit, a Trinity, a mystery deeper than we can't ever fathom.

[208] And so I think that's important to remember that as we come to know the truth incarnate, Jesus Christ more deeply, we're learning more and more deeply the same truth that was always there.

[209] Well, said, when we come back from the break, I'd like to talk a little bit about the 1845 essay on development of Christian doctrine from a fifth -century monk and theologian St. Vincent of Lorenz.

[210] This is very important because we're dealing with this right now in 2023.

[211] You're listening to the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[212] You can listen to all of Bishop Strickland's shows on VMPR .org's website and all the other shows that we produce, and we have one goal in all of our shows to help people fall deep in love with Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Church.

[213] We come back.

[214] We'll continue on this topic of the development of doctrine.

[215] Stay with us, family.

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

[217] Welcome back.

[218] We're talking about this letter, this document that Bishop Strickland put together the German bishop's error and the true understanding of development of doctrine.

[219] Before I get to the St. John Henry Cardinal Newman's 1845 essay on that development, I wanted to quote at least one quote from Bishop Strickland's tweets.

[220] He said, this is from Cardinal Robert Surrah, because this applies to what we're talking about.

[221] The Cardinal said the church is dying because our pastors are afraid to speak in all truth and clarity.

[222] We are afraid of the media.

[223] We're afraid of public opinion.

[224] We're afraid of our own brethren.

[225] The good shepherd gives his life for his sheep.

[226] Well, Bishop Strickland, I know you came out to California last weekend for our spiritual war.

[227] Warfare Conference, and wow, we had a great crowd that were really hungry for the faith, and you didn't compromise one iota, and we love that about you.

[228] And so this document that you wrote, you're quoting St. John Henry Newman's document that drew the inspiration for his 1845 essay on development.

[229] Can you share what you wrote there for us, please?

[230] Yeah, well, it talks about the saints' writings on the proper understanding of the development of doctrine are found in what is called the culminatorium, the writings of St. Vincent of Lerens, and that goes back several centuries.

[231] But if you actually read that by St. Vincent of Lerens, you'll see that this main preoccupation is to show that the faith never changes.

[232] Right.

[233] Pope John Paul II's motto for the turn of the millennium was Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, today, and tomorrow.

[234] And all of that, really, what it comes down to is it's a distortion of St. John Henry, Cardinal.

[235] Newman's writings to use that to say, well, the doctrine has changed.

[236] It doesn't change.

[237] It just goes deeper into the truth.

[238] And I think that that is the primary understanding that we have to embrace and be clear about so that what was true 100 years ago will be true 100 years from now.

[239] What was true a thousand years ago will be true a thousand years from now the truth doesn't change does that mean we all understand it again i guess i like the the human um images yeah think about children okay i mean both of us i mean you don't just pop into the world as an adult you grow up as a little boy or a little girl.

[240] That's right.

[241] And you begin to learn things more and more deeply.

[242] Things that we understand as men over 60 are different than what we knew as six -year -olds beginning to explore the world.

[243] But the truth didn't change.

[244] We did.

[245] And our understanding of that truth.

[246] I mean, I mean, I like to work on cars when I was.

[247] I was a kid.

[248] I used to help my father with, we usually had cars that weren't brand new, and so they'd break down.

[249] And I learned how to not, I wasn't any expert mechanic, but I learned how to do some basic things.

[250] And it was gratifying to work on a car.

[251] You learn more and more about it.

[252] The car was the same.

[253] What makes a internal combustion engine work is the same as it was before I knew, but the engines, I mean, the car engine's getting us to wherever we're going, many people these days have no idea how an internal combustion engine works.

[254] But the truth of how it works is there.

[255] I mean, you know, try putting it, to me, it's a great analogy of what we're talking about.

[256] Try putting, you know, to say, you know, well, my car identifies differently now.

[257] Try putting water in your gas tank and see how far you go.

[258] The truth is, an internal combustion engine won't operate on H2O.

[259] It needs gasoline.

[260] It's basically the same thing, that we may not understand the truth.

[261] We can come so that we become an expert in the internal combustion engine and how a car actually moves down the road.

[262] But whether we know that or not, whether we have that deep understanding of that truth, it's happening and it works.

[263] It's the same thing with every truth in the world and especially the moral truths that guide us to live as we've been created to live in the image and likeness of God.

[264] The truth about us as human beings that we continue to study and to learn more deeply.

[265] But the truth of even, you know, we know a lot more about how human beings learn to speak with different accents and everything.

