07 Dec 21 – We Should Be Willing to Die for the Truth

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] Terry Barber here.

[2] I'm always excited.

[3] You know why?

[4] Because we get to talk about Jesus and his saving works.

[5] We talk about Bishop Strickland's tweets.

[6] We talk about the catechism of the Catholic Church.

[7] And I just think this week has got me all pumped up, Bishop Strickland, because yesterday the Supreme Court was discussing the Roe versus Wade issues.

[8] And, you know, I don't know.

[9] I think I've read hours of commentary on all this.

[10] Is this a victory?

[11] Is this a victory?

[12] Is this?

[13] This is a historic day at the Supreme Court?

[14] Could we overturn Roe versus Wade?

[15] Well, you know, by nature, Bishop Strickland, I am very optimistic, but maybe too much so.

[16] But I wanted to just say that it was nice to see the discussion changing in a sense of changing what I mean by that is that really we're discussing that it's a life in the mother's womb.

[17] It's not a product of conception and that we need to address this issue when we We've had technology with ultrasound and other issues showing the beauty of our Catholic faith.

[18] It's really our Catholic faith, just common sense science.

[19] So I wanted to ask you, because you've been beating on this drum most of your life about protecting the unborn.

[20] What was your take from yesterday out of the Supreme Court discussions?

[21] Well, from the limited things that I read, it sounds very hopeful.

[22] that at least they won't say you can't restrict abortion to be, you know, it has to be earlier than 15 weeks.

[23] I mean, we know that it should be never, but at least if the Supreme Court doesn't restrict that, it opens the door for more states to have similar, you know, restriction and reinforces like the Texas heartbeat law and those kind of things.

[24] because it's, if I'm not mistaken, it's similar ballpark of weeks of gestation that a heartbeat becomes detectable.

[25] So that's certainly a step in the right direction.

[26] We know that the right thing is to stop allowing the murder of unborn persons, but if we can't quite get that far, than at least, it did sound hopeful.

[27] But, you know, it's likely that it may be June before we know the decision.

[28] So, and I think it's with all the things that we're seeing in the country and around the world, I think we need to be aware that, you know, this, it would be a step in the right direction of once again being a nation that takes seriously what we say, one nation under God.

[29] So we need to pray and hope that the Supreme Court will uphold the sanctity of the life of the unborn.

[30] It may not go far enough, but if at least upholds what we're trying to do to protect the unborn now, it's a step in the right direction.

[31] What I'm seeing Bishop Strickland is that most likely states will decide for themselves.

[32] For example, Texas, we know where you guys stand.

[33] You stand for life as a state.

[34] We know where California stands.

[35] We stand for killing unborn babies and we want to pay for it.

[36] And I think what's going to happen, I'm just going to give you my take, that for me, I'll say it right on the air.

[37] I leave the state of California.

[38] When I know other states that I can live in, my tax dollars not going to go to killing unborn babies, now I have an option before I didn't have that option but I think we're going to go to that direction where each state will probably be the ones that make the decision on whether you're going to pay for killing your future citizens so there you have it well Bishop Strickland I want to go to your tweets and thanks for that commentary on the pro -life side I the first tweet that you said and I get I mean you said Jesus forgive me for being a weak bishop and failing to speak more boldly and lovingly to President Biden who promotes the slaughter of unborn children and still receives the body and blood of Jesus and Holy Communion.

[39] Jesus give me the grace to speak boldly against the sacrilege he is committing.

[40] I'm missing something.

[41] I've heard you on the air say that he shouldn't be receiving Holy Communion for months.

[42] Matter of fact, even before he became the president, Bishop Strickland, I don't know of any other bishops who were saying that, no, just because he's the, it makes no difference.

[43] You're the custodian, you're the president.

[44] We all have to be living objectively in the state of grace and not live a contrary life of objective sin to receive holy communion.

[45] So I'm missing something, but you know, you can tell me what I miss because I see you every week preaching constantly about the what I call the perennial teachings of the church.

[46] Well, Terry, I guess that tweet was just my own, maybe my disappointment that, I mean, honestly, it's good to be reminded that I have said it, which I have, but since it doesn't seem to have much effect, I guess that's what I was burdened with at that point.

[47] People aren't listening, including my brother bishops.

[48] And so, you know, I do, and it, To really, I've had a conversation this week that really helped to frame it for me. Okay.

[49] And where I've given homilies recently talking about the, you know, the phrase that I think most of us are familiar with.

