06 Apr 2021 – Enough with Silence In the Face of Evil

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland hour.

[1] My name's Terry Barber.

[2] Yes, I'm wearing my spiritual warfare shirt today because this is the week that changed the world, Holy Week.

[3] Now, you're going to hear this after Holy Week, but it's still a week late.

[4] But I want to talk a little bit about Lent with Bishop Strickland.

[5] And also, we're going to go to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

[6] If this is your first time, our format is to take the tweets from Bishop Strickland and talk about them.

[7] And then we get our catechetical teachings from the bishop.

[8] Bishop Strickland, welcome to another episode, my friend.

[9] Thanks, Terry.

[10] Thank you for joining us every week here on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[11] Bishop Strickland, before I get into the tweets, I'd be honest with you.

[12] I was mentioning that we're talking about the pandemic that is hitting us with COVID -19, but there's a bigger pandemic.

[13] It's called pornography that's destroying family life and marriages and doing much more damage.

[14] and we seem to just look the other way when it's out there on the internet or at the stores.

[15] And so I'd like to ask you if you agree with me that we should really point out the evils more as a church of the issue of pornography to stable our culture and our family.

[16] You're with me on that?

[17] Absolutely.

[18] It really is a pandemic that is very destructive to men and women, young and old, really everyone.

[19] because it's evil and it's so pervasive, so accessible with the Internet.

[20] And I mean, men and women get caught up in that either the people that are portrayed or the people watching.

[21] And it's just it denigrates the human person.

[22] There's, it's just, it really is a pandemic.

[23] And we don't talk.

[24] about it enough.

[25] We should see that as something that is fought against.

[26] But once again, with so many evils, there is so much money in it.

[27] It is such a moneymaker and it is such an industry.

[28] And it speaks to the very basest temptations and desires that people have and twist them in the ugliest ways.

[29] So I think absolutely we really, probably, that's one thing that we really need to wake up to is the plague, the pandemic of pornography.

[30] It seems to me, Bishop Strickland, when I see the statistics that up to 50 % of divorces come about with one of the spouses having an addiction to pornography, and it seems like what St. John Paul II said back in 1994 when he wrote his letter to the families, the way the culture goes is the way the family goes is the way the culture goes.

[31] So strong family life will be a strong culture.

[32] It seems to me also Bishop Strickland that the Catholic Church has the answer to a stable society, and that's called those 10 commandments, not the 10 suggestions.

[33] And so I agree with you about the problem with pornography is destroying family life.

[34] And to think of the statistics I just read about kids as young as 8 years old being exposed to pornography and we just act like it's no big deal it seems like we've got our priorities and i'm not talking about just the state i'm going to be critical with people like you bishops and priests that maybe we're talking a little too much about our body's health and not enough about the soul's health and i think that this issue of pornography i've heard other priests tell me that you know i'm not i don't hear confessions but they tell me that in the confessional This is one of the biggest sins that men and women are confessing and saying it's becoming an addiction and they're having a difficult time.

[35] And I've done the studies on it.

[36] I've read the studies about how it actually changes your brain part where you need higher stimulation from this stuff.

[37] And it's just ruining many, many people.

[38] And I think, and I'm just going to point the finger at our church and say, please, bishops and priests, as a layman, would you please preach more on the evils.

[39] pornography than on my body's health.

[40] Okay.

[41] So that's my message as a layman.

[42] That's all.

[43] Well, I certainly hear that and we all need to to address that more.

[44] Because even the physical, the mental health of people, spiritual and mental health is damaged by pornography.

[45] Absolutely.

[46] And of course, the family, it's just evil.

[47] It's, using the human body as an object rather than listening to Scripture.

[48] We are vessels of the Holy Spirit.

[49] Anyone using or involved in pornography making money off of it, any aspect of pornography is forgetting that we are vessels of the Holy Spirit.

[50] We are created in the image of God.

[51] And really, Terry, you're inspiring me. you'll probably see some tweets about it because I haven't really it's not something I'm focused on but as we talk about it and it's interesting because one of the priests today after our chrism mass thanked me for speaking up on things and he said he mentioned pornography and said we really need to tackle that and he's absolutely right yeah well thank you jesus bishop strickland you tweeted last week about St. Paul at Galatians chapter 1 verse 8 and this is a great quote he said but there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ but even if we are an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than the one that we preach to you let that one be accursed and then you said let us heed the word that quote is very very powerful And I'll tell you why, and then I want to ask your comment, why you did it, is because many people, even they call me over the years and say an angel came to me and gave me this message.

