26 Jan 2021 – Bishop Sheen on the “Loss of Faith”

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] My name is Terry Barber.

[2] I'm with Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[3] And I usually say this when I'm excited, which I am today.

[4] I'm too blessed to be stressed.

[5] I'm too anointed to be disappointed.

[6] And if hope was money, I'd be a billionaire.

[7] Welcome, Bishop Strickland, to another hour of your show where you help people fall deep in love with Jesus Christ and his bride, the church.

[8] Thanks so much.

[9] Thank you for coming.

[10] So we're going to talk a little bit about your tweets, but there's one tweet that we want to talk specifically where its title is Fulton Sheen warning about a counterfeit Catholicism by Father Dwight Longnecker, who's a friend of the shows, good man, he's a convert from the Anglican Church.

[11] And yeah, we're going to talk a lot about the catechism and the later parts of the show.

[12] But Bishop Strickland, it seems to me that you love Fulton Sheen as much as I do.

[13] I went to his funeral because you keep tweeting quotes from Fulton Sheen from 50, 60 years ago when you and I were just little boys.

[14] Here's one of the quotes that you tweeted on January 9th.

[15] You said, we often justify ourselves by saying that we are following our consciences, when we are only following our desires.

[16] Are you talking about, let me just ask this question, And when you quote that about an informed conscience or just our conscience, is that where you're going in or tell me what your thoughts were on that?

[17] Well, an informed conscience, absolutely.

[18] We are morally obligated to follow an informed conscience.

[19] And that's certainly what Archbishop Sheen is getting at.

[20] I don't know.

[21] I mean, that's a long time ago that he wrote that.

[22] I'm sure there were questions about conscience even then, but the current trend is exactly what he's talking about.

[23] Conscience becomes just whatever you want, whatever Terry wants, whatever Joe wants, whatever Sally wants, whatever Jane wants, they just, that's what you just go with what you feel.

[24] And that, I think most of us would agree that.

[25] that that hasn't taken us to a brighter world, to a better place.

[26] People keep promising that.

[27] Oh, if we could just get rid of this antiquated Catholic church and all these people that are caught up in religion, the world would be so much better.

[28] But I think if we look around, as people turn from God and turn from faith, the world really isn't getting better.

[29] And, you know, I'm sure they would say, oh, well, that's just a virus or whatever.

[30] But long before COVID came along, family was falling apart.

[31] There were a lot of people confused and lost in not finding any meaning in life.

[32] That, I think, is what Archbishop Sheehan is pointing at that if we don't use the moral compass that God is revealed to us, to form our conscience.

[33] And I think you would agree, Terry, that most of the time, forming your conscience means you have to step up to greater responsibility.

[34] Amen.

[35] If nobody ever told me that something was wrong, it makes it illegal easier to get away with it.

[36] And probably most of us as kids grew up and learned things.

[37] this is, man, I wish I never learned that because I can't do it anymore.

[38] Exactly.

[39] That's kind of human nature.

[40] But Archbishop Sheen is getting at where real happiness and real fulfillment comes from.

[41] And that is from following God's plan and not making our own plan.

[42] And that's really where we are these days.

[43] much more of a tendency to just say, I'll make it up as I go.

[44] I'll make up my own plan for life.

[45] And it typically gets us in trouble.

[46] Bishop Strickland, you make me think of Dr. Scott Hahn, who I've worked with for over 31 years at family conferences.

[47] And what you just said, a young man and a young woman, they had just gotten married for three years of they had been married and no children because the husband did not want.

[48] to have children.

[49] The wife wanted to have children.

[50] They came to the family conference, and Scott Hahn gave a talk on life -giving love, and he exposed what Hermione Vite taught and what the Catholic Church is teaching that we must be open to human life.

[51] And contraception is against the Bible, against what the church teaches.

[52] Well, here's the quick story.

[53] Father, when this guy heard this, he goes, man, this makes a lot of sense.

[54] Wait a man, maybe I've got it wrong.

[55] And then the wife says, well, why don't you talk to him personally?

[56] and if you have questions, because he said to his wife, I bet you if I ask him some questions, he couldn't answer him.

[57] She says, really?

[58] Well, let's go talk to him.

[59] Oh, you're never going to talk to this guy.

[60] There's 5 ,000 people at this conference.

[61] Well, I found out that, you know, she came to me because I was running the conference.

[62] She said to me her situation.

[63] And I said, wait a minute.

[64] That's Scott Hahn talking to all those people.

