23 Mar 2021 – Hatred in Society Is the Result of Hatred for the Unborn

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Power Radio.

[1] Bishop Strickland, welcome back.

[2] Another week here to share the gospel.

[3] Thank you for joining us.

[4] Thanks, Terry.

[5] Thank you.

[6] Bishop Strickland, one of the things that came about this past week, I was really happy to see it coming out that the Vatican, through the congregation of the doctrine, came out and said that the Catholic Church cannot bless homosexual relationships.

[7] the Vatican declared today calling such a blessing illicit.

[8] Now, Bishop Strickland, we all know the catechism, paragraphs 2357, 58, 59, are really beautiful teachings about why we can't, why homosexuality is something that is not compatible with the gospel.

[9] As a matter of fact, the Catholic Church teaches that it's one of the four sins, paragraph 2357, one of the four sins that cry to heaven for justice.

[10] I'll just read the paragraph.

[11] The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, basing itself on sacred scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity.

[12] Tradition has always declared that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.

[13] I didn't say it, Bishop Strickland.

[14] The Catechism says at church.

[15] They are contrary to natural law.

[16] They close the sexual act to the gift of life.

[17] They do not proceed from genuine, effective, and sexual complementary.

[18] under no circumstances can they be approved.

[19] So I wanted to hear from you because you've been saying this, you've never deviated from this before the announcement came out.

[20] Are you happy about this?

[21] Do you think it was a good thing that the congregation came out with some clarity on this issue?

[22] Absolutely.

[23] I'm always for clarity.

[24] And through recent times where I have been outspoken about some of these things.

[25] I think it's a reminder that really, as the gospel tells us, God is love.

[26] And real love, as good parents will tell you, is about setting limits and saying, this is good for you, this isn't good for you.

[27] We live in a time where people don't want that kind of love, but anything else is not authentic love.

[28] It was interesting as you pointed out what the document that just recently came out said, the idea that it's closed to the conception of children.

[29] That goes to the very root of a lot of our problems.

[30] And as, as as you point out, because there's no possibility for the homosexual act to result in the conception of a child, then that's why it is such a disordered use of the faculties of sexuality that God has blessed us with, male and female.

[31] A lot of times the pushback I've gotten, which I understand where people are coming from to a certain extent, it's like, well, Bishop, you don't, you don't say anything about people living together or people hooking up, as they say in the culture these days.

[32] And the point is, yes, all of that is wrong.

[33] Right.

[34] Some have said, oh, disorder's too strong a word.

[35] And I've actually written, and I believe that if we really understand what the church teaches, any sexual act outside the beautiful covenant bond between a man and a woman in marriage, a lifetime commitment, it's disordered, whether it's some sort of sexual activity by yourself or with another person that you're not married to, same sex or different sex.

[36] It's disordered.

[37] And the loving thing to do is to share what God has revealed to us with a real care for the individual person.

[38] So I applaud the Vatican for clarifying.

[39] I saw people commenting that we'd love to see more clarification because we're in a time of a lot of confusion, even within the church at times.

[40] And as you said, the catechism is very clear, but it really is a beautiful truth.

[41] If we just open ourselves to it, yes, it's challenging.

[42] But as I default to parents, even though I'm not a biological parent.

[43] I feel like as a pastor, I have a lot of the parenting role.

[44] Oh, yeah.

[45] And I'm sure with your children, you've had to discipline them.

[46] Absolutely.

[47] And you've seen them flourish because they've learned from that discipline.

[48] Yep.

[49] Discipline is not just because I can.

[50] I discipline you.

[51] But it's meant to shape and mold the person to be the best person they can be.

[52] And that's what disciplining from the morality of the church is about is helping people understand, yes, you may have this tendency, yes, you may have these desires, but to channel them according to God's plan, we believe, and it proves itself out, is always going to be the better path.

[53] We live in a world of a lot of disorder, and a lot of that is sexual sin.

[54] There's a lot of disorder in the world, but the more we can help people to know who they are as a man, as a woman, to know that all the gender confusion is not according to God's plan.

