14 May 24 – Who Is the Ultimate Authority in the Church?

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

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

[2] I'm all fired up, not just because I had some iced tea, but because I get to talk with you, our listeners, about the most important topic, the salvation of our souls, each one of us, and to talk about our Catholic faith.

[3] Bishop Strickland, thanks again for joining us in this busy time of the year.

[4] Thanks, Terry.

[5] Thank you.

[6] before we get to the topics of the day we're going to be talking about your latest letter that you wrote we're going to be talking about many other topics that all center around the centrality of Jesus Christ you did another letter and it's a letter that we're going to want to talk about but before we get to your letter we always like to have the gospel of the day and then have you comment on that and today is Tuesday May 14th gospel is John chapter 15 verse 9 to 17 if you could proclaim that and give us a commentary sure a reading from the holy gospel according to john glory to you or lord jesus said to his disciples as the father loves me so i also love you remain in my love if you keep my commandments you will remain in my love just as I have kept my father's commandments and remain in his love.

[7] I have told you this so that my joy may be in you, and your joy might be complete.

[8] This is my commandment.

[9] Love one another as I love you.

[10] No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.

[11] You are my friends if you do what I command you.

[12] I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing.

[13] I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my father.

[14] It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the father in my name, he may give you.

[15] this I command you love one another the gospel of the Lord praise to you lord Jesus Christ well as always John's gospel provides us beautiful words and especially the words of Christ to reflect on this passage begins from the 15th chapter of John's gospel Jesus talks about keeping the commandments in remaining in his love.

[16] If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love.

[17] I think those words of the gospel are so important for us in this time, in this day, to recognize that the commandments, living the commandments, is how we live out our love for God.

[18] Amen.

[19] And enter more deeply into his love for us.

[20] Jesus says remain in my love and then he tells us how do we do that by keeping the commandments there's a real effort in the church and certainly in the world to separate love and commandments Jesus makes it clear if you wish to follow him there is no separation living the commandments is remaining in his love.

[21] John's gospel tells us that God is love and Jesus is amplifying that in his words to tell us exactly what that means.

[22] To remain in the truth that is that Jesus is revealed is to be in relationship with God.

[23] We can't sever the connection between the command and truly loving.

[24] And that's exactly what people are attempting to do in the church and in the world today.

[25] To say, oh, love is love and just support them.

[26] They love each other.

[27] But if you're ignoring the commandments and claiming love, that is not really love.

[28] That's not the love that God is.

[29] That is a worldly feeling that often passes.

[30] love of God, God is eternal love.

[31] And as Jesus tells us, remain in my love, that is a very deep call if we think about it.

[32] And Jesus uses that word several times in this passage.

[33] What I hear is what Christ doesn't say explicitly, but if we think about remaining in his love, then that's for eternity.

[34] That's what we're called to, to remain in its love in this life, that we might remain in God's love, in God, who is love, for all eternity.

[35] That's the salvation of souls.

[36] That is what our journey is about.

[37] And there's too much confusion and lack of joyfully and clearly proclaiming that truth to the world over and over again.

[38] thankfully during this month of May we honor the blessed virgin Mary here we are right in the middle of the month of May and Mary emphasizes that in all her apparitions to love the Lord is to keep his commandments keeping his commandments is another way of saying avoid sin avoid anything that is contrary to the commandment so christ makes it crystal clear more clear than many in the the world want it to be.

[39] And so this passage wouldn't get a lot of attention because it says it too clearly that the commandments and love are joined together.

[40] Then if we continue with this passage, Jesus says something that I think we really need to pay attention to that really follows on keeping the commandments remaining in love he says i have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete yes terry think about complete joy it it eludes us it eludes us in this life constantly oh yeah i mean we can experience joy But it's often a passing joy, and it's never really complete, even though, you know, the joy of love in our families, goodness that we experience, it does give us a glimpse of the real joy that Christ is talking about.

[41] But it's incomplete in the sense that I'm too sinful to completely respond to it.

[42] Amen.

[43] We're too distracted to fully see that joy.

[44] There are many obstacles that keep joy from being complete in our lives.

[45] I think once again, I'm reminded we can look to the saints.

[46] Oh, yeah.