[65] Tell your husband to come over here behind the curtains.

[66] He's going to meet Scott, and he can ask Scott any question he wants.

[67] so you know I'm very bold I went over to Dr. Hahn and I said Dr. Hahn we need you take two minutes right now pull you away from the table could you come over here so they I'm giving you the short version because he was already in the parking lot she had to go get him out of the parking lot they come back and they have a conversation with Dr. Hahn and I didn't think anything of it because I'm on to something else that same family 20 years later who I knew these people because they came to all the family conferences I'm visiting them in Alabama now because they moved next to EWTN, and I'm out of a barbecue.

[68] And the man says, the husband says to me, Terry, I've never had an opportunity to thank you.

[69] I said, thank me for what?

[70] What I was talking about?

[71] Well, 20 years ago when I was at the family conference, you know, my wife and I were newlyweds, and, you know, we'd been married just three years, but I didn't want any children.

[72] And then you hooked me up with Scott Hahn, and he convinced me that we need to be open to life.

[73] And you see the nine children running in the yard?

[74] I said, I wouldn't have had them without you making that connection.

[75] I said, well, brother, first, of all, any good that we do comes from God.

[76] We thank him for it.

[77] But you see, his conscience father was, Bishop Strickland, was informed, and he was convicted, and then he started practicing Catholic teachings on marriage, and he's a happy camper today.

[78] I know the man now, he's 60 years old, and his kids have grown up, three of them have already gotten married and have families of their own.

[79] You see how that can affect somebody by giving them an informed conscience?

[80] And to be honest with you, Bishop Strickland, I've seen that happen for 41 years, on a regular basis, and it's because of lack of catechesis in the Catholic Church, and I'm going to be honest with you, guys dressed like you, sorry, Bishop Strickland, but guys dressed like you have not wanted to teach us what the church teach us because they're afraid to offend the families.

[81] Bishop Strickland, tell me the truth and nothing but the truth.

[82] I want to be offended by the truth so that I can follow the truth.

[83] That's the message I want to share with you, and I know that's what you do, but can you have.

[84] appreciate Bishop Strickland that many lay people are looking for that leadership today.

[85] Absolutely.

[86] And your story is really a great illustration because one of the key areas where we need to do a better job of forming people's consciences is in marriage formation.

[87] The church has taught and made it official with Humane Vite that contraception is immoral.

[88] But it's practiced by many Catholics and many non -Catholics.

[89] We need to do a better job of forming consciences.

[90] Many people may reject the message, but many people, even if they are rejected initially, because it's challenging.

[91] Oh, yeah, big time.

[92] From in talking to couples, I mean, you're a married man. I've never been married, but I know from talking to couples that trying to live faithfully with what the church teaches is challenging.

[93] Amen.

[94] But like this man who's now 60 years old in your story, it brings a better life.

[95] It's challenging to have nine kids.

[96] Yeah.

[97] But it also gives you a reason to get up in the morning.

[98] If he had followed the path that he was already on, he and his wife may not have remained married because they got tired of each other and there was nobody else to, you know, distract them.

[99] Sure.

[100] And their life would not, definitely not be as rich as it is with nine children and grandchildren and all of that.

[101] That's what life is about is loving people.

[102] And there are many Catholics and non -Catholics that would buy the world's message that, oh, don't have kids, they'll drain the money and make you tie you down and make it impossible to go on those big vacations and have the fancy car.

[103] Go with all the stuff.

[104] The stuff, really the older we get, the more we recognize, stuff is meaningless.

[105] us.

[106] It doesn't fulfill us.

[107] It doesn't nurture us.

[108] It doesn't make life worth getting up for.

[109] And I think that's why many of the people that are caught up in business and making money, they just want to make more and more.

[110] It's kind of like, you know, sadly people that get caught up in drugs.

[111] It takes more to make them feel anything.

[112] And so people that are millionaires think, well if I'm a billionaire then I'll be fulfilled then they want to be a billionaire it's like well I just got more and more billions it doesn't work it doesn't fulfill you um that's not how god made us well said bishop stricken thank you for that answer I want to remind everybody the spiritual warfare conference is coming up Saturday and you can register and watch it you know on your internet through our YouTube channel and our you can listen to it on our app if you want to register for that go to virgin most powerful radio .org when we come back i want to talk about another tweet and yes bishop strickland has a bell that he brings every week with us and it's called defend the unborn when 4 ,000 babies a day are aborted yeah i think it's appropriate to stand up for the unborn to come back you'll see more here on the bishop strickland hour on virgin most powerful Bishop Strickland Hour.

