28 Jun 22 – Life Is Sacred

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

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

[2] What a glorious day this is, Bishop Strickland.

[3] We're recording this on the Feast of the Sacred Heart.

[4] And in addition, we got news this morning about the Supreme Court decision regarding unborn babies, that it's going to be returning it back to the state.

[5] What a great day this is, Bishop.

[6] Yeah, wonderful.

[7] It really gives us an opportunity that, We need to make as much headway as we can on the reality of the sanctity of life.

[8] Yes, we do.

[9] And, you know, I want to say that, talk more about this topic, but I also want to just mention that Justice Thomas also made the point that the ruling on sodomy, contraception and same -sex marriage have to be looked at because of what we just did with the pro -life side.

[10] And basically, the late Justice Antonio Scalia correctly predicted back in 2003 that Lawrence would lead to the requirement recognition of homosexual marriages.

[11] And so what this justice is saying, he's an on -fire Catholic, he's saying, look, let's look at these other immoral issues and see if the Constitution has something to say on that.

[12] Because I'm of the opinion, Bishop Strickland, that this is a glorious day for the unborn, but also it could lead us into more of a moral country regarding marriage between a man and a woman, issue of contraception.

[13] I think we're going in the right direction.

[14] Your thoughts?

[15] Well, I totally agreed, Terry.

[16] And just in my own prayer and reflection recently, it really strikes me more and more that we keep talking about the sanctity of life from conception to natural death.

[17] Right.

[18] And that is a call for morality.

[19] Really, every sin of whatever description is a denial of the sanctity of the life of a person or a group of persons.

[20] And so I think we do really, I'm not sure how much headway we can make in modern society, but that's what we're obligated to do is to bring the truth.

[21] And I think Justice Thomas is really, and Justice Scalia, who is deceased now, but said the same thing while he was alive, that we need to, really, as we've said so many times, the truth is the truth.

[22] And I just read an article by Cardinal Mueller that where he said exactly that, talking about a lot of different topics.

[23] And really, for the sake of humanity, for the sake of peace and justice in our world, for the sake of recognizing the sanctity of every person, even those who vehemently disagree with what the church teaches, the church teaches the truth.

[24] The church teaches Jesus Christ.

[25] And the more we can help people focus on that, it really is about recatechizing a culture.

[26] And it's not just about, you know, a religious, idea, but it's about what is the truth of who we are.

[27] And then people can make their own decisions about what they believe, but I think we're in a time where, and hopefully we can move out of it, we need to, but we're in a time where what we decide is the truth becomes the truth.

[28] And it just isn't reality.

[29] So the more we can, and the sanctity of the life of an unborn child, We're recognizing what God created to be true.

[30] This is a sacred gift, every conceived child.

[31] And thankfully, we've taken a significant step as a nation to acknowledging that God revealed truth.

[32] But we've got a long way to go to begin to have a culture where every person is respected for who they are, created in the image and likeness of God.

[33] But really, as we've said many times, the foundation is the most innocent, the weakest, the voiceless, the life of the unborn.

[34] And this striking down the Roe v. Wade decision that's almost 50 years old, it really is a step in the right direction.

[35] Well, you know, you're spot on with that.

[36] The thing that I will say as, you know, this isn't a democratic.

[37] or Republican issue.

[38] It's a life issue.

[39] But I will say this.

[40] I have to give crudos.

[41] If it was President Biden who said, hey, we've got to protect the unborn.

[42] We've got to do all this.

[43] We're going to put justices on the court that are going to protect the unborn.

[44] I would say, God bless him.

[45] But in this particular case, I just saw my text on from ABC News that the former president Trump said that just because he picked the judges that actually turned it to a pro -life judge he said, I didn't do it, it was all God doing this.

[46] And I have to say, you know, I don't know President Trump from Adam but he doesn't seem like a real humble man. Okay, I'm just saying, he doesn't, Bishop, for him to say it wasn't me because I was thinking he's going to pound his chest and say, oh, I picked those two to make it, you know, go for these run -born babies.

[47] It was all about me no he said god did this he used instruments so i just have to give him kudos and again he's he's not because he's a republican or a democrat it's because it was the right thing to do well it's the right perspective any good that we do is cooperating with god who is goodness itself exactly so yeah it's an important day and the fact that it um comes on this year the feast of the sacred heart oh yeah And as people have pointed out, the feast of the sacred heart displaced, you could say, or, you know, the feast of the nativity of John the Baptist was transferred to yesterday to June 23rd for this year, because, of course, a feast of the Lord overcomes any other feast.

[48] Right.