[266] But we're doing it even before we understand it.

[267] And I think that's, that helps me to understand what we're talking about with the development of doctrine.

[268] It's not the truth that's changing.

[269] The development part is our relationship to that unchanging truth.

[270] Well said, now in this document you're shifting to relativism and you quote first Pope John Paul 2, then Benedict, but first Pope John Paul 2 was quoting the letter to the Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 13 verse 8, the misuse of the theory of the development of doctrine to attempt to change what is unchangeable is more of the bad fruit arising from a growing, dangerous doctrinal relativism within the Catholic Church, which at times even seems to deny the very existence of objective truth.

[271] And let's define objective truth.

[272] It's true today, tomorrow, forever.

[273] It's true not because we said it.

[274] It's true because it is true.

[275] I wanted to just get one more paragraph in this document on April 18, 2005.

[276] I'll remember this.

[277] on the eve of the convocation where he would be chosen to serve as the next successor of Peter and take the name Benedict XVI.

[278] Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger gave a homily.

[279] We all remember it where he warned of the spreading dangers of this kind of relativism in the teaching of the church which he loved and served with such fidelity.

[280] Wow.

[281] Here are his words which eerily seem even more important in the current hour.

[282] Bishop Strickland, why don't you give us what did the Holy Father back in 2005 warn us about?

[283] How many winds of doctrine we have known in recent decades.

[284] How many ideological currents?

[285] How many ways of thinking?

[286] The small boat of thought of many Christians has often been tossed about by these waves, thrown from one extreme to the other, from Marxism to liberalism, even to libertinism, from collectivism to radical individualism, from atheism, to evoke religious mysticism, from agnosticism to syncretism, and so forth.

[287] All those isms are, again, going back to what we were talking about earlier, Terry.

[288] The truth is like a rock of solid truth that doesn't change.

[289] But all these isms are our approach and our attempting to understand the truth.

[290] And they ultimately take us away from the truth.

[291] When we go down the path of, you know, like atheism, it, It denies the truth of God, our creator.

[292] And the further you go into atheism, the more meaningless, our existence becomes.

[293] If we eliminate God, the meaning of our existence begins to be eliminated also.

[294] And I think that's what Pope Benedict, newly elected Pope Benedict, was trying to get at listing all these isms.

[295] It's the false paths that human beings.

[296] can take when we try to take a different path than what the truth guides us to, we always have to be going back to that anchor that is the truth.

[297] Yeah.

[298] Well, said, and you quote in this document, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, that he said this about having an adult faith.

[299] And I just to sup, an adult faith is an informed faith so that we know our faith, we love our faith and we live it is however we have different a goal the son of god true man he is the measure of true humans being an adult means having a faith which does not follow the waves of today's fashions our latest novelties that one statement got me when he said that i remember because that's what the world offers what's popular today that's what we want no he says a faith which is deeply rooted and friendship with Christ is an adult faith and more mature.

[300] It is this friendship which opens us up to all that is good and gives us the knowledge to judge true from false and deceit from truth.

[301] Wow, that tells it like it is, doesn't it?

[302] What's the last part in this next paragraph?

[303] I thought this was really good about an adult faith.

[304] Could you share that, Bishop Strickland, please?

[305] we must become mature in this adult faith we must guide the flock of Christ to this faith and it is this faith only faith which creates unity and takes form and love wow on this theme st paul offers us some beautiful words in contrast to the continual ups and downs of those who were all like infants tossed about by the waves he says make truth and love is the basic formula of Christian existence.

[306] In Christ, truth and love coincide.

[307] To the extent that we draw near to Christ in our own life, truth and love merge.

[308] Love without truth would be blind.

[309] Truth without love would be like a resounding gong or a clashing symbol.

[310] Those beautiful words that are quoted of St. Paul, remind us that the truth that we're talking about is beautiful.

[311] Yeah.

[312] And the love that is of God, that sacrificial love that Christ demonstrates, is truth and love that it all merges into one reality.

[313] Well, said, when we come back, we'll finish this document about the religious and the consecrated and lay people and how we should understand the deposit of.

[314] stay with us family and now back to the bishop strickland hour welcome back indeed we have a few more paragraphs of this document that bishop strickland wrote i had asked him if we could spend the whole time on this and i'll tell you why it's a teaching document on the fundamental teachings of the church when we talk about the deposit of faith that's that's what we need to know and in one paragraph you said bishops indeed all clergy religious consecrated and knuckleheads like us faithful, a faithful of the church should preferably reflect on this beautiful deposit of faith continually.