[55] There may be some confusion there, but we need to help people get clarity and understanding of what they're dealing with, rather than saying, sure, just go with whatever confused thoughts you may have.

[56] That's not real love.

[57] Really, I think that this ties in with this equality act.

[58] It is presently being considered that it's been fairly quiet, but that that's, that really concerns me a bit because I know it was passed by the Congress, which it should never have been, in my opinion.

[59] Amen.

[60] I think it's now in the process with the Senate, and I'm just hoping that people will let their senators know that the Equality Act is not the way to love the children of God.

[61] It's not the way to allow people to flourish.

[62] No one should be denigrated for the struggles they have or for the choices they make, but they should be guided away from things that are destructive of their lives and guided to ways that will help them flourish.

[63] The Equality Act is not accomplishing that from anything that I've read.

[64] It's really, we talked about confusion and a lack of clarity, and it's just encouraging the confusion in almost making it, I mean, if they did pass this Equality Act, it basically makes confusion the law of the land, and we have to respect your confusion instead of calling the person to the truth.

[65] and that is destructive to human civilization.

[66] Thank you for bringing that Equality Act up.

[67] There's another vote that came today at the U .S. House of Representatives.

[68] They voted 222 to 204 today to revive the Equal Rights Amendment, the ERA, years ago.

[69] And basically, they're seeking to re -resirect that.

[70] And one of the congressmen's Chris Smith, who's a very good, man, he says that this would reinforce the constitutional right to abortion and requires judges to strike down anti -abortion laws.

[71] So much is going on, and I would just recommend Bishop Strickland, I don't know about you, but I expect our flock, the people who are followers of Christ to speak up and not be quiet.

[72] This is not a time to say, well, what can I do and throw my arms up?

[73] We need to make reparation.

[74] I mean, I shared with you what the Irish did on St. Patrick's they went into the streets and had a parade of reparation for the sin of abortion for the country of Ireland.

[75] I think that's the appropriate response, and they're telling their representatives that we do not want the killing of our future citizens.

[76] I think we have to do likewise and take something like what the Irish did yesterday on St. Pat's Day.

[77] Thank you for your clarity there.

[78] Bishop Strickland, a good holy priest told me something, and I wanted to run it by you and see if you would agree.

[79] I think you might even tweet something like this.

[80] He said that we want to renew the Catholic Church today.

[81] He said we need to go into three areas, three key points.

[82] One point, he said, let's proclaim real clear again, that it's not really that clear.

[83] Bishop Sheen said it, too, the existence of original sin, that we need to explain to our flock that we are all sinners and in need of redemption.

[84] We're not all immaculately conceived as Fulton Sheen said, so I have to say check, I think that's a good thing to bring back clearly into our flock.

[85] Number two, the necessity of grace, yeah, the fruit of redemption and the transcendence of an ultimate end.

[86] Let's get that real clear to our flock.

[87] And it's not planet Earth.

[88] As much as I like, I got solar panels, so I'm not against, you know, against, you know, using the, you know, to save trees from being cut down but that's not the ultimate end the ultimate end as he said is heaven and so let's stop paying so much tension to this world so bishop strickland when we come back from the quick break i'd like to get your take on those three elements original sin the necessity of grace about redemption god dying on the cross we're sinners and our ultimate end which is not planet earth some people might think it's heaven you're listening to the bishop strickland hour on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[89] We'll be right back.

[90] Renewing the Catholic Church and just to review promote the original sin teaching that we've taught from day one, the necessity of grace as the fruit of redemption, and the focus of the transcendence of the ultimate end, which is not planet earth, which a lot of people have been pushing so much on planet earth, no, it's heaven.

[91] What do you think of that game plan the priest just mentioned, Bishop Strickland?

[92] Well, as we've talked before, Terry, what he's talking about are the fundamentals.

[93] Yeah.

[94] And many of those have been lost in the noise of our world today and even within the church.

[95] Original sin comes from scripture.

[96] It's right there.

