22 Aug 23 – The Best Way I Can Support Pope Francis

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

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

[2] Each week we have a conversation about what?

[3] About the person of Jesus Christ and how to fall in love with him.

[4] Bishop Strickland, thanks again for joining us with this hour of power.

[5] Thanks, Terry.

[6] I'd love you.

[7] I had some iced tea for lunch, so look out.

[8] I'm fired up today.

[9] Bishop Strickland, every time you tweet scripture, please keep it up because we need to hear scripture all the time.

[10] You tweeted 1 Peter chapter 5 and I just will read it and it's very edifying to read this because we apply this to our own life and the time we're living in and it's like wow it just speaks to us.

[11] It says in your relations with one another clothe yourselves with humility because God is stern with the arrogant but to the humble he shows kindness bow humbly under God's mighty hand so that in due time he may lift you high cast all your cares on him tell me why you did i wow what a great tweet did it hit you like it hit me absolutely that's why i sent it and you know i'm the first to acknowledge that i need to constantly cultivate a deeper humility because really it's the joy of living the way of Christ because no human being and of course he's God as well but Jesus gives us the perfect model of humility there's no none of us can match the humility of the son of God starting his human existence in the womb of a woman just like us we didn't choose by God's grace we all came to be.

[12] But God chose to come like us.

[13] And that humility, we just have to keep returning to a deeper humility.

[14] The litany of humility is, I think, one of the most important prayers for me and for all of us.

[15] Because what's going on in the world?

[16] Arrogance and ignoring God and The acting, really acting as if we're God in creating idols that we've created, just like you read about in pagan cultures or in the Old Testament.

[17] The people of Israel created idols sometimes, but thankfully they woke up and returned to the one true God.

[18] That's humility.

[19] That's what we need.

[20] I have to say that I saw a little bit of a connection with this scripture about obedience to truth.

[21] how our Lord was obedient to the Father, even dying on the cross.

[22] And it seems to me that humility many times is say, you know, I'm wrong.

[23] The Bible is right.

[24] Because we have people in the church.

[25] I don't need to name them.

[26] But they're saying it's arrogance to say the Bible is wrong on homosexuality.

[27] It's okay.

[28] And I pray for their conversion because that's not humility.

[29] That's arrogance.

[30] And I think that this particular scripture verse, made me realize, you know, I'm not God.

[31] I'm just a human being trying to follow him in a way that's ordinary in the sense of my life as a married man. You're a bishop.

[32] You've got to fulfill your duties in your state and life, so do I. And with humility and knowing that any good that we do comes from God, we thank him for it.

[33] So thank you for that scripture verse.

[34] If you look at humility there, it's literally, comes from words rooted in the earth, rooted in truth.

[35] And part of the arrogance that we're saying, like saying, oh, well, we can change what the church has said for centuries upon centuries.

[36] Way.

[37] None of us, I mean, we're both in our 60s.

[38] Yes, we are.

[39] Some of the people promoting these things are in their 80s.

[40] But 80 years, 60 years, as Scripture says.

[41] It's nothing compared to God.

[42] And it's a drop in the bucket compared to the ancient Catholic faith that we are blessed to embrace.

[43] Centuries and centuries, generations upon generations of people have been guided by this truth.

[44] And in that context, the arrogance of saying, oh, we're going to change it.

[45] We've found out, we've learned a better plan.

[46] Yeah.

[47] No, the scriptures say very clearly that God has revealed his truth to us.

[48] Yes, we can come to both of us.

[49] I'll be the first in line to say, yes, my understanding of the truth needs to deepen and grow richer.

[50] But it doesn't change.

[51] We don't change the truth.

[52] The truth changes.

[53] It's the ultimate arrogance to say, oh, I don't agree with this scripture passage.

[54] I think it needs to change, or the catechism needs to change, which basically is the church's understanding of scripture through the ages guided by the Holy Spirit.

[55] We just celebrated the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

[56] In a lot of, I mean, a very non -Catholic area, people say, oh, the Catholic Church has made this up.

[57] It's not in the Bible.

[58] But the faith of the people, the understanding of the wondrous position of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the God's plan of salvation, people always knew that Mary left this life in a very special way, just as she came into this life in the Immaculate Conception, in a unique protected from sin way.

[59] And so when the Pope finally said, we are making this a dogma of the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it was basically just codifying what the church had believed for hundreds and hundreds of years.

[60] That's right.

[61] It wasn't inventing some new truth.