[50] I don't know who originally said it.

[51] I think one of the tip O 'Neill maybe was credited with it years ago.

[52] Anyway, the idea that all politics is local.

[53] And I kind of adapt that, and just recently in the conversation, I think that we can adapt that a little bit and say, all faith is in the pew.

[54] And what I mean by that is it's up to the individual man and woman to ask themselves, am I being faithful to Christ?

[55] am I preparing myself as fully as I can, as unworthy as I am, to receive the body of Christ with the best reality of my soul that I can.

[56] I mean, we all pray like we just heard in a recent gospel, Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul should be.

[57] shall be healed.

[58] To take that seriously, and that's what I've tried to teach the people here in the Diocese of Tyler, which is really my only obligation.

[59] It is my profound obligation to teach this flock.

[60] They're my responsibility.

[61] If other people overhear my teaching and appreciate it or don't, that's just the world we live in.

[62] But I have an obligation to teach the flock that I have, I'm their spiritual father.

[63] That's right.

[64] And I said the best reverence we can offer Jesus Christ, for those of us who know he is present, body and blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist, whether as deacon, priest, or bishop, the ordained, approaching the altar, we have to do the same thing.

[65] We're sinners.

[66] We have to go to confession when we hear, when we recognize the need for confessing our sentence, which we need to on a regular basis as the people in the pew.

[67] So what I suggested to the people here is, and I would say to the deacons and priests and bishops as we approach the Eucharistic altar, to really take to heart that prayer that we will offer.

[68] And if we're aware, if we really do a good, simple examination of conscience and say, I need to go to confession before I approach the Eucharistic altar of the Lord.

[69] Then do it.

[70] Whether the layperson coming out of the pew or the priest at the altar, go to confession.

[71] And frankly, I would encourage every priest if you say, before I celebrate my next Mass, I need to go to confession to do it.

[72] And for the laity and the pew to say before you receive the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ and the Eucharist again, then go to confession.

[73] If you open your heart and mind to recognize, I mean, we're all sinners.

[74] And certainly, you know, we can get carried away with our lack of worthiness.

[75] none of us will ever really be worthy, and the Lord wants to come to us.

[76] So it is a balance of recognizing that I think what it comes down to, Terry, is an obligation to be as worthy as we can be.

[77] Amen.

[78] With the acknowledgement that we're always sinners, but to seek that worthiness and to be profoundly grateful to give thanks to God in the mercy.

[79] that he offers us through offering his own son, and his son mercifully offering his body and blood, soul and divinity to be our heavenly food.

[80] But we've got to urge people, starting with myself, but we've got to urge people to take seriously who we are receiving and to repent of our sins.

[81] And if we acknowledge that maybe it's been a little longer since our last confession that it should have been.

[82] Even for the layperson in line to receive communion, it's very common, at least in our diocese, and we welcome people to just come forward with their arms crossed across their chest indicating that they're not actually receiving.

[83] We say a little prayer for them.

[84] That is a beautiful reverence of the Eucharist, a reverence for the Lord.

[85] To say, Lord, I really need to go to confession before I receive you again.

[86] And to do that as quickly as possible.

[87] So, yes, we need that life -giving food that is Jesus Christ.

[88] Well, said, when we come back, I got a little story from St. John Paul II saying something similar to what Bishop Strickland just tweeted.

[89] And you'll like it.

[90] Trust me, you're going to like this story from St. John Paul II and a doctor friend of mine from Southern California who was helping him with his ailment.

[91] You're going to like it.

[92] Stay with us, then.

[93] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland hour.

[94] I'm Terry Barber with Virgin Most Powerful radio.

[95] Bishop Strickland was basically talking about, you know, sometimes he feels like he's not being strong enough to teach the faith or promote the, you know, the idea of what President Biden is doing.

[96] He's now sharing with us that we all should be conscious of going to confession and staying in the state of grace.

[97] But you know, Bishop Strickland, you have good company.

[98] my friend, Dr. Vince Fortunassi, is a neurologist here in Southern California, and a very good Catholic man, and he was called by the Vatican to be Pope John Paul II's doctor.

[99] And when he was in Rome, he was talking with the saint before he died.

[100] He had worked with him for four years before this all, before he was called home.

[101] And St. John Paul II said, Dr. Vince, I got to tell you, nobody's listening to anything I write.

[102] or say.

[103] It seems like every time I write something and nobody's paying attention.

[104] And the good doctor says, yeah, I get that also when I'm giving advice as a doctor.