[113] My name's Terry Barber, Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[114] We're going through the tweets of Bishop Strickland every single week here.

[115] If you're brand new and you want to listen to the old shows, basically you can get them on our podcast by going to virgin most powerful radio .org and listen to any of the shows that we have there.

[116] Bishop Strickland, I love that you continually tweet about the unborn.

[117] And I'll tell you why, especially, you know, the election's over.

[118] We've a new administration coming in.

[119] We know that the new administration is not going to be like the last one who protected the unborn the best they could.

[120] So we can't be like, oh, well, we let no, we have to defend life in season and out.

[121] So this is not a time to let up on defending the unborn just because a new administration is coming in that's going to fund the funding of Planned Parenthood and all these horrible things.

[122] Hey, it is what it is, but we kind of stand up.

[123] mean we can't, we're going to be quiet about it.

[124] We have to stand up for the unborn because no one else will.

[125] Here's what you said on your tweet on the 14th.

[126] Thank God, maybe there is hope that we can return to sanity and begin to live in reality again.

[127] And you're talking about unborn babies are human persons with rights until we end the diabolical push to consider them non -persons, the value of every person at every stage of life is threatened.

[128] Bishop Strickland, you use the word diabolical, and that's demonic.

[129] In other words, I've heard Exorcists tell me that abortion is basically coming from the pit of hell because it reverses what God does with life.

[130] It destroys life.

[131] So tell me what made you give us some hope about that.

[132] Are you trying to cheer the crowds on with, in other words, the people who stand up for life?

[133] Or what made you do that tweet?

[134] Well, what the tweet refers to is a study from, I think it was Harvard Law School that said, great revelation, but very positive at least finally, that unborn, the unborn have rights, a right to life.

[135] And that is definitely a step in the right direction.

[136] I've always said, certainly we need laws that respect.

[137] the value of every person from conception to natural death.

[138] Amen.

[139] But laws come from hearts that believe the truth, I believe.

[140] I think history demonstrates that.

[141] So I'm in the work of trying to convert hearts to the message that God has revealed to us, that life is sacred, every life.

[142] All stages.

[143] Yep.

[144] And really, Terry, As things roll along, it comes clear to me over and over again that the main issue, the preeminent issue, the issue of our time is the sanctity of life.

[145] Certainly, abortion is the cornerstone of building a culture that respects life.

[146] As long as we have 4 ,000 abortions a day, we don't respect life.

[147] Right.

[148] And I've had the thought, which I would imagine a few people have had the same thought, is maybe, because many of us have asked, how long will God put up with this?

[149] He says, let there be life.

[150] And we say, no, thanks.

[151] Kill that one.

[152] Kill that one.

[153] Kill that one.

[154] And we start picking and choosing who lives.

[155] right how long will god put up with that maybe we've we've reached the end maybe god's on his last nerve maybe we've reached the end of his willingness within our free will to allow us to destroy ourselves and destroy others um because really i think we have to look at it this way if we believe that intrinsically evil, which many do, Catholics and non -Catholics.

[156] And people who don't even really have any religious faith are still with us in believing that the taking of an unborn human life is intrinsically evil.

[157] It is wrong.

[158] It is diabolical, which is another way of saying it is of the devil.

[159] Amen.

[160] It is not of God.

[161] It is of the devil.

[162] And We, you know, we have to just keep repeating that.

[163] That's right.

[164] Loving the person, even, that totally rejects the idea.

[165] That doesn't mean we hate them because Christ calls us to hate our enemies.

[166] And to value even those lives, which God does, I mean, God allows the people to speak about how I'm going to make abortion more available.

[167] and I'm going to see that it's funded, and I'm going to make sure Planned Parenthood has all the funding it needs.

[168] Who's giving that person life and breath, God?

[169] So absolutely, God allows us to use his gift of life, but he calls us to turn from sin and to value it, as long as we treat it as if it were something, a commodity that we could take or leave, destroy if we wish, then our lives are devalued.

[170] And I think that's something that hopefully one day we will all recognize that every time a child is aborted, my life, your life, the life of every person is a little less valuable in this world.

[171] In God's terms, it's not.

[172] But in our world, every life that is taken immorally is a little less value.

[173] I think we see that in the tragic murders that happen, in the violence that happens in the world and in this nation.

[174] But the violence of abortion is hidden.

