09 Aug 22 – Jesus, Our Eucharistic King

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] My name is Terry Barber, and I'm honored to be here with this hour to share the gospel with Bishop Strickland.

[2] Thanks, Bishop Strickland, for taking another hour to teach us about Jesus.

[3] God bless him.

[4] Thanks, Terry.

[5] You bet.

[6] Bishop Strickland, I'm bringing this up because last week we touched a little on it that we just had the anniversary, July 25th, 1968 of Humanevite by St. Paul the 6th.

[7] You tweeted that Himani Vite issued in July 54 years ago taught the truth that contraception is immoral and does not and does harm to marriage and the family.

[8] We have lived for more than a half a century with humanity rejecting this truth and this has done great harm to the human family.

[9] Let us heed that truth.

[10] Well, I agree.

[11] And Paul VI foretold in that document.

[12] that if we don't, that abortion would be rampant, and he was absolutely right.

[13] I wanted to get your take from our good friend, Father Frank Pavone, from Priest for Life, because he quoted a saint, St. Pope Paul, St. John Paul II, on this issue of Humanevite.

[14] Let's play the clip.

[15] Like John Paul II said, to deny the teaching on contraception, you have to deny that God is God.

[16] Amen.

[17] He put it as definitively as it can be.

[18] no possibility, no way of changing that particular teaching.

[19] Pope Paul the 6th did not invent it.

[20] He just reaffirmed what the church has always taught.

[21] And John Paul II certainly solidified it.

[22] I mean, that's what's the development of doctrine.

[23] The development of doctrine, like Pope Francis also said, always in the same direction.

[24] What direction?

[25] In the direction of affirming life, in the direction, in other words, once the church is so definitive about something as she is on the teaching on contraception.

[26] Development of doctrine can never contradict that, can never go backwards.

[27] What it can develop into is deeper ways of understanding.

[28] I mean, there's been development from the beginning of the church to Paul the Six.

[29] Paul the Six, it was a development in the sense that it took the teaching.

[30] It applied it to modern times.

[31] And then, of course, another further development of doctrine you see in the theology of the body, which we have barely begun to unpack.

[32] And that's development.

[33] In other words, those books themselves of Theology of the Body that, you know, John Paul wrote and all the unpacking of that that has happened since then did not exist before and new ways of expressing it and new ways of understanding it, but never contradicting what went before.

[34] Well said, Father Frank Pavone.

[35] Bishop Strickland, your thoughts on his quote.

[36] from St. John Paul, too?

[37] Well, it just underscores what I tried to say in that tweet.

[38] It is truth.

[39] And it's part of the truth that sets us free.

[40] I've talked to many couples that is part of their conversion, quit using contraception.

[41] And it's live change.

[42] I mean, it's literally live changing.

[43] Yeah.

[44] Because it opens them up to life.

[45] It helps them to come to know each other better as a married couple.

[46] It's just, it's God's plan.

[47] Amen.

[48] That's what we have to joyfully, but clearly continue to share with the people of God, with all humanity.

[49] What is God's plan?

[50] And to pay attention to that, and the church, though she is full of sinners, and I'm one of them, and the church is imperfect because it's made up of a lot of sinners, but it's also holy.

[51] And as Father Pavone says the church continues to share the truth more deeply.

[52] It doesn't go backward and change things that it's been taught.

[53] We have a deeper understanding, a richer understanding.

[54] Just like you know, 200 years ago, we had much less biological understanding of how a child is conceived in the womb.

[55] It was God's plan from the dawn of humanity.

[56] But our understanding of it continues to to develop.

[57] And it's more glorious and beautiful, the intricate timing and the precision that happens from that sperm fertilizing an egg and conceiving a new child and implants.

[58] And just the clockwork that is beautiful begins to unfold.

[59] That's what we have to do is turn back to God's plan and humility on our knees and beg forgiveness for our arrogance and for too long to many of us ignoring God's plan.

[60] Well said and I want to recommend an article from First Things .com true meaning of human sexuality.

[61] What a great article that was and I want to encourage you to listen to read that article.

[62] All right, well, Bishop Strickland, you have a tweet here every time I see something from Archbishop Fulton Sheen, boy, I just, you know, I would say full sheen ahead.

[63] Let's do it.

[64] Here's what you have.

[65] You quote Fulton Sheen, and I think this is so appropriate for us in 2022.