[105] So I guess it kind of goes with the territory that if you're the Pope or a bishop or a doctor or maybe a parent, we all have that sense that maybe they just don't listen, but that doesn't mean we can't keep teaching the faith and sharing it in the best way we can.

[106] So you and St. John Paul, too, have something in common.

[107] Strickland, you also tweeted, I understand Deacon Keith Fortunier.

[108] I met him years and years ago when he was working with EWTM, but he actually works in your diocese, right?

[109] He's part of the diocese of Tyler.

[110] Is that correct?

[111] Yes, Deacon Keith Fournier.

[112] Oh, Fortineyne.

[113] Okay.

[114] And you quoted him.

[115] You said it's important that we all speak up at the time and our nation to return to a natural moral law of sanctity of life from conception to natural death.

[116] What did you tweet?

[117] What was it that you thought was important enough to make a comment on?

[118] Well, the topic that I speak on so often talking about the sanctity of life of the unborn.

[119] That's right.

[120] All right, well, then, because he said this, that we all know the truth, medical science confirms that our informed conscience, natural moral law.

[121] He nails it all.

[122] Revelation, you know, the Word of God, has always taught us that, and I like his language, I like this language, that little girl or boy in the womb is our neighbor.

[123] I love that language.

[124] It is always wrong to kill them through abortion, end abortion, overturn Roe versus Wade.

[125] Well, that's a good guy to have working for you.

[126] I tell him, I thank him for his clarity there.

[127] So that was good.

[128] Yeah, I like that language too, because Christ says love your neighbor as you love yourself.

[129] And we need to remind the world that the unborn are our neighbors, our little neighbors.

[130] And I also love that language of the bios is let the little children come to me. I mean, who else is going to stand up for a look at?

[131] I have a little two -year, no, he's 21 months old, almost two years old.

[132] And I spent the day yesterday with him, Bishop Strickland, because I was babysitting.

[133] And we went to the park, we went to the lake.

[134] We watched airplanes at the airport take off helicopters.

[135] helicopters.

[136] And I thought, this little guy is just like a sponge.

[137] He wants to see it all and understand it.

[138] And I think these are the little ones that his own, his own, you know, people that in his own, what is it, the age group, many of his siblings or people that are like babies, half of them didn't make it like him.

[139] And that really struck me very powerfully yesterday.

[140] And Mr. Strickland, yes, you always talk about pro life.

[141] you know, you mentioned this in a tweet that I think is very important because so many people say, Bishop Strickland, you have your truth.

[142] Terry Barber has his truth.

[143] Wrong.

[144] That's not how it works.

[145] Here's your tweet.

[146] I've heard people say, rejoice in the Lord.

[147] I love that.

[148] Very biblical.

[149] But I love this one.

[150] I haven't heard anybody say this.

[151] Rejoice in truth.

[152] Amen to that.

[153] Truth has no boundaries.

[154] This is what you're saying in your tweet.

[155] It is not one thing here and another thing there.

[156] It is not one thing for me and another thing for you.

[157] Truth is eternal.

[158] Man, think about that one.

[159] It is not one thing yesterday and another thing today.

[160] All of this is because truth has a face and the face of Jesus Christ.

[161] Wow.

[162] That's all you.

[163] Bishop Strickland, I don't mean to make you embarrassed when I say this.

[164] And I won't even say who it is.

[165] But I was at a parish and our priest was, I don't know if he used word nominated, elected to be a local bishop.

[166] Many, many years ago.

[167] So he's gone.

[168] And we were at the party to wish him the best.

[169] You know, it was like a going away party because he was our parish priest.

[170] And believe it or not, I got into a discussion with him about truth.

[171] Are you sitting down?

[172] Yes, he is.

[173] Okay.

[174] I can see that.

[175] that.

[176] I said to the bishop, I said, you know, as Catholics, obviously, we believe in the eternal truth of Jesus Christ.

[177] And his response about knocked me over.

[178] Now, remember, I'm in my 20s.

[179] So I'm not that sophisticated.

[180] I'm kind of a, you know, young pup, but I'm studying my faith.

[181] But I know I know what eternal truth is.

[182] You know that it's good for today and tomorrow and forever.

[183] And the future bishop said to me, now what is truth we don't know what truth is we're still trying to figure that out so i politely said bishop i don't get this you're going to be a successor of the apostle and you don't know about objective truth i'm worried i'm going to pray for you now this was a young guy now he he he chided me a little bit and kind of like well you just don't under how many theology classes do you have you have a degree in theology no uh then i guess you really haven't study the issue enough.