[52] And I always tell them, you know, that you better keep that private to yourself and you talk to your confessor.

[53] Don't be telling people because this is not a good thing to tell people about that because we've seen some dangerous things happen when people say an angel, I'm starting my own church today.

[54] or you know this revelation so my question is what made you tweet that today in 2021 well there's too much corruption of the gospel even within the church uh people preaching a false gospel or a partial gospel we've talked about it before i'm sure um but one of the classic images from scripture of christ's mercy of God's mercy.

[55] The beautiful story, the woman caught in adultery, they're about to stone her.

[56] Christ says, let the one who has no sins be the first to throw a stone, and the people drop their stones and walk away.

[57] And Christ then talks to the woman's, has no one condemned you, nor do I condemn you.

[58] Go and sin no more.

[59] There are beautifully, there are three different parts of that conversation.

[60] First Christ says, no one's condemned you.

[61] No one dared to throw a stone because we're all sinners.

[62] Amen.

[63] None of us has the right to judge or to throw stones at others.

[64] Christ says, has no one condemned you, nor do I condemn you.

[65] God never condemns us.

[66] He's always ready to forgive us.

[67] His son came as the Lord of mercy.

[68] And we will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, the second Sunday of Easter, a beautiful feast of real mercy.

[69] And real mercy always has that third part.

[70] Go and sin no more.

[71] It is not mercy and it is not truth.

[72] And it really is more destructive than just ignoring the sin than when we are not told that God's mercy includes repent, turn from sin.

[73] Because sin is harmful.

[74] That's right.

[75] Sin is destructive.

[76] Just going back to combining what we're saying now with our conversation about pornography.

[77] Yes.

[78] If someone confesses that they've been involved in pornography in the confessional, for the priest to say, God forgives you.

[79] But don't worry about stopping.

[80] Don't worry about not continuing your pornography.

[81] just, oh, God's merciful.

[82] God forgives you.

[83] Yes, God is merciful.

[84] God forgives us.

[85] But in his mercy, he wants us to be freed from the evil that sin is, whatever form it takes.

[86] Amen.

[87] To ignore the sin is not mercy.

[88] We've got to understand that.

[89] And there are too many priests that don't really clearly preach that.

[90] And too many bishops, frankly.

[91] Too many times, I mean, we're hearing about things out of Germany and other places in Europe that are just a false gospel.

[92] Germany needs to have, if I had billions of dollars like some of these people, I'd put up billboards all over Germany quoting that from St. Paul.

[93] Yeah.

[94] Even if an angel shares a false gospel with you, don't fall into that trap.

[95] And there are too many bishops and priests, not just in Germany, certainly in this country as well.

[96] They're with after the Vatican clarified that we can't bless a same -sex union.

[97] After that clarification, I've seen many, many said thank you as I did and embrace the truth.

[98] Sure.

[99] But others have have condemned it and said, oh, that's not merciful.

[100] and that's not caring, that's not letting.

[101] It really is exactly what love is.

[102] For those children and grandchildren, we were talking about one of your grandchildren earlier, a very young child, if you really love that child, you're not gonna let them, you know, get into poison or harm themselves in any way.

[103] And like we were saying, we need to recognize that spiritual harm is really much more deadly.

[104] That's right.

[105] I mean, I know you would be devastating.

[106] state if something happened to one of your grandchildren where they got into some poison and you would i'm sure your your children and you as grandparents make sure that that doesn't happen but we allow the poison of scent to destroy well said bishop strickland we'll be back more on the church on the 13 most important network welcome back to the bishop strickland hour and we've been talking about some of the tweets from bishop strickland and he's telling us all that you know um We got to embrace the gospel, the true gospel.

[107] And one of the things you said, Bishop Strickland, is that we, here's another, when we admit that we are weak and sinful, our humility opens our hearts to God's grace.

[108] That's a beautiful way of saying it.

[109] God loves us before our first thought of repentance.

[110] And that's something to think about.

[111] But when we repent, we grow in knowing God's love.

[112] and I might add mercy.

[113] This strengthens us to turn from sin more fully and in turn grow deeper in God's love.

[114] That's a beautiful little paragraph, Bishop Strickland, that you just answered the question about our, you know, humility is truth.

[115] So we're really, you're asking us to know the truth about us, who we are, where we're going, and how to get there.

