26 Dec 23 – Bishop Strickland’s New Year’s Resolutions

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Joseph Strickland Show.

[1] Terry Barber here, I've been off a couple weeks with a good bishop.

[2] He's been on retreat.

[3] Welcome back, Bishop Strickland.

[4] Thanks, Terry.

[5] I know the folks are all listening and saying, how was your retreat?

[6] You know, you spent a couple weeks.

[7] And can you give us a little report on the merits of having a retreat in the last two weeks you've been gone with us?

[8] Thanks, Terry.

[9] The retreat was great.

[10] people kid me that I don't elaborate too much and just say, oh, how would you retreat?

[11] Oh, it was good.

[12] But it truly was a blessing.

[13] I had the opportunity to experience a retreat with some Benedictine monks and also went to Benedictine Monastery Women and where Sister Willamina, the interrupt.

[14] And I'd like to share a little bit about that.

[15] experience because it's very inspiring for this none 96 years old when she died and she was buried um i think she died in 2019 i believe but you know she died and was buried and then i forget the circumstances exactly of why she was unearth exhumed but when they found her body and corrupt that's of course remarkable but one of the beautiful elements of that was her habit was also pristine and without any sign of decay or rot or anything that you would expect that just material they said the habit that the nuns wear is made out of cotton and some polyester and wool and her her habit was completely intact and of course the rest of the casket was decayed as something buried in the ground with water and all of that that you would expect.

[16] To me, that and what the icing on that cake is that she spent her life fighting to keep the formal, full habit of a nun.

[17] She was 96 years old, so she lived as a nun through all of that time back in the 60s and 70s when so many nuns were abandoning in their habits and she fought to keep it.

[18] I just think it's a beautiful image to remind us who's in charge of this world and it's God Almighty, our creator, the Lord of all, and he gives us these really rather simple for him, but here he is protecting the habit of a nun who fought to be able to honor him with the religious habit of a nun.

[19] And I just thought there was a beautiful element of that story.

[20] Another story that I was told a priest who had had heart trouble prayed in the presence of Sister Wilhelmina.

[21] I mean, they have her beautifully displayed there in the beautiful chapel of the Benedictine sisters there in Gower, and this priest prayed there.

[22] He had a couple of heart attacks and was going to the doctor.

[23] He was concerned about it.

[24] So he prayed there, goes to his heart doctor, and the doctor says, why are you here?

[25] He said, well, I've had a couple of heart attacks, and I'm just concerned about my heart condition.

[26] And the doctor says, you haven't had any heart attacks.

[27] And the doctor says, you haven't had any heart And so maybe that's the first miracle that will be part of the cause for Sister Wilhelmina being ultimately canonized the saint.

[28] But that was just a story that I was told while I was visiting there.

[29] And that's how God works.

[30] God is the Lord of Life.

[31] He sent us his son.

[32] That's what we're preparing to celebrate once again during Advent.

[33] I put out a little video on my new YouTube channel.

[34] encouraging people to make this a very special Advent.

[35] As we all know, it is kind of special because it's brief.

[36] The fourth week of Advent really is only a few hours on the fourth Sunday of Advent, and then at that same day, it turns into Christmas Eve.

[37] So we don't have much of a fourth week of Advent at all, But that hopefully just inspires us to use these last days until the fourth Sunday of Advent, which will be also December 24th, Christmas Eve, that we use that as a real opportunity to focus on what Christmas is about.

[38] It's a very busy time for all of us, for priests and the parishes, for the people.

[39] but I think we need to, especially this year, remember that we are celebrating joy to the world, the Lord has come.

[40] That is one of my favorite hymns for Christmas.

[41] That really speaks of what Christmas is all about.

[42] And we need to just be joyful, joy to the world.

[43] The Lord has come, Jesus Christ.

[44] And I think what we have to emphasize also is, that the same Lord who was born according to our calendar, that's why it is the year 2023, because according to this calendar, and I know that, you know, scripture scholars have some different ideas and maybe it needs to be adjusted, but I say, let's just go with the calendar that we use for this last few days where you're writing on checks and letters the year 2023, January 1st, it will be the year 2024, 2023 years since Jesus Christ was born.

[45] I think that's just that's a simple reminder in our culture that is so distant from God so often.

[46] Let's just be joyful even to just look at a calendar and remember that with all the problems that are real, but we never despair.

[47] We hopefully never lose our joy.