[184] My point to you, Bishop Strickland, is I cringe because if we don't have truth, we have nothing.

[185] And unfortunately, I only bring that, I won't say his name, but high people in the church today act like that we've lost this whole concept that this is true today and it'll be true tomorrow.

[186] So I only say thank you for your clarity because it triggered bad memories that I had in my mind where I ran into people in the church who don't believe that anymore.

[187] And I have to ask you this question.

[188] I'll put you on the hot seat.

[189] I watched you at the bishops conference years ago asking your brother bishops, do we really believe in this?

[190] And I thought that was really strong, good of you because it really made all of your brother bishops, which I hope they ask themselves, do I?

[191] Because it's a critical for our leadership because where the church goes is where its leaders take them.

[192] So thank you for talking about truth and that objective truth is eternal.

[193] So I'm sorry, I took all that out of you, but that just really, it was like 35 years, 30 years ago that happened.

[194] And so.

[195] Well, really, Terry, what it comes down to, and I really believe this.

[196] Tell me. In the church especially.

[197] Yeah.

[198] we are blessed with knowing incarnate truth in Jesus Christ and being nurtured, being fed by incarnate truth.

[199] That is our faith.

[200] That's what the catechism says.

[201] That is the classic expression of Catholic faith.

[202] that Jesus Christ is truth incarnate and that he is really present, body and blood, soul and divinity, and the Eucharist, we were talking about a few minutes ago.

[203] So to say we don't know the truth is to say we don't know Jesus Christ.

[204] And for too many, I believe, sadly, that is the truth.

[205] They don't know Jesus Christ.

[206] because if you know him, you know that truth has a face.

[207] You know that truth has been incarnate among us.

[208] You know that truth is really present in every tabernacle and comes to us at every mass. And you know the truth is a person, is a living presence.

[209] I mean, I think of, you know, Jesus' encounter with Punches, Paul.

[210] Pilate, where Pilate who thinks he's got the world at his feet.

[211] He's the procurator of the Roman Empire there in Jerusalem.

[212] Right.

[213] He's the big dog.

[214] He's the all -powerful one.

[215] And he arrogantly says, and I, you know, I imagine Pilate saying that with a sneer, you know, with a sarcastic, what is truth?

[216] Yeah.

[217] And here he is throwing that sarcastic question at Jesus, truth incarnate.

[218] Sadly, the world and too many in the church seem to be more in line with Pilate than in line with Jesus Christ who is incarnate truth.

[219] We know that that is who he is.

[220] and if you come to know him more deeply, you're humbled, you are changed, you are energized and strengthened to speak of him.

[221] To speak the truth is to speak of Jesus Christ.

[222] We need to be joyful and strong in that and allow no one to cause us to quit speaking of him.

[223] Because when we speak the truth, we speak the truth, we speak Jesus, we speak of Jesus Christ because he is the fullness of truth.

[224] Boy, I just, amen to that.

[225] Amen to that.

[226] And I want to recommend a book because you seem to recommend a lot of books you're reading.

[227] I'm going to ask you if you're reading anything in particular.

[228] But the Cardinal Ratzinger report published by Ignatius Press back in 1985, I think that was about when you were a newly ordained priest.

[229] But anyhow, that particular book I read, and it really woke me up to what you were talking about truth because the Ratzinger report, Cardinal Ratzinger was like talking about objective truth.

[230] He was talking about ecclesiology, which is the study of the church.

[231] And how do we see the church as the optimist club, you know, like just a natural group or a supernatural?

[232] And what Cardinal Ratzinger said in that book is that we've lost the, vertical aspect of our faith, and it's become too horizontal with the world.

[233] And I know that's an old book now, but I think he has a lot of good things to say.

[234] So I want to recommend people, you can still get it from Ignatius Press.

[235] Bishop Strickland, you also had a Benedictine monk, this book that you've been reading for, I don't know, a year or two, and periodically you stick a little bit in there.

[236] And I have a copy of it.

[237] I haven't finished it, but I mean, it's pretty intense.

[238] I mean, it's powerful.

[239] Here's what you're talking about on the last Friday of the ordinary time, which was last Friday, and with Advent pondering of a Eucharist, the great mystery of his presence, his sacred Eucharistic heart, his lifeblood strength of his church, especially to his priests, pray for his priests.