[116] So can you give us a little bit more commentary about, you know, saying that we're weak?

[117] and sinful, and that humility is a key to getting back right with God.

[118] Absolutely.

[119] It really, in many ways, pride may be the deepest sin in humanity.

[120] At least for a man. I mean, all of the deadly sins are deadly, but pride is probably at the root of each of the others in some way.

[121] I think you're right.

[122] And pride is the opposite of humility.

[123] We've just celebrated Palm Sunday, and we're in the midst of Holy Week, and Christ is humility incarnate.

[124] He is love, mercy incarnate.

[125] He's the incarnate son of God, but he is the incarnation of humility.

[126] Amen.

[127] I love to reflect on the incarnation, being willing to become.

[128] human flesh, starting with his conception in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, there is humility beyond anything we can fathom.

[129] Here he is the Lord of the universe, all -powerful, infinite love, infinite light and goodness, infinite, all that is positive and beautiful about existence.

[130] He is infinitely good.

[131] And here he, he, becomes a child conceived in the womb of a woman, just like us.

[132] And so reflecting on that, how can we be anything but deeply humble?

[133] And I struggle myself and I struggle with my brother priests.

[134] We're all sinners.

[135] Amen.

[136] And one of the plagues on priesthood, one of the temptations that we all have to work against.

[137] We're men, and it's easy for men in all walks of life to be arrogant.

[138] And as priests, we have to fight that very clearly with all the vigor we can because arrogance and priest is so contradictory to what we are supposed to be.

[139] And, you know, I think sometimes people get the idea that priests are just supposed to be these nice, you know, sort of soft men, but to really fight that arrogance takes a lot of strength.

[140] It takes a lot of determination.

[141] And it takes a constant working at it because all of us are sinful and we can get prideful.

[142] It's easy for me as a bishop to forget that humility that I'm here to serve.

[143] I'm here to serve all the people.

[144] I'm here to serve the priest.

[145] I'm here to serve the deacons.

[146] I'm here to serve everyone.

[147] Christ shows us that model.

[148] And he pleads with his apostles on that Holy Thursday that we will celebrate.

[149] He gives us that model of humility as he washes the feet of the disciples.

[150] Probably in most places, they want the washing of the feet as part of the Holy Thursday liturgy.

[151] Yeah.

[152] optional right that we love, it's a beautiful image and it's something that is usually there, but with all the COVID -19 issues still, we're not going to have that washing of the feet.

[153] But even though we don't actually do that and go through that aspect of the liturgy, we need to really pay attention to the humility that Christ shows.

[154] And maybe if you are at a Holy Thursday liturgy and they don't have that washing of the feet, we can still reflect deeply on all the ways that Christ is humble.

[155] That action is a very human humility.

[156] But how could you be more humble than to give first to sacrifice his body and blood and then to give it to us, to nurture us, to be our spiritual, food, to feed our hearts so that we can live his truth.

[157] The great humility of Jesus Christ is something that we can never plumb the depths of.

[158] We can just continue to reflect on.

[159] Well, said Bishop Strickland, I want to make a little plug, talking about priesthood.

[160] Father Don Calloway, maybe 20 years ago when he was newly ordained, I met him and I had a recording, I brought him out to California to record no turning back, which ended up turning into his book with the Marion Helpers, and it's his conversion testimony.

[161] And believe me, he was a very prideful man. He talks about that.

[162] So what we're going to do on the 10th of April, which is Mercy Sunday weekend, they're going to do it Saturday.

[163] We're going to play his testimony.

[164] And then another hour talk on divine mercy.

[165] He's going to explain how in his own life, how God gave him mercy and how he could share that with us.

[166] So that'll be playing.

[167] It's a free seminar.

[168] You just go to Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[169] That's 410, April 10th of this year.

[170] Also, May 15th, another free seminar on evangelization.

[171] I have a book called How to Share Your Faith with anyone.

[172] Ignatius Press is the publisher.

[173] It's been a bestseller for nine years with the Ignatius Press, and I put five presentations together on sharing your faith with about six cameras in our chapel, and that'll be free.

[174] It'll be showing on May 15th on a Saturday.

[175] And then don't mark your calendar for June 12th, the men's conference.

[176] By that time, we have people coming into our chapel would be Jesse Romero and Eddie Chavez, who's been a year out from Jesus 9 -1 -1 because of back injuries and surgeries.