[66] Like usually, I mean, he just says things that are that are universal.

[67] I mean, they're going to be, this is going to be true 100 years, 500 years from now.

[68] He said, most people today want a religion which suits the way they live, rather than the one which makes it.

[69] man's upon them.

[70] Religion thus becomes a luxury, like an opera, not a responsibility like life.

[71] Now that's what you tweeted.

[72] Give us your thoughts on that.

[73] Well, once again, Archbishop Sheen hits the nail on the head and trying to accommodate religion to what our likes and dislikes are, and that's too much of what's going on.

[74] accommodating it to us, instead of us accommodating ourselves to the truth that's been revealed to us, it really is, it's not the faith, it's not what Catholicism is about.

[75] And going back to Paul the 6th, I mean, he predicted, he gives a prophetic snapshot of where we find ourselves in the life issues and in family and in marriage.

[76] He predicted all of that.

[77] Yes, he did.

[78] More than 50 years ago.

[79] If people don't embrace this truth, it's bad news.

[80] And so the good news is the truth of the gospel, the truth that God is revealed to us.

[81] And we have to tirelessly keep joyfully and clearly proclaiming that truth.

[82] No, no matter how much resistance there is within the church or within society, whatever corner of society brings that resistance, we just have to continue to share the truth.

[83] Well said, and talk about the truth.

[84] We have a saint of the day.

[85] St. Peter Julian Emard is one of the great saints of the church, especially a Eucharistic saint.

[86] This saying, I didn't realize he said this that you tweeted, and I thought, wow, the church needs to hear this.

[87] He says, until we have a passionate love for our Lord in the blessed sacrament, we should accomplish nothing.

[88] Do you need to say any more than that?

[89] I mean, wow.

[90] Great Sam.

[91] Well, he's basically quoting Christ himself who said, Without me, you can do nothing.

[92] And really, it's tragic how so much of the world, even people of faith.

[93] Yeah.

[94] We operate as if we're in charge and we're doing it.

[95] And we need to hear those words of Christ.

[96] and coming closer to him in the Eucharist is the best way for us to hear his voice with clarity, with charity, with the challenge, with the power of his love, but really bringing us to our knees and bringing us to repentance of our sins and resolution to follow his truth.

[97] It's a glorious future that the Lord lays out for us, but we have to listen.

[98] to him, and we're too much listening to our own voices in an echo chamber now, one human being versus another human being, we need to look to the voice of God.

[99] Bishop Strickland, this is news, not on one of your tweets, but I love when lay Catholics stand up for the faith, and I love when bishops say, that a boy, so to speak, that God bless these late doctors.

[100] The Catholic Medical Association, who I've worked with for decades, is profoundly disappointed with the announcement of the proposed removal of a federal conscience protection for those working in health care.

[101] With this proposed legislation, the Biden administration has taken yet another action of blatant government overreach.

[102] And it was back in 2019, the federal regulations were enacted to protect medical professionals from unfounded discrimination if they decline to participate in actions contrary to their moral or ethical principles like abortion.

[103] Your thoughts?

[104] Well, I applaud the Catholic Medical Association for speaking up and saying this is wrong.

[105] It's wrong to violate or just cause people to either lose their job or violate their conscience.

[106] I mean, that's not the kind of nation we want or really can thrive in.

[107] I agree.

[108] I want to remind everybody also about your institute before we take a break.

[109] I don't plug it enough because it's so valuable.

[110] Could you tell us a little bit about the Institute and the Diocese?

[111] Sure.

[112] The St. Philip Institute exists, the St. Philip Institute of catechises and evangelization.

[113] It's about sharing this truth.

[114] that we keep talking about.

[115] Yeah.

[116] And we've got some great young staff members that are doing a great job of sharing that truth in creative ways and to the Diocese of Tyler and beyond.

[117] But that's the work of the St. Philip Institute and it joins a lot of other great organizations that are sharing the truth.

[118] Awesome.

[119] When we come back, folks, we're going to talk about St. Alphonsis Lagori, a doctor of the church.

[120] and I have some interesting stories about him too because he was one of my favorite saints growing up especially about him being an attorney and what happened to him that changed his whole course in life Bishop Strickland tweeted a quote from him that you won't want to miss you're listening to the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Powerful radio stay with us family for more teachings on the Catholic faith welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour I teased you about St. Alphonsus Ligoria, Doctor of the Church, and what a saint he was.