[49] But every year it will be June 24th, the infancy or the nativity of St. John the Baptist, which is quite appropriate for the whole sanctity of life, because as an unborn child, he leapt in the womb of his mother.

[50] That's recorded in the gospel, a beautiful moment that I know many pro -life people have focused on, and I know I have.

[51] And so to have that is the day that goes down in history, June 24th, the day of John the Baptist, who always points to the Lord in the gospel and says, he must increase and I must decrease.

[52] Terry, really, we can frame this as one step finally for our nation to increase the impact of the truth of the Lord and decrease the human power that we, foolishly think is in charge of everything.

[53] Bishop Strickland, I'm going to shoot a gear here.

[54] I'm going to change gears, but it's going to tie into this pro -life message as a church.

[55] This whole week we've had some great saints to reflect on, not only St. John the Baptist, but Thomas Moore and Bishop Fisher.

[56] And these were two men, the Fisher and Moore, who really stood up for the truth about the Catholic Church teachings on marriage.

[57] And I'm thinking with Thomas, with John the Baptist standing up to Herod, and all the, in other words, these are three men that I think we can look to, not only guys dressed like you as bishops, but for us lay people to say, no, no, I'm not going to stand for killing unborn babies.

[58] I'm going to do everything I can to vote these guys out, to fund pro -life efforts, and to protect the unborn.

[59] Am I on to something?

[60] Are these three guys good patrons for what we're dealing with today?

[61] Absolutely.

[62] In the great mystery of God's plan for us, those three men died.

[63] They were martyrs.

[64] But they were martyrs for life, really, in significant ways.

[65] And I was just blessed to be in Mexico City.

[66] You're probably familiar with Blessed Augustine Miguel Pro.

[67] Of course.

[68] It was a martyr of just about 100 years ago in Mexico during the Cristero conflicts.

[69] And he died for the same reason.

[70] For the sanctity of truth, the sanctity of life, it's all woven together.

[71] And so what better gift than to lay down your life for a friend?

[72] And that's what these martyr did for their friends of humanity, laying down their lives in honor of Jesus Christ, as Miguel Pro said, as he died, Viva Christo re, which means long live Christ the king.

[73] And that's really what it's all about, is recognizing that Jesus Christ is Lord and that he is Lord of the universe, the truth, he's truth incarnate.

[74] And thankfully, this decision, and I know we pray that the predicted violence, will not be as extreme if some had threatened and predicted, but there may be some.

[75] But whatever, you know, Christ endured violent attacks on his person until he died on a cross because he was truth incarnate.

[76] And like you mentioned, these three men and so many others through the ages have died for life.

[77] And that's something that the world has a hard time acknowledging.

[78] But it's really, Terry, the power of love.

[79] That's the only love can motivate those three men or Blessed Miguel Pro to give your life rather than denying the Lord that they loved so deeply.

[80] They were sinners.

[81] They weren't perfect men, but at that critical moment, they made the right choice and the choice of love.

[82] And that's always woven into the sanctity of life.

[83] That's one thing that I've tried to emphasize as I've talked to people or communicated about this.

[84] As people who are pro -life, who thankfully know the sanctity of life that God has revealed to us, we've got to treasure all the lives.

[85] Even though the people do get angry and violent, they still have to be loved.

[86] Well said, Bishop Strickland.

[87] We'll come right back with more of the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[88] Welcome back to the Terry, excuse me, to the Bishop Strickland Hour here at Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[89] I'm reading an article here at the same time I can't chew gum and walk.

[90] Bishop Strickland, I know you have great devotion to Bishop Fisher.

[91] And I want you to communicate if you can why you have devotion to him and how the saints are really our inspiration, not just for bishops, but he's an inspiration for us all.

[92] But tell us a little bit about who he is and why you have a devotion to him.

[93] Well, as you know, Terry, he was a contemporary of St. Thomas Moore, and St. John Fisher was the bishop of England in a time when the vast majority of the bishops signed their faith away and bowed to the will of King Henry the 8th.

[94] And I think that certainly I don't claim to be any St. John Fisher, but I think he is a reminder to all of us as bishops today that we're just individual men in a specific time and place, a specific era of history, and we're called to the fidelity that St. John Fisher, St. Thomas More, like we were saying earlier, so many model for us.

[95] And, you know, it's just, I guess, the, the human reality, when we see someone who has the same role, the same work that we do, and how they've modeled living that out, it has to be an inspiration.

[96] I'm sure you've known other dads and granddad's in your life that you saw as great inspirations because, you know, we need that.

[97] And St. John Fisher was a bishop and just one among many.

