06 Jun 23 – Gifts of the Holy Spirit

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

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

[2] Every week we have a chance to chat with the good bishop about Jesus Christ and his bride the church.

[3] We comment on the issues of the day inside the church, outside the church, and try and put a Christ -like perspective on the situations that we live in today.

[4] And Bishop Strickon, thanks again for taking another hour with us, my friend.

[5] Glad to do it, Terry.

[6] that you're here.

[7] Bishop Strickland, right off the bat, you have a tweet regarding something close to my heart.

[8] It's about 30 miles from where I sit, Dodger Stadium.

[9] And you pointed out that Catholic vote sends out a little flyer that says, stop anti -Catholic bigotry, contact the Dodgers.

[10] And we did.

[11] We did a show on this.

[12] But I wanted to, and you tweeted, please speak about this evil being promoted.

[13] Basically, I have a picture of these, this group, called Sisters of Indulgence.

[14] I can't, you can see it on the screen, I think.

[15] It's an abomination.

[16] First of all, they're not sisters.

[17] They're homosexual men that go out and attack the Catholic faith and do sacrilegious things.

[18] If you want to hear about all the things they do, their history, it took us 14 minutes to summarize it on the Terry and Jesse show for today's date, which is the 31st of May. You can see that on our website of vmpr .org and listen to that.

[19] But the bottom line is, Bishop Strickland, we now have Dodger pitchers and players and other sports figures calling out the Dodgers and saying, hey, you know, Clayton Kirkchall, one of the best Dodger pitchers in the last 20 years, he disagrees with the Dodger organization and says, I'm going to try to bring back a Christian day for Dodgers Stadium.

[20] where all the Christians can come to the ballpark.

[21] So I wanted to read a letter from a, we call him a relief pitcher.

[22] He had some really good seasons, like with a 1 .6 ERA.

[23] He was the Dodgers' top relief pitcher at one point.

[24] Now he's had an injury and he had surgery, so we'll see where he goes.

[25] But his name is Blake Trinnan, and here's a letter that he wrote to Dodger's statement.

[26] I want to get your comment on it.

[27] He says, I'm disappointed.

[28] see the sisters of perpetual indulgence being honored as heroes at Dodger Stadium.

[29] Many of their performances are blasphemous, and their work only displace hatred and mockery of Catholics and the Christian faith.

[30] He says, I understand that playing baseball is a privilege, not a right.

[31] My convictions in Jesus Christ will always come first.

[32] Good for him.

[33] He says, since I've been with the Dodgers, they have been at the forefront of supporting a wide variety groups.

[34] However, inviting the sisters of perpetual indulgence to perform and disenfranchise a large community and promote hate of Christians and the people of faith, this single event alienates the fans and supporters of Dodger Stadium.

[35] Major League Baseball 2 in professional sports.

[36] People like baseball for its entertainment value and competition.

[37] The fans do not want propaganda or politics forced on them.

[38] The debacle with Bud Light and Target should be a warning to companies in professional sports to stay true to their brand and leave propaganda and politics off the field.

[39] This last paragraph nails it.

[40] He says, I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins.

[41] I believe the word of God is true.

[42] So it's inerrant.

[43] And in Galatians chapter six and seven, it says, do not be deceived.

[44] God cannot be mocked.

[45] A man reaps what he sows.

[46] This group openly mocks Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of my faith, and I want to make it clear that I do not agree with nor support the decision of the Dodgers to honor the sisters of perpetual indulgence.

[47] But as for me, he says, in my house, we will serve the Lord, right from Joshua chapter 24.

[48] This is written by Bishop, no, I'm sorry, this is written by a layman who's a who's a Protestant, but he stood up and said what he said.

[49] What did you think of that, Bishop Strickland?

[50] Wonderful.

[51] And I commend him for speaking up.

[52] Like we were talking about, I think we're reaching a point where, sadly, in every level of society.

[53] In the church and the state, in sports, in entertainment, in business, it's reaching a, a fever pitch.

[54] And I really believe this LGBTQ movement, all of this, everything that we're saying, this wokeness, it's overplaying its hand.

[55] As has happened throughout history, if you look to the Roman Empire, it collapsed under just total debauchery.

[56] And extreme persecution of Christians, because even in the very beginning, Christianity was diametrically opposed to all of this kind of garbage.

[57] And that's why the Roman emperors were going down the tubes, even before Christianity.

[58] The Roman Empire was toward its end when Christianity came around.

[59] But it's in the first three centuries or so of Christianity, the Roman Empire just went into pre -fold.

[60] And it's sadly what we're seeing with our civilization.