[47] Their joy wasn't complete in this world, but they knew where they could find complete joy and they were willing to make the sacrifices and many of them give their literally give their lives in order to embrace that joy um i was reading about a saint florian that i know little about really but i was reading a passage about st florian lived in the like the three hundreds i believe.

[48] So early on, and one of the Roman persecutions, he was martyred.

[49] And the story is like so many of the saints, there were the soldiers or the guards, the officials were told to burn him alive.

[50] And he tells them, I mean, the story is that St. Florian says, go ahead.

[51] I will rise to heaven on the flame.

[52] I love it.

[53] And that scared the guards enough that were supposed to execute him by fire that they basically just cut him up, limb from limb.

[54] I mean, they just attacked him.

[55] And so they were afraid to set that fire.

[56] Saints like Florian knew, where real joy is and he was really i mean this is early on in the life of the church but the faith was strong and he is among so many of the saints who knew they wouldn't have complete joy in this world and they weren't willing to give up the opportunity for complete joy that they knew they would receive in heaven if they remained faithful yeah so they were willing to let go of this life in order to embrace the complete joy of everlasting life.

[57] That is what Christ speaks of in this gospel passage from the gospel according to John.

[58] And we need to pray about and reflect on and deepen our understanding and our desire for that complete joy.

[59] And we need to remember, it's prefaced by living the commandments, remaining in the love that is Jesus, the love that is God, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, God is love, remain in them, and one day our joy will be complete.

[60] Everyone, I mean, it's natural in the human world, even in the very secularized world where people boast about not believing in God and having no faith.

[61] They still are on a quest for joy.

[62] That's in many ways what the human heart longs for.

[63] And people are, as they say, looking for love in all the wrong places.

[64] They're looking for joy in all the wrong places.

[65] And we need, this passage reminds us, we need to seek complete joy.

[66] And that is only an eternal life with God.

[67] Well, said, when we come back, I just have one thought about that.

[68] gospel, and I want to get Bishop Strickland's comment about that.

[69] Stay with us.

[70] You're listening to the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Powerful radio.

[71] We'll be back after a very quick break.

[72] Now back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[73] Welcome back indeed.

[74] Bishop Strickland, when you were reading the gospel today for Tuesday, the 14th of May, the feast of St. Matthew, the apostle, it brought back a memory muscle.

[75] And I thought of this, that St. St. Thomas Aquinas said this about love, willing the good of the other.

[76] And then it hit me about Father Bill Casey, the former superior of the Fathers of Mercy, saying that the most merciless thing we can do is let someone wallow in their sin.

[77] And I'm not pointing fingers.

[78] I'm just saying we need more folks like you that are bishops and priests and laypeople who won't compromise the truth when we see someone living a life contrary to the gospel, whether it's homosexuality, adultery, fornication, any serious sin, we don't tell them, it's okay, Mikey, Jesus loves you.

[79] No, we give them the full gospel and say, Mike, the lifestyle you're living is contrary to the gospel, and I love you enough to tell you, knock it off, whether it's my son or daughter or whoever it is, I have to love them with the truth of the gospel.

[80] Bishop Strickland, that's what comes to my mind with this gospel.

[81] your thoughts.

[82] I can't hear Mr. Engineer.

[83] We have to.

[84] Yeah, go ahead.

[85] Go ahead.

[86] We have to remember that what real love is.

[87] Yeah.

[88] And what you said in St. Thomas Aquinas definition, to will the good of the other, that's what we're obligated to.

[89] Yeah, yeah.

[90] And the point of it is, Bishop Strickland, many priests and lay people get in trouble.

[91] I think sometimes we have to do it with you know, delicacy sometimes.

[92] I'm not saying you just have to be blunt.

[93] You've got to be cautious of how you share the gospel with people.

[94] But many times priests and bishops, they preach the gospel, the full gospel to somebody, and then they say, well, you're mean.

[95] You can't, you shouldn't talk to people like that.

[96] You know, just because they're using contraceptives, give them a break or that they're living with their girlfriend.

[97] Don't be so hard on them.

[98] And I guess the point I'm making is the gospel is very clear, repent and believe in the gospel.

[99] So there you have it.

[100] Bishop Strickland, I'm going to shift gears if you don't mind, but I had to make my comment because as you read the gospel, things go through my mind.

[101] And I'm like, wow, this is beautiful.