[98] He wasn't an archbishop.

[99] He wasn't a cardinal, but he was a bishop.

[100] He was a pastor of a local church, as I am.

[101] And I share exactly the same responsibility that he had and that he was willing to die for.

[102] And I pray that I and all the bishops today would have that kind of strength of faith.

[103] Hopefully it doesn't come to that.

[104] But in some ways, we have to die for the truth in little ways, what we call a white martyrdom sometimes, just by living in fidelity and maybe getting a less than respected response, respectful response from people who disagree with us.

[105] And I think that I really like, I honestly know more about St. Thomas more than St. John Fisher.

[106] But because St. John Fisher was an actual sitting there, Bishop at that time.

[107] Thomas Moore was not.

[108] He was a layman.

[109] He was an attorney and very wise.

[110] But both of them model, I think, a reasonable.

[111] They didn't do outlandish things.

[112] They tried to cooperate to the degree that they could.

[113] But there was a line that they weren't willing to cross.

[114] And that's what ultimately led to their death.

[115] Again, since I just visited the place where Blessed Miguel Pro is enshrined or remembered their Holy Family Church there in Mexico City, where he served as a priest.

[116] He made the same decision.

[117] And I love to look at those lives of the saints, especially the martyrs.

[118] And you might think, oh, well, they say, oh, well, just kill me, just shoot me, or just, you know, chop off my head and just very sort of flagrantly.

[119] just almost letting their lives be disposed of.

[120] But St. Thomas Moore and St. John Fisher and Blessed Miguel Pro didn't do that at all.

[121] They held their own lives sacred.

[122] Blessed Miguel Pro disguised himself.

[123] And I loved one story that because in that time in Mexico, being a Catholic and being a Catholic priest and performing the sacraments, celebrating.

[124] and working as a Catholic priest was outlawed.

[125] And it was, you know, it ultimately had him put to death.

[126] The same thing that happened to St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More.

[127] But Blessed Miguel Pro, they said, this was only 100 years ago in Mexico.

[128] And it was outlawed for a priest to be hearing confessions, because that's, of course, one of the beautiful sacraments of our Catholic faith.

[129] And they were trying to get rid of Catholicism.

[130] And it obviously didn't work.

[131] But he was crafty.

[132] He had his priestly stole under a jacket so that it looked like he was just an ordinary man sitting there in the park, people talking to him.

[133] But he was hearing confessions because his priestly stole was hidden under his jacket.

[134] So that's the kind of, you know, kind of what I think of is where it says in scripture, we should be as gentle as doves, as cunning as serpents.

[135] You know, we need some of that in order to get the truth out there, to teach what Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose to share with all of us.

[136] That's what the martyrs remind us of.

[137] So the irony of these men, and certainly many women as well, who gave up their lives because life is so sacred.

[138] That sounds like a contradiction.

[139] It's like, how could you lose your life because life is sacred?

[140] But that's what Jesus modeled for us.

[141] He laid down his life.

[142] And the martyrs are really echoes of that great gift of the life of the son of God who died on a cross.

[143] Wow.

[144] You know, Bishop Strickland, you'll make you laugh.

[145] But I'm not asking you to go into martyrdom, but I want you to make a comment here because you've made comments about a Catholic president, Joseph Biden, and asking him to convert and go back in Nancy Pelosi.

[146] See, you've been very concerned about their souls.

[147] Well, President Biden on Friday today harshly criticized the Supreme Court's decision upending the abortion rights and called on the Congress to enshrine access to the federal law.

[148] He says it's a sad day for the court in the country.

[149] I personally think it's a sad day for him, but what would you tell the president, knowing that you're a Catholic bishop and your job is to get people to heaven?

[150] what would you tell him as a Catholic president?

[151] Well, I would mainly talk to him as a Catholic man. Yeah.

[152] As Joseph.

[153] Yeah.

[154] Joseph Biden, a son of God.

[155] Like all of us, whether we embrace God's truth or not.

[156] Right.

[157] And I would just urge him to really look deeply into his heart and to ask himself, is this really what he believes?

[158] Or is it the politically experienced?

[159] thing to do.

[160] Is it allowing him to hang on to worldly power?

[161] But what's he sacrificing for that worldly power?

[162] Through history, it's happened a lot.

[163] We can go all the way back to Punch his pilot, where if he had not handed Jesus over ultimately, washed his hands and all of that, but he's sort of the model of that political compromise.

[164] Punch his pilot, of course, he wasn't a believer, but his wife tried to pull him into respecting, at least, this Jesus of Mazurath more deeply than he did.