[240] I'll tell you what, when you say things like that, we know you believe, Bishop Strickland, we know.

[241] Here's what you quote right out of the book of a journal of this Benedictine monk.

[242] It says, where I am present in the sacrament of my love, there also is the spirit of the Father and of the Son.

[243] It is by the Holy Spirit that my Eucharistic presence is my glorious presence to the Father in heaven, and it is by the Holy Spirit that my Eucharistic presence touches souls who adore me to unite them to me, and to bear them up even before my father's face.

[244] Wow, you don't have much of a commentary on that.

[245] Why don't you really ask the guy what he really thinks?

[246] I mean, wow, Benedict and Monk, when we come back, we'll have Bishop Strickland comment on that and much more here on the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[247] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[248] I was just reading from a book titled, well, When Heart speaks to heart, a journal of a priest at prayer, and it was all about the Holy Eucharist.

[249] Bishop Strickland, what made you take that section for today?

[250] Is it because of Advent, or is it just timing?

[251] Well, certainly Advent.

[252] I mean, and the Eucharist is always at the very heart of our faith, because it is a person.

[253] It is Jesus Christ.

[254] Amen.

[255] Well, that's great.

[256] Bishop Strickland, you did something over the weekend.

[257] I had a big grin on my face because I noticed on the news that the health and human services, we call it the HHS secretary.

[258] He's a self -described Catholic.

[259] And you were a little critical when it came to religious freedom and went critical in a good way because, well, tell us what went because you were interviewed on a regular secular news report about giving him some advice.

[260] So could you share a little bit what was going on there?

[261] Well, once again, Terry, to me, it comes down to Catholics.

[262] Yeah.

[263] Knowing what Catholic teaching is.

[264] Of course.

[265] And really knowing what Catholic teaching is by we talk about having an informed conscience.

[266] Right.

[267] And then we're supposed to live that truth.

[268] that we've learned.

[269] So what I said, and it was very brief, it wasn't even really an interview.

[270] It was a comment, and they said, can we quote you?

[271] I said, sure.

[272] But I said, we need to send.

[273] I mean, if this person, really, I could say a lot, because we believe that what the catechism contains, is the truth, is the message of Jesus Christ.

[274] Certainly, there are many people, the majority of people in the world are not Roman Catholic.

[275] But we believe it's a truth as Jesus Christ is Lord of all.

[276] Yeah.

[277] The truth, we believe, is for all people.

[278] So probably it would be less than productive for us to send a catechism to everyone in government, but at least those who claim to be Catholic, it's either one way or the other.

[279] Do we believe it or not?

[280] Are we guided by this truth or not?

[281] And sort of the popular idea that, well, this is my personal faith, but that's not what I vote for, or that's not what I do in the public arena, that is a false dichotomy that we need to, that the catechism doesn't teach.

[282] You've got to form your conscience according to the truth revealed to us by God and most deeply the fullness of revelation that is his son, Jesus Christ.

[283] That's what the catechism teaches us.

[284] So if we really believe Jesus, Jesus Christ is Lord, and we really believe that he has established the church as flawed as she is, and she always has been, because she was made up from the beginning of human beings, but holy because she's guided by the Holy Spirit.

[285] So really, I would love to see a campaign in the, maybe that's not a good word, but a real, clear effort in the church and in the nation to have catechism class for everyone who says they want to run for public office.

[286] Great idea.

[287] On the local level, on the state level, on the national level.

[288] Love it.

[289] And really, I kind of suggested that at the last meeting.

[290] Let's really work at evangelizing in the Catholic faith.

[291] That's what we mean by evangelizing.

[292] Bringing people a gospel is bringing people the fullness of Jesus Christ.

[293] And that's bringing the truth that we believe is captured in the Word of God and in the Catechism that really is, we can describe as through the centuries, a reflection on the Word of God and what it means for us in our human journey.

[294] Well, let me add, yeah, go ahead.

[295] For every Catholic, the claims to be Catholic, if they don't claim to be Catholic, like I said, it's still the truth.

[296] Oh, yeah.

[297] We should still urge them to be guided by those principles contained in the catechism.

[298] But if you're claiming to be Catholic, you have an obligation to be guided by those truths.

[299] And we need to just call out the false dichotomy that says, oh, well, I personally, believe this, but that's not how I'm going to vote.

[300] Because, well, if I vote the Catholic truth, I may not be elected again.

[301] Well, frankly, if you're elected, but you're compromising the truth of your faith, then what good are you going to do?