[102] Now, last week you came out with another pastoral letter.

[103] And Bishop Strickland, for those who haven't read any of these letters, they can go to your website, bishop strickland .com, correct, and read these letters?

[104] correct good so let's talk about your latest one uh where you talk about what you said dear brothers and sisters in christ uh you usually rome has spoken the matter is finished we've heard that all our lives and so i wanted to know uh this pastoral letter that you're writing what's the focus of it and why did you write it well terry it's it's about authority and obedience and it's interesting because, you know, I don't claim, I don't have a, it mapped out.

[105] I don't have a, you know, some sort of master plan that, oh, I'll write this letter in April and then another one in May. I wish I was so organized.

[106] I just listened to the promptings of, of the Holy Spirit.

[107] Yes.

[108] Somewhat topical.

[109] I mean, it's interesting.

[110] Some of the things that I've addressed.

[111] these letters have been addressed in the news later or something that comes from the Vatican.

[112] Yeah.

[113] But this letter I see really encompassing a lot of what I've written in other letters about supernatural faith and about, you know, real reverence for the Eucharist and devotion to Mary and all the things that I've written about.

[114] I think this letter about authority and obedience truly is one of the most critical issues that we face.

[115] And as I say in the letter, it's not just the church, but it's every human institution during our lifetime, like we talk about so often, Terry, but But back in the, we were born in the late 50s.

[116] That's right.

[117] The 60s, things started really getting crazy.

[118] Yeah.

[119] A lot of things began to happen.

[120] The 60s, the 70s, the 80s.

[121] We seem to be back into one of those cycles again, where so many strange things are being revisited, the question raised again that we thought were answered.

[122] but the erosion of respect for authority happened during our childhood, really.

[123] That's true.

[124] I mean, at least it began to really speed up.

[125] And I remember, I'll tell a little story about when I was a kid, my father, my parents were very clear to us about respecting authority whatever form it took.

[126] I remember back, you probably remember too, because we're not that different in age.

[127] No. But I remember in the 60s, they would talk about, here come the fuds, talking about the police.

[128] Yes, I remember hearing that.

[129] Oh, yeah, we would never.

[130] And I remember saying that as a kid.

[131] Yeah.

[132] My father, and my father was a strong disciplinarian.

[133] When my father spoke, we listened.

[134] I bet.

[135] But he said, don't ever talk about the police in that disrespectful way.

[136] They are here to serve us.

[137] And you don't talk about them, the fuzz or other even worse names they had back in the 60s.

[138] I remember that.

[139] That was probably a third grader, something like that.

[140] I mean, I wasn't very old.

[141] You know, and I was just mimicking what I was hearing on TV and other places.

[142] But my father said that, and I remember that all these years later.

[143] That's important that.

[144] that we share the truth and we are respectful of authority.

[145] Yes.

[146] And it's in a disrespect for police authority, for military, for governmental authorities.

[147] Sometimes, especially in the government, really in all facets of society, poorly exercised authority, often undermines the respect for authority that should be.

[148] Absolutely.

[149] And sometimes that even comes down to mothers and fathers not being good authorities in their own homes, and it erodes from there.

[150] But certainly, it's an issue in the church as well.

[151] Authority should be respected.

[152] And all forms of authority in whatever place, that's one thing that this letter talks about.

[153] The ultimate authority is God.

[154] And therefore, the ultimate obedience is to God.

[155] The letter talks about what St. Thomas Aquinas said, that we're to be obedient to God in all things.

[156] Amen.

[157] We're to be obedient to men in certain things.

[158] Yes.

[159] In things that go along with number one, being obedient to God.

[160] Right.

[161] It becomes a conflict between being obedient.

[162] to God and being obedient to something that a man or a woman has proclaimed, we go back to number one.

[163] Of course.

[164] If they're not being obedient to God themselves, or if the truth, it doesn't ring true with the truth that God has revealed to us, then we say, well, I've got to be obedient to this boss or to this bishop or anyone.

[165] We're obedient to God first, and we pray for all the leaders.

[166] religious and otherwise to learn that lesson.

[167] We've both had, I think, of coaches and sports.

[168] Oh, yeah.

[169] I've played a lot of sports.

[170] They sometimes act like a little God.

[171] Oh, yeah.