[121] Here's the quote that Bishop Strickland tweeted out, and then we'll get his response, and then I'll give you an interesting tidbit about his own walk to the Lord.

[122] It says, when we hear people talk of riches, honors, and amusements of this world, let us remember that all things have an end.

[123] Oh, boy.

[124] and let us then say my god i wish for you alone and nothing more your thoughts well it really uh st alphonsus in that quote it reminds me of a sunday gospel we just had where jesus says it uses the parable of the rich man who says oh i've had a great harvest i'm going to tear down my barns and build new ones and god speaks to him in this parable, you fool, you're going to die tonight.

[125] And that's what, you know, it's the same message to remember that this world is passing.

[126] It may last many more years for each of us, or it may not last another day, but it's not going to last.

[127] And we are built for eternity.

[128] That's what we need to remember.

[129] Well, said two things.

[130] One, St. Alphonseus Ligori studied to be an attorney.

[131] And in his autobiography talked about how he was representing a person for a particular need, and the person lied to him about what really took place.

[132] And when he was realizing that he was lied to, he said, you know, I don't want to be in this industry anymore.

[133] And he turned away his license for being an attorney, and that was part of his conversion to Christ to become a Catholic priest.

[134] So I don't know how many people know that story, but I thought it was very, very beautiful.

[135] Also, you know, what you just said about what Bishop Strickland and St. Alphonse's said, I witnessed that on Sunday, Bishop Strickland.

[136] My family here heard about it.

[137] And that was we're driving back from my son's house into Hatchapie, about a two and a half hour drive.

[138] My wife is following me, and she fell asleep at the wheel and rolled the minivan.

[139] And it was a terrible accident.

[140] And I came back to see what happened.

[141] You know, in other words, is she alive?

[142] And it was miraculous what happened, Bishop Strickland, because the cop, the highway patrol, a bunch of people stopped, we got her out.

[143] She had a couple scratches on her face.

[144] She walked out of that car unhurt.

[145] Now, I got to believe the angels were watching over my wife because I could be a widower today.

[146] But it made me realize my marriage could have ended with that car crash.

[147] And again, it made me realize I can die tomorrow.

[148] these things happen every day to someone so we somehow think that it won't happen to us that's wrong it can happen to any of us so i just wanted to share that and now what's real beautiful about it is we can appreciate the time that we have together after that serious accident and so this is just my own experience and i know other people have had similar things but you know god works these things that happen in our lives.

[149] And I hope that we can see them in a perspective from eternity.

[150] All right.

[151] Let's move on to Pope Pius the 12th.

[152] One of my favorite popes, actually.

[153] You're quoting him in a tweet that says, I am worried.

[154] The Pope's worried?

[155] What's he worried about?

[156] He said, I'm worried by the Blessed Virgin's message to Lucia of Fatima.

[157] This persistence of Mary about the dangers which menace the church is a divine warning against the suicide of altering the faith in her liturgy?

[158] Wow.

[159] Her theology?

[160] Wow.

[161] And her soul.

[162] Let us heed Mary's call.

[163] That's prophetic.

[164] Yeah, and that actually comes from a quote before he was Pius the 12th when he was assisting, I think, another pope.

[165] whatever the context of that, it reminds us, we better listen to the Blessed Mother's warnings.

[166] I think more and more people are, but as a human family, and even within the church, I know that in my years growing up, the emphasis on really listening to Our Lady of Fatima wasn't, I mean, it wasn't.

[167] pounded into us the way it should have been.

[168] I mean, people were listening, but it's just like, well, you can believe it if you want.

[169] But it's been recognized by the church as authentic.

[170] And those messages, and they talk about the third secret and things left out, really, that is more our own human curiosity.

[171] We want more information.

[172] We want more answers.

[173] The Blessed Virgin Mary has given us really all that we need to know.

[174] and that's turn from sin and listen to my son.

[175] Listen to Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

[176] And, you know, our blessed mother has to be, I mean, there's so many mysterious, I mean, I think of Our Lady of Sorrows, but I know part of her sorrow is that we're not listening.

[177] Amen.

[178] Too many of us refuse to listen.

[179] I mean, we're two men doing our best to listen, but I don't listen as well.

[180] well as I don't either.