[177] He's going to talk on redemptive suffering that he experienced at that.

[178] So mark those dates down, and you can go to Virgin Most Powerful Radio .org to get all that information.

[179] Bishop Strickland, I like it when you recommend books because I have that book.

[180] It's called black Catholics on the road to sainthood.

[181] The six names and stories that are shared might be unfamiliar to people, but each one is a reminder you said in a tweet that the lives of the saints are diverse and their stories need to be learned and shared.

[182] I couldn't agree more with you.

[183] I like it when you tweet this because we're always looking for books that are going to inspire us to fall deeper in love with Jesus Christ and his bride the church.

[184] So thank you for doing that.

[185] If you have a comment about it, not I'll move to the next one.

[186] It's just, I thought that it was nice that you would endorse certain books that will inspire the faithful.

[187] Yeah.

[188] Well, there are just some great stories there.

[189] And the saints are of all races, all nationalities, all languages, all backgrounds, wealthy, poor.

[190] They really are the whole spectrum of humanity.

[191] That's right.

[192] Men and women, all the different aspects of the human family.

[193] There's a saint that, I guess the way I would put it, Terry, is whoever you are, there's a saint like you.

[194] I mean, thankfully, there are many bishop saints.

[195] That's right.

[196] There are saints that were involved in radio, just like Maximilian Colby.

[197] So I'd encourage people to recognize that, and if whatever they do, look for a saint.

[198] that has qualities.

[199] It may not be the same work that they do, or it may be, but a saint that is like them, because there are saints like each of us that conspire us to live saintly lives.

[200] That's what we're all called to.

[201] Amen.

[202] Talking about a saint, Bishop Fulton, J. Sheen's three, it's actually about five talks for Good Friday, 1979.

[203] We're going to put this on our network, Good Friday for this.

[204] And people, you can go back on podcasts and listen to it anytime.

[205] I'm going to recommend, you know, listening to Bishop Sheen's Good Friday Talk, 1979.

[206] It's five separate talks on the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[207] You don't get better than Fulton Sheen, so I want to recommend that.

[208] Also, Bishop Strickland, you mentioned on Fridays of Lent.

[209] These are days that we have fasting, especially during Lent.

[210] But you mentioned, let us focus on reparation and atonement.

[211] You said, we are urged to repent of our sins.

[212] and live the gospel more fully.

[213] And this is good.

[214] We cannot change the past.

[215] Remember that.

[216] But we can focus our prayers and our sacrifices during Lent and always on making atonement for our sins and seeking spiritual reparation.

[217] Before you give you a comment, you made me think of Our Lady of Fatima when she said, souls are going to hell because no one is there to pray and make sacrifices for them.

[218] And so I think it's so powerful that my grandma, your grandma, little kids, five -year -old kids, can make reparation and atonement for sins of others.

[219] So we're all part into this.

[220] So the point of it is we all can participate in that evangelization of saving souls by picking up a pin, by offering it to God.

[221] And so Bishop Strickland, your comment about reparation and atonement is apropos.

[222] But tell me your thoughts on what made you do that today?

[223] Well, I think it's a very, we're living in a very sinful time where sin is rampant because too many don't even think sin exists.

[224] Don't agree that anything is a sin.

[225] And so in this state, and certainly even people that believe in sin are, there's a, there's a tendency to sort of excuse ourselves or to sort of say, well, not this sin or not my sin.

[226] So, many of the saints call us and many of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary urge us to make reparation and atonement.

[227] The divine mercy chaplain uses those words.

[228] We ask for the atonement of the sins of the world.

[229] For our own personal sins, hopefully more and more in the past for each of us as we strive to grow in holiness, but we remain sinners.

[230] and so to make reparation and atonement for our own sins.

[231] And like you said, I think it's St. Teresa, the little flower that said, picking up a pen.

[232] We can do anything that is good and maybe a little sacrifice or just maybe extending ourselves a little bit further, but we can do a lot of good with the intention that it's making reparation, that just the smallest thing of maybe in traffic, of always zooming ahead, letting that person in the lane ahead of you and taking a little more time.

[233] A simple little thing like that done in love is powerful.

[234] And that is a great reminder with all the darkness we see and all the headlines of terrible murders and shootings and the violence and the problems at the border.

[235] I mean, it's just overwhelming.

[236] We as people of faith need to remember the tiniest work of love can be powerful and can help change and help make hearts come closer to God.