[48] And we just remember, we still count the years since Jesus Christ was incarnate in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary and born among us.

[49] That's what Advent is about.

[50] That's what Christmas is about.

[51] That's what our Catholic faith is about, celebrating that the Lord has come.

[52] And he's calling us away from sin and darkness and death into the light of ultimately everlasting life.

[53] So as you can tell, I can get a little carried away with what we need to focus on for Advent and Christmas and really all the days of the coming new year.

[54] Bishop Strickland, that's what we have you on the radio here for.

[55] In my opinion, what you just said, those brief minutes, a meaning and purpose of life, to give our lives to Christ, to serve Christ, to stick to the truth, to deposit of faith.

[56] this has been your charism as long as I have known you doing these radio shows for several years now and I hope that in the new year with you not having the responsibilities of being an ordinary for the diocese of Tyler that you'll be able to continue just inspiring the flock to fall deeper in love with Jesus Christ I mean what a great job you have I mean I'm in a sense of a calling as a bishop to teach, govern and sanctify the floe And I think that here at Virgin Most Powerful Radio, we're honored to collaborate with you on sharing the gospel because you and I only have so many breaths of air left.

[57] We're in our 60s.

[58] So we want to make every day, every moment fruitful for the Lord.

[59] So I thank you for your storytelling because that's a great way.

[60] I think you're mimicking our Lord in the gospel.

[61] He's always telling stories to communicate the teaching.

[62] so I'd like to shift gears if we could in these last couple minutes of the first segment and I'd like to just set the stage because many Catholics right now from what I could tell are really disappointed that's like mildly saying it disappointed and the Holy See coming out and saying that they're going to bless same -sex partners not only same -sex partners anybody who's in their irregular marriage and not and and try to kind of do the, I call it, the mental gymnastics of trying to say, well, we still believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.

[63] But, I mean, I'm not that stupid.

[64] I mean, I'm stupid, but I'm not that stupid.

[65] I can understand and read the document, and it seems that it's lowering the bar regarding the sacredness of marriage, and it's undermining the, what I call it, deposit of faith on the moral teachings of the Sixth and Ninth Commandment.

[66] And I know what many people are saying in the homosexual community, they're really happy about this because they seem to think that this is a way of acknowledging that their lifestyle is in conformity with the gospel without saying that.

[67] And I want to get your take because I know earlier in the week you did a little LifeSight video and people can go to LifeSight .com to see it because it seems that when you did that, just I've been watching more bishops around the country and around the world, I might add, are saying, no, I'm a bishop, but I mean, the truth is I have to stick to the truth of the gospel.

[68] The pope is the vigor of Christ.

[69] He's not the superior of Christ.

[70] And so I'm going to stick to what the church is always taught.

[71] I made a comment before we go to the break.

[72] I said, Bishop Strickland on the phone to you, I don't know one pope in 2 ,000 years that would have agree with this teaching.

[73] I don't know one canonized saint who would agree with this teaching.

[74] So I have to go with the perennial teachings of the church.

[75] As a layman, I do.

[76] And I'm going to go with the saints and what the church is always taught because this is my, in my opinion, well, it's an anomaly, but it's an atrocity because it's teaching something that the church has never taught before.

[77] So when we come back from the break, I would love to get your take on that document and again from bishops from Africa to Kastistan they're all coming out and saying hey we respect the Pope we love the Pope but we're loving him enough to say if he teaches something that's not consistent with his predecessors or with the deposit of faith we have to lovingly say no I can't support that and I want to get your take on that when we come back here on the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin most powerful and now back to to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[78] Welcome back.

[79] I get a kick out of this, Bishop Strickland.

[80] You and I both have our phones, and we're looking, I'm getting text.

[81] I'm getting, we're not even on live radio, and people are asking me about you right now.

[82] That's amazing.

[83] We're talking about what took place on the 18th of December through the Vatican regarding blessing of same -sex people, and also people who are in irregular marriages, meaning second or third marriages.

[84] And Bishop Strickland, like I said before, many bishops and cardinals are coming out and saying, we can't do this because this goes against the perennial teachings of Christ.

[85] What is your take on this?

[86] Well, Terry, what I'm reminded of, and I think what we all need to focus on, once again, is the salvation of souls.

[87] The purpose of the church, the bride of Christ, is the salvation of souls.

[88] Is this focused on that or is it focused on making people feel comfortable with where they are in this life?