[315] I say it's a lifetime occupation studying our faith.

[316] Now you said we should strive to know it, understand it, love it, teach it faithfully, and live it.

[317] It is the true measuring stick of that mature faith to which the late Pope Benedict called all of us in his homily quoted above.

[318] Bishop Strickland, that little paragraph said a lot in such a few words.

[319] that that's our this is our job is to know christ more intimately by studying our faith the scriptures the catechism it's all there for us and i'm glad that you put it so succinctly now terry to me it really um here in the dioces of tyler we're in the year of baptism okay and it really you can apply that what that talks about growing in your understanding of faith Yeah.

[320] You can apply to understanding what it means to be a baptized Christian.

[321] Yeah.

[322] What all the sacraments really mean in our lives.

[323] I mean, you can, it's a way of life, and it's a lifelong journey that none of us can say we're done.

[324] As long as we're breathing, there's more to learn and more to grow in.

[325] And I think that perspective is very connected and very important as well to remember, as we've talked about.

[326] And it is important.

[327] It's my job.

[328] It's my promise to guard the deposit of faith.

[329] Right.

[330] To make sure that whole and entire it's held now and passed on.

[331] But let's remember.

[332] Tell me. And the beauty is of, yes, acknowledging the development.

[333] of doctrine is that everything we know still doesn't get to the fullness of the mystery of God.

[334] It's always deeper.

[335] And the Catholic Church says very clearly from the very beginning that God is revealed to us what we need to know for our salvation.

[336] Like we've said many times, that's the purpose.

[337] That's what the final canon and the code of canon law says.

[338] It's all about the salvation of souls.

[339] Amen.

[340] All that we do in this life.

[341] And it's all significant.

[342] It's important that we get our politics right, that we operate properly in business, that we care for the poor, that we do all the things for the sake of our salvation and the salvation of others.

[343] But I think as we conclude looking at this document, it's so important to remember, like we were talking about that for many centuries, the people of God didn't know God as a Trinity, Father, Son, and Spirit.

[344] But from the dawn of creation, I mean, and that's what beautifully the Gospels point to, especially John's Gospel, in the beginning.

[345] was the Word.

[346] Jesus is the Word.

[347] The Word was there with the Father and the Spirit from the very beginning.

[348] God is eternally God, unchanging.

[349] And we still don't know the fullness of the mystery of God.

[350] We will never know in this life.

[351] In my prayer, I like to think about the saints that know.

[352] And I think it's theologically accurate, but I'm glad to be corrected if it's not.

[353] But I don't know that human understanding can ever claim that we fully know God, even in the beatific vision.

[354] From what a human being can fathom, yes, that we know the fullness of God.

[355] But I guess my point is, God is richer and deeper and more mysterious, his love, his truth, his beauty, his goodness is beyond us.

[356] Amen.

[357] Well beyond us for sure in this life.

[358] Yeah.

[359] Maybe some of the greatest of saints.

[360] I mean, some of the saints speak of different levels of heaven, you know, but for sure in this life, we see through.

[361] a mirror darkly.

[362] We see an image that is glorious and beautiful.

[363] And the deposit of faith, it makes everything fall into place for every one of us if we're humble enough to be changed by it and not to try to change it.

[364] But I think even as I guard the deposit of faith and we talk about the importance of the Word of God, the Bible, the catechism, the magistrate teachings of the church, To remind ourselves, I know I've quoted him before, but again, I'm reminded of St. Thomas Aquinas, one of history's greatest theologians.

[365] I don't think any, even if you're not so caught up into mystic and you like other approaches or whatever, I think everyone would agree that St. Thomas Aquinas was one of the world's greatest theologians of all time.

[366] And he said it's all straw.

[367] The Summa Theologica is all straw.

[368] compared to the mystery of God.

[369] That's what I think a proper understanding of the development of doctrine can remind us of everything that we know, everything that theological that has ever been written, still doesn't get to the depth of the mystery of God.

[370] That's always there, always has been, always will be.

[371] And so it's very humbling.

[372] And we modern human beings don't like to be humbled.

[373] We don't like to think that there's something we don't understand.

[374] But when it comes to God, there's a whole lot that we don't understand.

[375] And hopefully we can embrace the beauty of that.

[376] That as much as we know the love of God, his love is deeper.