[97] It's what the Catholic way of explaining what anyone who's read the Bible knows, what Genesis records is that the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, played God.

[98] And that was the original sin.

[99] The original sin is basically the sin that you and I keep repeating and that every sinner and we're all sinners, as you said, we keep repeating.

[100] So the original sin is not too original anymore.

[101] It's very common.

[102] It's commonplace.

[103] And what this priest is getting at appropriately is a reminder of the reality of sin, period.

[104] And I believe he's correct that if we don't understand that there is an original brokenness, an original sin, then we begin to reject the idea of sin, period.

[105] If we embrace the reality, and it is reality, that there is a brokenness built in to humanity that has been redeemed through Jesus Christ, but the residue is still there for all of us.

[106] Basically, our lifetime is learning to move from sin to virtue.

[107] that's what the season of lent once again is all about and so very appropriately we acknowledge there is original sin that's what baptism through Jesus Christ it's given the baptism has its power through the blood of Christ like all the sacraments and through our baptism original sin is washed away we still have concupus that tendency to sin personally, which we fall into.

[108] But then it goes into the second point that the priest makes, that is very important, grace.

[109] And for many people that probably explaining what grace is, which is very basically the life of God, that divine life that God gives us, sanctifying grace, but for people who may not be that familiar with the idea of grace, to me it goes back to reflecting on the reality again recorded in Genesis that we're created in the image and likeness of God.

[110] Amen.

[111] What does that really mean?

[112] It means there's that spark of the divine in each of us.

[113] There's something different from all the rest of the beauty of creation that, yes, we're called to be stewards of and to care for to see every element of creation is a gift from God.

[114] But God has given us something greater, his very life.

[115] And so we have a need for grace.

[116] We all, probably everyone listening to this, and many people may be listening on a cell phone.

[117] I was just yesterday in an airport, like many of us are in airports, and you see these charging stations all over the place.

[118] And we've probably all been in situations where, oh, no, my phone's almost out of power.

[119] It needs to get charged up again.

[120] That is an image of the idea of what grace is.

[121] And it's not about, you know, just getting a big pile of grace, but we need that.

[122] we need to be recharged at the power source.

[123] God is the power source of our lives because we're created in his image and likeness.

[124] So grace is what we describe as plugging into that divine power source, being strengthened by the grace that is opened up to us through the Son of God.

[125] And so this priest, the third point, is absolutely.

[126] essential and logical.

[127] We turn from sin.

[128] We're freed from original sin and we grow away from the personal sins that we commit.

[129] We grow more in virtue, which shares more of the grace.

[130] And that, it's almost like we build by the grace of God.

[131] We're built into the person that can go to heaven, that is ready to receive the gift of everlasting life.

[132] So really in that context, it's a journey to, as Jesus says in the gospel, you must be perfect as my heavenly father is perfect.

[133] That's where the whole idea of purgatory really comes to life for me and what church teaches, because purgatory is about purgation, about being cleansed, about being perfected.

[134] The teaching of purgatory, which the church continues to teach, it's in the catechism, is the idea that even after our heart stops and we quit breathing and we become dead to this world, because we're created in the image and likeness of God, our spirit, it lives on, and the teaching of purgatory is really one of the greatest blessings to know if we've done our best and we're not quite there in perfection, which I would say 99 .9 % of the human population, that's where we are, then we still have the opportunity to be perfected in order to share in what we call the beatific vision, to share an everlasting life with God.

[135] If we take seriously the words of Jesus, then everything this priest is described is about becoming perfected, not by our own power, but by the grace of God that he is freely shared with us through his son.

[136] So we acknowledge original sin.

[137] We turn from our personal sin.

[138] We grow in grace, and we flourish and grow and continue to seek perfection until we reach that point in everlasting life, where we are embraced by light from light, true God from true God, in ways that we will never understand in this world, but we trust that it's the the gift of everlasting life that God gave his son.

[139] We just had in the gospel.

[140] God's soul of the world, John 316, probably one of the most quoted verses from the gospel and from all of sacred scripture, a beautiful reminder.