[172] When do we have, I mean, both of us can probably name numerous coaches that we had great respect for.

[173] Oh, yeah.

[174] And that we didn't have respect for.

[175] Absolutely.

[176] Because sometimes they weren't exercising that authority correctly.

[177] Same thing with teachers.

[178] I had teachers in school.

[179] Some of the toughest teachers I had, the authority in the classroom, they were the strictest.

[180] But they expected something of you.

[181] They called you to be the best you could be.

[182] That's what good coaches do.

[183] That's what good teachers do.

[184] That's what good leaders do.

[185] And too much in the world.

[186] world today in the world and in the church, too often, authority doesn't really step up and do its job.

[187] And that doesn't gain the respect of the students or the flock in the parish or whomever is the audience for that authority.

[188] When authority isn't exercised well, people may say, oh, good, I get a, I mean, we both had them, an easy teacher that wasn't much of a teacher, but they kind of let you get away with murder.

[189] Oh, yeah.

[190] They let you get away with being disrespectful and doing a sloppy job with your work.

[191] That doesn't gain respect.

[192] I mean, you know, as kids, you may say, oh, we got the easy teacher.

[193] We're lucky.

[194] But it doesn't gain the respect of the students or the athletes or the faithful when they're not called to be their very best and challenged to live the truth, going back to that gossip.

[195] to living the commandments in the context of the faith.

[196] Wow, all I can say is amen, amen, amen.

[197] Bishop Strickland, I think even more with your office as a bishop, successor of the apostle, cardinals, popes, people who are leaders of the church that have been instructed through the gospel to carry on the work of Jesus Christ.

[198] I think even fathers like me, grandfathers like me, I have the saying that responsibility to carry on the truths of the gospel to my children and to their children's children.

[199] And if I don't do it, then I'm going to be accountable for that.

[200] And so it seems to me that many saints have spoken on this topic of authority and obedience.

[201] And right now, we're in a very confusing time.

[202] I'll just, from my perspective, as a layman, when we hear cardinals going after cardinals and bishops going after bishops in the sense of disagreeing, it reminds me of our lady of Akita in Japan, and she prophesized that this was going to happen and that there would be a lot of confusion in the church.

[203] Well, I see that going on right now, and I know we're going to take a quick break, but I want to reaffirm people.

[204] I'll say, I'd rather have you as a bishop say it.

[205] How do we reassure people that, and you said that in one of your tweets, don't leave the church because of scandal.

[206] You know, when you hear a bishop saying things like, oh, well, homosexuality, we have a better understanding of it now through science.

[207] Hogwash, okay?

[208] As a layman, I would say it hogwash.

[209] We know what the Bible says.

[210] We know what the church is always taught.

[211] But that's not going to make me leave because we have leaders in the church who just want to compromise.

[212] So when we come back from the break, I'd like to ask you to talk a little bit about why, you know, with this letter again, I mean, you're talking about authority, but when we have people in the church that are authoritative people, bishops, cardinals, you know, saying things that are not consistent with what we call the perennial teachings of the church, or you would call it in your language the same thing, the deposit of faith, I want to ask you, how do we reassure our lay people that, we need to stick with Christ and not leave because of scandal.

[213] So we'll talk about that and much more about your letter.

[214] And a teaser is, I want to get a quote from St. Robert Bellarmine had something very important to say in your letter, and we'll talk more about that when we come back.

[215] You're listening to the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[216] Stay with us, Stanley.

[217] We'll be right back.

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

[219] Welcome back.

[220] We're talking about it.

[221] another letter he wrote on authority.

[222] But Bishop Strickland, I remember back in November when you were removed as the Bishop of Tyler, Texas, your first words were people don't leave the church because, you know, I don't want you doing that.

[223] Can you talk a little bit about scandal and why, you know, it's always been here, but we have a strong issue right now with scandal in the church.

[224] And what would you tell people and how do you keep people staying focused on Jesus Christ?

[225] Well, I think we just have to keep repeating it.

[226] And one thing I said along with, don't leave the church and learn your faith more deeply.

[227] Amen.

[228] Really, I think we're in an age of not good catechism.

[229] Yeah.

[230] I am part of that.

[231] We all are.

[232] Of course.

[233] There was some intentional diminishing of the work of, of catechising.

[234] Yes.

[235] Some of us just, that's what we received.