[165] But Punch's pilot made the politically expedient choice.

[166] He wanted to hang on to his worldly power.

[167] Where is Punch's pilot now?

[168] If I had the chance, I think I would want to lovingly and kindly, but clearly, say that to Joseph Biden.

[169] Of course.

[170] Yes.

[171] For this time, he's been several months, you know, something over a year now.

[172] But what's that in terms of eternity?

[173] But he's been president of the United States, whether he continues for a second term.

[174] I mean, that's a huge question and people are debating and all.

[175] But even if he did, eight years of worldly power in exchange for.

[176] for eternity.

[177] I think it's a bad deal.

[178] He's making a bad bargain.

[179] The same bad bargain that punches Pilate and so many other world leaders through history.

[180] I mean, look at them.

[181] They drop like Domino's through the first century all the way to the 20th century and now in the 21st century.

[182] These worldly leaders, they flash brightly for a while and then they disappear.

[183] And they're sometimes recorded in the history books as significant, sometimes not.

[184] But what we're called to is an everlasting kingdom.

[185] And that's what it's about.

[186] That's what Joseph Biden, who claims to be a faithful Catholic, Nancy Pelosi, who claims to be a faithful Catholic, the man down the street or the woman across the road who claims to be a faithful Catholic, but is not following what the church teaches.

[187] We all, I mean, one of the things we need to remember, we're all children of God.

[188] God doesn't see Joseph Biden as president in as much as he sees him as one of his sons.

[189] He loves him beyond our imagining.

[190] And we need to live in that relationship of love.

[191] God is love, God is truth, and we're challenged.

[192] I mean, I'm a sinner.

[193] I fail constantly.

[194] We all do.

[195] Sure.

[196] But that's the challenge is to live in that relationship with God who is love and truth, who send his son, who is love and truth incarnate among us.

[197] And so that's what I'd say to Joseph Biden if I had the chance.

[198] And that's what needs to be said to him by the church as a body and by individual bishops that might have any influence over him.

[199] Amen.

[200] Bishop Strudlin, this is the point I'm making, even as a layman, when I have the opportunity to give person the teachings of the church, and I don't because of, you know, whatever reason, I'm culpable for that.

[201] And it seems to me, and I'm just pointing at guys like you and bishops, priests, our church, for the clarity right now on this abortion issue.

[202] Again, I'm not trying to get you in hot water.

[203] It's just that as the layman, when I see bishops say i don't want to talk about that topic wait a minute bishop strickland we have you you me we all have an obligation for speaking the truth and so what i'm asking you is for the benefit of those people who are confused you just made it really clear and if that the catholic church condemns abortion on demand there's no exception for killing innocent life i mean it's nice to hear clarity because I still hear people say, well, I'm not sure what the church teaches.

[204] And I think it's because we've been ambiguous at certain points in the last 50 years in my life where you're wondering, what does the church really teach?

[205] So I'm not picking on anybody in particular.

[206] I'm just saying, I think clarity with charity is where we need to be at today.

[207] Well, several months back, the whole word, the word preeminent was used a lot.

[208] And as I reflect on that, Terry, life is the preeminent gift for every human being.

[209] I mean, just flat out.

[210] Yeah.

[211] If you're not alive, you got nothing else.

[212] You hope for eternity.

[213] You hope for God's mercy to forgive your sins and to live in eternity with God.

[214] But if you're not alive, if you don't have life in this world, you're done as far as in this world, as far as this journey that you and I are on and seven billion or so people in the world right now are living life.

[215] That is the preeminent gift.

[216] All the wealth, all the power, all the influence.

[217] Anything else is sort of an accident of life.

[218] Some people have power, some don't.

[219] Some have wealth, some don't.

[220] But life is the preeminent gift.

[221] Amen.

[222] And so the life of the unborn is the preeminent, preeminent gift, you could say.

[223] Thank you.

[224] When we come back, I want to share it.

[225] story with Bishop Strickland and get a response of a little 12 -year -old boy, teaching us a very important aspect of our Catholic faith.

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

[227] Stay with us.

[228] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[229] This is a special addition, mainly because of the Supreme Court making the decision for life in a sense of sending it back to the states rather than for the whole country having abortion on demand.

[230] I wanted to give an inspirational story because we're talking about standing up for life.

[231] And I was very happy to see Glenn Beck and another prominent Protestant on the radio thank the Catholic Church for these 49 and a half years.

[232] We're standing for life.

[233] And it's nice to see people appreciate us for what we stand for and not for what we think they stand for.