[237] Well said, Bishop Sheen said, every action is like a blank check.

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

[239] We'll be back with more at the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[240] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[241] My name's Terry Barber with Virgin Most Powerful radio we've been going through different tweets of bishop strickland and in the next segment we're going to go right into the catechism of the catholic church bishop strickland you you get a tweet where he said i urge everyone to make a sincere and contrite confession before easter sunday then you said jesus is waiting to share his mercy there if only we repent and ask forgiveness please ask yourself what is stopping you and pray to overcome it if you celebrate confession often rejoice and pray.

[242] But that is a very heartwarming message that a bishop would give us.

[243] I'm going to say that I love hearing this from bishop telling us to get the confession because I like that more than having some of our church leadership telling us get the jab and they don't mention anything about getting our soul and purified with confession.

[244] It's like, you know, I've even seen some churches say that if you got the jab, you can go to confession, like scratching my head, said, what's that got to do with cleaning my soul up?

[245] I got to say Bishop Strickland, with all sincerity, thank you for asking me, Terry Barber, and all of you listeners, because I just went to confession before Easter.

[246] So I took your advice, and I want to encourage our listeners, get to confession before Easter.

[247] What prompted you to make that plea?

[248] Because it's not just a simple request.

[249] I'm reading this as a plea.

[250] Absolutely.

[251] Pleading, urging, Because Christ is willing to bring his healing ointment of mercy to every person.

[252] And so much that is broken in our world is due to sin.

[253] The more we can repent, the more one person can be holier, the better our world is.

[254] And especially what really inspired me to focus on that, is the second Sunday of Easter is divine mercy Sunday.

[255] Oh, yeah.

[256] Confession is the divine mercy sacrament.

[257] Yep.

[258] That is what people need to understand.

[259] And we both lived through a time when we were younger, many people were saying, oh, you don't have to go to confession that often.

[260] If you haven't killed anybody, you don't have to go to confession.

[261] I've never killed anybody.

[262] I'll tell you that.

[263] I've sinned, but I've never killed anyone.

[264] But I go to confession often and to not use this treasure that Christ has given us and that the church is the steward of, that opportunity to be forgiven your sins.

[265] I'm sure both of us have had that experience of it's just a whole new world.

[266] Absolutely.

[267] The weight is off your shoulders.

[268] If you're in a state of grace, then what do you have to fear?

[269] What do you have to really worry about?

[270] And I know it's easy to worry.

[271] It's easy to get caught up in the things that are problems in the world and in our lives.

[272] But I try to remind myself to if I'm doubtful, if I'm in the state of grace, go to confession.

[273] Make sure.

[274] Sometimes you know you're not and you know absolutely get to confession.

[275] Amen.

[276] And I'll tell you, As I was thinking about what keeps you from going to confession, even as a bishop, as a priest, as men, we believers can sometimes try to, you know, find excuses or, oh, it would be too embarrassing because that priest knows me or something.

[277] Get over it.

[278] Exactly.

[279] All of us need to get over it.

[280] I mean, as a bishop, I have a regular confessor, a priest that I trust.

[281] and it's a great blessing in my life to have that easily available.

[282] But sometimes that confessor's out of town or not available.

[283] And if I need to go to confession, I need to go to confession.

[284] Certainly, as a bishop, I need to also be prudent about it and not, you know, go to a priest that might, it might not be good for him to be put in that position.

[285] But so, you know, I do.

[286] have to be careful and most people don't have to worry about it but um i have that additional responsibility but i just would urge people between before divine mercy sunday yeah if you didn't quite make it for easter that that's the first goal post yeah but if you know for some reason and And especially in these days, I know, as I've tweeted before, get to confession.

[287] Thankfully, it's more available now.

[288] But in some places, it's still not available.

[289] Or like you said, you have to get a vaccine in order to be able to go to confession in some places.

[290] Don't let that stop you, even if I don't agree with some of those situations, but I can't control the world.

[291] But if you're in a position where it's even more challenging, you have to travel a little more, or it's harder to get to confession, don't let those obstacles.

[292] There's more grace in if you really have to work at it, and it's really an inconvenience, which it shouldn't be.

[293] But if it is, the graces of making the effort to find the Lord in the sacrament of confession.

[294] and I specifically put it that way because I've grown in my appreciation and understanding through my prayer before Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, he's really there.

[295] The Lord and Savior we celebrate during Holy Week is there, the one we hear the Passion Gospel about, the one that Pilate and spoke to.