[175] I think that's one of the main reasons.

[176] I mean, many of the people that have been.

[177] in the abortion industry that have converted to be pro -life and actually fight the abortion industry, it's because they saw the reality of abortion up front and personal.

[178] If we actually saw the murder of these children occurring on the street corners of our cities and even in small cities and and out i mean if if there was some visible sign that this was happening i think a lot more hearts would be changed but it's hidden yeah and it's it's kept quiet and um not brought into the light of day and so i think a lot of good -hearted people that just haven't thought that much about it just think oh well they're they're making a big deal out of nothing and it's it's easy to pretend that it's not a big deal.

[179] If there were screaming babies on every corner being ripped apart, I think people would have a different feel.

[180] But that doesn't happen.

[181] And that might even backfire.

[182] Who knows?

[183] But I think the hiddenness of abortion is part of the reality.

[184] So people need to know.

[185] And part of what I think we need to do is let people know how the aborted child, their body, rather than being respectfully buried and treated, even if they're going to be murdered, to at least treat them with respect in death.

[186] But instead, they're used as a commodity.

[187] They're literally sold on the market for use in scientific research.

[188] And as long as that happens, all of our lives are devalued.

[189] And I think we just have to keep speaking about it.

[190] I agree.

[191] And I want to recommend everybody to go to YouTube and type in the silent screen by Dr. Bernard Nathanson because he describes on an ultrasound what happens to a baby in an abortion.

[192] Now, I wouldn't show this to young kids.

[193] I knew Dr. Bernard Nathanson.

[194] and I actually got arrested at a clinic in California with him.

[195] So he ended up becoming a Catholic, thanks be to God through Father Paul Marx of Human Life International.

[196] But here's the point.

[197] He shows you what an abortion is on the screen, and that has been shown millions of times, and it helps people understand what takes place.

[198] And I've seen many people converted Bishop Strickland by watching that video and saying, oh, I want no part of that.

[199] that's what an abortion is i used to show it to teenagers when i taught and and now some people got upset at me for doing that but you know what bishop strickland some of these teenagers were watching all kinds of crummy stuff and i thought they're old enough they're you know 12 30 seniors in high school i want you to see what abortion is oh their mouths dropped they couldn't believe it but it's important to do that so thank you for standing up for life now this is what i want to share you you tweeted and this is something maybe in the next couple weeks we can continue continue on because there's so much good material.

[200] Father Longnecker actually on his website put out an article about Fulton Sheen's warning about the counterfeit Catholicism.

[201] You told people on your tweet, read the whole article.

[202] We can't read the whole article right now, but I want to bring in some of the things that Bishop Sheen said, and then Father Longnecker said, and then Bishop Strickland, I want to get your take on it because I believe this article is incredibly important for Holy Mother the Church today, not just in the United States, but worldwide.

[203] So let's set the stage.

[204] This article was taken from Bishop Sheen's book Communism and Conscious of the West.

[205] That was like 1948, so three years after World War II.

[206] He discusses the Antichrist.

[207] Here's what Bishop Sheen says.

[208] And then we'll let Father Longnecker talk and then ask Bishop Strickland to give a comment.

[209] That'll be our format.

[210] the antichrist will not be so called otherwise he would have no followers he will not wear red tights nor vomit sulfur nor carry a trident nor wave or an erode tail as metaphysics in faucet this masquerade has helped the devil convince men here's the cash value that he doesn't exist when no man recognizes him the more power he exercises Well said, Fulton Sheen, here's what Father Lungnecker said.

[211] We must always remember that Satan comes as an angel of light.

[212] When he presents, it's always intermittently reasonable.

[213] He offers seemingly sensible ways, the soft way.

[214] I love this.

[215] This is the cash value.

[216] See if this relates to our culture.

[217] The way of compromise and ease.

[218] If he showed himself as the monster he is, all would run howling in terror.

[219] Instead, he offers a way out when we are in a jam, an alternative way when the way of Christ seems difficult.

[220] In other words, walking away from the cross of Christ.

[221] Bishop Strickland, did this article just touch you in a very powerful way?

[222] And give me, first of all, your comment and why you wanted people to read this.

[223] Well, I think Archbishop Sheen makes some important, important points and he's very prophetic.

[224] I mean, we're talking a long time ago, 1948.

[225] That was 10 years before I was born.

[226] And so he was already seeing the compromises.

[227] And I think that word is huge.

[228] Yeah, I do too.