[377] As much as we know the truth of God, his truth is deeper.

[378] As much as we can see the beauty of, an artist try to capture the beauty of a sunset or the beauty of nature, it's deeper, it's all deeper than we can fathom.

[379] And that, I think, is what the development of doctrine needs to be built on is we're always going deeper into the same truth that is God.

[380] Well, sit, and your last paragraphs say that all bishops must follow the solemn promise, the one we need.

[381] made at the time of our Episcopal ordination to maintain the deposit of faith, entire and incorrupt, as handed down by the apostles and professed by the church everywhere and at all times.

[382] I like this is a sacred duty.

[383] And now for us in the clergy, it is also binding on all clergy, indeed all members of the church.

[384] For bishops, if we fail our duty, not only will we cause the faithful to suffer, but we will offend God.

[385] That's even more important.

[386] Yes, we're going to offend God and the face serious consequences for failing to live out the charge which we were given at our Episcopal ordination.

[387] Yeah, our duty.

[388] Last paragraph.

[389] To conclude, although the church understanding of this body and teaching, this sacred deposit can and does properly develop in how it is expressed, deepened in how it is understood, it can never be changed in substance.

[390] And then Bishop Strickland, you quote, the catechism of the Catholic Church that talks about that deposit of faith.

[391] And as a matter of fact, not of the catechism, Vatican too talks about it also.

[392] Could you finish with what you have at the end here with the church's notes?

[393] The apostles entrusted the sacred deposit of the faith contained in sacred scripture and tradition to the whole of the church.

[394] By adhering to this heritage, the entire holy people united to its pastors, remains always faithful to the teaching of the apostles.

[395] to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread, the Eucharist, and the prayers.

[396] So in maintaining practicing and professing the faith that has been handed on, there should be a remarkable harmony between the bishops and the faithful.

[397] I think that's a great way to end because we're missing that remarkable harmony.

[398] We are.

[399] And all of this reminds us, where do we find the harmony?

[400] Where do we find the unity in the truth that is Jesus Christ incarnate?

[401] It always goes back to him.

[402] He's the embodiment.

[403] Literally, his body incarnate among us shares the truth.

[404] He is where we will find this harmony and this unity.

[405] And we've all got to work in every way we can in our own hearts and minds, in our families, in our communities, in adults.

[406] diocese for me as a bishop, for you and your family and your community of friends, we've got to work for that harmony.

[407] Because what does the truth do?

[408] It creates that harmony.

[409] It creates a unity of a common understanding and that we've got, as a church, as the people of God in this nation and around the world, we've got anything but harmony right now.

[410] And I love that term harmony.

[411] because, you know, I'm sure both of us love music.

[412] Oh, yeah.

[413] And we know what it sounds like when the harmony is off.

[414] Dissinence can really give you a headache.

[415] It can really drive you crazy.

[416] And we need, we naturally gravitate to harmony, musically, in the truth, in every aspect of our lives.

[417] And I think the reminder that I would hope we can all be brought back to is there is no unity.

[418] There is no harmony if we're not focusing on the Lord of truth and justice that is Jesus Christ, the son of God.

[419] If we're not focusing on him and humbly acknowledging, I've got a long way to be fully harmonized with Christ.

[420] Terry, I'll speak for you.

[421] Amen.

[422] You got a long way.

[423] We all do.

[424] In humility, we have to recognize we're not there yet.

[425] Thankfully, we're still alive.

[426] We still have the opportunity to do our best.

[427] Trusting ultimately, we'll all have to rely on God's mercy because no matter how much we work at it and cooperate with the grace of God, we always probably have a lot further to go.

[428] But God is merciful.

[429] That's why he sent his son.

[430] So we rely on.

[431] that mercy, but we have to do our very best to live the truth.

[432] Well said, the truth will set us free as the Bible says, Bishop, how about a final blessing for today?

[433] The Lord be with you.

[434] And with your spirit.

[435] Mighty God, we ask your blessing for all who are listening to this program and will listen to this program that the deposit of faith, the truth that you have given us may truly be that pearl of great price that guides us through every day.

[436] He asked this blessing and the name of the Father with the son.

[437] Thank you so much, Bishop Strickland.

[438] Folks, you can hear all the shows by going to virgin most powerful radio .org.

[439] It's called vmpr .org.

[440] Download all the other shows.

[441] May God richly bless you.

[442] And thanks for joining us here on the Bishop Stricklander on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[443] God love you.