[61] And they're overplaying their hand just like the Romans did.

[62] God tolerates evil because his son died, just like that relief pitcher said, who's not even Catholic.

[63] it, but he knows Christianity.

[64] Amen.

[65] And Christianity believes everything he wrote there, and they overplay their hand by thinking that Satan, ultimately, as I think Archbishop Cordleone said it, that we know what God, they're worshipping, God with a small G, because there is only one God.

[66] That's right.

[67] But it's true.

[68] It's money, it's power, it's all the things that are on this agenda.

[69] and it will not stand.

[70] It has its day, but they tend to overplay their hand, just like every evil empire through human history, whether it was before Christ or after Christ.

[71] You can look through history, and that's what these people that are pushing all this and trying to cram it down our throats, They don't know history.

[72] They're devoid of any understanding of how civilization has developed.

[73] And they're pushing an agenda that is evil, disconnected from the Word of God, slanderous and blasphemous of Jesus Christ himself.

[74] And it's, it really is something that, I mean, I know both of us.

[75] Yes.

[76] Just as individual men, you have a family.

[77] you have a responsibility to be a man of God.

[78] I have a responsibility as a bishop to talk to my flock.

[79] And it's out of that responsibility.

[80] We better speak up.

[81] And I commend you for speaking up.

[82] And I do my best to speak up.

[83] Not too many radio personalities.

[84] Not too many bishops speak up.

[85] But we need to, I don't know where the limit is.

[86] for some of the other cardinals and bishops in the world.

[87] But I reached my limit, obviously, a long time ago.

[88] Yeah.

[89] But they need to reach their limit and say, I've had enough.

[90] There's too much evil in the world.

[91] Too much evil is being promoted and ignored.

[92] And we need to speak up and say, no, this has to be corrected.

[93] And Bishop Strickland, I'm agreeing with you.

[94] I'm in Southern California, down in San Diego, at a Catholic Marymont University, a Jesuit -run institution, is doing something like the world.

[95] They're compromising.

[96] They have a conference coming up for, they call it, you know, gay pride month, which is homosexual month.

[97] And they are putting on a conference, and they have openly brought in active homosexuals.

[98] You notice I said active.

[99] In other words, they're not just having people have a proclivity towards homosexuality.

[100] These are people who say, this is a good thing.

[101] And I'm tired as a layman, okay, if you're tired from a bishop's perspective, but I'm tired of seeing things that the world has infiltrated into the church.

[102] And especially this whole thing, and I'll just, I'm going to throw one more thing out, the new appointment for the Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

[103] The bishop is an openly supportive, a bishop for homosexuality.

[104] See, this is what layman, like myself, go, hey, this isn't supporting the perennial teachings or the deposit of faith.

[105] You're putting people in position to undermine the moral teachings of the church.

[106] Now, I'm not in management, as you know, I'm in sales.

[107] But the thing about it is I'm praying that we not only as a culture wake up, but even the church wakes up to say, wait a minute, We have the truth that's going to set people free, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that's the best thing we can offer people.

[108] And this idea of offering people, you know, well, we can recycle.

[109] Yeah, I'm all for that recycling.

[110] I got solar panels.

[111] I'm all for that.

[112] But let's put our energy into proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[113] And so that's how I see you.

[114] I see Father Bishop Robert Barron.

[115] He just came out last week, and we played it on our radio.

[116] radio network where he was saying, if the Dodgers did this to the Muslims, what would happen?

[117] If the Dodgers did this to the Jews, you know what would happen.

[118] But why is it that we can do it to the Catholics?

[119] Am I making my point?

[120] Absolutely.

[121] And really, Terry, I hope in the next segment, we can talk about holy things.

[122] Because that's what people need to be reminded I agree.

[123] Because really what it comes down to is a lack of faith in the supernatural.

[124] And sadly, that's cardinals, bishops, leaders in the church, who, that's their whole reality for their life, is living what we believe and sharing that belief.

[125] And they're not doing it.

[126] Supernatural life.

[127] Let's talk about, especially right after Pentecost.

[128] What a great time for the early church.

[129] to be an example for us.

[130] Stay with us, Dan.

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

[132] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[133] We left you with a teaser about the supernatural life of the church and holiness.

[134] And I can't think of a better time to talk about it.

[135] Because we just celebrated the Feast of Pentecost.

[136] We call it the birthday of the church.

[137] And when we think about the early church, I love something that you said that I'll never forget, you said, we have to become first century Christians.

[138] What did you mean by that, Bishop Strickland?

[139] Well, if you look at the first century of the church, they faced opposition that we wouldn't even be able to imagine how strong it was.