[236] I mean, as a kid, they had already dismantled a lot of what had been there.

[237] That's true.

[238] Sharing the deposit of faith.

[239] And so I urge people to be well catechized.

[240] We have to do it ourselves.

[241] But we can, I mean, papal documents, the writings of the saints, sacred scripture.

[242] absolutely.

[243] All the teachings of the faith are very available.

[244] That's one of the benefits of our internet and all the online world that we're participating in now as we share this broadcast.

[245] So a good opportunity is to read about the church fathers, read about key church documents, learn your faith, be better and better catechized, and just know that leaving the church is just not in your vocabulary.

[246] It's not a possibility.

[247] And that really reminds us of the responsibility of the leadership of the church to support the flock in continuing to learn their faith.

[248] And sadly, there's not enough support of that.

[249] Too often, the confusion comes from the leadership of the church because we're contradicting each other.

[250] There is no contradiction in Jesus Christ and the truth that he's revealed to us.

[251] So I think we have to take it very seriously and recognize that the ultimate authority is God.

[252] Amen.

[253] All of us, all of us must do our best.

[254] to follow that authority.

[255] And the beautiful thing is, Terry, I mean, a lot of times commandments get a bad rap in the world today.

[256] It's all those laws and you're so legalistic and much it.

[257] But really, living the commandments sets us free.

[258] That's right.

[259] The burdens of sin and brokenness.

[260] And it allows us to flourish.

[261] Yeah, it's challenging.

[262] Yes, it can be difficult, but The reward of living the commandments and being faithful is, even in this world, it brings you peace.

[263] That's right.

[264] It brings you strength to endure suffering.

[265] Sometimes we speak of suffering souls.

[266] And the people who understand the suffering of Jesus Christ and what he offered for us, when we join our suffering to His on the Christ, cross.

[267] It's life -changing.

[268] And that's what we're all called to do.

[269] So the reality of living the commandments and respecting authority and being obedient to that authority, it all has the same goal in mind.

[270] And that's the salvation of souls.

[271] Man, well said.

[272] Bishop Strickland, in your letter at the end you have some you have you know history that you give in regards to a pope if you remember it was like pope honorius who was pope from 625 to 638 can you share a little bit about why you quoted him and what was the purpose there well that pope was corrected by the church by the other officials because he was um wandering from the truth of the gospel, the truth of the commandments.

[273] Wow.

[274] And I think that's just an illustration.

[275] Sure.

[276] Yes.

[277] We respect Pope Francis and we pray for him.

[278] But as I've said many times, the greatest respect for Pope Francis or for a given cardinal, for any bishop, for any priest, for any person.

[279] Right.

[280] The greatest respect is to share the faith, to call them back to the faith.

[281] faith, wandering, and to give the benefit of a doubt.

[282] And we're not to judge others.

[283] And we need to be cautious about that because there's a tendency.

[284] We're tempted to just judge others, but we're called not to do that.

[285] But we need to give the benefit of a doubt that whatever leader is speaking something that isn't true to the faith, isn't true to the gospel.

[286] We can presume that maybe they're not meaning to say what we're hearing, to get some clarification.

[287] But ultimately, if it's clear that a statement is being made that is incorrect and not true to the commandments, not true to the deposit of faith, the greatest love, the greatest respect is to speak up and say, Father, or whoever we're speaking to, that we need to tell them, this is not according to the faith.

[288] If you're wandering from the faith return, if I misunderstood, then help me understand and explain that what you're saying is in line with the faith.

[289] But we all have that obligation.

[290] And that's what that's referring to with that Pope from many centuries ago, to remind us that the Pope, when we speak of the infallibility of the Pope, it's not that they are an infallible person, that somehow every word they speak is totally accurate and totally right.

[291] The infallibility of the Pope is really a very narrow doctrine that has some very high bar qualifications for something to be proclaimed infallibly.

[292] you can't just, you know, give a news conference and say, okay, that's proclaimed infallibly.

[293] It's more complicated than that.

[294] And thankfully, it is.

[295] It really is something that has to be very intentional and very clear that this is being proclaimed infallibly.

[296] That doesn't mean we disrespectfully ignore whatever is said, but we don't treat it as infallible truth.

[297] Whoever says.

[298] Exactly.

[299] And, you know, that brings me up.