[229] Because what do I do when I sin to compromise the truth?

[230] Bishop Strickland, wait a minute.

[231] I want you to follow that thought when we come back from the break.

[232] I love it.

[233] Bishop Sheen talking about the counterfeit Catholicism and the Antichrist and the word compromise and ease.

[234] We'll be back to more with the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Power Radio.

[235] Don't turn that time.

[236] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[237] We're commenting on a article by Father Longnecker regarding Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen regarding a counterfeit Catholicism.

[238] And he's talking about compromise.

[239] What, I'll just repeat it.

[240] and then Bishop Strickland, if you can comment, we must always remember that Satan comes as an angel of light.

[241] What he presents is always eminently reasonable.

[242] He offers seemingly sensible way, the soft way, the way of compromise and ease.

[243] If he showed himself as a monster, we would all run, howling in terror.

[244] Instead, he offers a way out when we are in a jam, an alternative, when the way of Christ seems difficult.

[245] Comment plays on that.

[246] Well, as I was saying before, I think we, the key word there is compromise.

[247] To compromise the truth is ultimately taking us down the wrong path.

[248] That's what I do when I sin is I compromise with to sin, as we know, you have to know that something is wrong and do it anyway.

[249] And how do we talk ourselves into that?

[250] we compromise and say, well, for my situation or because I want it or whatever excuse we give.

[251] And I think there's been too much compromise since the time of Archbishop Sheen 70 years ago.

[252] And certainly before he was there, but he was seeing the beginnings of something that has just continued to grow.

[253] And that's kind of what happens.

[254] like we talked about with sin before, I think what we're talking about here is the global nature, in a sense, of that sort of attitude of compromise, just like for the individual person, when you compromise with the truth and say, well, I can steal a little bit and it's not going to be any big deal.

[255] And then you think, well, I can steal a little more.

[256] Nobody noticed I got away with it.

[257] And then you can steal a little more.

[258] That's kind of what's happened with our culture.

[259] It's like, well, you know, we have decided we're going to ignore God on this part.

[260] Let's say contraception.

[261] That's a pretty big one.

[262] Yep.

[263] And, hey, it looks like we're getting away with it.

[264] It looks like everything's fine.

[265] And most people are using contraception and it's not destroying people.

[266] We're not seeing any evidence that it's wrong.

[267] And so we start to loosen up to compromise a bit more and to say, well, maybe some of the other moral teachings of the church are really not what Jesus meant and really not what the teaching are.

[268] So we compromise some more and we compromise some more, whether for me as an individual or for the church or for humanity in general, the more we compromise the truth, the more we erode, the basic fabric of our society.

[269] And I think we're witnessing.

[270] A lot of us are talking about witnessing an erosion that is startling.

[271] And it's kind of like, I think of literally erosion.

[272] Growing up out in the country here in East Texas where it rains quite a bit.

[273] Erosion's an issue.

[274] I grew up on 100 acres and we had cats.

[275] and horses.

[276] And I remember my father being very concerned about erosion because when it starts, it can grow and really devastate a field or devastate, I mean, you've seen out in California.

[277] The house is literally falling into the ocean because of erosion that went unchecked.

[278] So I think we can see the same thing figuratively for society.

[279] When the erosion of compromise and sin just continues to grow, it undermines who we are.

[280] It undermines civilization.

[281] It undermines the person's individual life.

[282] And so that's just not what God wants for us.

[283] And that's really not, it's not what you want for us.

[284] your kids.

[285] I mean, they may resist when you say, can't do that.

[286] You got to follow God.

[287] You got to do the right thing.

[288] Oh, Dad, can't we compromise here and there?

[289] And, you know, that's a temptation.

[290] It gets them off your back for that moment.

[291] But a loving father says, no, kids, you'll learn somewhere along the way.

[292] Doing the right thing is the right thing.

[293] It's not just making dad and mom happy.

[294] It's the best thing for your life.

[295] That's how it works with us and God as well.

[296] In a practical way, I can just share, you know, as raising a family, I've already done that.

[297] I'll never forget being at the grocery store, and my wife noticed that they didn't charge us for one item on the list.

[298] And we went back in and paid for that, and it was a teaching moment for the kids.

[299] They said, yeah.

[300] And I remember my, they didn't pay, well, they gave it to.

[301] No, they didn't give it to us.

[302] What's the just thing about it?

[303] We've got the product.

[304] We need to pay for it.

[305] We went back in and paid for it.