[140] And, I mean, people were dying, no telling how many of what percentage.

[141] I mean, these days, they'd be able to tell us, if it was happening now, they'd say, this percentage of these followers of Jesus that came to be called Christians later on, this percentage of them has died in this whole movement.

[142] Really, it comes down to faith a couple of years back, several years now, but one time on the floor of the USCB meeting, I said, do we believe this or not?

[143] I remember that.

[144] And sadly, the message that has come since then, several years back for it's gotten worse and worse, the answer is no. Too many bishops and cardinals do not believe.

[145] If they do, they better start speaking about that belief and not hiding behind, you know, oh, I don't want to cause disruption or whatever.

[146] What do we've got to fear?

[147] Man. Nothing.

[148] And the thing is, and that's what I wanted to focus on for this part of our conversation, we just celebrated Pentecost.

[149] Here we are recording this on the feast of the visitation.

[150] A beautiful moment in the gospel where John the Baptist leaps for joy in the presence of the son of God in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

[151] as John the Baptist is another child leaping for joy at the mere presence of an embryonic person, Jesus Christ, there in the womb of Mary.

[152] So what struck me is that that is an encounter of four of God's children that Mary and Elizabeth, John the Baptist, and Jesus himself, the divine son of God.

[153] who is also being formed in the womb to be the mystery of his incarnation.

[154] So that's what we're celebrating today, the last day of May, this Marian month of May. And then we move into June, which it's a desecration to call it Pride Month.

[155] What is Pride?

[156] Pride is a sin.

[157] And they call it Pride Month appropriately.

[158] because it's exulting a sinful behavior.

[159] Like we've said many, many times in the church makes very clear an inclination.

[160] We all have inclinations to various sins.

[161] That is not sinful.

[162] But when you act on an inclination of sinfulness, what we call a temptation, then it becomes sinful.

[163] And that's what they're literally celebrating what we were talking about before.

[164] But I want to get into the holy thing.

[165] things.

[166] In June, we, first day of June, we celebrate Justin Martyr, one of the great early martyrs of that early church just after the first century.

[167] Trinity Sunday, June 4th.

[168] Corpus Christi Sunday, June 11th.

[169] The Sacred Heart of Jesus, June 16th.

[170] The Immaculate Heart of Mary, June 17th.

[171] The Nativity of John the Baptist, June 24th.

[172] The same one.

[173] who leaps in the womb that we celebrate today, leaps in the womb of his mother, Elizabeth, the same one, it celebrates his birth.

[174] St. Peter and Paul at the end of June the 29th.

[175] All of us as people of faith, we need to be strengthened by those celebrations of holiness.

[176] And we need to pray and speak up and with clarity and oppose the evil of our age.

[177] to be silent in the face of evil, we've seen that through history too.

[178] Too many times when Christians are silent in the face of evil, they become complicit with that evil.

[179] We may not be doing it, but if we don't call it out, we become complicit and responsible for allowing it to just take over and distort lives and confuse beautiful little children that are being brought up in heretical, evil situations.

[180] And we've got to speak up for the sanctity of life and for all the goodness that God is created in the world.

[181] And like we were saying earlier, I think that Satan, like he always does, because that's who's motivating this.

[182] He wants to destroy the church.

[183] He wants to destroy all goodness.

[184] He wants us all condemned to hell as he is.

[185] it won't happen.

[186] Jesus Christ has conquered Satan, but each of us individually have to make our own choices.

[187] And that's what we have to teach our children.

[188] I know that people are overwhelmed by the evil that we see.

[189] And it's right here in beautiful East Texas in the Diocese of Tyler.

[190] We see atrocities happen where people are caught up in drugs or just mentally ill and neglected.

[191] but people shot and it's just terrible.

[192] The guns that are used, the guns are not the evil.

[193] It's what human beings do with instruments of evil.

[194] And sadly, we see all kinds of instruments of evil that we've got to speak against.

[195] We've got to believe in the goodness that's created in each of us.

[196] What does Jesus say?

[197] Yes.

[198] He talks more about love than anything.

[199] And people say, oh, he never said this is wrong or that is wrong.

[200] But when he tells us, if you love me, keep my commandments, I presume that he thought that's all he needed to say.

[201] And it really is all he needs to say.

[202] If we pay attention, and those commandments were already ancient by the time the Son of God was born, the Ten Commandments and everything that goes along with understanding the world that God is created and what is sinful and what is virtuous.

[203] We've just got to emphasize it more and more.

[204] And like we've said, Terry, to be afraid of losing our position, whatever it is, it's really foolish and short -sighted.