[300] I get a lot of the hate mail that is sent to you through me because of this radio broadcast.

[301] Oh, it's okay.

[302] I take it.

[303] And I just, for clarification purposes, people are coming and saying, well, Bishop Strickland, why don't you plainly say, is the Pope Francis the actual Pope?

[304] So I'm going to say, just for the record, you've said it a million times.

[305] But one more time, Bishop Strickland, do you acknowledge that Pope Francis is the vigor of Christ?

[306] Yes.

[307] Okay, simple.

[308] I don't need any more than that.

[309] Now, let me just say this, for those who attack you, I'm convinced that they are attacking you because you are speaking so plainly about the faith.

[310] And I think many of these people like to have these nuances.

[311] And you don't have any nuances, Bishop Strickland.

[312] You know, when you say yes, you mean yes.

[313] And when you say no, you mean no, that's very biblical.

[314] So please keep that consistency.

[315] Because that's one of the things I like about being with you is because you don't have any agenda other than the agenda that Jesus Christ proclaimed 2 ,000 years ago.

[316] So thank you for that.

[317] In your letter, you also quote St. Robert Bellarmine, what's that all about?

[318] Well, remind me what he wrote about just, he's talking about this in the letter because you wrote it a week ago, you said St. Robert Bellarmine wrote just as it is listed to resist a pontiff who attacks the body, so it is listed to resist him who attacks souls, or who disrupts, disturbs the civil order, or even more who tries to destroy the church.

[319] It is listed to resist him by not doing what he orders and by impeding the execution of his will.

[320] It is not listed, however, to judge him, to punish him, or to dispose him.

[321] For such an act belongs to a superior.

[322] Catholic obedience to a superior, therefore, should never be to what has been called blind obedience.

[323] So basically what he's saying is, and I'll just tell you my thought, and you tell me if I'm correct, that we call it impeccability.

[324] The Pope is not impeccable.

[325] He can say things in a conference to the media that isn't consistent with the perennial teachings of the church.

[326] We've had it before, and I would even go so far as to say, if he didn't, If the Pope didn't do it, he sure made it ambiguous because you were wondering what he's really saying.

[327] And here's the point.

[328] We don't have to say, well, Pope Francis said X, Y, and Z, therefore it is part of the magisterial teachings of the church.

[329] So I think that's what I got out of St. Robert Bellarmine.

[330] Tell me if I'm correct or correct me right on the air.

[331] No, Terry, I believe you're correct.

[332] That's why I included St. Robert Belleman in the letter.

[333] because it's just an illustration and a reminder that, yes, we respect the Pope.

[334] We respect the office of the papacy.

[335] But it is, he is the servant of the servants of God.

[336] That's right.

[337] He is in service to the truth that Christ has revealed to us.

[338] Amen.

[339] respect, the greatest charity toward the Pope or toward anyone in a responsible office, some of the Cardinals that speak.

[340] The greatest respect for them is to say, I'm sorry, your eminence, that is not in line with the deposit of faith, with the testimony of scripture, and with the teachings of the Catholic faith.

[341] That's the greatest respect that we can offer.

[342] continue to say that one of the best descriptions I've heard recently or read recently is to acknowledge the leadership of the church as truly the leadership, but to also resist anything that's contrary to the message of the gospel.

[343] Well said.

[344] Well said.

[345] We're going to have more.

[346] We're going to get into our catechism now, folks.

[347] Stay with us.

[348] You're listening to Bishop Stricklandauer.

[349] and now back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[350] Welcome back.

[351] I think every show we ever do, we have to talk about our Blessed Virgin Mary.

[352] This is the month of May. Obviously, May crownings are going to be happening here at our church on Sunday.

[353] And also talk about the Holy Eucharist, a source and summit of the Christian life.

[354] This is kind of odd, Bishop Strickland, but today's day that we're recording this broadcast is the 140th anniversary of the living.

[355] flower who had her first Holy Communion, yeah, 140 years ago.

[356] And I just like it's kind of neat because here on our show, we're in the middle of Chapter 13 of the Catechism on the Holy Eucharist.

[357] And I think another thing that I like about what you do is you're constantly majoring on the fundamentals of the faith.

[358] You're not getting off into the weeds or talking about, you know, I'll just use the term hypostatic union.