[234] But Bishop Strickland, this is a story that I think so inspirational, especially these times when we're standing up for life, a Jesuit priest told a story that he was going into the hospital to visit a 12 -year -old boy who had been in the hospital for three months.

[235] And I thought, I'm going to start asking people this question.

[236] He said, I asked him if he would like to be a missionary to save souls.

[237] And the little boy said, but father, I can't even sit up in bed.

[238] I can hardly move.

[239] And Father, the Jesuit priest said, exactly, if you offer your sufferings for souls, you can save them better than I. You see, Jesus Christ preached and performed many miracles, but only a few people were converted.

[240] When he suffered and died, though, he redeemed the whole world.

[241] Hearing this, the youngster began to cry.

[242] And the priest said to the young boy, why are you crying.

[243] Put your seatbelt on for his answer.

[244] Because I have lost a year of suffering.

[245] Why didn't someone tell me this a year ago?

[246] Now, I chuckled with that story.

[247] But you know, Bishop Strickland, there's so much truth in that story.

[248] And I'm thinking about the people who had been offering their suffering for the conversion of our country on this abortion issue.

[249] This is a touchdown.

[250] It's not a first down, I mean, it's a first down, not a touchdown.

[251] We're going in the right direction.

[252] But think of all the people who have been offering their redemptive suffering for the unborn.

[253] Because let's face it, Bishop Strickland, they have no one to defend them except us.

[254] No one.

[255] Did that story touch you like it touched me, Bishop Strickland?

[256] Yeah, absolutely.

[257] And it really does, gets into the whole mystery of Jesus Christ and what suffering means.

[258] And I think in our world today, we need that lesson, maybe more than ever, because there's such a tendency.

[259] There's, it's always the human tendency.

[260] I mean, none of us, I mean, you'd say you were crazy if you just looked at how can I hurt?

[261] How can I suffer?

[262] How can I, you know, we don't have to look.

[263] It comes.

[264] And Christ himself, you know, it just as I was talking about the martyrs earlier, Christ models exactly.

[265] that attitude.

[266] I mean, I've never, one of these days, I need to take the time to look through the Gospels and see how many times Jesus was threatened with being killed, but he snuck off, or he voided the crowd, or he slipped away.

[267] He wasn't asking to be, you know, nailed to a cross.

[268] He didn't just immediately march out and say, nail me to a cross.

[269] Right.

[270] So he used as a human, as a real man, fully God, fully man, the mystery of Jesus Christ, but he used those manly skills of, you know, having good arguments or talking its way through things and not being, you know, just offering himself immediately.

[271] But when it came to it, as we know, from the Garden of Gethsemini, he says, not my will, but your will be done.

[272] He ultimately bowed, in humility to the will of God, the Father.

[273] And it was the will of God the Father that his son be allowed to suffer for exactly what that story talks about.

[274] That redemptive suffering could be unlocked.

[275] I love the way that story points out.

[276] Christ spent three years, exhausting himself as a man in this world and converted many, but didn't convert the planet.

[277] And even his death, it opened up that hope and that possibility for conversion for every single human being living then and now and through the ages but it doesn't force anything it his redemptive suffering and death unlock the power of his redemptive love but we still have to make the choice And that's what's so interesting about my journey and your journey.

[278] We, in classical Catholic language, we talk about final perseverance.

[279] Yes.

[280] And that's really what it's about, Terry.

[281] I mean, as we've talked about before, neither of us are kids anymore.

[282] And we are striving for that final perseverance.

[283] Whether final comes tomorrow or 10 or 20 years or however long from now, that's what it's about final perseverance and trusting we're not going to be perfect when we die but we can continue to seek to be more perfected more purified more repentant of our sins and make reparation and atonement for our sins and the sins of the world but i think it's important to remember that we have the opportunity every day to seek that final perseverance.

[284] Every day of our lives is a step toward that.

[285] And we fail.

[286] We're sinners.

[287] But we go to confession.

[288] We confess those sins.

[289] We repent again.

[290] And thankfully, God's and his divine mercy is more patient and more merciful than any of us could be.

[291] I mean, we can forgive a lot, but God is always ready to forgive as long as we're humble enough to ask for that.

[292] forgiveness.

[293] A big amen to that.

[294] It sounds to me, though, Bishop Strickland, that having a strong faith in Jesus Christ is critical to make those right decisions.

[295] In other words, I mentioned to people ask every day for more faith in Jesus Christ when you pray.