[141] God's soul of the world that he gave us his only begotten son.

[142] And one thing I love to remind people is I reflect with him on that passage.

[143] certainly we respect the way that scripture says that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son but one thing I think embedded in that we need to remember he's still loving the world he's still giving his son certainly he gave his son at a point in time but the divine son of God is timeless.

[144] And so that gift of God, I guess my point is Terry.

[145] And I think sometimes people, even people of faith, can wonder, has God stopped loving us?

[146] That's contradictory to God, of course.

[147] But I think we need to remember and take very personally, as we've said before, the fact that we're breathing is a sign, design that God is still loving it.

[148] And that God is still loving us into life.

[149] He's loving us for Terry Barber and Joseph Strickland to continue our journey, to continue breathing, continue striving, hopefully growing in holiness, turning away from sin.

[150] I'm not there yet.

[151] I don't think Terry's there yet.

[152] None of us are there yet.

[153] And even when we die, we may not be exactly there yet, but if our hearts directed towards, that journey and we've been striving, a merciful God is always ready to help us complete the journey.

[154] But we are obligated to turn from sin and to live virtue right now as fully as we can.

[155] You know, Mr. Strickland, I have to say thank you again because the ultimate issues of life, I would rather talk about what you're talking about than anything else in the world because to talk about who's going to win the National League or the East Coast League baseball season, it's okay.

[156] I mean, I understand we want to, I think the Dodgers are going to do it again.

[157] But ultimately, it doesn't matter.

[158] The ultimate issue is, do we get to heaven?

[159] And that's what I appreciate you speaking so clearly on.

[160] There's another tweet that you sent out, and it fits right into what you're saying, that it's lent here.

[161] May our fasting remind us that our deepest hunger is for the Lord.

[162] May it expand the generosity of our hearts, and may it make us more aware of the needs of others.

[163] And I like what you said about fasting can remind us that we really need very little in our world, which is constantly telling us to get more.

[164] What a powerful message.

[165] Let's expand on that because I think the world hasn't gotten that message.

[166] Well, it ties into everything we've been talking about because the real purpose of fasting is to remind us this world is never going to feed us ultimately.

[167] And Christ speaks specifically about you don't fast when the bridegroom is present.

[168] You fast in a sense of longing for the bridegroom.

[169] And so that's how he explains the difference between the fasting of John the Baptist disciples.

[170] and the lack of fasting for his disciples as he is walking the earth with them.

[171] But we are called to fast now, and it's a reminder of everything that priest really underscored as things that we need to emphasize, because fasting reminds us that we hunger for something more than this beautiful world.

[172] And it is a beautiful world because God created it.

[173] He is beauty.

[174] but we hunger for more than this world can give us because we're created in the image and likeness of God.

[175] That's what fasting reminds us of.

[176] Thank you, boy, that's very powerful.

[177] We have a couple minutes before the break, but I just want to also add that you had this prayer for our church, and actually when I read this, I said, I'm going to pray this prayer because here's what you said in the tweet.

[178] It's a simple yet profound, you said, God of mercy, Free your church from sin and protect it from evil.

[179] Guide us for we cannot be saved without you.

[180] We cannot save ourselves.

[181] We must humble ourselves before our loving God, repent of our sins, and seek the light of the gospel.

[182] The verse that comes to my mind when I read that was repent and believe in the gospel.

[183] That's summarizing what you're saying.

[184] And you know what, Bishop Strickland?

[185] Thank you, because we need to hear that more.

[186] you know what made you just put it out that simple that is i mean i a fifth grader could have said that i'm and i'm complimenting but that's the message we need to hear well and and sometimes i'm inspired to do that because things can get so confusing and so complex and there are many complexities i mean sure god is the the lord of complexity if you want to really analyze how all of this wonderful world is put together yeah but there are also a lot of simplicity and basics the The fundamentals, like we talked about before.

[187] And you know, Bishop Strickland, the fundamentals of our faith is what the church needs today.

[188] Am I humble mind?