[62] It wasn't changing a truth.

[63] It was in harmony with what people had believed ever since people had actually known the Blessed Virgin Mary like the apostles.

[64] Well said, and I saw something in my Roman missile that I thought was appropriate for the assumption.

[65] And I just thought that this was a very beautiful teaching from the catechism, paragraph 966.

[66] It says, finally, the Immaculate Virgin preserved free from all stain of original sin when the course of her earthly life was finished was taken up body and soul into the heavenly glory exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things so that she might be more fully conformed to her son, the Lord of Lords and the conqueror of sin and death the assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her son's resurrection and the anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians.

[67] It says in giving birth you kept your virgin in your dormition.

[68] You did not leave the world, O mother of God, but we were joined to the source of life.

[69] You conceived the living God, and by your prayers, we deliver our souls from death.

[70] That's right from the catechism of the Catholic Church, and I just had to share that since you brought up the assumption.

[71] So thank you for that.

[72] Bishop Strickland, you've been tweeting a lot over the year since I started about the Eucharist, Our Lady, defending life.

[73] And you quote a deacon Deacon Nick, and you said, read this article or a tweet, you said, you need to remember Mother Angelica's secret.

[74] And what it was was devotion to the Blessed Sacrament in imitation of her patron of St. Clair because she's a Franciscan.

[75] That's what nourished Mother Angelica's success was the perpetual adoration at the convent.

[76] I mean, can you imagine, you know, Mother Angelica getting the largest TV network in the world and having cloistered nuns who spent time before the Blessed Sacrament that speaks volumes and then I want to get your take on this because you quoted St. Maximian Colby who we just celebrated on the 14th he said Eucharistic Adoration is the greatest power in the universe capable of transforming us and changing the face of the world Bishop Strickland now I get it you're just mimicking holy people well that's what we need to do Again, the truth isn't being invented in our time.

[77] These people live the truth faithfully.

[78] We celebrate the saints because through the ages, they give beautiful examples of how you successfully live the way of Christ.

[79] And they had their struggles.

[80] They had their difficulties, but they stayed faithful.

[81] That's what saints are about.

[82] So, yeah, and I know both of us can.

[83] say the same thing.

[84] I know I will say that I'm given the strength and the clarity who speak truth by prayer with the Lord.

[85] It only makes sense.

[86] He is truth incarnate.

[87] He's really there.

[88] I love to speak of his Eucharistic face.

[89] We don't humanly experience.

[90] We don't see him.

[91] We don't hear him.

[92] I don't.

[93] But we know he's there.

[94] That's right.

[95] And we know that he is strengthening us.

[96] And really, a lot of the insights I have, I believe, come from, because I'm reading the same scripture passages that I've read for 64, well, probably about 58 years.

[97] I didn't, I wasn't born knowing how to read, but I learned how to read.

[98] But we both read these same scripture passages.

[99] And by the grace of God.

[100] that flows from God, the Son of God, in the Eucharist.

[101] I have a deeper understanding of all the mysteries and the truth that has been before me. Always, that's what we have to do is grow in wisdom, growing at recognizing how this truth heals us and challenges us to turn from sin and to live the truth of the gospel.

[102] It's every day repeating that process of growing in grace and doing our best to overcome sin, which is still something that I have to battle with all the time.

[103] Can I tell you, I went to confession on Monday.

[104] I experienced the mercy of God in a real way, and I encourage everyone to have frequent confession.

[105] It's good for the soul.

[106] When we come back, Bishop Strickland, it's the Eucharist, Our Lady, and Pro Life.

[107] It's a contestant theme.

[108] We come back, we're going to talk about the defending young war.

[109] Stay with us, family.

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

[111] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[112] I want to remind everybody, you can join Bishop Strickland in his diocese of Tyler September 1st and September 2nd.

[113] I'm going to be coming out to this event.

[114] It's called Defending Our Faith Conference put on by lay people, lay organizations like Virgin Most Powerful.

[115] We just want to share the faith, show people the beauty of our faith, and encourage people to defend the truth that's been passed on to us from the beginning.

[116] So you can register by going to vmpr .org or just, you know, go online and register with your app or go to the website.

[117] Bishop Strickland, I say it every week.

[118] We have themes, Our Lady, the Eucharist, the, we call it Depositive Faith.

[119] We call it the perennial teachings of the church.

[120] We're constantly going to those topics.