[89] Like you said earlier, we're both, I mean, a lot of people think, oh, they're old guys, don't listen to what they're saying.

[90] We're in our 60s.

[91] Yeah, we are.

[92] But that, We don't know how many more years we have.

[93] Nobody does.

[94] A lot of young people.

[95] I saw something online today, an athlete, 24 years old.

[96] We hear that all the time.

[97] Tragic.

[98] You would think as a full life ahead, just beginning his life, I don't know the circumstances of his death.

[99] I just saw a 24 -year -old athlete died.

[100] it's just a reminder to us that none of us knows if we have tomorrow in the salvation of our souls God has created us just like going back to the good old Baltimore Catechism we're to know love and God and serve God in this life and to be happy with him in the next that's it that is a good catechises that we really need to think about because happy with him in this life some happiness, but also struggle, but we're to know love and serve God.

[101] Thankfully, there are moments of happiness and joy, but there's also challenge and sacrifice and all the things that go into life.

[102] But the ultimate happiness, that's why the salvation of souls, is so important.

[103] That's what God has created us for.

[104] That's why God sent, like John 316, God's soul.

[105] of the world that he sent his only begotten son.

[106] It really is a message that has been repeated through the centuries over and over again, but obviously it needs to be repeated now and focused on because what this document published on December 18th is focused on, I may not have read it well, but I didn't see anything about repentance of sin.

[107] Either did I. It didn't even talk about that, much less focus on it.

[108] And all of these situations of irregular marriages or homosexual unions were talking about, are those individuals, men and women, children of God, beloved of God, are they on the path of their salvation?

[109] Or are they simply living in a way that they find fulfilling now?

[110] But do they believe in the salvation of souls?

[111] Do they believe in the eternal life that God offers us?

[112] Many don't.

[113] Many do.

[114] But that's what we, that's what the purpose of the church is.

[115] So people accuse both of us.

[116] I know they accuse me of being divisive and being disrespectful to Pope Francis.

[117] As I've said before, the greatest respect for any Pope, any bishop, any layman, any lay woman, any priest, any deacon, the greatest respect for every person is to be focused on the salvation of their soul and the salvation of our souls.

[118] And part of what motivates me, and I know what motivates you as a disciple, but you're also a father and a grandfather and a husband.

[119] And in that vocation, you have a certain responsibility to be a model and to correct when necessary.

[120] And to certainly, you have an obligation for the salvation of your own soul, but also those souls that you're responsible for.

[121] Ultimately, when your children and your grandchildren become adults, then it's ultimately their responsibility.

[122] But even then, you can have the ability to influence, to encourage, to challenge when you see them going against the salvation of their own soul.

[123] And, you know, certainly this document for this year, December 18th, focuses on what ultimately are sexual sins.

[124] Are they sins or not?

[125] The church continues to teach that they are.

[126] They're not the only kind of sin, but they are significant sins that are harmful to the individual and harmful to human society.

[127] But you could really take what is said in this document and say, well, anyone who is living a life of sin that is rejecting the Ten Commandments or the teachings of the gospel, they should be able to come forward for a blessing as well.

[128] And that becomes nonsensical in trying to live this truth that Jesus Christ died to share with us.

[129] As I've heard someone say recently, and people have said to me, you know, Jesus doesn't need you to defend him.

[130] Absolutely.

[131] He is Lord.

[132] He doesn't need me. But I need to, for my own salvation, I need to speak the truth.

[133] And I need to hear that challenge myself, to repent of my own sins, which I strive to do, and to continue to seek to grow in virtue.

[134] That's what it's all about for all of us.

[135] And so as you have responsibility as a father and a husband, a grandfather now, I have a responsibility as a bishop.

[136] I'm not the bishop of a local diocese any longer, but I still am a bishop of the church.

[137] I'm a successor of the apostles.

[138] And I have the responsibility, a joyful responsibility, ultimately.

[139] Yep.

[140] And so for you, yeah, there's responsibility.

[141] They're challenges with being a husband and father and grandfather.

[142] But ultimately, it's a great joy.

[143] And sometimes that joy comes from teaching your children a lesson that they may not want to hear at that time.

[144] But I know my parents and other parents that I've heard through the years, very often the children that they've had to correct, and maybe admonished strongly, the children will come back and say, thanks, Dad, thanks, Mom, for telling me the truth and telling me how I can ultimately find peace and happiness in this life that isn't the ultimate peace and happiness, but it is peace and happiness even in this life.