[205] We've said it many times.

[206] We're about the same age in our 60s.

[207] I'm soon going to be 65 old enough for Social Security if it's still a around by then, but it's foolishness.

[208] It's not having faith.

[209] It's believing this world is all there is.

[210] We're going to, in not that many years, maybe very soon, maybe in a few years, but we've got to be in investing in eternity.

[211] Amen.

[212] And that's what life is about.

[213] Like we've said before, the code of canon law.

[214] The last canon of the code says this is all about the salvation of souls.

[215] And it's the salvation of my soul, your soul, and every soul that we can influence to know the wondrous truth of God.

[216] I think also we need to emphasize, like we've talked about before, following Jesus Christ is full of joy, full of happiness, full of meaning and peace in our lives, even in the midst of turmoil.

[217] Some of the greatest saints were cheerful, happy people in the midst of great persecution.

[218] They kept their sense of humor.

[219] We just celebrated St. Joan of Arc. And from what I've read, she had a sense of humor and a sense of dedicated.

[220] to her faith.

[221] She was only 19 years old.

[222] So the wisdom of the faith, Carlos Acutus, a youngster, the great martyr, Jose Sanchez Del Rio.

[223] I think he was 12, 13 years old when he was martyred.

[224] Those are young people.

[225] The saints are old, they're young, they're everything in between, but there are people who know where real joy is, and we're called all of us to sanctity from our baptism, and we're called to share baptism with every person that we can.

[226] That's what Jesus said.

[227] Go out to all the world and preach the good news, baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[228] Jesus didn't say, don't influence other people, don't tell them to come to the church.

[229] Jesus said, go out to all the nations, all the world, and share the good news, teaching the word of God and baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

[230] Right there, Jesus Christ captures the very heart, the heart of our Catholic faith captures the heart of it.

[231] He speaks of word and sacrament, and those are the two pillars that strengthen us in Catholic faith.

[232] in the Word of God.

[233] We believe in the power of the sacraments.

[234] And if we believe, we better speak up and say no to this evil.

[235] It's our obligation from saying, having said no to Satan, as one of the baptismal promises that was said for us when we were baptized as infants, and that we renewed for ourselves when we were confirmed in the Holy Spirit, our own personal Pentecost.

[236] We said, I renounce Satan, I believe in God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and I believe in the Catholic Church.

[237] We better stand for what we said.

[238] We believe him.

[239] I beg amen to that, and I will mention that I would like to have on the next segment one of your tweets about the Eucharist, you quote St. Thomas Aquinas, the angelic doctor, and then Phil Lawler, good friend of the show, has 12 points about a Eucharistic Revival.

[240] We did a whole show on that.

[241] But I'd like to have you, Bishop Strickland, from your perspective of that article because you said 14 simple steps to Eucharistic Revival.

[242] We covered all 14 on one of the Terry and Jesse shows.

[243] But here we're spending millions of dollars.

[244] I think it's $28 million as a bishop's conference to renew the Eucharist.

[245] I think it's great that we're going to be doing this.

[246] But I want to ask on the practical level, what did Phil Lawler have to say?

[247] And do you agree?

[248] Obviously, you do.

[249] But, I mean, this is really what we call the source and summit of the Christian life, the Holy Eucharist.

[250] And it's incredibly important that we bring back reverence, incredibly important that we bring back a knowledge of what the mass is and Eucharistic piety.

[251] Because right now, the percentage is showing most Catholics, and I mean way more than most, have no clue about the Eucharist.

[252] And that's a tragedy.

[253] so we'd like to help that situation get better and I know the bishops conference wants to see that but I'd like to ask you to talk about some of the practical applications we need to do to bring back reverence I've watched you say mass I can tell you actually believe there's an old saying that says watch a priest say is mass and you'll know all about his spirituality so let's talk about that when we come back here on the bishop Strickland Hour again folks if you you want to hear more on that topic, the Terry and Jesse show did that segment on all of those statements by Phil Lawler.

[254] I think it's important.

[255] We need to bring back the understanding of the real presence of Christ and the Holy Eucharist and action speak louder than words.

[256] Stay with us, family.

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

[258] Welcome back indeed to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[259] It sounds like I'm excited.

[260] You know what I'm excited about Bishop Strickland?

[261] Anytime we can talk about our Catholic faith and share, especially whether it's our lady, the Eucharist, the person of Christ, I should be excited because it's what life's about, because life is short and eternity is forever.

[262] So I wanted to ask you, first you quoted St. Thomas Aquinas, and then you encourage people to consider reading the Phil Lawler's suggestions on the revival, Eucharistic revival, and you made a joke, he said it won't cost $28 million to do it.