[296] It seems to me that I ask myself the question, as a whole, the church, do we really believe in what you're saying is absolutely true or are we just saying well you know it might be maybe not you know and i guess my point is as it seems to me that judging on our world right now we're acting like god doesn't exist and so the faith of our flock seems appearance wise is i'm wondering do we really believe in these teachings that christ has handed down to us or are we just really thinking that it's just you know it's a because, you know, if we really believe that, then we're willing to sacrifice, it seems to me. Absolutely.

[297] And once again, I think of the martyrs.

[298] And if you read the stories of the martyrs, virtually any martyr, that you can read their story, again, they don't seek out to be martyred.

[299] But when they are, they do it peacefully.

[300] And often, I think you can accurately say cheerfully, even with a sense of humor sometimes.

[301] And I think that, I mean, like, again, Blessed Miguel Proe with him saying, Viva Christoere, his last words, his last breath, saying long live Christ, the king.

[302] That shows a faith.

[303] Absolutely.

[304] Really, it's, it, the faith that is demonstrated in their martyrdom is a kind of faith that we all are called to to live.

[305] and to embrace.

[306] And the test of it that they are given is whether they believe deeply enough to give up their lives.

[307] And that's the challenge we all face.

[308] In a sense, we're all day by day giving up our lives in this world because of what we believe in and who we believe in.

[309] And that's what the martyrs that came to a final moment that, again, talking about final perseverance, that's why they're martyrs.

[310] because they did not, they were not willing to deny Christ, even if it meant they were about to breathe their last breath.

[311] And that's the inspiration that we need.

[312] That's the strength of faith that we need.

[313] And if you look at the tendency that we all have, when I sin, I compromise with the truth.

[314] I say, well, for this moment or in this situation, I'll just do my thing.

[315] and not resist the temptations and say no to anything that is sinful.

[316] And sin comes at us in so many different ways.

[317] I mean, the seven deadly sins, that's quite a variety of ways that we can fall mortally, deadly, away from God.

[318] And so, and it's not, again, looking at the saints and the martyrs, they weren't fearful people.

[319] They weren't constantly looking, you know, afraid that they, they were going to get their head chopped off.

[320] They lived boldly, joyfully, full of the light of Christ, but because they believed so deeply, they were not willing to deny Christ no matter what, even if it did mean their life.

[321] And so there's a reason that through the ages, the martyrs have had such an impact on the church's life.

[322] As we both know, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of faith.

[323] That's a classic line.

[324] And I think it's a reminder to us that we need that same kind of faith.

[325] We need to truly believe and to trust that we are called to be like the martyrs, to have that faith and to know what is true.

[326] And as we've said before, I often talk about our Lord and His Eucharist, presence.

[327] If we know him there, it strengthens us to, I mean, another, I keep bringing up Blessed Miguel Pro, as I just had the experience with seeing a little museum of his life and everything.

[328] But he, again, like hearing confessions, he had a mask kit that looked like a toolbox or just some salesman sample box.

[329] And but he would say math.

[330] when he had the opportunity, even though it was outlawed.

[331] And ultimately, it did cost him his life.

[332] But there was much good that he did even before he was martyred.

[333] And I think that's what we all have to remember and remember that the perspective of faith is what has to form everything that we do.

[334] And we live in a very complicated world where that's hard.

[335] But we still have to do our best.

[336] to not compromise and to be faithful to the truth in everything that we do.

[337] Well, said, you always have said this over the year and a half.

[338] We've had this show we have to become first century Christians again.

[339] That's how the faith was spread so rapidly by their commitment.

[340] When we come back, let's talk a little bit that's appropriate for the four last things you also have shared before.

[341] Why is it important to think of eternity?

[342] Stay with us, then.

[343] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[344] Before Bishop Strickland has some comments about the four last things.

[345] We normally go through his tweets in the catechism of the Catholic Church, but there was one tweet that I think was so biblically sound for our church today and for everybody.

[346] Because so many times people say, oh, you guys are always just talking against same -sex marriage or abortion.

[347] Well, yeah, we do talk a lot about that because it's the family.

[348] But one of the tweets he said back with June 14th, He tweeted out, Bishop did, Do not be deceived, neither fornicators nor idolterers, idolers, and adulterers, no boy prostitutes, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkenes, are slanderers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.

[349] Do not, and that's the scripture.

[350] Now here's what Bishop Strickland says, which I think is the antidote.

[351] Do not despair.

[352] What?

[353] Yeah, do not despair.

[354] because all can repent.

[355] Divine mercy is abundant.

[356] Now, Bishop Strickland, that's the gospel, repent and believe in the gospel.

[357] And let's just be honest.

[358] The Bible makes it clear that there are all kinds of sins that can separate us from God if we're unrepentant.

[359] So I just had to ask you, what in the world?