[121] and I think out of love for souls you quote you challenge people as high as the president of the United States who happens to be a baptized Catholic and then shares your first name Joe Biden well he's a Catholic but he's hell bent on putting legislation through to kill unborn babies for example you were at Ohio he just came out and did a victory lap saying well that's great Ohio picked the right did the right thing and making more restrictions and they kill babies.

[122] And you put out a tweet saying his celebration of the murder of children in abortion are a devastation for him and for our nation.

[123] Now, I just want to understand your concern for his salvation.

[124] Don't you want to see Joe Biden get to heaven?

[125] I sure do.

[126] Absolutely.

[127] And like we've said so many times, Terry.

[128] The greatest kindness, the greatest mercy and compassion is to share the truth.

[129] Amen.

[130] Joe Biden needs to know the truth of the sanctity of the lives of the children that he's promoting the murder of.

[131] I would really hate to be in his shoes.

[132] Yes.

[133] Whatever has caused him to ignore the truth or to compromise the truth, I mean, speak of him, okay, he's the leader of the free world, has the most important job in the world.

[134] Who cares?

[135] If he ends up damned for eternity, he can parade around hell saying, oh, I was president of the United States.

[136] Big deal.

[137] That is not what life is about.

[138] And he seems to, It's frustrating, Terry, because absolutely we should pray for our president.

[139] We should pray for all of our leaders.

[140] Many of them are supporting him in this quest.

[141] As you said, it's a perfect word, hell bent to murder children and to make it the law of the land, no matter what.

[142] And hell bent is what the reality is.

[143] it's just so sad because, you know, the gift of the human life is our greatest treasure.

[144] And as I was talking to a group of young people just recently, to realize that every child conceived is God once again giving the tremendous potential.

[145] Look at all the good that one person can do.

[146] Look at the saints, St. Maximilian Colby.

[147] He didn't just die a saint.

[148] He lived as a saint.

[149] He communicated, he shared the militia immaculata, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

[150] Love it.

[151] I'm a member.

[152] He just did so many good things.

[153] Look what one person can accomplish.

[154] And you can go through history.

[155] People of faith or people who maybe didn't have.

[156] have a lot of faith, but did good because ultimately, even just by instinct, they knew God as our creator.

[157] They knew that God is the Lord of truth, and they cooperated with that.

[158] Human beings can do great things by the grace of God, because we come from God.

[159] We're in his image and likeness.

[160] So the value of the human person and those that Joe Biden is promoting the, the murder of it's just a devastation for humanity yes we have to keep i know that both of us are tireless and speaking for the sanctity of the life of the unborn yeah but we need to be we need to keep repeating the message until those who are on the path of the false message of murder and destruction of human life till they finally wake up bishop strickland i'm going to throw you a curveball.

[161] Yep, here it comes.

[162] The news about a gentleman who was drinking and using drugs, a drunk driver, he killed four of the seven Lebanese children of a family out in Australia.

[163] And obviously he was put in prison for killing those kids.

[164] While he was in prison, the father and mother of those children that he killed actually forgave him.

[165] for killing the children.

[166] The Maronite priest in, as a chaplain for the prison, tells the story that this man, who was a Catholic, no, no, it wasn't a Catholic, I'm sorry, was not a Catholic, was nothing, he had no religion.

[167] But the power, the hidden power of forgiveness, that gentleman in the prison went to the chaplain, who was a Catholic Maronite priest, and said, I want to take instructions to become a Catholic and he said, well, why?

[168] He said, I want what they have.

[169] They forgave me. That's beautiful.

[170] Yeah, have you heard that story?

[171] No, I haven't.

[172] They will know we are Christians by our love.

[173] And those parents loving enough to forgive him that opened his heart to the grace of faith.

[174] What a beautiful story.

[175] Yeah, I had to share that one.

[176] And we need to be, It's a great reminder, Terry, that for all of us, thankfully, we all know if, as believers, as long as we're breathing, as long as we're doing our best, you said you just went to confession.

[177] We both go to confession often.

[178] Often.

[179] As long as we are, we have life in us.

[180] Yes.

[181] We have the opportunity to turn further and further from sin and to live God.

[182] grace more deeply.

[183] And we need to remember with, you know, if we could name a person as the most evil in our world to remember God loves them and that God offers the opportunity for their salvation, just as he does to us.

[184] We know that we're blessed in living a path in Christ even now the best we can we fail of course i'm a sinner but the real joy in life is even with failings and stumbling and doing stupid things as i do you continue to try to correct yourself try to listen to god's word into the teachings of our faith and turn from sin more fully live the grace more deeply.