[189] And I see you doing that with your tweets.

[190] I see you doing that with the St. Philip Institute.

[191] I've noticed, and just give a little plug before the break, how can people get information from your St. Philip Institute?

[192] Just go to St .Philip Institute .org, Philip with 1L.

[193] and there are lots of resources there.

[194] And I'll just put a little teaser out that on Holy Thursday, we have a great crew that's working hard to put out a brief film, brief video, just sort of graphically and through imagery, explain why do we celebrate the Tritome?

[195] Why is that Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday?

[196] why is that the liturgical heart of the Catholic faith?

[197] Wow, let's have St. Philip Institute .org.

[198] I think we're going to have a break, but I think I'm looking at my clock, and I'm saying I think we might have passed our break time, but Bishop Strickland, my next question is there's a great St. John, is it Aguillevi?

[199] How do I pronounce his name?

[200] St. John.

[201] Ogilvie, Ogilvy.

[202] Oakley, okay.

[203] He died for the faith, and you put out a question.

[204] quote, very inspirational quote for him for the 21st century.

[205] And he lived in the 17th century.

[206] What was, oh, we got the break time.

[207] I was a little off.

[208] I see it now.

[209] All right, we're going to come back and talk about this great saint and how it applies to us in the 21st century.

[210] What?

[211] Are we living in the?

[212] Yes, we are.

[213] And you know what?

[214] Nothing's changed about salvation.

[215] The same message needs to be given that the first early Christians was given.

[216] Repent and believe in the gospel.

[217] We'll be right back to the Lord.

[218] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[219] I had to ask the good bishop about St. John Ogilvy, and you quoted it by saying, especially for the leaders of our church today, something of the courage he had to be willing to proclaim the true faith, even at the price of laying his life down.

[220] So can you tell us about that, Saint?

[221] Yeah, I don't know a whole lot, but it did strike me that he was a convert to the Catholic faith and became a priest.

[222] And then in Scotland, in his time, in the 17th century, he was basically told, this is outlawed.

[223] You can't do that.

[224] And he said he couldn't not celebrate the mass. Amen.

[225] He couldn't turn away from his newfound faith in Jesus Christ.

[226] And so he lost his life.

[227] He was a martyr.

[228] Wow.

[229] And this was in the 17th century when Catholicism at that time was outlawed in Scotland.

[230] Just a reminder, you know, the saints are such an inspiration.

[231] And I would encourage people to really just pay attention to the saints and get to know them as people.

[232] You know, St. John Ogilvy, I don't know.

[233] that much about him, but he was a man that lived in Scotland, wasn't just born into a Catholic family, but chose to embrace the Catholic faith, then becomes a priest, and then ultimately dies rather than deny his faith.

[234] Certainly many people in those times, anytime there's a martyr, you have to realize, we all have to realize that there were many people that did deny their faith.

[235] that did turn away and did say, okay, well, if you're going to kill me, then I won't say mass or I won't profess the Catholic faith any longer.

[236] So the martyrs are really the exception very often in some of those times.

[237] One of my favorites from a little bit earlier time, but similar circumstances is St. John Fisher during the time of Henry the 8th.

[238] And there were many bishops that didn't die, weren't martyred, because they said, well, I got to go along to get along.

[239] And certainly, martyrdom is a heroic act.

[240] But like we were talking about before, with the whole idea of original sin and grace in our destiny and everlasting life, we need to pray for that kind of strength to be heroic.

[241] in today's culture.

[242] As men, as women, as husbands and wives, as mothers and fathers, as priests and bishops and deacons, as just people of faith in the world, we haven't faced, at least in this country, that kind of real clear martyrdom, but we should be in prayer, ready to make that kind of sacrifice.

[243] And St. John Ogilvy is just one of many who models for us what it means to really be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

[244] We aren't called to volunteer for martyrdom, but we are called to stand for the truth and to know that it all ties together, Terry.