[359] which is a very important thing, don't get me wrong.

[360] But for most Catholics to get into the hypostatic union, they're not like, well, what's that?

[361] You know, the nature of the human and divine nature of Christ, how it all works.

[362] But, you know, you talk about the real presence of Christ and the U .S., things that are so important for us.

[363] And right now we're on the catechism, on the Eucharist, and we're on question number six.

[364] And this is a catechism put out by the Diocese of Tyler, the St. Philip Institute, of catechesis and evangelization.

[365] As far as I know, they can still purchase these books from the diocese, and I would encourage people to do that.

[366] But number six, the sixth question says this.

[367] Before I get into that, Bishop Strickland, can you not speak about the Holy Eucharist?

[368] Isn't that something that you have to do?

[369] I mean, it's part of who you are?

[370] Oh, absolutely.

[371] It's a part of who we are as members of the mystic body of Christ, the church.

[372] And the Eucharist, as the church says, the source and the summit of our Catholic life, because it's Christ.

[373] He's really present.

[374] Amen.

[375] And talking about really, Terry, what I would emphasize as we talk about the Eucharist.

[376] And you mentioned the first Holy Communion of St. Therese.

[377] Think about those words.

[378] And I think we need to do this more as Catholic.

[379] Yeah, tell us.

[380] we have we use all kinds of terminology but i think we need to really pause and ask ourselves what are we talking about first holy communion communion with whom with god amen through his son that's what communion is yes i think we we're so accustomed to the terms that they kind of lose the impact.

[381] Familiarity breeds contempt.

[382] And I think that we take things for granted.

[383] The first holy communion, the first time that we are in communion with God in a physical way.

[384] Amen.

[385] Receiving consecrated bread that is his body and blood, soul and divinity of God's son, that needs to be highlighted.

[386] as culturally it has been it's a little bit maybe less so and it's it's not about how fancy the white dresses or any of that but it needs to be in every human ability that we have yeah to say this is an absolutely glorious day yes for that boy or girl or man or woman if they're older for the first time that we commune with God through the gift of the Eucharist we all need to just to me even as I'm talking about it it reminds us of the wonder of which we speak communion with God who could imagine I mean look at all the cultures of the world through all the centuries of human history.

[387] How many people would ever have dreamt that they would know a God that they could actually commune with?

[388] Exactly.

[389] And we so easily take it for granted.

[390] That's what the son of God has granted us.

[391] Yes.

[392] And the ability to commune with God.

[393] So all I'm saying, Terry, is that we need to really think about what in the world are we saying?

[394] It's audacious.

[395] It's unbelievable.

[396] It is.

[397] For people who don't believe, many Catholics are saying, we can't really mean that, that we're communing with God when we receive that little wafer of consecrated bread, that we know it still looks like bread, it still tastes like bread, but we know it's the body and blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ who died for us.

[398] And when we commune with God, we're communing with His holiness.

[399] With everything that Christ suffered, that we're communing with the reality of God who was incarnate among us, that word, the hypostatic union.

[400] But we don't have to use the fancy language to talk about the wonder of communing with the God who has communed with us.

[401] Yes.

[402] came flesh.

[403] And that gives us his flesh to give us life for eternity.

[404] Wow.

[405] We need to really focus on that.

[406] And so I'm glad you brought up the first Holy Communion of a great saint that just reminds us we should all be an awe that when we were kids, I was seven, eight years old like most.

[407] in the second grade, receive our first Holy Communion, let's remember what we're saying and what we're celebrating.

[408] And thankfully, many children that I've worked with as a priest, they go through all the preparation for their first Holy Communion.

[409] Not always, but I did know many children who did take it very seriously.

[410] They were nervous, but they were joyful, and they knew that they were doing something very special.

[411] Again, it takes us back to to be called to be childlike.

[412] We need to be childlike once again as we receive the Lord, whether on the tongue or in the hand, but to do so with reverence and to do so with awe and to be aware of who we're communing with.

[413] I happen to think that that will draw more people to fall to their knees and to receive on the tongue.

[414] But whatever you're comfortable with, as long as you are remembering who you're communing with and doing it with great reverence, with childlike awe, that's what our faith is about.

[415] And it's a wondrous gift that we can never take for granted.

[416] You know, amen to that, Bishop Strickland.