[145] But that's what people are concerned about me. And, you know, it is challenging.

[146] and I have a lot of questions in my life, and I'm not sure what the future hold.

[147] Or any of us, sure, ultimately.

[148] But the peace and the joy that I have is knowing and believing that I'm speaking the beautiful truth that Christ died in order to share with the world.

[149] He lived, died, and rose so that we would know his good news is gospel.

[150] And doing my best, very imperfect.

[151] but doing my best to share that good news does bring joy and it brings peace and it allows me to sleep soundly at night because I know I'm doing my best.

[152] It may not be that great, but I'm doing the best I can to share the truth and to focus on the purpose of the church, the salvation of souls.

[153] Well, you know, while you were discussing that with us, just what you reminded me, said my, as a grandfather, have responsibility.

[154] Just yesterday, our three and a half year old grandson asked me a question.

[155] He said, Grandpa, you talk a loud about heaven.

[156] I want to understand how does God take a soul to heaven?

[157] Now that's three and a half years old.

[158] I was grateful that he would even ask the question, Bishop Strickland, because what he's understanding is that, wait a minute, I want to get my head around this.

[159] I want to understand who God is.

[160] And we got into a big word, the onipotence.

[161] of God, how God is all knowing.

[162] And so when he got that concept at age three and a half, which I thought was a little young, but he asked the question, so I thought, well, maybe he's ready.

[163] But you see, to me, that brought joy to me as the grandpa to explain to him that life is, it's all centered on preparing ourselves to be with God for all eternity.

[164] Now, he's getting that groundwork at age three and a half.

[165] That brings joy to me. Now, you're a bishop.

[166] When you teach the confirmation kids, when you're confirming kids over the years, or you're sharing the gospel with someone, and they respond to that gospel and say, wow, that opened my eyes.

[167] I see now why I need to go and make more visits to the Blessed Sacrament.

[168] Now I see why I need to pray the rosary.

[169] Somebody just called me today, a guy who's a policeman in the L .A. Cops Department, he said, you know, the day that we had the funeral for my son at your church, one of my deputies told me that he was so moved by the service, because I got him a good priest to say mass and gave a great homily.

[170] He said, it got him back to church every Sunday now.

[171] So, I mean, to me, I don't need to hear that, but, you know, I mean, I like hearing that.

[172] I'm going to be honest with you.

[173] It gives me joy to know that what we're doing is touching souls for salvation, for their salvation to get to heaven.

[174] So my question to you is, you are now somewhat like a retired bishop.

[175] Some of us I think Jessica Merrill called you America's bishop and everybody said, well it seems now that you can dedicate a lot more time to teaching through the radio, through your YouTube channel, through interviews with other organizations, and share the gospel.

[176] Because what you're doing right now, Bishop Strickland, is just that.

[177] You're inspiring listeners who are listening in saying, I need to have a strong relationship with Jesus Christ today to be able to manage the vestitudes of life, because there's a lot of ups and downs of life.

[178] And so I just want to ask you again, because we're taking a quick break in about 40 seconds, to continue on with encouraging us lay Catholics to fall deeper in love with Jesus through, we never stopped to talk about our lady, the Blessed Sacrament, And our love for scripture, because it seems to me that I keep saying we have to have this biblical worldview.

[179] I've heard you say it also.

[180] And then I've heard you say over the years, we have to become like first century Christians.

[181] Well, what was going on in the early church was a lot of persecution from the secular world?

[182] It seems like it's deja vu.

[183] We're back at that again.

[184] We stand up for marriage.

[185] I actually said this to you off the air and I'll say it on the air.

[186] There could be a day where you and I are talking on a radio show and saying that marriage is between a man and a woman, and we're condemned for a hate speech, and they take us to jail for speaking the truths of the gospel regarding marriage.

[187] Well, that could happen, and if it does, so be it, because I'm not going to shut up.

[188] I'm going to keep preaching the truths that the Catholic faith has thought for 2 ,000 years.

[189] Stay with us.

[190] We'll be right back.

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

[192] Welcome back indeed.

[193] I just mentioned that Bishop Strickland myself might go to jail if we ever said marriage was between a man and a woman someday.

[194] But another cardinal said something similar.

[195] Cardinal Mueller, he just came out with an interview where he said, The West, meaning us America, would put Jesus in jail today for his teachings on marriage.