[245] it's a very consistent message if we think about the three things this priest said and then think about the martyrs there are people that believe that they believed I must turn away from original sin and my personal sin grow in virtue deep in my life in the grace of God and everlasting that's the only thing that makes martyrdom make any sense martyrs were not people who are not people who were insane and just said, kill me for no reason.

[246] I don't care about anything, just kill me. They were people who clung to life, but recognized that there was a greater life that awaits us, and that's the supernatural faith that the church is all about.

[247] Well said, Bishop Strickland.

[248] Now, this is not a tweet, but it was said on Virgin Most Powerful.

[249] I made some headlines in some of the Catholic periodicals.

[250] It says Bishop Strickland says, hatred in society is the result of hatred for the unborn.

[251] I quote you, you said, if we don't respect the weakest neighbor, the most powerless neighbor, then we're not going to respect anyone.

[252] You know, I don't let an hour show with you ever go without asking you to speak up for the unborn.

[253] You did it again.

[254] Give us some commentary on that.

[255] Well, for one thing, Terry, we have to keep repeating it because too many people aren't listening.

[256] Right.

[257] So many people are pulling in the other direction.

[258] And we've seen once again the border crisis in this country is front page news and they're all, I'm sure when I go home, if I turn on the news, they'll be talking about it.

[259] It's a tragic situation where children are being harmed and adults are being used and manipulated and people are being treated as commodities to be sold.

[260] all of that that I just said applies to unborn persons, unborn children, that are being manipulated, that are being abused, that are being used as commodities to be sold.

[261] And I really believe we've got to recognize the roots of that tragedy that's unfolding where the people of God of whatever age are not being treated with the value and respect of those created in the image and likeness of God when we're not treating the unborn as those who deserve that respect.

[262] Sadly, it just has a ripple effect of children and teenagers and young persons and middle age persons and elderly persons and the frail and the handicapped and the elderly all across the spectrum of humanity.

[263] I mean, we hear about the controversies in New York of people being placed in nursing homes with COVID -19.

[264] It's like they were disposable.

[265] And that's what people should be outraged about.

[266] And they are outraged.

[267] Yes.

[268] But we're not as a, as a, as a, a human society, it's so clear to me, and I know people disagree, but I pray that one day will all come to the clarity of recognizing that the abusive situations that we see all too often unfold in too many tragic ways in our society are rooted in what happens to unborn children.

[269] Because those persons that happen to be unborn persons, they're treated in despicable ways.

[270] That's right.

[271] Their lives are taken and they're abused even after death.

[272] And when we're treating another person that way, anywhere along the spectrum from conception to natural death, people say ah he's a one issue bishop and he needs to get off this issue people constantly say that to me it goes beyond yes my my issue is the sanctity of life and if we're doing it wrong if we're not treating the unborn child with the respect of one created in the image and likeness of god of a sacred person, then we're reaping what we sow.

[273] In abortion, we are sowing the tragically violent world that we see unfold every day.

[274] And until we wake up to that, sadly, I think the violence is going to continue.

[275] So, you know, thank you very much, Bishop Strickland.

[276] Real quick before we break, you don't seem to be afraid to quote different people.

[277] about you know there's a report about the German bishops and that are in contradiction Mr. Weigel was pointing that out and others have also that the bishops in Germany are in contradiction to the positive faith which all bishops promised to guard you made a promise when you became a bishop to hold to the magisterial teachings of the church and you just put out I urged them to look to Christ and correct their path in very quickly and I think that that's very beautiful that you would correct your brother Bishop, and I hope that you would take that advice from them if you were on the other side of the foot.

[278] If the shoe was on the other side of the foot, hey, when we come back, we're going to talk about the catechism of the Catholic Church, about sacred scripture.

[279] We'll be right back.

[280] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[281] We love to study our faith, and especially this time of Lent is a time of conversion, but it's also, I think, a good time to take out your catechism of the Catholic Church and review things.

[282] And what we do once a week is we take, paragraphs of the catechism and talk about them.

[283] We read them.

[284] And I would recommend that, you know, this would be a good idea for your parish or for your group of maybe a men's group to study the catechism.