[181] But too many aren't listening at all and are just totally ignoring what she has warned us about.

[182] And it's like I can imagine Mary and the saints and Jesus himself saying how many times do you have to be told?

[183] We've we really need to listen to the blessed Virgin Mary's messages.

[184] And that's what Pies the 12th is lamenting.

[185] is that, and that's many years ago, before I was born.

[186] He was already saying, we're not listening.

[187] And we see more and more unraveling of humanity and of our world because sin is getting a tighter grip all the time.

[188] And it seems that fewer and fewer people are listening.

[189] But rather than letting that dishearten us, hopefully it just reminds us that we've got to listen.

[190] we've got to be the watchman we've got to be the ones listening to the word of God listening to the messages of the Blessed Virgin Mary and doing our best to bring others to that truth well said I think of the quote that is said when it was the sixth apparition of the angel of Portugal it was October towards the end and the angel appeared in his hands a chalice, a host with some drops of blood were falling into the chalice.

[191] Leaving the chalice and the host suspended in the air, she prostrated himself on the ground and repeated the following prayers that many of us pray these prayers.

[192] Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore you profoundly.

[193] I offer you the most precious body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ present in all the tabernacles of the world in reparation for the outrages, sacrilegious, and indifferences by which he's offended, and through the infinite merits of his most sacred heart and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg conversion for poor sinners.

[194] Now, Bishop Strickland, that was done in 1916.

[195] I got to think we're still dealing with sacrilegious, people not following the faith.

[196] And I think of what our lady said, that souls are going to hell because no one is there to pray and make sacrifices for.

[197] And I think of Catholic teachings from Colossians chapter 1 that we unite our sufferings with the sufferings of Christ.

[198] Everybody listening, they could be five years old or a hundred years old.

[199] They can all participate in the salvific work of Christ.

[200] I got that message when I was a teenager, probably 14 or 15 years old, and I went, I can do that?

[201] And I say, maybe some people haven't heard that before, but this is a powerful way because we can basically every action is like a blank check we offer it to Christ and this is what's so beautiful about our lady so i just wanted to remind people that we can offer up our suffering for the salvation of souls all right i'm done but i love fatima you can't tell okay let's get to the next one st ignatius of liola the 31st of july his feast day Bishop Strickland says Truth, okay, well first of all You're saying pray for us Okay, he said His life was changed when he came to know Jesus Christ through the witness of the saints.

[202] That was at Manresa Where he was recovering from a cannonball injury He says, let us look at these wonderful witnesses.

[203] What did they live for?

[204] What did they die for?

[205] Good question.

[206] Let us learn the truth that guided all the saints in the imitate their fidelity to him, their Lord Jesus Christ.

[207] Boy, amen to that.

[208] That's a powerful message for us today.

[209] Absolutely.

[210] And then Bishop Strickland, you also mentioned that, and this is a constant theme, you talk always on defense of the unborn, you talk about truth, the person of Jesus Christ.

[211] You mentioned in a tweet that, again, repeating it over and over again, but I think we need to hear this.

[212] truth doesn't change with the fads of our times when leaders of the church and the state speak as if we can change the truth at our own whim we should be altered to this false messaging we are all challenged to a deeper understanding of truth if we embrace truth and I like this last line it changes us yeah well and i think that that's a big part of what we're dealing with in the world today we're trying to change truth rather than be changed by truth jesus came to create a new way and to have people turn from sin and that's what he first says in the gospels repent of your sins and believe in the gospel that means change metanoya i mean that's what that word is about a change of life a different direction yep and when we try to change the truth so that we can feel better about the path we've chosen that it's just wrong and it's harmful right it hurts us and it hurts our brothers and sisters it distorts the the message um we've got to be willing to be changed and and i have to to be willing to be changed by the truth.

[213] And I have been, and I need to continue.

[214] All of us, I mean, it's a, Jesus says, I mean, we seem to have forgotten a lot of the gospel.

[215] Jesus says, you must be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect.

[216] That is about as high a bar as you can get.

[217] And it's, it's almost as if we're acting like Jesus says, oh, just be mediocre.

[218] okay.

[219] Just sort of skate by and you'll be okay.

[220] That is not what he said.

[221] He said, you must be perfect.

[222] And I know a lot of people despaired that.

[223] How can we be perfect?

[224] But he says later on, it seems impossible, but with God, all things are possible.