[196] I just saw the article here.

[197] on my desk and I thought well yeah isn't that what we just said so so here's the bottom line bishop strickland we're living in times of a lot of confusion you've said that over and over again and you know you're no prophet you're a man who loves jesus christ you try to encourage people to stay close to jesus and the blessed sacrament by making holy hours spending quiet time with Jesus.

[198] You're constantly encouraging people to get their rosaries out for world peace to implement the Fatima plan.

[199] What else can you share with our listeners that will inspire them to stay focused and stay in their lane, so to speak, because many people are depressed over the confusion that the Vatican is putting out.

[200] And how can you help us stay focused on Jesus Christ?

[201] Well, thanks, Terry.

[202] I think there are numerous ways more than you can count.

[203] And thankfully, I think we need to, as you ask that question, people are concerned.

[204] Sometimes people are very worried.

[205] I've had people contact me and say, okay, this is it.

[206] I'm leaving the church.

[207] I always plead with them.

[208] Never leave the church.

[209] The church should be so woven into who we are that we can't.

[210] That's right.

[211] We can't leave the church any more than we can quit breathing.

[212] But we do need to speak up and to lovingly, be challenged ourselves and challenge others.

[213] But I think as we see many concerns and many issues, always be aware there's, they're wonderful, good things developing.

[214] And both of the monasteries that I visited while I was on retreat to Benedict and, monasteries.

[215] They're both what they're calling, what they call establishing a new foundation.

[216] Awesome.

[217] They have reached the point where they're full, and so they're reaching out for starting another community of Benedictine monks or nuns.

[218] Both are growing in that way.

[219] So there's good news out there.

[220] I think we need to, just like in the political world, sometimes it's hard to find the good news.

[221] But in the church, there's always good news.

[222] There are people that are starting movements and praying.

[223] And I know in Tyler, when I was bishop there, many good things were happening.

[224] And very often on the grassroots level, just local people coming together for a rosary prayer group or a Bible study, all those good things.

[225] One thing I think especially in the context of what we've been talking about, the blessing of same -sex marriages or irregular marriages.

[226] There's an organization called Courage that I think we should really highlight.

[227] Big time.

[228] And I think that's a good model for, I don't know, the origins of courage, but it basically exists to support those who are struggling with the temptation of same -sex attraction.

[229] and their courage exists to support them lovingly to call them to virtue, to call them away from the temptation to sin, and to give them the support they need to recognize God loves them as they are, and because he loves them, he calls them to turn from any sinful of inclination, and certainly for people involved in courage, which is specifically focused on same -sex attraction, which the church teaches, continues to teach, that if we act on that, if we live a lifestyle that is based on same -sex attraction, a sexual lifestyle, it's sinful.

[230] That doesn't mean that person is no longer beloved of God or somehow is disposable.

[231] Absolutely.

[232] They are beloved of God.

[233] We all are.

[234] We're all.

[235] sinners, but God doesn't stop loving us, thankfully, when we struggle with sin.

[236] But the key word there is struggle.

[237] Courage exists to help those struggling with same -sex attraction, wanting to live a virtuous life, believing what the church says, and in doing their best to live virtuously.

[238] I'm sure they have other sins in their lives that they struggle with, but For those supported by courage, certainly the same -sex attraction, that strain of sinfulness is very challenging and very difficult.

[239] And many times people can begin to believe they aren't beloved of God because they're struggling with this.

[240] What courage helps them to realize is that they are beloved of God.

[241] And because God loves them, he doesn't want them to live in a way, a lifestyle or make choices, even if it's just an episode here or there, to live, to enter into sinful activity, God wants us to live the virtues that his son has shown us.

[242] So I applaud those involved in courage and encourage those who may be dealing with those frustrations and those temptations to know that there are groups out there that are there to support them.

[243] And I think you seem to indicate that you knew.

[244] I know Father Harvey, the founder, yeah.

[245] We'll tell the story briefly about how did courage begin because I think people need to know those signs of hope.

[246] And instead of despairing and kind of wringing our hands, we need to be inspired by so many through the ages in the life of the church who have seen a need and have done their best to address that need.

[247] My understanding was in 1980s.

[248] I met him at a Human Life International Symposium, I think it was 84, and I was recording him, and he tells his story that as a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, he had a lot of, he was in an area where there was a high volume of homosexuals at his parish, and they were coming to him saying, Father, I have same -sex attraction, what do I do?