[302] We've got to wake up to really embracing the truth.

[303] Well, Bishop Strickland, the Biden administration through the HHS is revoking certain faith -based exemptions and rolling back religious liberty enforcement that the previous administration honored.

[304] For example, a doctor who doesn't want to perform an abortion or a nurse who doesn't want to be there to having where they're killing an unborn baby.

[305] Now he can't say, the doctor can't say, well, I'm Catholic.

[306] I oppose any killing of innocent life.

[307] I'm not going to want to participate in that.

[308] What the new administration is saying, you don't have a choice.

[309] Is that what we're, I mean, isn't that what we're really concerned with that as Christians, we have a freedom to live out our faith in this country?

[310] Absolutely.

[311] And the principle of the freedom of choice, the freedom of conscience, the right to make your choices according to your own conscience.

[312] That's why we need to oppose whatever mandate that is going against conscience.

[313] And, you know, they're, sadly, there are too many of them out there.

[314] I mean, really, it's sadly logical that the President White House, the government, is starting to say, we're going to take away these exemptions from the HHS mandates that are in place.

[315] hopefully they won't accomplish this taking it away.

[316] But it's sadly logical if we allow them to mandate us to do things, that I say, I think that's immoral, I think that's wrong.

[317] This isn't according to my own personal free choice.

[318] If we allow them to start mandating, then, yeah, they're going to take more and more authority to mandate how we spend our money, how we do everything.

[319] and people need to wake up to this, and this is just one more sign of a very liberal government just running roughshod over the rights that are enshrined.

[320] Thankfully, we do have a constitution.

[321] Many people are deciding to ignore it, but we can keep going back to it, and we need to.

[322] And thankfully, there are lawsuits saying, as a lot of these things come out, There are lawsuits saying that's illegal in the United States.

[323] Not every country has the Constitution and the strong constitution that we have.

[324] But we've got to demand that we are guided by it, that it's not just an enshrined document that doesn't mean anything, but it's a living document that guides us in navigating the crazy world that we live.

[325] it well said i'd like to switch gears right into the catechism for now i had a couple other things i wanted to bring up but i do want to talk about the catechism we've been going for weeks on the trinity and what's kind of neat about the catechism for our listeners is there's a after each section of the catechism we call it in brief it's on page 69 for those who have the catechism and it basically gives you a summary of what we studied and i love this kind of a approach in learning my faith because it goes over what we've already talked about, but I'd like to do that right now.

[326] Paragraph 261 talked about the mystery of the most holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and of the Christian life.

[327] God alone can make it known to us by revealing himself as Father, son, and Holy Spirit.

[328] But Bishop Strickland, that little, wow, it says it so succinctly.

[329] Can you say it any quicker?

[330] I mean, that's it.

[331] Yeah, absolutely.

[332] And as you said, each section has that sort of summary in brief.

[333] Yeah.

[334] That even if you don't have the time or say, oh, that looks too complicated.

[335] I'd encourage people to just go through all of those in brief messages.

[336] Great idea.

[337] Sort of an introduction to the catechism.

[338] And if there's a paragraph that really does pique your interest to go ahead and read what that in -brief is reducing down to a brief statement.

[339] Because really, as it says, the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and of Christian life.

[340] Because it speaks of the truth of who God is.

[341] And a great thing that this alludes to, that it doesn't.

[342] it uses the word revealing.

[343] This is revealed truth.

[344] I love it.

[345] It's not something that some philosopher came up with.

[346] It's not something a scientist came up with in a laboratory.

[347] It came from God.

[348] That is the core of what we believe as Catholics.

[349] And frankly, if you're Christian, you believe in revealed truth.

[350] Amen.

[351] If you believe in the Bible as the word of God, you believe in revealed truth.

[352] And it's a great humbling reality that what we're talking about the truth of sacred scripture and much of it embedded in the catechism is not of us.

[353] It's because God has loved us so much that he's revealed himself through the ages and given us the ultimate revelation of his own son.

[354] As John 316 says, so beautifully.

[355] God so love the world.

[356] And what I like to say, Terry, is that God so loves the world.

[357] Yeah.

[358] It continues.

[359] He continues to reveal his love through his son, a living presence among us.

[360] Woo, more on the Holy Trinity.

[361] I love it.

[362] Isn't this great stuff, folks?

[363] If you don't have a catechism, I'll send you one, like Bishop Strickland will.

[364] You just call me at 8775 -2 -6 -215.