[417] I didn't do this when I was a child.

[418] I didn't keep track of my Holy Communions, but my children and all my nieces and nephews, we just had a first Holy Communion for one of them, and he'll come up to me on Sundays.

[419] We come over for bike rides with my grandchildren every Sunday, and he just said it.

[420] He was, Uncle Terry, I just had my third Holy Communion, because it's three weeks ago.

[421] And I thought, what a great way to do that.

[422] The kids are actually keeping record of how many times they've received the Blessed Sacrament.

[423] And, you know, that what you just said, that catechises, I should put on a YouTube channel or maybe you put it on your own YouTube channel about what you just talked about on who we received because I'm going to make a suggestion, and I've made this on the show before, that every time you go to Mass, it could be go to Mass like it's your last Mass. But this morning when I received Holy Communion, it did cross my mind.

[424] Because I'm an older guy.

[425] And I said, and I should do this more often.

[426] I received Holy Communion and I said Thank you Jesus.

[427] What a great honor for me to receive you body, blood, soul and divinity of the Blessed Sacrament.

[428] Now, we have the Anglican Ordinariate so we pray these beautiful prayers before Holy Communion acknowledging who we're going to receive and it just was so beautiful because I reflected that this could be my last Holy Communion.

[429] So I'm going to recommend to our listeners the next time you go to Holy Communion in preparation think of it as maybe your last time and really relish the beauty of receiving the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ.

[430] Bishop Strickland, any other advice for our listeners when it comes to properly receiving, like for example, I'm just going to throw something out, because we've kind of lost this mentality of living in the state of grace, meaning that if I'm not in the state of grace, please put me in the state of grace, Lord.

[431] but the issue of connecting the Holy Eucharist to the sacrament of confession.

[432] Absolutely.

[433] I think it's critically important, Terry.

[434] And I would advocate, yes, we need a Eucharistic revival.

[435] We need a penitential revival as well to go hand in hand.

[436] And I've said, and I will say again, the greatest reverence toward our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is to go to confession.

[437] Amen.

[438] Because in confession, we humbly acknowledge that we're sinners, we have forgiveness, and we say, we live out those words, Dominé non -sumdignus.

[439] Lord, I am not worthy.

[440] Thankfully, Christ doesn't leave us in our unworthiness.

[441] He calls us out of that, by his grace, to be able to commune with him and through him with God, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.

[442] But I think that going to confession is the greatest way that we can, really, the very first important step of reverence.

[443] If people that are listening say, I really want to be more reverent about how I receive the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ, yes, it's important.

[444] All the things would do at mass. Yes.

[445] But I would say just as important, just like you said, to.

[446] make sure you're in the state of grace.

[447] Yeah.

[448] And the surest way to do that is to go to confession.

[449] Yeah.

[450] And to early open your heart and repent of every sin that you're aware of.

[451] Um, and to ask God's forgiveness, he will forgive us.

[452] Yeah.

[453] His mercy is abundant.

[454] But if we don't bother to ask forgiveness, then that is a deep irreverence toward Christ and the blessed sacrament.

[455] And it can be an actual black.

[456] blasphemy or sacrilege.

[457] If we are habitually living in mortal sin and not bothering to go to confession, that is a sacrilege to receive the Eucharist in that state.

[458] So let us all get to confession and encourage others to do so as well.

[459] Amen.

[460] Bishop Strickland, we're at the end of the first hour, first for Tuesday, and we have another show tomorrow.

[461] Could you give us a blessing, please?

[462] Almighty God, we ask your blessing for all of us and participating in Virgin Most Powerful Radio, that we may grow in faith, that we may recognize our need to be aware of our sin and to repent of sin, but always with the joy and the hope of knowing what it means to be freed from sin and to commune with your life and Holy Communion.

[463] We ask your blessing and the guidance of your Holy Spirit.

[464] the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

[465] And then after the Father and the Son of the Holy Spirit.

[466] Amen.

[467] Folks, you can listen to all of the Bishop Strickland hours of going to vmpr .org.

[468] That effect, all of other shows that we do are all there on our website.

[469] Virgin Most Powerful Radio .org.

[470] Tomorrow we have another show with Bishop Strickland.

[471] Stay with us for tomorrow.

[472] And thank you for listening and joining us here on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.