[249] and he was going on it.

[250] He said, man, this is something.

[251] What's going on?

[252] So then he started a small support group at his parish, trying to show them, okay, you can acknowledge it, but you're going to live a Chase life.

[253] Like married couples live Chase, single people live Chase, you've got to be called to Chastity.

[254] Let's have some, that's work on how we can overcome these temptations and saying no to ourselves.

[255] So it ended up growing because other parishes found out that they were meeting at his parish.

[256] And it just blossomed in the Archdiocese of New York, and then other people heard about it from other states, and then it became not just in the United States, but worldwide.

[257] But here's the kicker.

[258] I mean, this is exciting that Father Harvey did this, but I remember friends of mine here in Los Angeles who wanted to start a courage, a chapter, and the homosexual community, now, Bishop Strickland, this is scandalous, but I still keep in touch with this man and he said that the people at this group that they were meeting for the homosexuals don't want to hear what courage has to say because we don't agree that we have to say no to ourselves we want to be able to live this life of sodomy and still be accepted in the church and unfortunately Bishop Strickland the Diocese of Los Angeles was shunning courage and didn't give the support that it should have been given.

[259] And I think here's the bottom line.

[260] Father Harvey was a very courageous man and he was ridiculed by a lot of people saying people can't say no to themselves.

[261] Get over it, man. This is who they are.

[262] And he never compromised.

[263] And I believe talking to former homosexuals who say that they overcame their sin of being an active homosexual was because of courage giving them the Catholic Church's position on on sacrifice and prayer and penance and confession going to confession often saying close to Jesus and the Eucharist to overcome these sins and I think that that's the same that answer hasn't changed Bishop Strickland it's still the same but here's the challenge I have with many in the church They don't want people to have to say no to themselves because the culture, the world, the devil, and the flesh has infiltrated us to be compromising.

[264] And even people, as bishops, sometimes I see it, or they say, well, they can't say no to themselves.

[265] And they are wrong on that.

[266] They don't realize what graces can do for people.

[267] And even as a layman, here I am telling you a bishop.

[268] I'm saying, Bishop, people can say no to themselves.

[269] they have that power through grace and that's what courage is all about and I want to just say I wish and I'll just say this and get in trouble I don't mind I wish the Holy Father would have had visits with courage rather than New Way's ministry which was all about active homosexuality so I don't know why I can't speculate but I can just say courage is really the Catholic view on overcoming oneself when it comes to sexual deviations on homosexuality, and I endorse it 100%.

[270] I'm done.

[271] That's just how I see it.

[272] Why can't we promote saying no to ourselves?

[273] Bishop Strickland, this is the world we're in right now.

[274] It's like, well, we want people to feel welcomed.

[275] Well, Bishop Strickland, correct me on the air, correct me. You want them to feel comfortable in this world and live in mortal sin?

[276] That's not loving them, man. Loving them is saying, repent and believe in the gospel the same way I have to repent.

[277] repent and believe in the gospel.

[278] Absolutely.

[279] I'm sorry, I got a little carried away on that, but I just wish we had more voices who would just go with this biblical view of life that we have to learn how to give our whole life to Jesus Christ, our weaknesses, our strengths, it's all given to him, and we ask for grace to overcome all these temptations that we have.

[280] What do you think I'm, I'm a married man, you don't think I have temptations?

[281] You're crazy.

[282] Of course.

[283] But you know what?

[284] I've learned how to say no to myself.

[285] And I think that the world today doesn't know how to say no. And that's infecting the Catholic Church because people who have same -sex attraction, you're not loving them by saying, oh, yeah, God bless you.

[286] You're always welcome without repenting.

[287] That's not love.

[288] I think, you know what that is?

[289] It's a debauchery.

[290] That's my take on it.

[291] Wow.

[292] I'm sorry.

[293] Whose show is this?

[294] It's Bishop Strickland's show.

[295] be quiet, Terry.

[296] I hear the music.

[297] When we come back the last segment, Bishop Strickland, I would like you to also share your vision, if you have it right now, coming off a retreat, what you'd like to do in the new year and teaching the faith for people and how you're going to do it.

[298] And you don't have to give websites or anything that you're doing.

[299] We'll be right back.

[300] Now back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[301] Welcome back indeed.

[302] Boy, this hour goes fast.

[303] Bishop Strickland is just back from a two -week retreat and he's back in the saddle and we're talking about sharing the gospel and I said before the end of the break I said hey can you tell us what 2020?