[365] if you don't have one more when we come back stay with us family welcome back to the bishop strickland hour this is my favorite part of the show i love studying my catechism because i i continue to learn you know it's a lifetime occupation bishop strickland i are in our 60s but our learning of our faith doesn't stop because we're in our 60s it continues throughout our life and this is something that I'm convinced we need to tell our parishioners, our fellow Catholics, that don't think because you had 12 years of Catholic school that you know everything, you've just begun to study because it's a lifetime occupation.

[366] Bishop Strickland, I read this next paragraph, and I love it very much so because it explains what consubstantial means.

[367] People, we don't use those words in normal language.

[368] So it's paragraph 262.

[369] It says the incarnation, you know, God becoming man. So the incarnation of God's son reveals that God is the eternal father and that the son is consubstantial with the father, comma, which means that in the father and with the father, the son is one and the same God.

[370] Wow.

[371] Isn't that precise?

[372] I mean, it's the clarity.

[373] It's still mysterious.

[374] It's serious, but it's a clarity of how the Trinity works, that we, they're equal.

[375] That's the beauty of it.

[376] One God in three persons.

[377] Yep, one God.

[378] So that's beautiful.

[379] These are the brief.

[380] For those who just tuned in, it's the last segment of our show.

[381] We're in the catechism where it's called in brief.

[382] It's kind of make a summary of what you read in that chapter.

[383] And then it just gives you really succinct paragraphs or sentences that, that say exactly what we believe in as Catholics.

[384] Paragraph 263.

[385] And here it is, the mission of the Holy Spirit sent by the Father in the name of the Son and by the Son from the Father reveals that with them the Spirit is one and the same God with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified.

[386] Gee, that's right from the Creed, isn't it?

[387] Yep.

[388] And it's also scriptural with John 14 and John 15, you know, so I just think that the beauty of our Catholic faith, so much of it is, so much scripture is involved in it where we believe, you know, through God's inordinate word that it is true.

[389] So any thoughts on that paragraph, Bishop Strickland?

[390] Well, just expresses succinctly the great mystery.

[391] once again that God has revealed to us through his son and through all the journey of the people of Israel.

[392] I love, and I quote often, another time we were looking at the catechism, and I forget exactly where it says this, but it says in a brief paragraph that all of scripture speaks of Jesus Christ.

[393] Yes.

[394] And that is what it comes down.

[395] to, that from the very first verses of the book of Genesis to the last verses of the book of Revelation, everything that is in the canon of Scripture, everything in the Bible, is Jesus, is Word, because He's Word incarnate.

[396] And the Word, as John's Gospel says beautifully, the Word is spoken of the Father, and Jesus is the Word.

[397] So it, all.

[398] All of that.

[399] John's gospel is really, if people are just wanting to ponder the Trinity, John's gospel, they speak it of it as the most high theology, meaning it gets into the depths of the mysteries of who God is, of who the Eucharist is, of the presence of the incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, and the world.

[400] Jesus says, when you see me, you see the Father.

[401] And that all makes sense.

[402] When you know the mystery of God is father, son, and spirit that the father and the son are always with each other and the power of the spirit.

[403] And it's beyond our human expression, our ability to say what it means.

[404] But the catechism gives us, it gives us enough of the truth of the mystery to be able to be guided by that truth.

[405] And this is why we, as the commandments say, you shall have no false gods before you, and we need to all prayerfully ask ourselves, am I allowing anything to be idolized above God, whether it's wealth or power or pleasure or notoriety or many of the things that through human history we've seen people destroyed by man. thanking something God that isn't God.

[406] And as we talk about God in a personal way, that's the beauty of our Catholic faith, is that God is a personal God, not some sort of cold and distant creator entity, but a person, father, son, and spirit, that personal aspect of God, which is fully revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

[407] And like we were saying earlier, to say we don't know the truth literally is saying we don't know Jesus.

[408] And to ignore the truth is to ignore Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the incarnate truth.

[409] And for both of us, men who are sinners, but who have, I know from talking to you for all these months and from having a chance to actually meet you a couple of times, I know that you know Jesus Christ.

[410] You know his mystery in a very personal way.

[411] I know you as a man who would die rather than deny Christ.

[412] And that's the kind of faith that I have.

[413] I hope that I would be strong enough to sacrifice anything, even my own life, rather than deny the truth of Jesus.

[414] And I think I speak for you, Terry.