[306] My point is, these are little things for the kids.

[307] A lot of times they learn by what you do rather than what you say.

[308] So that's just a quick note on that.

[309] We're talking about Archbishop Fulton Sheen's book that he wrote way back in 1948 on communism and conscience of the West.

[310] And he's talking about the Antichrist.

[311] He says, nowhere, nowhere in.

[312] scripture do we find a warrant for popular myth of the devil as a buffoon who is dressed like first red rather he's described as an angel fallen from heaven as the prince of this world and this is where the cash value comes whose business is to tell us that there is no other world now bishop strickland you've been preaching that since we started and i know you've been preaching that before i even met you that we've lost the supernatural aspect of the life.

[313] Now, Father Longdecker said, when watching for the Antichrist, we should be careful not to become too obsessed with one particular historical or contemporary figure.

[314] To be sure there will be an Antichrist one day who seeks to take over the world, and there will be his prophet, who is a religious leader, who seeks to deceive people.

[315] Are you ready for this?

[316] With a fake system of spirituality.

[317] Father says this.

[318] However, we should also remember that down through history, there has always been Antichrist's false prophets.

[319] Furthermore, there have also been systems of thoughts that have been Antichrists and the system of religions that are false prophets.

[320] Now, here's what he says.

[321] At the heart, the Antichrist is the ruler of this world.

[322] The false prophet teaches a religion that is only of this world.

[323] So he's quoting Sheen, Bishop Strickland, that sounds something like you've been.

[324] saying for a long time yeah well the truth you it's easy to repeat yeah because you know you don't have to say okay i got to review what i said earlier if you're speaking the truth and that's what archbishop sheen is speaking that's what father longnecker is speaking that's what we're all called to speak is speak the truth yeah and i mean you know the the book that archbishop sheen wrote was Like you said, just after the Second World War and communism had been, you know, a huge issue.

[325] They're just beginning what we call now the Cold War.

[326] And communism is Antichrist.

[327] That's right.

[328] I mean, you said, okay, well, which one of those men were the Antichrist?

[329] And like you said, it's really, certainly, Scripture talks about the Antichrist.

[330] antichrist, and that may well be at some point an actual individual.

[331] But I think it's great that we're hearing this from Archbishop Sheen.

[332] Certainly, he's not pointing at any individual because he, you know, he's writing 70 years ago, but he's talking about a concept.

[333] That's right.

[334] And certainly communism is anti -Christ.

[335] It's anti -religion, it's anti -church, and we always have to remember that.

[336] We certainly, people have free will, and this is a free nation still, and people can choose, can be fooled into thinking, oh, well, this communism is the way to go.

[337] but one of the key elements, and I just saw a video recently talking about, you know, this new world order that people talk about and all.

[338] And, you know, how much of that is real?

[339] I don't know.

[340] But one of the key elements was that it had no concept of God.

[341] And I think that really, Terry, we all have to look, into our hearts honestly.

[342] God loves us.

[343] God wants us to be with him in eternity.

[344] But there's an element that is antichrist in all of us because we're sinners.

[345] Amen.

[346] And so rather than pointing to someone else, I need to look into my own heart and say, how am I living a life that is anti -Christ instead of with Christ?

[347] And convert that.

[348] Repent of my sins.

[349] So I would caution anyone, and I don't think Archbishop Sheen is getting at pointing at someone in his day as the Antichrist, and we don't need to do that now.

[350] We need to look into our own hearts because there's something Antichrist in all of us, because we're sinners.

[351] But I think we do have to pay attention to trends that are.

[352] not of Christ and are antichrist.

[353] Many things in the media, many things in the free world, the marketing world are the opposite of what Christ calls us to do.

[354] So it's a tough time to be Catholic, truly Catholic.

[355] It's a tough time to be believers because the world is trying to tempt us, into a different path.

[356] But we, again, we get back to forming our consciences and really trusting.

[357] We've talked about it before, Terry, but I think we have to really believe that God loves us.

[358] Amen.

[359] If you really believe God loves you, you are precious in his sight, as the song says.

[360] Then the next step is to say, well, what he's revealed to us must be.

[361] good for us.

[362] So let's pay attention.

[363] Amen.

[364] We're going to continue next week with Bishop Sheen's article.

[365] When we come back, open up your catechisms, get your catechism out.

[366] We're going to do paragraph 36.

[367] We'll be right back with more on the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[368] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[369] We're now shifting into the segment of the catechism of the Catholic Church.