[360] I mean, that's a strong scripture statement.

[361] What made you tweet that?

[362] Well, it's the truth that we need to progress.

[363] claim more clearly, more joyfully, more lovingly.

[364] And that's what I tried to get across in that tweet is I think we forget that all can be forgiven.

[365] Yes.

[366] It's all up to us.

[367] Like we were talking about earlier, Christ has accomplished the forgiveness.

[368] Amen.

[369] His sacrifice has redeemed us.

[370] It's made it possible.

[371] But we all have to embrace that with our own personal change of heart, a word that's used as metanoia, a turning.

[372] And too often in the world and even in the church today, you don't hear about the turning.

[373] You just say, oh, well, God's mercy embraces all.

[374] Absolutely.

[375] But he embraces us into his life and his truth.

[376] And we can't, God is without contradiction.

[377] And I think that that's where, you know, that we've forgotten too often as people as members of the church, as members of the body of Christ, that the truth is one cohesive reality.

[378] It's not fragmented in different ways.

[379] And well, we've got this piece of truth and that piece of truth.

[380] It all fits together.

[381] And what I think we've got to really lovingly and joyfully proclaim to re -catechize our culture, it's an understanding.

[382] Why is sin wrong?

[383] And a lot of people ignore sin.

[384] And they say, all of these Catholics, they have these seven deadly sins that make up all these things that are sinful.

[385] Sin is wrong because it distorts the life that God has given us.

[386] It harms us.

[387] Any of those sins listed in that reading, any of the seven deadly sins, and it pretty well covers the seven deadly sins, any of those are a distortion.

[388] If you are embezzling, thousands or millions of dollars, you can become super wealthy.

[389] You can look like this great successful person, but it's distorting and damaging your life ultimately because it's disconnecting you from the truth.

[390] Certainly through the ages and in our time, sexual sins are, you know, they're kind of radioactive.

[391] They get a lot of impact.

[392] And that's where so much energy goes, but there's still sins.

[393] And really, any sin, I mean, any of the seven deadly sins can get us in hell if we don't repent of it.

[394] It's not just lust, but it's also greed, it's gluttony, it's wrath, it's sloth, it's envy, it's pride.

[395] Going down that list, I think we all have to acknowledge, you know, what percentage of our struggle with sin is caught up in.

[396] which of those.

[397] And each person's different.

[398] I mean, lust is a huge sin in our world because what lust is about the opposite, of course, is chastity.

[399] And that's the life -giving energy that God has given us as human beings, men and women created in his image.

[400] So it's not really surprising that it's very volatile and very, it can explode into beauty and into extreme ugliness and evil.

[401] And it does that constantly in the human story and in each of our lives in different ways.

[402] Sins against lust are rampant.

[403] Sins against greed and gluttony are rampant.

[404] And so I think rather than fixating on any one kind of sin we with that final perseverance where we're talking about we want to do our best to eliminate any aspect of deadly sin of all sin but especially the deadly sins to do our best to eliminate them and that is by living the truth and when we fail to return to the truth to return to the face of christ who is ready to forgive us in our catholic faith sacramentally.

[405] And that's a special gift that for us as Catholics, we have to recognize God's forgiveness is not locked up in the sacrament of penance, but it's a special grace and blessing to encounter Christ in his forgiving love, just as he was forgiving the people where he says, go and sin no more in the gospel.

[406] He's saying the same thing to us, the same Jesus, just as he is really present in the Eucharist.

[407] That's the gift of the sacraments.

[408] God can certainly work independently of the sacraments, but the sacraments are that special way of encountering his son, Jesus Christ.

[409] Well, said Bishop Strickland, I remember scripture saying, remember, man, you are dust and just you shall return.

[410] It seems to me, and I'm just giving you my take and see if I'm on to something, we had 241 funerals here last year at our chapel, and I get to talk to families about the death of their loved one.

[411] And almost every single time, nobody wanted to deal with their immortality, that they were going to die at some point.

[412] And I'm wondering if that's really unhealthy, it seems that those four last things, that the judgment, death, you know, that we're going to face it, it seems to me that if we don't face it now, we're going to face it later, but we should be prepared.

[413] And as you mentioned earlier about mercy of God, it depends on us asking for it.

[414] We don't just get it automatically.

[415] It's not like, oh yeah, I'm going to heaven straight.

[416] Now I don't even have to repent.

[417] No, that's part of the deal that we hold the key there for mercy, but we have to ask.

[418] And I wanted to get your take on preparing people for death.

[419] Isn't this what we should be preparing?