[263] And so let's talk about the one first St. Thomas.

[264] He says the Eucharist is the sacrament of love.

[265] It signifies love.

[266] It produces love.

[267] The Eucharist is the consummation of the whole spiritual life.

[268] Can you say more than that?

[269] No. It really echoes what Vatican II says, the source in the summit.

[270] But we really need to believe that.

[271] And too many, too many things have happened that really dilute that faith.

[272] And I'm glad you bring up the, the Phil Lawler.

[273] I thought his 14 points were excellent.

[274] And I really, and I said that I commend him for not saying, oh, this all needs to be mandated.

[275] Because how much did Jesus mandate?

[276] He mandated the commandments.

[277] But as far as he offered all of these practices, how we receive him in the Eucharist.

[278] I, you know, some people say, oh, you need to mandate this bishop.

[279] To me, it's about converting hearts.

[280] Amen.

[281] And I think everything that Phil Lawler talks about, I think it's a good suggestion.

[282] But, you know, I don't want to mandate things.

[283] And frankly, there's things in the law of the church now that, I mean, some of it's gradually changing, and Pope Benedict did a lot with the new missile that was the Roman missile that came out during his pontificate.

[284] But things like, I mean, there was, when I was in the seminary, it was basically considered law that the tabernacle couldn't be in the sanctuary.

[285] What?

[286] All of that, yeah, all of that agenda was ultimately to be where we are with.

[287] 70 % of the people not really believing in the real presence, because the tabernacle, you practically needed a map to find it in some of the...

[288] Thankfully, my predecessor made sure that all the tabernacles were front and center behind the altar.

[289] Wow, God.

[290] And, you know, the argument that was used when I was in this area, oh, the focus needs to be on the Eucharist that's being celebrated, the mass. It was called the meal a lot of times then.

[291] that I've never, I mean, I could speak from my own experience, praying before the tabernacle, and especially in euphoristic adoration.

[292] I mean, you mentioned, you could see by the way that I celebrate math.

[293] That's right.

[294] That's right.

[295] And I do.

[296] I know Jesus Christ because I've spent time with him.

[297] Yep.

[298] And I need to spend more time.

[299] But the argument that, oh, I mean, you know, sorry.

[300] have banned Eucharistic adoration, even as the Eucharistic revival is happening, it shows me they have no real faith.

[301] We pray that they will regain or gain that real faith, but it shows me they have no real faith.

[302] Praying before the Eucharist, Jesus Christ, praying before his Eucharistic face does nothing but cause you to love the mass even more, because you love him more.

[303] And I love Phil Lawler's points.

[304] I'm not going to mandate them in the diocese, but I encourage people.

[305] And I encourage the priest.

[306] I mean, part of what we face, really, Terry, in the church today, and I, you know, I was one of those priests.

[307] I was formed in that.

[308] By the grace of God, I've awakened to, I always believed in the real presence, but I believe more deeply than I ever did.

[309] And I was just reading about one of the Eucharistic miracles, and the scientists were saying, and it really touched my heart, speaking of heart, but as we enter into the sacred heart month, we need to realize the priest is holding the sacred heart of Christ.

[310] He's holding the totality of Christ, but I think it's a great image because we all know the image of the heart, a heart that beat in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary.

[311] He was forming there, just like every child's heart, a heart that died on the cross, a heart that came to life and rose from the dead, a heart that now dwells at the right end of the Father and is here with us in the Eucharist.

[312] During this month of the Sacred Heart, we need to make it a Eucharistic celebration of, I mean, all those feast days that I already mentioned give us a great opportunity to adore the Lord in his sacred heart.

[313] He's really with us.

[314] If you believe that, you're going to turn from sin.

[315] You're going to try to live his commandments because you love him.

[316] And you don't see the commandments as something, oh, we can change this and change that.

[317] And scripture needs to be changed.

[318] And we've misunderstood everything.

[319] That isn't true.

[320] The church has a deposit of faith that we've got to treasure.

[321] And Phil Lawler's points, some of them are already in place in the Diocese of Tyler, in some parishes, some not.

[322] Because like I was saying, priests have been formed in different ways.

[323] I try not to just force things, because what does that cause?

[324] That just causes more resistance.

[325] And people say, ah, Bishop Strickland's crazy.

[326] But it's about, just like with all the sanctity of life issues and the abortion issue, it's about changing hearts.

[327] And that, I believe, is what ultimately Jesus Christ came to do.

[328] To change our hearts, to bring our hearts closer to God, Father, Son, and Spirit.