[370] You might say, well, why are we studying the catechism of the Catholic Church?

[371] Well, first of all, we have a bishop, his role is to teach, govern, and sanctify.

[372] He's teaching us the faith right from the perennial teachings of the church, the catechism.

[373] Second of all, we've just been through an unbelievable year 2020 with COVID -19, closing of churches.

[374] People have had so many deaths happen in their homes.

[375] I mean, tragedy, right?

[376] So what do we do?

[377] Do we moan and grow?

[378] No. We get closer to Jesus Christ.

[379] And so I can't think of a better way with our Bible and the catechism to study our faith.

[380] So don't take too much into this political process right now.

[381] You know, the election's over.

[382] We've got a new president coming in.

[383] I particularly, I'll be honest with you, I'm disheartened that we know what he's going to do to the unborn.

[384] It's going to fund, plan, parenthood.

[385] Well, I can't control that.

[386] But what I can't control is my relationship with Jesus Christ.

[387] And let's take our time right now to start.

[388] study the faith.

[389] And I make this pitch all the time.

[390] If you don't have a catechism, I'll send you one.

[391] Call me 877 -526 -21 -5 -1 because it's important that you know your faith.

[392] I think we demonstrated that earlier in the show when we talked about conscience and informed conscience.

[393] So I'm going to start off on paragraph 36, the knowledge of God, according to the church.

[394] Now, this is fundamental teachings.

[395] I mean, I remember a long time ago when I was a teenager and someone taught me in the catechism that if God stopped thinking about you you would cease to exist and I was like 13 years old and I was like man let me get my arms around that one whoa whoa whoa time out but you know what this is what we needed to know we needed to know that we're loved by Jesus Christ and then if he stopped thinking about you you wouldn't even exist I think Bishop Strickland that's something that our culture needs to know like you just said about people that they know that our Lord loves each individual person, unborn and born.

[396] So let me just paragraph 36 talk about that, and you can share on that.

[397] Paragraph 36 of the catechism of the Catholic Church says, Our Holy Mother, the Church, holds and teaches that God, the first principle and the last end of all things, can be known with certainty from the created world by natural light of human reason.

[398] Without the capacity, man would not be able to welcome God.

[399] revelation man has this capacity because he's created and here's the key in the image of God Bishop Strickland please comment on paragraph 36 because I think there's a mouthful there well it does get to the basic framework for knowing God and knowing who we are created as it says in the image and likeness of God that is the very starting point for what our human lives are about.

[400] We are those created in the image and likeness of God, unlike anything, any other part of creation.

[401] And there are wondrous elements of creation that are more powerful and more lasting.

[402] I mean, we're, you know, people these days many live over a hundred years but that's a drop in the bucket for a lot of things in the world a lot of creation lasts a lot longer than a than a hundred years and so what makes us unique and what makes us special is that we are created in the image and likeness of God and it's that very embedded reality that, as the catechism is saying, that opens the door for us to understand God and to know God as a personal being.

[403] The rest of creation can't know God the way we do.

[404] You look at the, I love the birds flying around, especially anytime I have an outdoor mass, I love to pay attention to the birds because they're chattering and tweeting and it's like they're rejoicing in what we're doing at the mass. But they are simply part of creation.

[405] We are much more than that.

[406] But when we forget God, we forget who we are.

[407] And that's what the catechism is getting at.

[408] I think one of the concepts that helps me with the whole understanding of God and understanding of who we are is the whole concept of time.

[409] If you really start to analyze, and I love to think about this, I've always enjoyed science, and I'm no scientist, but I enjoy kind of dabbling in it.

[410] And if you think about what is time?

[411] I mean, here I am in central time zone the sun's already set yeah it's almost 6 p .m. For you it's almost 4 p .m. I presume the sun is still up it's but you know it's coming toward the end of the day so time is a star the sun and we're rotating around it and that's you know that's where time comes from the rotation of the earth.

[412] It's the movement of physical realities.

[413] God is outside all of that.

[414] Amen.

[415] And I think it's a great, as you were saying, and as we talked about earlier, God sustains us in being.

[416] We are precious in his sight.

[417] He's loving us and not just letting us be.

[418] He's loving us into existence.

[419] And at the moment, he stops loving us into existence, we don't exist.

[420] And I think just for me, it's easier to understand that when we think about God being outside time.

[421] That's powerful.

[422] God is outside of these, all of this that is so much built into how we work.

[423] But I think it's a reminder.