[415] we can't deny the truth no it it's simply we we can't do it we we can't deny the truth and whatever the consequences even at the sacrifice of our own life so like so many of the great martyrs many of the saints are martyrs and in a sense all the saints i mean john saint john paul the great yes great was Pope and is now a saint.

[416] He wasn't a martyr, but he martyred himself by sacrificing, just like you referred to earlier.

[417] Yeah.

[418] He was a man. Yep.

[419] And he had doubts and he had questions and he felt rejected and he said, but he continued to speak faithfully.

[420] Amen.

[421] And in that sense, John Paul the Great was a martyr for the faith because he sacrificed himself for the truth.

[422] So in that sense, we're all called to be martyrs.

[423] Maybe not to shed blood and to give our lives.

[424] Maybe so.

[425] Who knows?

[426] But we are called to martyr ourselves to be witnesses to the truth.

[427] You know, he died also as a witness of the truth.

[428] He died from Alzheimer's disease.

[429] And if you think about the way he died, he talked about the elderly and how we could be having redemptive suffering.

[430] And not only did he teach it, Bishop Strickland, he lived it.

[431] And I thought that his whole life story was so inspiration.

[432] For me, when he became the Pope, and I don't mean to go back to 1978, and a Polish Pope, who is this guy?

[433] And the more I read about him, the more I was just so enthralled by his zeal because I wasn't used to that kind of a, you know, a spirited pope.

[434] And everything that I read by him and then his example, yeah, he was the real deal.

[435] And I just thought, what a great grace it was for us.

[436] I think it was 25 years of his pontificate, one of the longer pontificates of the church's history.

[437] Bishop Strickland, before we call it a day, can you, oh, I'm sorry, we've got a few more minutes.

[438] I'm five minutes off.

[439] I wanted to also, just before we get a blessing before the end, but I also want to ask you a question about your institute, again, because the St. Philip Institute is constantly putting out catechetical material, and I want our listeners to know about that.

[440] Yeah, the St. Philip Institute here in the Diocese of Tyler is an institute for catechesis and evangelization, and it's about teaching this truth that we've been talking about, a truth that is a real person, a truth that is personified.

[441] in Jesus Christ, incarnate among us, really present in all of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.

[442] So the St. Philip Institute, St. Philip Institute .org is the website, Philip with 1L.

[443] It really is a resource for men and women of faith, for young people, for older people, for teenagers, for young married people.

[444] And we have a great staff of faith -filled Catholics, real people.

[445] Really fun to be around and enjoying life.

[446] Some of them have large families.

[447] Some of them are single, but they're just a slice of the reality of the church, but very faithful to Christ and committed to using their talents to share his truth with others.

[448] So I'd encourage everyone to look at what St. Philip Institute and so many great institutes in the church are offering to help us learn more about the truth, learn more about ourselves, learn more about Jesus Christ who is truth incarnate.

[449] Bishop Strickland, the children of God for life have a statement on their website that I want to sign and I see that you signed it.

[450] You joined the others in a statement of conscience.

[451] What's that all about?

[452] about Bishop Strickland?

[453] Well, remind me, I know I believe in it.

[454] Well, it's basically talking about the life issues that you believe, I've got it right here in front of me, that obviously we're pro -life, pro -family, and that we don't want to have anything to do with the culture of death.

[455] That would be a summary of that statement.

[456] And I would encourage others to go to, that's at cogforlife .org.

[457] Go to their website.

[458] I'm on it right now.

[459] And it's basically something that all Catholics, I hope, would want to sign, Bishop Strickland, because we all should be pro -life.

[460] And this organization has been doing work, especially, I might add, regarding the vaccine issue.

[461] They've also shown where some of these vaccines were used with aborted babies.

[462] That's the first time I got that information was from them.

[463] And that opened my eyes on that issue.

[464] Well, I hear the music.

[465] let's get a blessing from the good bishop please okay heavenly father we ask your blessing for all of those listening to virgin most powerful or participating in these podcasts and all the things that this great ministry offers of the truth of your son the truth enlivened by your spirit and we always be guided by your loving grace in the name of the father and of the son of the holy spirit Amen.

[466] Folks, I want to encourage you next week.

[467] We're going to have a special guest with Bishop Strickland.

[468] His name is Cardinal George Pell.

[469] What?

[470] Yes.

[471] We're going to talk with Father Cardinal Pell about his new book and talk about the church and how we can help support the mission of the church, the salvation of souls.

[472] May God richly bless you and your family.

[473] See you next week.