[225] And that is the humility that we have to bring to this challenge of living this human journey, that what appears to be impossible for us is possible for God.

[226] And that has to do with the sanctity of life and living moral lives and everything.

[227] If we just, whatever we're doing in life, we say, this is impossible.

[228] So I have to change the truth.

[229] Let God be the one that allows you to do something that seems to be impossible.

[230] And there's so many testimonies.

[231] Not my will, but God's will be done.

[232] You're listening to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[233] with us, family.

[234] We'll be back after a quick moment.

[235] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland hour.

[236] Bishop Strickland, you have just a couple more tweets and then we'll get into the catechism.

[237] I made a curveball here because I thought this would be an interesting teaching on the catechism.

[238] It's from grace and justification.

[239] It's paragraph 1987.

[240] This is a good section on what the Catholic Church has to teach about salvation.

[241] I think it's an important one for us.

[242] But before we get to the catechism, You have a quote here on your Fridays of the week.

[243] You know, we always dedicate Friday for the Passion of Christ and we'll, you know, we'll forego meat or some sacrifice or do some extra charity.

[244] And you tweeted that on this Friday, and folks, whenever Friday, that'll be next Friday.

[245] When you have Friday, it says, Bishop Strickland says, let us renew our commitment to repentance.

[246] And I love this, reparation and aton.

[247] moment for our sins and the sins of the whole world.

[248] Jesus continues to be mocked, scourged by blasphemies, inequities of our time.

[249] Let us kneel before him in this Eucharist with humble and contrite hearts.

[250] Again, this constant theme of this show is the Eucharist, the Eucharist.

[251] And Bishop Strickland, you're constantly directing us to Christ and the Eucharist.

[252] Thank you for that.

[253] Well, Terry, I truly believe, I mean, if we believe that this is the Lord of the universe, the second person of the Trinity, fully gone and fully man, Jesus Christ, if we really believe he's there, I mean, he told us all power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. And, you know, we hear a lot about power in the world today.

[254] in all kinds of ways.

[255] But if we remember, and if we believe that he's there, then certainly for me as a bishop, that's where I need to be.

[256] I mean, he's the power source.

[257] He's the source of truth and light and grace and every power of goodness in the world.

[258] So I believe that for the church and for humanity, I mean, God sent his only begotten son to be with us, guide us.

[259] His son promised that he would be with us until the end of the age.

[260] And how much of humanity has really embraced that and is living that?

[261] And we have an obligation to joyfully share this truth.

[262] And the best way, how many converts do we both know?

[263] Yeah.

[264] And we're more deeply converted to the Catholic faith, which was given to us from our families.

[265] How many people have grown in faith because they've grown closer to our Eucharistic Lord?

[266] It just makes sense.

[267] If he's really there, you're going to know the Lord more deeply, and that's going to unleash your power, the grace in your life, the ability to live a righteous life and to avoid sin.

[268] I mean, Terry, I can tell you, the closer.

[269] I grow to the sacrament, to Christ in the sacrament, the more I can grow in virtue, the more sin becomes honestly less attractive.

[270] Yes.

[271] I mean, if you really are there with him, you say, Lord, I don't want to do things against you.

[272] That's right.

[273] And you're humbled to realize the sins you've committed in your past and you seek reparation and atonement.

[274] But the answer to our broken world in every level in every aspect.

[275] It's not just a churchy thing.

[276] The answer to our world is coming to humbly know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in His presence among us.

[277] If the world would simply do that, it would be transformed.

[278] And that's what many of the visionaries and the apparitions of Mary, they tell us follow him.

[279] And you can follow Jesus.

[280] And you can follow Jesus.

[281] Jesus if you're hanging on to your sins.

[282] And the closer you grow to him in the Eucharist, you can't hang on to him.

[283] I mean, I can tell you that.

[284] I mean, and I still have a long way to go, but the more time you spend with him, if you're honest with yourself, and it's hard not to be, if you're there in his presence, because he's really there.

[285] We just need to continue to tirelessly and joyfully share this message and draw people to a deeper faith who do believe and at least get the people who reject the idea of the Eucharistic presence of the Lord in the world to at least re -examine that rejection and maybe open their hearts.

[286] His grace is calling to everyone.

[287] Yep, well said.

[288] I can't just say a big amen.