[329] because we're prone in this world of concupiscence and sin, our hearts are easily attracted to worldly things that even if they're not sinful, just cause us to focus on this world.

[330] And the more we focus just on this world, it's not enough.

[331] As St. Augustine says, our hearts are restless until they rest in God.

[332] So if we're just focused on getting wealth and having pleasure in this world, gradually we drift into sin because this world doesn't feed us.

[333] It never has.

[334] It never will.

[335] If we grow closer to the Lord, even in this life, we begin to realize nothing in this world is attractive enough to cause me to sin.

[336] I'm a sinner.

[337] You're a sinner.

[338] We all are.

[339] But hopefully we're on a path of growing more and more.

[340] virtuous in acknowledging our sin and confession and then starting over to grow deeper.

[341] I can testify that I have grown in my own holiness throughout my priesthood.

[342] And I still have a long way to go.

[343] Me too.

[344] But I am more virtuous than I was.

[345] And, you know, I still don't claim to be any holy guy.

[346] But that's what we're called to.

[347] That's what the saints model for us.

[348] And these points by Phil Lawler are about believing is really there.

[349] And, you know, going into a church and seeing people chit -chatting like they're at a picnic, that can be blasphemous.

[350] That needs to be corrected.

[351] And that's one of his points.

[352] The law of the church says people have the option of receiving in the hand or on the tongue.

[353] I frankly would like to see us return to the general practice being receiving on the tongue.

[354] It eliminates, if you believe you're really receiving Jesus Christ, it eliminates the threats to desecration that happened, not just with dropping the host, but people not receiving.

[355] I mean, the people that have nefarious plans can surreptitiously take the body of Christ and not receive it.

[356] Receiving on the tongue eliminates a lot.

[357] of that.

[358] So that, to me, is a good argument.

[359] I'm not going to force anyone.

[360] Right.

[361] And a lot of people in our churches in the diocese are not comfortable we're receiving on the tongue.

[362] But I encourage people, pray about it, grow closer to the Lord, and receive him as reverently as you possibly can.

[363] I was a man that was here in our cathedral parish that died a couple of years ago, sadly during COVID.

[364] I was impressed because he would come and receive on the hand, but he would really gaze at a board for several seconds before he received him.

[365] That showed me that he truly believed.

[366] He had been taught to receive in the hand, but he truly believed, and he was receiving as reverently as he knew how to.

[367] That's what we all need to do, and to treat the churches as not just another building where we gather, but as sacred space.

[368] All of those things that Phil Lawler recommends, I encourage and I urge people to consider.

[369] Forcing them isn't going to work.

[370] But mandating, what kind of mandates to people, I mean, going to Mass every Sunday is a mandated obligation.

[371] How many people ignore that?

[372] And so I want to encourage and change hearts because that's and if you come to really know Jesus Christ in his Eucharistic presence and the power of his word in the beautiful teachings of our faith then you do grow to love him that's what to me the irony of what Jesus tells us in John's gospel if you love me live my commandments he knows that living the commandments will make us love him more and we love him more and we live the commandments better.

[373] It's an ongoing journey of growing in word and sacrament and living the commandments and knowing the Lord more deeply.

[374] And that's what the saints model for us.

[375] Many of them, like Joan of Art, were willing to die rather than deny Jesus Christ.

[376] That's the kind of faith we all need to have.

[377] And I think, Bishop Strickland, you've said it before.

[378] Time before the Blessed sacrament is the most efficacious thing we can do to know Jesus Christ with the Bible in our hands and just being in the presence of Christ.

[379] I have also noticed a high percentage of priests in the United States have reportedly said that it was Eucharistic adoration that really solidified their vocation as a priest.

[380] Have you've had that experience also, Bishop Strickland?

[381] Absolutely.

[382] Even as I look back, as a teenager in high school, before I went to the seminary, I was drawn to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

[383] I would go to our little church in Atlanta, Texas, and pray when I had time.

[384] Nobody told me to, and frankly, it was air -conditioned, and a lot of times I had time to kill, and I would just walk over there from work or football practice.

[385] But I know the Lord was already telling me, if you want to be a priest, draw closer to me in the Blessed Sacrament.

[386] And again, it goes back and forth.

[387] Drawing closer to him in the Blessed Sacrament is the best way to discern your vocation.

[388] Not all are called the priesthood.

[389] We need good, holy men that are fathers and husbands like you.

[390] But that's the best way to discern your vocation.

[391] So I would tell any young man or woman that's wondering what God's call is, spend some time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and you will find your spouse or you will find a call to religious life or to ordain ministry.