[296] He's there in the tabernacle.

[297] Praying with him there inspires me to recognize me to recognize.

[298] recognize him in the sacrament of confession also in a different way, not in a physical substance like the Eucharist, but he's there.

[299] He's working through the priest.

[300] And even, I mean, the priest is a sinner, so he's a sinful instrument that is off, that the Lord is using.

[301] But pray for the priest, Even as you go to confession, pray for the priest to be the purest conduit of the grace and mercy of God through Jesus Christ that he possibly can be.

[302] And I know that the Lord has used me in confession, not because I'm smart or talented or anything, but the Lord uses his priest, especially in the sacraments, especially in confession.

[303] I've given advice to people that I didn't even remember giving, but they've told me later how much that helped and how much they appreciated it.

[304] The Lord, and we need to pray for the priest to have hearts open to be those instruments of the Lord's mercy and focusing on Divine Mercy Sunday as a special gift of that grace of confession.

[305] Well, said, Bishop Strickland, every Thursday here, at the Sacred Heart Chapel here at Virgin Most Powerful.

[306] We pray for priests, bishops, and the Holy Father because of the institution of the Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday, which we're going to be celebrating this Thursday and the institution of the priesthood.

[307] So any of the listeners in Southern California want to join us from seven to nine, we pray our hearts out for our priests.

[308] And I think they appreciate at least the ones I talk to.

[309] They go, hey, we need your prayers.

[310] I said, well, father hey bishop we count on us we're praying for you uh bishop strickland the last uh the quote that i want or tweet that you did i i read i call him saint pope leal the 13th because everything i've read by pope leal the 13th it has been just powerful uh from what i've you know read about and you quoted him from an encyclical where you said that if anyone who diligently examines the causes of evil of our day He will find that they arise from this, that a charity towards God has grown cold, the mutual charity of men among themselves also cooled.

[311] Now, this was in the 1890s, but it seems to me that he's nailing it, Bishop Strickland.

[312] Yeah.

[313] And I'm glad you brought that up because the broader context of that is that he was speaking about the power of the Eucharist.

[314] the power of the presence of Jesus Christ.

[315] And when we forget that presence and the power of His goodness, it's easy for evil to invade our world and invade our lives.

[316] The greatest remedy we have to the pandemic, to the violence in our society, to everything is to turn to Jesus Christ.

[317] And he's really present.

[318] That was the context of what Pope Leo the 13th was speaking about.

[319] Like you said, it sounds again like Archbishop Sheen.

[320] They could be speaking today in what we're seeing in the headlines and experiencing every day in the world today.

[321] Very long ago, the same truth of good versus evil was present in the world.

[322] And I think it's a consolation and a reminder.

[323] Yes, these are evil times in a lot of ways.

[324] But the time when Christ died on the cross was an evil time.

[325] The religious leaders and the civic leaders both joined up to destroy the son of God.

[326] They thought they did kill him.

[327] He really died.

[328] But obviously, they didn't destroy him.

[329] And he rose from the dead.

[330] and manifest his power more than ever before after his resurrection.

[331] So, yes, evil is real, evil is powerful, we're tempted to embrace it, and with our sin we do, but we can repent and embrace the goodness all the more clearly and powerfully ourselves when we recognize that how evil sin is and how insidious.

[332] it is for the world that we live in.

[333] Well, said, Bishop Strickland, one other quote that you mentioned.

[334] It's the title of our show.

[335] Enough with silence in the face of evil.

[336] You said that our Lord Jesus set his face like Flint and entered into his passion in obedience to his father.

[337] We must do the same if we wish to be his disciples.

[338] And then you said, enough with compromises.

[339] Oh, enough with silence in the face of evil.

[340] Enough twisting of God's word.

[341] Let us set our face like fit.

[342] man those are marching orders tell me about that well i was inspired by the readings for palm sunday um that phrase is used in the isaiah passage that we heard on palm sunday um and it's speaking of christ really uh isaiah so often is foreshadowing the messiah and to set your face face like flint means a determined strong effort to live in life Amen.

[343] We'll be back with the Catechism of the Catholic Church on Virgin.

[344] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[345] This is the segment that we take the catechism of the Catholic Church and have Bishop teach us the basic teachings of the faith.

[346] And I want to encourage everybody to get a catechism because this is such a valuable tool in this time of, let's just say, confusion.