[185] That's the path of joy, even in this life.

[186] We're never going to have heaven on earth.

[187] We're not meant to.

[188] But the joy of living in this world is to follow the path of God's will and to follow the path to ultimately salvation and living in eternity with God.

[189] that is offered to the person who is, and thankfully it happens.

[190] Yes, it does.

[191] The vowed atheist, the person who embraces Satan as their Lord can be converted.

[192] And that's where we have to pray for the person that we may be most frustrated with and most angry with.

[193] We've got to be those loving members of the body of Christ to work.

[194] for the truth and to fight the false messages, but to always remember, like we've said many times before, we're never finding people.

[195] People are God's children, whether they know it or not or want to be or not, every person is beloved of God.

[196] That's why we need to work for greater justice.

[197] We need to work for those who have no decent housing and have no decent work and are not getting decent food and shelter.

[198] We need to work for all of those things because we are all sacred children of God.

[199] What is Saint, what does Jesus say to St. Paul?

[200] Why are you persecuting me?

[201] Yeah.

[202] He doesn't say, why are you persecuting those people?

[203] He says, Paul, Saul, at that point, why are you persecuting me?

[204] And it's a great reminder to all of us that Christ is present.

[205] in every person, and when we deny the value of a person in the world or in any stage along the journey of human life, when we deny the value of that person, we're denying the value of Christ themselves.

[206] That's a reminder that I need, that all of us need, and that when we get into conflicts or when we get angry, or when we see someone perpetrating atrocities, which sadly we do.

[207] We need to pray for that person and recognize that they are beloved of God and that the best power is the love of God and his truth.

[208] Well, said, I think of a friend of mine who I met years ago, Dr. Bernard Nathanson, as a matter of fact, I was arrested at an abortion clinic.

[209] He was my jail cell person for a while, and he was a Jewish doctor who performed over 70 ,000 abortions in New York.

[210] He started the movement for abortion in 1969 and had a massive conversion to the Catholic faith.

[211] And I think of that, people were praying for him for years, and I think the same thing that happened to President Joe Biden.

[212] I really do.

[213] In one sense it should happen even easier because he's baptized.

[214] And what I mean by that, he has been given life through baptism, and there is grace in his soul that a non -capital Catholic doesn't have.

[215] So I would say let's continue to pray for President Joe Biden that he will come to a knowledge of the truth about the sacredness of life.

[216] And we'll just leave it at that because we, you know, we're not in management.

[217] We're in sales.

[218] We're going to pray for everyone.

[219] But he has such a responsibility for the unborn that maybe is even, well, yeah, it's more, his title as the president, he's going to be held to a higher degree of accountability, just like you are as a bishop and me as a radio host.

[220] So there you go.

[221] Bishop Strickland, when we come back from the break, and I just want to mention something again, you're going to be at a conference in Tyler, Texas.

[222] It's called Defending Our Faith Conference.

[223] You're giving a keynote address titled Proclaiming the Apostolic Faith with Clarity and boldness.

[224] We're going to have Mother Merriam, a very good friend of mine.

[225] Just a wonderful nun.

[226] She's going to be speaking.

[227] Dr. Smith will be there.

[228] She's written so much on Himani Vite.

[229] She's a great Janet Smith's a great woman.

[230] We're going to have an exorcist there.

[231] I'm going to be the master's ceremonies.

[232] I'd love to see everybody there.

[233] Just go to VMPR, Virgin Most Powerful Radio's website.

[234] Click on the link to get yourself registered.

[235] Here, it's only $60 for two days' worth of conferences, Friday evening and all day Saturday.

[236] Go to Virgin Most Powerful Radio .org's website, register.

[237] I hope to see you there in Tyler, Texas.

[238] When we come back, more scripture.

[239] Stay with us, family.

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

[241] Welcome back.

[242] Indeed, Terry Barber here with Virgin Most Powerful.

[243] We're talking about some tweets from Bishop Strickland.

[244] And I like the one that you did on Acts chapter 4th.

[245] 4 verse 18 and I'll tell you why it says this and think about this in our time of history right now so they called them back and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus that was the folks that didn't want to hear about Jesus Christ and they told the early followers to zip their lip and be quiet and I think sometimes even in the church right now I've been told to zip it.

[246] Don't say, don't talk like this.

[247] You're going to rock the boat.

[248] You're going to make people uncomfortable.