[392] That's wisdom right there, folks.

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

[394] We come back.

[395] We're going to open up our catechism.

[396] We're going to talk about the Holy Spirit right out of the catechism.

[397] Stay with us.

[398] We'll be back in a moment, family.

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

[400] Welcome back indeed.

[401] We're going to be opening up our way of Christ's catechism that's published by the Diocese of Taylor, Texas.

[402] And we're going to be talking about the Holy Spirit.

[403] It's chapter 7, page 18.

[404] And what I like about the catechism in the right -hand corner of every chapter, it says, find out more using the catechism of the Catholic Church.

[405] that big thick book that we have.

[406] So what they do is they refer you to paragraphs of the catechism that they're actually referring to in their catechism.

[407] So you can go as deep as you want.

[408] But this question three, what are the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

[409] And again, I would recommend that you bring your Bible when you do this too.

[410] It says the gifts of the Holy Spirit help us live out our lives as good and faithful Catholics.

[411] There are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

[412] wisdom knowledge understanding counsel fortitude piety and the fear of the lord they can write out of the bible isaiah chapter 11 wisdom is recognizing the truth revealed from god do you think our culture needs that i think so how about understanding allows us to grasp these truths better oh yeah knowledge allows us to judge things according to the truth god revealed counsel allows us to judge right actions.

[413] Fortitude, our courage, strengthens us and struggles our moments of fear.

[414] Piety moves us to love and serve to God.

[415] Fear of the Lord makes us desire not to offend God.

[416] Wow, what advice for our culture, especially today, Bishop Strickland.

[417] Absolutely.

[418] And I think that we all need to pray over those gifts and pray for those gifts to be stronger in our lives.

[419] And it occurs to me, one of the, I think one of the greatest gifts of the Holy Spirit that we need in the church today is fortitude.

[420] And really, I would ask everyone to pray for all of the church, to pray for all of the hierarchy, all the cardinals and bishops to have the fortitude to speak against the evil that we're going to.

[421] we're seeing and to not allow it, I mean, we've got to speak up.

[422] And I think that we need to pray.

[423] I mean, people tell me all the time, they're praying for me. And I say it's the greatest gift.

[424] And then I say, a lot of times, I mean, like today, I offered the mass for the intention of someone who is ill and suffering.

[425] And as I say to people, prayer is.

[426] the greatest gift and the mass is the greatest prayer.

[427] And so we need to pray for every cardinal and every bishop in the world to become one voice of the truth of the spirit.

[428] I mean, think about Pentecost.

[429] I really reflected on that.

[430] We just celebrated Pentecost.

[431] The church is gathered in one room.

[432] They're all together.

[433] It was very small.

[434] I mean, the church could fit in one room.

[435] and the Holy Spirit descended upon them in the form of tongues of fire.

[436] That unity is what is lacking.

[437] Of course, the world is Catholic now.

[438] It's universal.

[439] It's all over the world.

[440] But it's terribly divided.

[441] People talking about being schismatic.

[442] Schism is departing from the Holy Spirit.

[443] It's separating from the body of Christ.

[444] And that is something we should all do our best.

[445] to avoid.

[446] Accusing people of being schismatic when they're clinging to the truth of Christ is a totally reversed reality.

[447] And we're seeing too much of that.

[448] Too many words like pride are being used as some sort of banner of something to be celebrated when it's a sin.

[449] And here we hear schismatic being used, and it's too often being targeted at people that are trying to live the truth that Christ proclaim, that are living the commandments that he told us to live if we love him.

[450] So I think we need to pray.

[451] Like I said earlier, it's about conversion of hearts, whether it's a cardinal or an archbishop or a bishop or a priest or a deacon.

[452] all of the ordained we need to pray for conversion of hearts for any ordained member of the clergy deacon priest or bishop who is not upholding the deposit of faith according to what the church is taught for centuries we need to pray for a conversion of heart i have to pray for my own an ongoing conversion of heart there because i'm a sinner there are ways that I waver in that faith.

[453] And I need to acknowledge that.

[454] I went to confession just yesterday.

[455] As I told the kids, I had confirmation that evening, yesterday evening.

[456] And I told the kids, I went to confession, not because I'm holy, but because I'm not as holy as I should be.

[457] And I need to humbly confess my sins.

[458] I mean, humility is something that's woven into these gifts of the Holy Spirit.

[459] To be humble is to recognize, I need more wisdom, I need more knowledge, I need more understanding, I need more fortitude, I need more counsel, I need more fear of the Lord.

[460] And I think that's one that really needs to be highlighted in the world today.