[289] Now, Bishop Strickland, you tweeted about an Oklahoma priest and you said, this priest of Oklahoma is an inspiration to us all.

[290] Who are you talking about?

[291] Stanley Rother, blessed Stanley Rother.

[292] He is on the way to canonization, and I truly believe he will one day be canonized.

[293] They're building a beautiful shrine in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, and I hope to go to the dedication of the shrine in early November this year.

[294] But Stanley Rother was pretty much just an average priest, but he went to, I forget what country, but he went to South America in the missions, and there was a lot of turmoil, as sadly there has been in a lot of the Americas, especially in South America, many wars and much division.

[295] And he came back from, because they're saying, it's dangerous down here.

[296] So he left, went back to Oklahoma, but then as he prayed and as he continued, he said, you know, I can't abandon my flock.

[297] I have to go back.

[298] And ultimately he did.

[299] Part of the reason he left, and I may have some of the actual details not too accurate, but I think part of the reason he left, he was put on a hit list.

[300] They said, we're going to kill you for your support to the poor, for your work, and these marginalized people there.

[301] in this South American country, and Stanley Rother ultimately said, I've got to go back.

[302] And he was killed.

[303] They made sure that they got rid of him.

[304] But as is, I mean, as we've said before, and we've all heard many times, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of faith.

[305] So it always backfires on these people who want to stamp out a life or stamp out a movement or stamp out the name of Jesus.

[306] or stamp out this stand for his truth.

[307] They try to get rid of it by killing a person, and it backfires.

[308] I mean, in so many ways, so many martyrs through the ages have inspired people to a deeper faith.

[309] Wow, and I love the quote you used.

[310] He says, a shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger.

[311] And I thought, wow, that a great thing to tell people like you and leaders in the church, man. your job is to protect the flock all right and i want to quote another great saint down in south america saint rose of lima she said know that the greatest service that a man can offer is to help convert souls to christ the saints just tell it like it is bishop strickland i just love how simple they make it you know all right well let's open up our catechisms if we could folks the verses we're going to be coming to is Article 2 of the Catechism on grace and justification those are the two we're looking at and we've got about three minutes to start and then we got the next segment for it I'll read the paragraph 1987 on justification the grace of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us that is to cleanse us from our sins and to communicate to us the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ and through baptism.

[312] I know this sounds so basic, everyone.

[313] It really is, but I honestly ask yourself, when was the last time someone said that to you about your own, about the Holy Spirit and your baptism?

[314] Now, I'm going to read this next section.

[315] It says, and this is Romans chapter 6, verse 8 to 11.

[316] But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, for we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again.

[317] Death no longer has dominion over him.

[318] The death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God.

[319] So you also must consider yourselves as dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

[320] Wow, that really is the gospel, isn't it?

[321] I mean, just, wow.

[322] Absolutely.

[323] Wow.

[324] Your thoughts on, I guess my question to you, Bishop Strickland, is we're supposed to imitate Christ.

[325] St. Paul says, I'm imitating him, you imitate me, but this really gives us hope that this world isn't all we have.

[326] We're here to get out.

[327] Absolutely.

[328] And it, like you said, it really gets to the very core of what we believe.

[329] If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.

[330] And to die with Christ in this world is really in comparison for a brief time.

[331] To live with Christ in eternity is so much more than the brief time that we are here, dying with him.

[332] And this says, and, you know, and through baptism, baptism is really that beginning step, that first sacrament, as we all know.

[333] And I think one of the challenges that we have, especially in the world today, is to recognize that every day is a day to live our baptism.

[334] And to the degree that I'm sinful and failing, then I'm not living my baptism as fully as I should.

[335] So we need to continue to seek those virtues that are possible in the grace of the Holy Spirit.

[336] You know, the language of baptism is leaving an indelible character hopefully reminds us that we're always marked with that gift of forgiveness.

[337] and that gift of new life in our baptism.

[338] And we always need to go back to that, that indelible mark that has changed us.

[339] That's why the church teaches, and even though many churches in our area would believe in re -baptism, if you want to be baptized in another church, the church rejected that because it's about changing.

[340] Going back to what we said, that metanoya, a change of life.

[341] Well, said, when we come back, we'll talk more about grace and justification and the catechism of the Catholic Church.

[342] Stay with us, family.

[343] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland hour.

[344] I'm a little distracted.