[249] And I'm saying, wait a minute, time out.

[250] That's not what our Lord did.

[251] He taught the truth.

[252] And even on John 6th, when he was teaching on the Holy Eucharist and the people were going to leave him.

[253] And he said, no, I'm not going to, I meant what I said.

[254] I'm not going to compromise.

[255] I was just a symbol.

[256] And then he looks at the apostles and said, what are you going to do?

[257] And they say, you have the words of eternal life.

[258] I'm going to go with you.

[259] that's what I want to do.

[260] I want to go with Jesus Christ, even if some people in the church are going to tell me to be quiet.

[261] I will not be quiet.

[262] Am I on to something, Bishop Strickland?

[263] Absolutely.

[264] And that's the parallel that I see with too much of a tendency to say, oh, that's going to disrupt things or that's going to, it's too political or whatever, whatever way of deflecting it and saying, oh, quit talking about these things.

[265] We've got to continue.

[266] It's the joy of the human journey to know Jesus Christ.

[267] That's why he came to save us.

[268] And so we have to continue to share his message with clarity and charity and being careful to do it with humility.

[269] It's not my truth.

[270] It's not your truth.

[271] We didn't invent it.

[272] We're sharing the pearl of great prize.

[273] We're sharing the treasure.

[274] And to be told not to share it, the the apostles give us a great model they joyfully and they they rejoiced in the persecution they received in the name of Jesus and we have to have the same attitude yeah we don't seek out persecution but if it comes because we're speaking the truth of Jesus Christ then so be it yeah I agree and you know I'm a I'm a member of the Knights of the Immaculata so talking about St. Max me and Colby is right up my alley, and you quoted him about Eucharistic adoration as being the greatest power in the universe.

[275] We quoted that.

[276] But he also has something very interesting to say about obedience.

[277] And I have people call me about this.

[278] And before I read the quote, I had a friend at the seminary, and I won't say which seminary, but it was a seminarian.

[279] And he called and said, do I have to obey my rector?

[280] He's asking me to go watch movies that are hardcore pornography and their reasoning was you need to understand what the public is watching so that as a priest you can give him advice.

[281] And he was very uncomfortable and I told him Bishop Strickland, I'm not in management, I'm in sales, but I said, listen, that's a order that you need to reject totally.

[282] and you tell him to his face that you're not going to obey that because that's not a legitimate demand that's going to be in union with the will of God.

[283] So that's basically what I said.

[284] Now, I got this from St. Maximine Colby, and then I see you quoting him.

[285] It was in a book called Maria was his middle name.

[286] So here's the quote.

[287] It is impossible for us to be mistaken in obeying a superior's command.

[288] Right.

[289] The only exception to this rule is the case of a superior commanding something that is even the slightest way would contravene God's law.

[290] Such a superior would not be conveying God's will.

[291] Now, I'll give you another example, then I'm going to throw it to you.

[292] I'm a father.

[293] If I told my kids to do something objectively, morally wrong, the kids say, dad, with all due respect, I love you, but what you're telling me to do is against God's will, and I reject it.

[294] Am I on to something?

[295] Absolutely.

[296] And it applies in small things.

[297] It applies in large things.

[298] And one thing that, as we were talking before, we started recording this afternoon, that, you know, St. Thomas Aquinas, as usual, gives a beautiful explication on the nuances of obesity.

[299] and the different categories of obedience.

[300] And one of the things that is pointed out is when, yes, as St. Maximilian says, of course, we are to be obedient to our superiors.

[301] Ultimately, all obedience is due to God.

[302] And in a right -ordered church and world, the obedience that is due to God are superior.

[303] is following that same obedience.

[304] And so you're safe and saying, and if it's a matter of prudential judgment and not something that has to do with anything that is contrary, as he says, contravening God's law, then you humbly obey.

[305] If that seminarian was told by his rector that you've got to stay up and pray until midnight, you might say, I need more sleep than that, but you humbly obey.

[306] But one thing that, as you read St. Thomas, it's important always to still be respectful toward your superior, to pray for them, and to disobey if you have to, because they're asking you to do something that is contrary to God's law, even doing that, even in that to do it with great clarity and charity, to do it peacefully, and to do it in a spirit of prayerful concern for the superior, and praying that they will come to see, hey, I'm not, I'm asking something that is not appropriate, that may even be sinful.

[307] Right.

[308] You're a superior in your family, you're a dad, and you've got to tell your children, it's your responsibility to guide them in the truth that God is revealed to us.