[304] I know you don't know where you're going to be but what is your desire in sharing the gospel and how are you going to do it?

[305] Could you share a little bit about what your expectations are for the new year in regards to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ?

[306] Thanks, Terry.

[307] Really, what I've been inspired to focus on is helping my brother priests.

[308] Ultimately, I'm just a priest, a bishop, yes, with the additional responsibility.

[309] But the great joy of my life is to be a priest celebrating the Eucharist and the other sacraments, proclaiming the Word, proclaiming Jesus Christ.

[310] And so I've already written one letter to priest.

[311] There's another letter, the second letter that I hope to post tomorrow.

[312] Just encouraging priests, some challenge to really focus on what priest is about.

[313] We are, as ordained priest, we are, the church speaks of being alter Christus, another Christ.

[314] And that is, I mean, what a challenge that is.

[315] It could be many and sometimes people do say, oh, those priests are arrogant, speaking of this altar priestess.

[316] But certainly that's, you know, we're sinners and that can happen.

[317] But hopefully the church's emphasis on priests being other Christ can humble us as the Lord humbled himself to be the high priest among us.

[318] So that's really what I hope to do is to encourage priests to really focus on.

[319] And what I said in this first letter is to be Marian and Eucharistic.

[320] To me, what I've learned, and I've learned it more and more deeply as my life of 38 years as a priest that's going on, especially as a bishop.

[321] But I've learned that that's the heart of priesthood is to be Marian, which is to recognize the Blessed Virgin Mary as the great disciple, the model of discipleship, who's always pointing to her son.

[322] And then, of course, to be Eucharistic is to be men who know that when we stand at the, Eucharistic altar, take bread and wine that becomes the body of blood, soul, and divinity of Christ.

[323] We're doing our most important work.

[324] And I know in my formation, that wasn't focused on as much.

[325] I mean, how can you focus enough on that?

[326] But to really recognize that everything that I do now as a priest and bishop should flow from that Eucharistic altar.

[327] because that is where at every Mass, I celebrated Mass this afternoon, and where at every Mass, we are once again in the presence of Jesus Christ.

[328] The same Lord that we're preparing for during Advent, that we celebrate during Christmas, that the same Lord is there in the form of consecrated bread and wine.

[329] I need to spend the rest of my days focusing on that, living it more clearly, turning from sin and living the virtues more fully and encouraging others to do the same.

[330] And that's what I'm inspired to do as bishop, who no longer has the responsibility of administering a diocese.

[331] but I think that I do have the responsibility of not just saying, oh, well, I can just be retired and just take it easy.

[332] I think instead, the world needs and the church needs stronger priests that are more focused on those two basic elements.

[333] I mentioned in the letter of, I know we've talked about it before, but the vision of St. John Bosco, who sees the church as a ship in a terrible storm, but that ship is anchored, tethered to a pillar of Mary and a pillar of our Lord in the Eucharist.

[334] So as priests, that to me is the Eucharistic revival that we need.

[335] That is the renewal of priesthood that we need.

[336] That is the strength for priest is to be Marian and Eucharistic.

[337] So I ask everyone to pray for me, to pray for our priest.

[338] And hopefully I can find simple ways, but helpful ways for priests to remember with all those who are still administering large parishes and bishops who still have the responsibility of administering a diocese.

[339] maybe I can be a voice to remind them the most important work is to pray and to celebrate the Eucharist with reverence of whatever form is being celebrated, but always remembering that the Lord of the universe comes to that Eucharistic altar in the form of consecrated bread and wine.

[340] Wow, wow.

[341] That's a great job to have for 2025.

[342] I hope we can be a vessel.

[343] for you to do that.

[344] I'll do everything in my power to help get that message into people's hands.

[345] Mr. Strickland, Father Charles Murr, who you've had on your show, he's a priest who worked in the Vatican as a secretary to Cardinal Gagnon, who was the cardinal, he was the Archbishop at the time when St. Paul, the 6th, asked him to do a three -year study regarding free masonry into the how many free masons do we have in the Vatican?

[346] And because the Pope had wanted this report to be done.

[347] So he did it.

[348] And Father Murr was his secretary.

[349] And he told me a story that kind of relates to the issue that we have talked about same -sex blessings.

[350] And he said, Terry, you know, I remember years ago, a nun who was living a double life, came up to Cardinal Gagnon and said, could you give me a blessing your eminence?