[345] I've got a convert coming in to do her testimony after this hour, so I love talking to converts because they always inspire me since I'm a cradle Catholic, and I think Bishop Strickland is also.

[346] I just see how God works with people and bringing them to the fullness of the faith.

[347] Bishop Strickland, our next quote from the catechism is 1988 says through the power of the Holy Spirit we take part in Christ's passion I love this by dying to sin and in his resurrection of being born to new life we are members of his body which is the church branches grafted unto the vine which he himself and then there's another quote here says this is from St. Alphonse, St. Athanasius.

[348] God gave himself to us through his spirit.

[349] By the participation of the spirit, we become communicants in the divine nature.

[350] For this reason, those of whom the spirit dwells are divinized.

[351] In other words, we're like Christ.

[352] So Bishop Strickland, this whole paragraph, I think you could preach for a whole hour on it.

[353] Yeah, you could.

[354] And what it really reminds me of, Terry, is that it's not just all a future thing.

[355] Yeah.

[356] I think that's what sometimes frustrates people is, you know, I want to live now.

[357] I don't want to just put all my eggs in the eternity basket.

[358] But I think if we read this, the power of the Holy Spirit, we take part in the way.

[359] Christ's passion by dying to sin and in his resurrection by being born to new life.

[360] What that reminds me of is that we can live it now.

[361] Right now, we need to be dying to sin.

[362] We need to be rising with Christ.

[363] It needs to be a dynamic reality of our lives that we are growing closer and closer to Christ.

[364] And if we approach it in that way, every day is a new opportunity to live a more grace -filled life, to really come closer and closer to heaven, even as we journey through this life.

[365] We're never going to get there.

[366] We're not going to make heaven on earth.

[367] And I think really what so many of the saints remind us of, a lot of the saints toward the end of their life, they say, basically, Lord, I'm ready to go.

[368] There's nothing left for for me here.

[369] I think the more you progress in holiness, and the more you come close to heaven, you begin to recognize that this life is beautiful, and it has certain things to offer as part of our journey to everlasting life.

[370] But a saint who has made a lot of progress on that journey is ready to go, leave this world and go to heaven.

[371] And that's what we're all created for.

[372] So this paragraph really reminds me that it's not postponing anything.

[373] It's not, well, one day.

[374] It's living right now, this passion of Christ in the power of his resurrection right here and now, to be born to new life.

[375] I love it.

[376] I love it.

[377] Paragraph 1989 says the first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion.

[378] Affecting the justification in accordance with Jesus' proclamation at the beginning of the gospel.

[379] I think you've said this 100 million times to me. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

[380] Moved by grace, man turns towards God and away from sin.

[381] How fundamental.

[382] Thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high justification is not only the remission of sins but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man wow yeah as always these paragraphs say a lot but it's the message of the gospel yeah and right now there are too many people that say that leave off the repent part you know and it's all about turning from sin.

[383] Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man. That comes from the Council of Trent.

[384] And it reminds us that, in a sense, remission of sin and turning from sin, it opens us up.

[385] It creates that field where the seed of God's word can be planning going back to that parable that's in the gospel.

[386] And I think that we have to recognize that it's both repentance of sin and acceptance of grace and the power of the Holy Spirit.

[387] And we tend in these days to ignore sin or want to rewrite the gospel.

[388] So, oh, well, that's not a sin anymore.

[389] instead of just getting over it and facing the reality yes we're sinners let's look to repent of those sins and to grow in the grace that god offers us wow and this is so fundamental to the gospel these verses you're reading from bishop strickland here's another one 1990 justification detaches man from sin which contradicts the love of god and purifies his heart of sin justification follows upon God's merciful initiative of offering forgiveness it reconciles man with God it frees from the enslavement to sin and it heals wow it just it reminds us of what we've already been talking about justification detaches man from sin sin sin becomes less and less powerful and less and less attractive.

[390] Yeah.

[391] I mean, you know, in many ways, people could say, well, how are we supposed to do this?

[392] What the kind of is talking about.

[393] Really, it's working on developing those virtuous habits to just become more virtuous.

[394] The more you get into good habits, the less attractive the bad habits are.

[395] Yeah.

[396] And that's what justification really accomplishes.

[397] It's so, separates us from all that, from concupiscence, from the, from the brokenness of our world.

[398] It restores us to being who God originally planned for us to be, to live as his children in this world in the next.