[461] People say, oh, yeah, those Catholics are these people that list these gifts.

[462] I mean, it's right out of scripture, as you said, but, oh, fear of the Lord, you're not supposed to be afraid of God.

[463] it's not talking about being afraid of God, but it's reverence.

[464] It's knowing God is God and we're not.

[465] That's what fear of the Lord is about.

[466] And I would probably rank that next after fortitude as desperately needed in the church today.

[467] Because we fear way too many things.

[468] We fear loss of position.

[469] We fear loss of money.

[470] We fear loss of popularity.

[471] We fear all kinds of things.

[472] But we don't seem to fear the Lord.

[473] We need a stronger fear of the Lord, which means a respect and an understanding.

[474] That God is our almighty creator.

[475] God is love.

[476] As we come to know Him, we know the saints weren't afraid of God, but they had a deep fear of the Lord in the proper sense of knowing the awesome power and reality that God is in their encounter with Jesus.

[477] Christ and the Holy Spirit dwelling in them.

[478] That's why the saints are models for us.

[479] That's why we turn to the communion of saints.

[480] Just like we say in the crepe, we believe in the communion of saints.

[481] And we need them.

[482] We need their model.

[483] We need their reminder of people that have lived in our own generation or in previous generations who have lived the holiness that we're called to.

[484] well said bishop we have just a couple minutes i just want to um you mentioned the saints as great examples for us in the early church most of the first couple hundred years everybody was martyred you know we were just christian one after another and i think of that because what you said about fortitude needing that today it seems and it just appears to me whether it's in the church or the politicians we're all afraid to rock the boat in other words words, if we say something, they might not like us.

[485] And I remember Monsignor William Smith saying this about the celibate priesthood, which he thinks is beautiful and it really is.

[486] But he said there was a challenge.

[487] Most celibate priests want to be liked at the parish.

[488] And so they will compromise sometimes things just to say, well, I don't want this parishioner to jump on me. I'm just going to tell them what they want to hear so that we have really a nice little parish and everybody's happy and I just don't want to rock the boat if I tell them about the church teachings on contraception oh they're going to get mad at me and I bring this up to you Bishop Strickland isn't that a temptation that priests have to say no no no I made a promise when I was ordained and I have it right here my left hand that says I'm going to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in season and out.

[489] Am I on to something?

[490] Absolutely.

[491] And Terry, I confess as a priest, I made those compromises way too often.

[492] And I acknowledge that and probably still do as bishop because I'm a sinner.

[493] I fail.

[494] And in the moment you say, oh, well, yeah, we'll just compromise here or whatever.

[495] But that's why we need the fortitude to be able to teach the truth with clarity and charity.

[496] and know that that's the greatest love and that's the greatest care that a shepherd can give.

[497] And it may not be the popular thing, but I would wager that anyone on their deathbed is going to be grateful for the priest or the bishop who taught them the truth instead of making them feel comfortable and then when they're facing death, wondering which direction they're going to go.

[498] Well, Sid, I just want to give a little plug.

[499] We talked about the Los Angeles Dodgers on the 16th of June, when Dodgers are promoting these sisters of indulgences, which are not sisters, they're homosexual men, we're going to have a group of Catholics praying the rosary from the cathedral in downtown Los Angeles.

[500] It looks like Archbishop Gomez is giving us the green light to have mass in the cathedral, and then we're going to march a mile and a half from the cathedral to Dodgers Stadium.

[501] reparation for these sacrilegious and then they'll be there to pray the rosary with litanies we'll be making a couple statements outside the Dodger stadium in the parking lot about not supporting this and calling the Dodgers to do the right thing so I wanted to bring that up to our listeners you can go to vmpr .org and get a copy of that flyer bishop strickland how about a blessing for all of our listeners oh mighty god we ask your blessing for all of us especially those listening to this program, that we might grow in fortitude in our faith and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit, of your Holy Spirit, to guide us to true happiness and joy in this life, and to be strengthened for the life eternal you call us to.

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

[503] Thank you, Bishop Strickland.

[504] Folks, you can listen to all the Bishop Strickland shows by going to VMPR .org.

[505] Get our free app, and you can listen anywhere in the world.

[506] to all of the shows that we have with Bishop Strickland and also the other shows that Virgin Most Powerful Radio publish.

[507] And I just want to leave you on a note that I think is so important.

[508] And this is what I describe Bishop Strickland.

[509] Never worry about who will be offended if you speak the truth.

[510] Worry about who will be misled, deceived, and destroyed if you don't.

[511] Let's speak the truth in charity and clarity.

[512] God love you.