[347] This should be reassuring for all of us just to study our faith.

[348] I'm at Article 1 where it says, I believe, this is paragraph 144 so if you open up your catechism to paragraph 144 its headline is the obedience of faith and it says to obey is from the Latin word to hear or listen and faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard because its truth is guaranteed by God who is truth itself Abraham is the model of such obedience offered us by sacred scripture.

[349] The Virgin Mary is the most perfect embodiment of this.

[350] And Bishop Strickland, it comes to my mind that there are some priests who say, I realize what the scriptures say about certain moral issues, but I just don't happen to agree with it.

[351] And you talk about arrogance, but I've heard that from priests dressed like you, and I'm thinking to myself, you know, the church doesn't teach that.

[352] We don't have an option to say, well, this part of it, of the Bible.

[353] You know, I read it, but, you know, I don't embrace that.

[354] So I'm going to do what St. John Paul too said.

[355] You can't be a cafeteria, Catholic, and pick things in the Bible that you agree with and things that you don't agree with.

[356] So am I on to something here, Bishop Strickland?

[357] Absolutely.

[358] And what I'm reminded of is what we talked about before.

[359] Christ is present in all of Scripture.

[360] It's, I think I've said before, it's like it's his written code.

[361] Yeah.

[362] You know, the computer world, all of the great programs and all the things that a computer does, it's a code written that the computer is following.

[363] The Word of God is the Word of God is the written code of the incarnate word Jesus Christ.

[364] And I mentioned that because deleting, as he says himself, not one jot or tittle, not one tiny dot.

[365] I mean, those were actual parts of the written scriptures for the Hebrews.

[366] Actually, little marks like a comma or a period, we would say.

[367] But But when Christ says, you can't eliminate even the smallest part of a letter of the Word of God, he's referring to himself.

[368] And I think there's a beautiful inspiration in that to, if we reverence the body of Christ in the Eucharist, which we do, we should reverence the body of Christ in the Word of God as well.

[369] and to start dissecting it is the opposite of reverence.

[370] We have to embrace those hard sayings that we may not understand.

[371] We have to embrace them as part of the body of our loving Lord and pray that we can grow in a fuller understanding.

[372] It's all love.

[373] He is love incarnate.

[374] Sometimes it doesn't sound like.

[375] love to us in our small limited worldview but the scripture is all love is all mercy is all everything that Christ is because it is Christ and I think that that hopefully inspires all of us to to hold the sacred scriptures as very sacred because they are another way that we in our human weakness can experience the very present of the divine son of God.

[376] Well said Bishop Strickland.

[377] During the pandemic, I was encouraging people who were very sad that they couldn't make visits to their church because of the COVID -19.

[378] Their churches were closed.

[379] What I encouraged them is to get their Bible and make their holy hour, make their visit with the Word of God.

[380] And I just, that was the advice I gave because I got that from another priest who said, make your holy hour with the Word of God.

[381] Absolutely.

[382] that's beautiful yeah it is it makes sense to me the priest gave me a good idea okay let's go to paragraph 145 abraham father of all who believe in the letter of hebrews in a great eulogy of faith of the israel's ancestors lay special emphasis on abraham's faith by faith abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive an inheritance.

[383] And he went out, not knowing where he was going, not was to go, but by faith he lived as a stranger and a pilgrim in this promised land.

[384] By faith, Sarah was given to conceive the son of the promise.

[385] And by faith, Abraham offered his only son in sacrifice.

[386] Go ahead and share how important faith is for all of us.

[387] Boy, that was amazing.

[388] Yeah, it, um, Wow.

[389] Abraham is called the father of faith, and we can see why.

[390] I mean, as this short paragraph really captures so many of the experiences of Abraham that were about faith.

[391] And of course, we all know the willingness, as it mentions at the very end, and by faith, Abraham offered his only son in sacrifice.

[392] Abraham didn't know that God would stay the hand, an angel would stop him from taking the life of Isaac.

[393] Right.

[394] And so that faith should inspire all of us.

[395] And as the earlier paragraph mentioned, the Virgin Mary, the imperfect embodiment of obedience, she's also that perfect embodiment of faith following in the tradition of Father Abraham.

[396] well said catechism gives it all it says it so succinctly i love this comment it's right from the bible um abraham thus fulfills the definition of faith in hebrews chapter 11 verse 1 this is paragraph 146 here's here's the cash value i love this faith is the assurance of things hope for and the conviction things not seen abraham believed god and it was reckoned to him as righteousness because he was strong in his faith Abraham became the father of all who believe.