[424] There's something timeless about us also.

[425] And it's not our bodies.

[426] Our bodies erode with time.

[427] I mean, both of us, 60 plus, we're not the 20 -year -olds we were 40 years ago.

[428] That's right.

[429] We're different.

[430] Our bodies are different.

[431] Our bodies, no matter how many aging creams and how many operations, especially out there in Hollywood, I won't embarrass you, Terry.

[432] But we get the impression that everybody has a facelift out there.

[433] So I want to ask you how many facelifts you've had.

[434] I haven't had any.

[435] That's okay.

[436] No matter how many times, no matter how much we tried to pretend, time doesn't take its toll, it does.

[437] You're right.

[438] But to be reminded that God is timeless.

[439] That's right.

[440] And there's an element of us, our soul, our supernatural.

[441] spirit that is timeless as well.

[442] That's part of what being made in the image and likeness of God is all about.

[443] When my heart stops beating and I'm dead and I'm a dead body, we believe that life continues.

[444] As the liturgy says beautifully, in death for us as Christians, in death life is changed but not ended.

[445] And so that's why it's critical that we have the proper end.

[446] If our end is without God, we're going to wish that we had just been obliterated, that we had ceased to exist.

[447] But we will never cease to exist.

[448] We will continue for eternity.

[449] So we better choose that eternity with God and that's what the journey of this life is about.

[450] That's what the catechism is getting at in very basic ways.

[451] We created in the image of God are built for eternity.

[452] Wow.

[453] There's too much in the world and even in the church today.

[454] Yes.

[455] That seems that sounds like well certainly in the world absolutely it certifiably has forgotten God.

[456] Right.

[457] But there's too much in the church that talks about community and in the human reality.

[458] Absolutely important, but why is it important?

[459] Because every human being, every person from conception to natural death, has that created in the image and likeness of God reality, has that timeless spark of divine life that God has shared with each of us.

[460] He loves us because we're part of him.

[461] And he calls us to be drawn back to him as his children.

[462] We share existence with God in a beautiful way.

[463] That's what it means to be created in God's image and likeness.

[464] So it always helps me to remember that timeless reality because we're also caught up in time.

[465] That's right.

[466] This program has to end at a certain time or your engineers will get after you.

[467] you.

[468] Exactly.

[469] Or they'll just turn it off and it will end at a certain time.

[470] I think we're so caught up in time we can forget that this is an element of us that's like God and God is the eternal now that's hard to even conceive of, but that's the wondrous truth that God calls us to share him.

[471] Wow.

[472] The attributes of God.

[473] Look that up everybody.

[474] That's your homework for next week because what Bishop Strickland is telling us I learned this stuff when I was a teenager and it blew me a way to think about God no beginning, no end, he's no nippin, he knows everything.

[475] I mean, this is something that we need to have fundamentally taught again.

[476] Does it sound like it hasn't been taught?

[477] Yeah, I meet people all the time, Bishop Strickland, that this is the first time they've heard such clarity regarding who God is.

[478] And I think the catechism does that.

[479] And also, I'm going to give one more resource your institute can you give a little plug before you give us a blessing the your institute at your diocese level because it's a good one yeah st philip institute you can go to the website st philip institute dot org yeah great teaching resources for young children for teenagers for married couples for adults for everyone and we need the truth that's right the truth sets us free.

[480] And that's what the St. Philip Institute is all about sharing the catechism, sharing the truth that God is revealed to us, not something we made up, but something that God has shared with us so that we can know him more intimately through his son and the power of his spirit.

[481] Well, said, let's get a blessing from the bishop for your families that are listening.

[482] For all of us, we'd appreciate a bishop's blessing today.

[483] The Lord be with you.

[484] And with your spirit.

[485] Almighty God, we ask your blessing for everyone listening.

[486] Help us to always rejoice as we sang so recently.

[487] Joy to the world the Lord has come.

[488] Let earth receive her king.

[489] Let us rejoice that the king of the universe, Jesus Christ, is with us and guiding us to the Father and the Power of the Holy Spirit.

[490] In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

[491] Thanks so much, Bishop Strickland.

[492] next week we're going to have part two with bishop sheen about the counterfeit catholicism also continue with the knowledge of god according to the catholic church you see how important it is to know the fundamentals of the faith if you want to be a good baseball player you need to know the fundamentals you want to be a follower of christ yes and know the fundamentals of the faith that's what you're getting here on virgin most powerful radio may god richly bless you and your family