[309] It's my responsibility as a bishop who priests take a vow and deacons, a vow to be respectful and obedient to me as their bishop.

[310] That's a huge responsibility on my shoulder to make sure that anything I'm requiring of the priest and deacons that work with me is according to God's law and truth.

[311] It's a huge responsibility, but for those, the superiors that each of us look to, we've got to have respect and obedience, but the obedience issue when as St. Maximilian says it so well and so simply, if it's contravening God's law, then you can't be obedient to that.

[312] That's right.

[313] Just like, and your example was great, of just your children.

[314] If you ask your children to do something immoral, it's their responsibility to say, Dad, something's up.

[315] You're making a mistake.

[316] But I can't obey you in doing something that is clearly immoral.

[317] Yeah.

[318] I get it.

[319] And all of the priests, you mentioned years ago, I can remember when, but that every Catholic priest makes a promise to proclaim the deposit of faith.

[320] I think you were ordained in 1985.

[321] Yeah.

[322] And you actually quoted the statements that you would state in front of everyone.

[323] It was like me giving my witness as a married man that I'm going to be faithful to my state in life as a married man to my wife.

[324] And now, so my question to you is, you know, this is something that I believe, out of charity, we will, I mean, I meet a priest or some clergyman, whether it's a deacon, and he's doing something that's contrary to the deposit of faith, I gently, I don't yell at him, but I say, Father, what you're teaching is contrary.

[325] Here's the catechism.

[326] Here's what the church teaches.

[327] You made a promise.

[328] can you please keep your promise?

[329] I want to see you get to heaven because if I don't keep my promise at the altar for my wife, I ain't going to heaven.

[330] And it applies to you the promises you make at the altar.

[331] So it's a very simple, maybe it's oversimplified Bishop Strickland, you know, to say that what I just said, but you get the message, right?

[332] Yeah.

[333] And really, Terry, I don't think it is oversimplified.

[334] I think we overcomplicate things in order to find some way to get around just, simply living the truth.

[335] And when we fail, as I do, as you do, when we sin, we confess, Father, forgive me, I've sinned.

[336] I'll do my best to amend that sinfulness, to have a firm purpose of amendment, to change my life.

[337] And thankfully, God is patient.

[338] You read the stories of the people of Israel.

[339] I'm reading the Bible in a year right now.

[340] And it's a wonderfully enriching day -by -day journey.

[341] I'm in the book of Esther right now.

[342] Wonderful story of Esther and her fidelity.

[343] And just before that is the book of Judith.

[344] But we're the same people as the people of the Bible.

[345] We need to remember that.

[346] They're not some other category of humanity.

[347] They're just us.

[348] And we're called, that's why we have the stories in scripture, sometimes examples of great infidelity and great sinfulness to remind us, but also stories of great faithfulness like Abraham and Moses.

[349] They weren't perfect, but they ultimately lived fidelity to God's truth.

[350] That's the thing we're called to as well.

[351] That's right.

[352] however many thousands of years later it is, the same truth is there.

[353] I think if there's nothing new under the sun, the more things change, the more things are the same, whether it's Israel or the church here in America.

[354] When we come back from the break, Bishop Strickland, you gave some great comments about how we can support the Holy Father, the Cardinals, the bishops, the priests with our prayers, and how that fits in to today's church and we'll get to that when we come back but I don't want to remind everybody just the 30 seconds I have to consider coming to Tyler, Texas you might move there someday I have a lot of my friends that have moved to Tyler there's a defending the faith conference in Texas here can I come up with September 1 and 2 you're welcome to go to our website to register at Virgin Most Powerful Radio .org and it's only $60 for Friday night and all day Saturday.

[355] It'll be Holy Mass. I hope they have confessions that are going to be going on because that's the biggest fruit of the conference, people encountering Jesus Christ.

[356] Stay with us, family.

[357] We're going to come right back with much more on the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[358] On Virgin, it's powerful reading.

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

[360] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[361] I mentioned that we are here to support the Holy Father.

[362] We're here to support the Magisterium of the Church.

[363] But if something isn't being done in line with the deposit of faith, I think the best way, from what I can see, is to say, no, I can't do certain things if it's not consistent, and we will pray for that.

[364] So in the Vatican today, there's many people, whether it's Father Charles, a father of James Martin, who tries to say that homosexuality is okay.

[365] So we can't accept that, even if he's a Vatican official.