[285] We have one here last night.

[286] I heard the guys talking, reading right from the catechism, you know, 30, 40 guys, adults, men, and they're getting like, well, I didn't know that.

[287] I didn't know that.

[288] Oh, this is awesome the way it says this.

[289] And this is why I get excited to say that Bishop Strickland is willing to teach us from the catechism of the Catholic Church.

[290] Bishop Strickland, we've been talking about a section of the profession of faith about sacred scripture in the life of the church.

[291] And there's a section at the end of each chapter, I should say, it says in brief.

[292] And it summarizes what we've been teaching through the catechism.

[293] And I'd like to take paragraph 134 and repeat it.

[294] And then just let's talk about this.

[295] the church teaches that all sacred scripture is but one book and this one book is Christ because all divine scripture speaks of Christ and all divine scripture is fulfilled in Christ wow I mean Bishop Strickland can you say it any more succinctly than that I can't I can't either I mean I but you see what what's so beautiful Bishop Strickland is Many of our Catholics today haven't been taught the beautiful teachings, again, of what we believe about the Bible.

[296] And I joke with people, I say, if it's our book, you know, it was at the end of the 4th century in Nicaa and Carthage, when the Bible came together with that canon, and the bishops, guys like you, came and asked the Holy Spirit to come about, and we had to look at all the different books of the Bible, and they said, this is the canon, and this is the inspired word of God.

[297] So if it wasn't for the Catholic Church, we wouldn't have this canon.

[298] And so it makes sense to me that we spend some time to talk about why is it so important that we have a good understanding of God's word in our life?

[299] Well, as the catechism says so well, because it's Christ.

[300] Amen.

[301] It's Jesus Christ in the form of the written word and also the, the spoken word, I think it, to me, takes us back to the conversation we are having earlier.

[302] Yes.

[303] Truth is one.

[304] In a beautiful way to think about that is truth is one person.

[305] The truth is consistent because it's all part of the person of Jesus Christ.

[306] old testament and new testament um that is something we really need for people to to grasp and to embrace as a beautiful understanding of our greatest prayer the mass read this paragraph in the context of what we do at the catholic mass amen it tells us from As I love to tell people, when we make the sign of the cross, we're quoting the gospel.

[307] In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, those phrases come from the gospel, where Jesus says, go out and baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[308] So throughout the Mass, we are in a very focused way at a Sunday Mass, a first reading, a Psalm that comes from the Old Testament Psalms and Scriptures, the New Testament reading, and then the gospel.

[309] So we're reading about the same one who will come to the altar in the form of bread and wine that's consecrated to be his body and blood.

[310] So in that context, the Word of God nurtures the Word of God, and it's sort of this constant back and forth, which I would encourage people to pray about and to reflect on that in that way, and what the Catechism says, this one book is Christ.

[311] Christ literally is present to us, as he says in the gospel, where two or three are gathered.

[312] in his name.

[313] So when we go to Catholic Mass, we are gathered in his name and we start using him, his words from the very beginning and throughout the Mass, whether it's the actual readings from Scripture that are taken passages of the Word of God or other phrases that are woven into the scriptures, the words of consecration for the bread and wine, are right out of the gospel.

[314] Amen.

[315] Take this bread.

[316] It is my body.

[317] Take this wine.

[318] It is my blood.

[319] So I think you're making a very important point with these paragraphs from the Catechism because as a cradle Catholic, and I believe you're a cradle Catholic.

[320] We're the ones that, you know, from infancy were baptized by loving parents who said, I need to get my child baptized, cleansed of original sin, sharing in the same.

[321] sacramental grace of the life of God that he offers us through his son, that as those baptized into Christ, we need to be nurtured by his presence, word and sacrament.

[322] And we as Catholics don't have the same approach to scripture, even though it's our book, even though, as you said a council of the church in the early centuries said these are these are the four gospels not any of those others these are the authentic letters from paul and the other letters the the other books of the new testament and they adopted the um septuagint and the other elements of the old testament and said yes these this is what we call the bible the book um we as count really need to, as you said, take ownership of that.