[399] With the fall of sin, an original sin that we all deal with, it distorts that, and it makes this world as the book of Genesis says this world shall be a time of toil and drudgery but that doesn't eliminate we're still headed to everlasting life with God and that's what justification makes possible for us you know mr. Strickland while you were speaking I thought of a verse that talks about living in the presence of God and saying why would I want to sin when I'm in the presence of God Wait a minute, God is with me at all time.

[400] Yeah, living in the presence of God consists in giving, loving attention to every situation in your life to the fact that God lives in your soul?

[401] Wow!

[402] Connected to this is the pure intention that all your words, actions correspond to the will of God and are done for His greater glory.

[403] I'm reading this right from my book, How to Share Your Faith, but I'm quoting the saints by practicing this attention and intention it will become a habit of living in the presence of God without a whole lot of specific effort.

[404] And I think of the Bible.

[405] It says, living in the presence of God is the fruit of prayer and it leads your soul to a greater union with him.

[406] As Jesus taught us, we need to pray always without becoming weary.

[407] That's Luke chapter 18.

[408] And then of course, St. Paul says pray without ceasing.

[409] So really, as we get closer to Christ and we live in his presence, you're absolutely right.

[410] I mean, how many of us are going to want to turn the pornography button on on our computer when we know our guardian angel, our Lord is with us, the Blessed Mother is with us?

[411] This is the key, I think, from staying away from sin is living in that presence.

[412] And I think this justification that we're reading from the Catechism is talking about that.

[413] Bishop Strickland, we only have a couple minutes left, so I'm not going to go to the next paragraph, 1991.

[414] That'll wait for next week.

[415] but I also want to remind everybody that all these shows are on podcasts on vmpr .org.

[416] So if you're listening on the radio and you say, hey, this is the first time I heard the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[417] I'd like to hear a few more shows.

[418] Go to vmpr .org, go into the shows, and you can get lots of other different shows that we have on, and I think you'll benefit from that.

[419] Bishop Strickland, before I ask for your blessing, is there anything that we want to share to our listeners about your own diocese that's coming up, that maybe they would want to participate via with the computer, maybe the St. Phillips Institute.

[420] We talked about that.

[421] But I just want any of our listeners to know if there's something going on that they should be aware of.

[422] Let's speak now.

[423] Well, lots of things going on.

[424] I think, I mean, it's sort of short of short notice, but there is a deliverance ministry conference that's happening just this weekend.

[425] that I'll be participating in.

[426] So certainly people are welcome to look at the St. Philip Institute, the activities there.

[427] And I try to tweet out the information about things.

[428] We had a great pro -life team camp just a couple of weeks ago.

[429] Awesome.

[430] And there are great things going on all over the church.

[431] We need to remember there's a lot of goodness and a lot of holy people working hard, even with all the challenges we face.

[432] Absolutely, and I want to remind everybody to go to our website for the calendar.

[433] Bishop Strickland will be coming next year in March to California for the Spiritual Warfare Conference with Father Chad Ripperker and Jess Romero and many others, and we have a men's conference.

[434] We have a conference, I have to plug, are you ready for this title, Bishop Strickland?

[435] Will the real Vatican 2 please stand up?

[436] And what we're going to do is take the documents and read them, and say, are they being implemented?

[437] And, you know, just we think it's important that people read these documents for themselves and not get the spirit of Vatican II.

[438] I encourage that because as you read the documents, it's like reading the Categism.

[439] You say, wow, if you really listen to what you're reading and really let it soak in, it's beautiful truth that really sets us free from the darkness that we face in this world.

[440] Amen.

[441] How about a blessing for our listeners, Bishop Strick?

[442] mighty god we ask your blessing for terry and all of his associates working to bring the good news out into the world we pray for all the listeners and all the needs that we have that we might always turn to the eucharistic presence of christ and we ask this in the name of the father the son and the holy spirit amen thanks again folks for listening to the bishop strickland hour i want to remind you go to our website virgin most powerful Radio .org.

[443] Check us out.

[444] There's lots of downloads there for you and your family.

[445] And again, I want to thank you for your support in helping us save souls through the church.

[446] Because as Bishop Sheen said, if souls are saved, everything is saved.

[447] If souls aren't saved, nothing is saved.

[448] May God richly bless you and your family until we see you again next week, same Christ's time.

[449] God love you and your family.