[366] and I like what your tweet said and I know I'm going to get you in a little trouble but what you're saying is absolutely true there's nothing wrong with this.

[367] The very best way, Bishop Strickland says I respect in a obey Pope Francis the Petron office is to guard the deposit of faith, the promise you made when you were ordained a Catholic priest.

[368] This deposit consists in scripture, tradition, the catechism, magisterial teachings through the centuries.

[369] The truth Christ died for us let us resist any attack on this truth now let me just add one more thing because some people are going to say oh you're attacking the pope no you're doing him a favor when he because you see he has to pass on the faith he is the and listen i'll leave it turn it over to you he is the vigor of christ not the superior of christ he can't as st maximia colby said no one in the world can change what is true so can you explain that to a because I can see people misunderstanding that.

[370] Absolutely, and I'm sure there will be some misunderstanding.

[371] What I would say, Terry, is anyone who is questioning what I'm saying, I would encourage them to read up on what St. Thomas Aquinas says, because obedience is to the truth, ultimately.

[372] God is the Lord of Truth.

[373] Everything that's been revealed to us comes from God, and that is the greatest obedience.

[374] And the greatest way that we can be obedient, as we were talking about.

[375] The Pope is my superior.

[376] Obedience to the Pope means living the truth as fully as I can.

[377] Right.

[378] Just like it applies at that level as much as.

[379] as you were talking about yourself as a father to your children.

[380] Right.

[381] You know, and people would maybe say, well, Pope Francis hasn't said anything that's not true.

[382] Okay.

[383] But there are people that, like you said, you mentioned Father James Martin.

[384] And Pope Francis supports him.

[385] Yes.

[386] So in respect for the truth, And in obedience, then the best way for me to be obedient to the Holy Father is to guard the deposit of faith.

[387] Right.

[388] It's staying for the truth that others are saying needs to change or has been misunderstood.

[389] Right.

[390] That's not what the deposit of faith says.

[391] So I think we have to, and like I said, it is my obligation.

[392] to pray for the Pope, for all of the Cardinals.

[393] Yes.

[394] I mean, there are cardinals.

[395] I mean, really very clearly contradicting the law of God and the truth that God is revealed to us.

[396] They're cardinals of the church, and the Pope relies on them who govern the church to assist them in governing.

[397] So those cardinals out of love, as well, and obedience to the truth, the real obedience that I'm called to live, it means that I respectfully, but clearly say, I'm sorry, I'm sorry your eminence, but that isn't the truth.

[398] Right.

[399] That isn't according to the deposit of faith.

[400] That is, in the words of St. Maximilian Colby, that is contravening God's law.

[401] And when that happens, then we need to look to God and the truth that he's revealed to us.

[402] How do we know that in the beautiful tradition of our Catholic faith?

[403] And when someone is coming along and saying, oh, it needs to change, going back to what we talked earlier, when anyone in the church says, oh, this needs to change, the arrogance in that we have to be very cautious about.

[404] because none of us have been around, you know, more than, you know, even if someone's a hundred years old, that isn't very long.

[405] Yeah.

[406] And the arrogance of saying, just in our lifetime, we've figured out things that contradict what St. Thomas Aquinas taught and what the church is taught through the ages, we need to be.

[407] be humble enough to say, maybe I should rethink that, because I'm breaking with tradition.

[408] Right.

[409] And the tradition of truth is what guides us.

[410] And again, finally, Terry, we were talking about it earlier, but St. Maximia Colby also, I just was, you know, overwhelmed with the wonderful teachings he was offering us.

[411] but again with St. Maximilian talking about the Eucharist adoration of the Eucharist is our greatest power because we are adoring the Lord of Truth and the more we spend time with the Lord of Truth before the Eucharistic face of Christ as I was saying the more deeply the truth doesn't change It changes us, and we see the truth more clearly and more deeply.

[412] And as a weak and sinful man, as I know that I am, by spending time with the Lord of Truth in Eucharistic adoration, I grow stronger and clearer in the truth.

[413] And that's available to all of us.

[414] Amen.

[415] We all can come closer to the truth because we're there face -to -face.

[416] Eucharistically, in the real presence of the Lord, who is Lord of truth.

[417] That is mind -blowing if you think about what we're really doing.

[418] And the great privilege that is, in the tremendous love of Christ, the Son of God, to humble himself to be with us.

[419] And that what appears to be a simple form of consecrated bread, but he puts us in touch with eternal truth in a wondrous way.