[323] Yeah.

[324] We are not, we are people of the book because we are people of Jesus Christ and the book is of Jesus Christ.

[325] It's constantly sort of bouncing back and forth between written word and incarnate word and Eucharistic presence of the incarnate word of Christ really present in our world as he promised he would be until the end of the age.

[326] I will be with you until the end of the age and to really allow ourselves, when you have a moment to read a paragraph from any book of the Bible, to put that in the context that you are encountering Jesus and certainly in the blessed sacrament, you're praying before him, you're receiving him in the form of consecrated bread.

[327] it really beautifully enriches our faith life and reminds us of the blessing that we have in the fullness of Christ in our Catholic faith.

[328] And we need to be nurtured by that to live in a world that rejects so much of what we believe, but rejects it at its own peril because this isn't just what we believe.

[329] This we know is the truth of how God has made us and made the world.

[330] And when we ignore that truth, we go into darkness.

[331] And we see a lot of that darkness in the world today.

[332] But we need to remember the joy and the light and the hope that is Jesus Christ in his word written and in his word of love inscribed in the Eucharist that is his body and blood.

[333] well said i want to reassure everyone paragraph 136 talks about the inerrancy of scripture meaning that there's no error in scripture dr scott on years ago did a class at stubenville i recorded it's about uh seven or eight hour course and i'll give it away for those listeners who want to get a download of it because it's going to really cover in detail more than a five -minute answer you can call 8775262151 the title of the series is called can you trust the bible here's paragraph 136 god is the author of sacred scripture because he inspires its human authors he acts in them and by means of them he thus gives assurance that their writings teach without error his saving truth Bishop Strickland, this is something reassuring for me as a layman.

[334] I don't know about you, but, man, we can count on what the Bible teaches as being true and coming from God.

[335] That's reassuring.

[336] Absolutely.

[337] And we just have to repeat what the catechism says.

[338] He thus gives us assurance that their writings teach without error his saving truth.

[339] Amen.

[340] And what I really would like to emphasize is his.

[341] saving truth.

[342] The truth that we need to be saved in what his son, Jesus Christ, through his life, passion, death, and resurrection, offers us his saving truth.

[343] That's what scripture is about.

[344] It's not a scientific book.

[345] It's not sharing truth in the same way that a newspaper does, but it's his saving truth.

[346] It is real truth without error for that truth.

[347] That's a truth.

[348] that we need for our salvation.

[349] One of the things I like about our Catholic faith is that she says, as Scripture says, God didn't reveal everything.

[350] God didn't reveal all the mysteries of the universe.

[351] We will only encounter that in the beatific vision when we are in heaven with God.

[352] God revealed what is necessary for our salvation.

[353] He revealed the saving truth.

[354] And that is frustrating to many people in our scientific age.

[355] We want all the answers, just like a child, wants all the answers, and they have so many questions.

[356] Why, why, why?

[357] Well, even as adults, we have those questions.

[358] Because we have the false idea that we can find all the answers.

[359] We don't need all the answers.

[360] We can be satisfied that God has so long.

[361] loved us that he gave us his son in the form of his incarnate presence and in the form of the word of the Bible.

[362] Well said Bishop Strickland, we've got about a minute left.

[363] Could we also ask for your blessing for our radio listeners?

[364] The Lord be with you.

[365] And with your spirit.

[366] Almighty God, we ask your blessing for all of us as we listen, as we ponder your word.

[367] In your son and in the Bible, guide us always in your saving truth.

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

[369] Amen.

[370] Thank you very much.

[371] If you'd like to listen to the back podcast, all you have to do is go to Virgin Most Powerful Radio .org.

[372] Not only Bishop Strickland's Hour is there, but all of our shows from apologetics to evangelization to spiritual warfare on virgin most powerful radio .org, may God richly bless you.

[373] you until again next week with bishop strickland we'll have another hour god willing with him to help us fall deep in love with jesus christ and his bride the church god love you and your family