[351] And the Cardinal, who was an archbishop at the time, said, certainly you may kneel down and then he said this to the person he said may this blessing distance you from the fires of hell to which you are previously close in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit amen now I say this not laughing I'm saying that's serious this man was an archbishop he realized the person who was coming to him was living in objective sin and they wanted a blessing you know, so he said, look, I'll bless you, but you need to be aware that you're running in dangerous territory.

[352] You might be going to hell because of this unless you repent.

[353] So you need to repent and believe.

[354] So my question to you is many priests listen to this show.

[355] I'm thinking, that's what I've been telling my priest friends.

[356] If someone asks for a blessing that's that you know is living a debauchery life, you give them the blessing, but you call them to repent.

[357] repentance like the Archbishop did.

[358] Would you agree with that approach?

[359] I do.

[360] I think that that is the truly loving approach and to and to welcome the if people do approach the priest that is not wanting to bless sin as a couple of years ago very clearly the church says we can't bless sin.

[361] But certainly and I think an important reminder of that Terry, is that we are, sin does not define us.

[362] We are children of God that are burdened with certain sins, all of us.

[363] That's why we need to go to confession.

[364] We need to repent of those sins.

[365] So when a person comes to a priest and asks for a blessing, certainly we can offer a blessing, but part of that blessing needs to be if they're clearly coming with manifest, as sin, and if, you know, if two people of the same sex come up and ask for a blessing and say, we're living together in a sexual relationship, that blessing needs to include a call to stop that sin, to repent, to change your life.

[366] They may not want to hear that.

[367] They may walk away and say, well, we don't want that kind of blessing, but that's what I would recommend that a priest do with love and with patience.

[368] And who knows?

[369] Maybe some of those will hear the call to turn from sin, just like we were talking about with courage.

[370] Yep.

[371] And really, if this document that we were talking about had built in that kind of understanding, but at least, you know, as I read it, it's not, it doesn't speak in those terms.

[372] It doesn't say, if you are in objective sin, repent of that sin.

[373] And that can be part of the blessing that we would impart.

[374] I mean, priests do that all the time, ultimately.

[375] I mean, when a person comes into the confessional, they come in as a sinner.

[376] And the blessing of confession is that they confess that sin.

[377] They express a firm purpose of amendment.

[378] meaning they say, I want to change my life.

[379] I mean, most priests would say, and I would have to say as a sinner, and I would imagine you say the same.

[380] We have that firm purpose of amendment.

[381] Got to have it.

[382] But we fail and sin again.

[383] Hopefully not to the same degree, maybe not in the exact same sins, but we sin again because we're weak and we're broken.

[384] But we offer that firm purpose of amendment, and I can speak for myself, that once you really commit to that, the grace of God can help you grow away from various sinful behaviors and temptations that we're dealing with.

[385] That's what it's all about.

[386] So everyone who goes into a confessional is seeking a blessing as a sinner.

[387] That's right.

[388] That's what we do as a church.

[389] But what is troubling is to ignore the sin and say, I want a blessing, but I don't want to address the sin.

[390] And I don't want to be called to repentance.

[391] I don't want to change anything.

[392] We all need to be willing to be changed by the grace of God at work in our lives.

[393] And your point in the confessional, if you don't have repentance for your sin, the priest can't absolve you of your sin.

[394] You have to have repentance.

[395] And so that's what kind of blows me away that this has been such a clear teaching of the church that we have to continue to preach because that was our Lord's first word.

[396] You know, John the Baptist, repent and believe in the gospel.

[397] And that's what we do here on the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[398] It's not Bishop Strickland's personal opinion that matters and not Terry Barber's opinion.

[399] What is the truth?

[400] What has Jesus Christ been teaching for 2 ,000 years?

[401] That's our bar.

[402] Nothing else.

[403] So I want to thank you for that.

[404] Could you give us a blessing, please, Bishop Strickland?

[405] Mighty God, we ask your blessing for everyone participating in this Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[406] We have this.

[407] And I'm the Father, the Son, of the Holy Spirit.

[408] Thank you so much, Bishop Strickland.

[409] Hope to see you again next week.

[410] Thank you for our supporters who support Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[411] Please take this podcast, send it to your friends, tell people about all the shows that we have to offer, especially the show on Bishop Stream with the Life of Christ.

[412] A great show that is.

[413] Hey, God bless you.