[420] way that transforms the world, just like St. Maximilian said.

[421] Well, said.

[422] I want to give a plug to the Catholic thing, Father Jerry Murray, who's one of the papal posse guys on Raymond and Royal.

[423] He wrote an article called The Worsting Crisis in the Catholic Church, and he says something very similar to you.

[424] He says that it's the product of bold, unapologetic, doctrinal infidelity, spearheaded by influential churchmen and women who calmly operate without the least sign of papal disapproval.

[425] What you just said.

[426] He says, in fact, many of them are favored, promoted by Pope Francis.

[427] They argue that various Catholic teaching stand in need of improvement, remediation, and refashioning.

[428] They call for the use of less offensive, more inclusive words.

[429] They mislabel this attempt, the destruction of Catholic doctrine as nothing more than classical doctrinal development under the banner of a new Holy Spirit -inspired senator style.

[430] They are trying to overthrow the church teachings while assuring us that they have no such intention they simply want and say to the remedy insufficiencies is the teaching.

[431] It feels, though, as he said, we're back to the 1960s.

[432] Bishop Strickland, Father Murray is saying very similar things that you're saying, but he gives advice, and I think this is really good.

[433] he says to the lay people he quotes a book and I read it years ago Dietrich von Hilderbrand published back in 1973 The Devastated Vineyard He points an analysis of trouble state of the church 50 years ago and he asks How should we respond to the present situation When the vineyard of the Lord is devastated His response is instructive He says it would be thoroughly false to say Since God allowed it It must be according to his will And so we have nothing to do but say thy will be done.

[434] Even if this devastation breaks out our heart, Hildebrand continued, and I like what he said, St. Paul says, God allows these evils in order to test us, but it is our deadly and radically false notion to think that God allows heresies to be readily spread.

[435] We should not, we should not fight against them, but should go along with them in spirit and resignation.

[436] No, he said this is a false interpretation of resignation of God's will, the devastation of the vineyard of the Lord, should instead fill us with deepest pain, immobilized to fight, to be fighting with all our legitimate means against everything which is evil and offensive to God and against all heresies.

[437] That book I read when I was a young man, and I think Bishop Strickland, he's telling us we need to be praying for the church right now because of the troubles that we're going through like we did in the late 60s, and we also need to pray preparation for these sacrilegious that are going on at the Senate, I'm sorry, and at World Youth Day, things that are going on with the devaluation of the Eucharist.

[438] So I think you're on to something, Bishop Strickland.

[439] Yeah, well, I'm glad to be in the company of people like Dietrich von Hildebrand.

[440] Exactly.

[441] A great theologian, a great man of faith.

[442] And it's just really simple truth.

[443] It's profound, and it takes.

[444] It takes the grace of God and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit to more and more deeply understand it.

[445] Yeah.

[446] But it really is simple truth to remember that, no, we can't just roll over and say, oh, well, what we know is the truth is just being cast aside or even attacked.

[447] We don't attack back.

[448] Right.

[449] We don't attack people, but we have to stand for the truth.

[450] That's right.

[451] And we have to continue energetically and forcefully with charity speaking what the truth is.

[452] And we can't just, it's denying our call of being baptized and confirmed Catholics to simply say, well, it must be God's will.

[453] God's will, yes, as St. Paul says, he's always testing us.

[454] He's always testing the people of Israel.

[455] We are called to take up our cross, but that cross leads us to truth in God and life everlasting.

[456] Before I ask you for a blessing, Monsignor Charles Pope said this.

[457] You quoted, I want a church who is in love with her spouse, Jesus, not to desperately looking for the approval of the world.

[458] So we can't influence the world if we're one with the world, Monsignor said.

[459] I think it's similar to what you're saying.

[460] How about a blessing for the listeners, please?

[461] Almighty God, we ask your blessing for everyone involved in Virgin Most Powerful Radio and listening to our reflections in this program.

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

[463] Don't forget to join us at Tyler, Texas for the September 1st, 2nd conference called Defending Our Faith Conference.

[464] Bishop Strickland will be there, Mother Marion will be there, Dr. Janet Smith, an exorcist will be there.

[465] I'm the moderator.

[466] I'm at Master's Ceremonies.

[467] I'll be there.

[468] I want to see you.

[469] Go to vmpr .org to join us, Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[470] And you can see it right on our conference.

[471] Now, God richly blessed you with your family.

[472] You can hear all these shows you want our podcast and join the Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[473] God love you.