[397] Bishop Strickland this paragraph makes me think of what a good priest, I keep saying a good priest, I was some blessed to have good priests in my life.

[398] He said Terry, every day ask Jesus Christ for stronger faith and your faith will grow.

[399] And this is what I'm reading right here.

[400] Am I on to something?

[401] Absolutely.

[402] And Abraham is part of that heritage of believers that Christ blesses in the life of the church now.

[403] And we all need deeper faith.

[404] We need to, and that comes from working at it.

[405] I think that that's one thing that I'm reminded of as you're talking about reading scripture.

[406] We absolutely need to continue to read scripture and to understand it more deeply.

[407] To study it.

[408] it and to really approach scripture as word of God that we do believe.

[409] One of the beautiful prayers is, Lord, I do believe, help my unbelief.

[410] Amen.

[411] Because that in humility, admits that we can all grow in a deeper faith.

[412] Yeah.

[413] Well said.

[414] Well said.

[415] Yeah, I love it.

[416] Bishop Strickland, paragraph.

[417] 147, this is what Dr. Hahn taught me in his classes that I recorded about the Old Testament that he did typologies of Christ in the Old Testament.

[418] And he said to me and to all his students, he said, if you don't understand the Old Testament, the New Testament you'll miss so much.

[419] And here's a paragraph 147 that says, the Old Testament is rich in the witnesses of this faith.

[420] The letter to the Hebrews proclaims a theology of exemplary faith.

[421] of its ancestors who received divine approval.

[422] Yet God had foreseen something better for us, the grace of believing in his son, Jesus.

[423] And this is a nice way of saying, and I've never read this.

[424] The pioneer and perfector of our faith.

[425] The pioneer and perfector of our faith.

[426] Wow.

[427] They connect the two, don't they?

[428] The old and the new.

[429] Yeah, absolutely.

[430] And once again, remembering that it's it's all about Jesus Christ it's all about the son of God wow well Bishop Strickland I go on to I'm going to see if you get one more quick note about our blessed mother and because she is she's the one who believed she was the first follower of Jesus says that paragraph 148 the Virgin Mary most perfectly embodies the obedience of faith that's why she's the role model by faith Mary welcomes the tidings and promise brought by an angel Gabriel believing that with God nothing can be impossible and so giving her assent behold I am the handmaid of the Lord let it be done on to me according to your word Elizabeth greeted her blessed is she who received that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord it is for this faith that all generations had called Mary blessed I goodness that is so beautiful that's why we have devotion to Mary it's crystal centric.

[431] Absolutely.

[432] She's always about Christ, and she believed.

[433] She is the, as it says, I mean, the catechism says it better than I can.

[434] She is that embodiment of what faith is.

[435] And she says yes to the will of God.

[436] She had free will.

[437] She had the choice.

[438] And she chose to say yes to God.

[439] So we need to look to Mary and to really be strengthened by her example, just like as we were talking about with Abraham and so many of the saints that really remind us, we can do this.

[440] We can grow in faith, turn from sin, live holier lives, and that's what we're called to.

[441] Yep.

[442] And you know what?

[443] our lay people are called to sanctify the temporal order.

[444] That's what Vatican 2 says to us lay people.

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

[446] Sure.

[447] The Lord be with you.

[448] And with your spirit.

[449] Almighty God, we ask your blessing for all who listen to this program that they may be drawn closer to you and inspired to learn more about their faith, to study the scriptures more, the catechism, and to come to know your son and all.

[450] all of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and penance in deeper ways.

[451] And we ask this blessing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[452] Amen.

[453] Thank you again, Bishop Strickland.

[454] For those who are our first time YouTube listeners like us, and you'll be getting notices about the show each week.

[455] And go back to Virgin Most Powerful Radio, and this podcast will be available anytime.

[456] And don't forget, Bishop Sheens, the five last words on the cross, will be broadcast good Friday and after.

[457] You can hear Bishop Sheen talk about the Easter Tritium here at Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[458] Bishop Strickland, thanks again for taking the time to teach us about how to fall deep in love with Jesus Christ and his church.

[459] May God bless us all and hope you have a great Easter Tritium coming up.

[460] And may God bless you and we'll see you next week here on Virgin Most Powerful radio on the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[461] God love you.

[462] Thanks, Terry.