[420] Even, I mean, you and I are in our 60s, but I remember as a young man seeing friends that died, you know, death has no respect of age.

[421] It can happen at any time.

[422] Yeah.

[423] And the classic momento mori remember death and as you were talking terry i'm reminded of a lot of the classical art of the saints many of the saints are depicted looking at a skull and you know it's like man isn't that macab isn't that dark but it's just reality exactly and they weren't people that just gaze at skulls all the time but they momento mori remembering death it gives us a of perspective, if you remember where you're headed and where you want to go at that fork in the road, either heaven or hell, then every day is a step hopefully in the right direction.

[424] And when you stumble or take the wrong path, hopefully you very quickly repent of that sin and return to the right path.

[425] But Momentumori remembering death is woven into what it means to be Christian.

[426] And as you were saying, even we Christians and even within the Catholic Church, there's been a tendency to not momento mori, not remember death and embrace this world as if that's all there is.

[427] And that is very dangerous because the more we get into that attitude, the less we pay attention to where are we going to be when we take that last breath, when our heart stops.

[428] And so the four last things, death, judgment, heaven, and hell really are about reminding us of that perspective.

[429] When you say, remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return, it reminds us that without God, we started as dust and we go back to just dust.

[430] With God, we can go beyond that and live eternally with him, even the dust that we're made of.

[431] The church has long taught about the resurrection of the body.

[432] What form that takes, how that works.

[433] We can't scientifically analyze it the way we want to in today's world, but we believe in the resurrection of the body.

[434] The resurrection of the whole person, that we are body and soul, that we are not just, you know, sort of the ghost in the machine, like people have said, but we are an integrated, created in the image and likeness of God, spirit and body.

[435] And so that dust has the opportunity of being eternally with God if we make the right choice.

[436] That's the great mystery of our life's journey, is that for a time, these mere atoms of, you know, elements of the earth, we have the opportunity to become eternally with God.

[437] And I love to think about that.

[438] I mean, Christ did.

[439] He became human and he took that human body into heaven.

[440] The Blessed Virgin Mary was assumed into heaven.

[441] All the saints are their body and soul.

[442] How that works, it's beyond our ability to measure or to understand.

[443] But that's our faith.

[444] and that's the great mystery of the truth of who we are.

[445] So really, it's interesting in our conversation today from the Roe v. Wade decision being struck down by the Supreme Court.

[446] It's all about death, judgment, heaven, and hell.

[447] It's about what is life.

[448] And the end of it is that fork in the road between eternity with God or eternal damnation.

[449] And we do need to emphasize that it's not, just, you can't just choose, oh, I just want to just be dust.

[450] You're going to either be dust with God or dust without God eternally.

[451] You aren't just going into oblivion.

[452] I mean, some people who believe that through the ages, but that's not what the church believes, and that's not what Christ has revealed to us.

[453] There's a choice, and he makes that very clear.

[454] We don't emphasize it enough.

[455] Christ himself, in his words and the gospel, says, says the sheep and the goats will be separated.

[456] You know, it makes it very clear that there will be a final judgment.

[457] We need to live in that context, not burdened, but guided in the light of his truth.

[458] Well, said Bishop Strickland, because of this historic day with the Supreme Court, you know, making this decision so that the abortion issue will now go great.

[459] I'm wondering for all of us here to be thanking God for this special day to protect the unborn.

[460] What would you recommend, you know, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, a rosary, and maybe get to a mass of Thanksgiving because this is really a big, huge thing, especially for the little unborn babies.

[461] And before I ask that last question, I'm going to say it's going to be good for our country, even on the natural level, because it's hard to run a business without customers.

[462] And all those little kids coming in are going to be consumers.

[463] They're going to need houses.

[464] They're going to need cars.

[465] They're going to need clothing.

[466] And so even on the natural side, it's a win -win situation.

[467] So what type of Thanksgiving would you recommend people do?

[468] Well, Terry, you already mentioned some great choices, praying a rosary, going to a mass. Just taking some time to pray in Thanksgiving as a family, mainly taking the time to focus on.

[469] the sanctity of life and being grateful for who knows the more lives that we can save the more images and likeness of God with great talents with great abilities who knows what in God's mind the plan is for them to offer to the world if we will just accept his gift and quit rejecting it well said how about a blessing for all of us please bishop mighty god we ask your blessing for everyone listening to what Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

[470] Amen.

[471] Thank you so much, Bishop Strickland for this special edition of the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[472] You can get all the podcasts by going to vmpr .org.

[473] And may God richly bless you and your family.

[474] Thanks for all your support here at Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[475] God love you and your family.