17 Jul 24 – There Is Peace When You Do the Will of God

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] My name is Terry Barber.

[2] I'm always blessed to be with the good bishop to talk about how to introduce people to the person of Christ.

[3] Bishop Strickland, thank you so much for taking this hour.

[4] Thank you, Terry.

[5] I wanted to ask you, before we started to show, I missed a tweet that you just tweeted out from a culloch of the Mass. And you wanted to, if you could read it to us and then give your comments, because I think it's so appropriate for today in the church.

[6] Absolutely.

[7] It's just the Collet Prayer for the 15th Sunday of ordinary time, just last Sunday.

[8] And the prayer is, give all who for the faith they profess are accounted Christians, the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ and to strive after all that does it honor.

[9] What I like about that prayer is the name.

[10] of Christ.

[11] Whatever is contrary to the name of Christ is false.

[12] It isn't the truth.

[13] He is truth incarnate.

[14] And to strive after all that does it honor, we know that the name of Jesus Christ is powerful.

[15] Look at the acts of the apostles.

[16] They try to stop them and they literally tell them quit using that name Jesus.

[17] And through the centuries, we've never stopped using the name Jesus.

[18] We've got to embrace the joy and the power that his name brings to humanity.

[19] He came to save all humanity.

[20] And all this silliness of, well, he's just one among many or we've got to respect all the different gods and all the different religions.

[21] Certainly, we respect all of God's people.

[22] But Jesus Christ came for every person for all time.

[23] And we can't let go.

[24] We can't water down.

[25] We can't diminish that message.

[26] It's a message of salvation for every human being.

[27] And it's our mission to continue to proclaim it, just like the apostles did, and all the faithful saintly Catholics, many of them canonized, many of them not.

[28] We always have to remember that, Terry.

[29] As wonderful as the canonized saints are, most of the faithful Catholics aren't canonized.

[30] it'd be interesting to look at what percentage of Catholics through the ages have been canonized.

[31] I mean, they're important.

[32] They're great models of the faith, but there are many that aren't known to anyone, just like our own parents.

[33] I mean, we may not think of them as saintly, but they strive to be saints.

[34] And if they're with God in heaven, as we pray they are, they're saints.

[35] and that's what we need to remember.

[36] I love it.

[37] I've got a book here, The Wonders of the Holy Name, but by Tan Books, when I was a child, I read this book, and I've got probably 50 copies here because I like to give it to people.

[38] And this is something that maybe Bishop Strickland, we can apply to our situation.

[39] Back in 1274, the world was in danger, and it was saved by the Holy Name of Jesus.

[40] Here's what happened.

[41] Great evil threatened the world.

[42] The church was assailed by faith, fierce enemies from within and without.

[43] Sound familiar?

[44] Yeah.

[45] So great was the danger that Pope Gregory the 10th, who was then at reign, called a council of bishops in lions to determine the best means of saving society from the room that menaced it.

[46] Among the many means proposed the Pope and the bishops chose what they considered the easiest and most efficacious of all, the frequent reciprocation of the Holy Name of Jesus.

[47] The Holy Father then begged the bishops of the world, their priest to call in the name of Jesus to urge their people to place all their confidence in his holy and most powerful name.

[48] This is a little booklet.

[49] Go to Tam Books.

[50] I don't get anything out of it other than I want to introduce people to the power of the name of Jesus.

[51] Wow, thank you doing that.

[52] Terry, remember the Holy Name Society.

[53] Oh yes, of course.

[54] We need to revive those.

[55] Yeah, I agree.

[56] A lot of things fell by the wayside.

[57] But we need to call people to holiness.

[58] And to real, an embrace of the real power.

[59] Yes.

[60] And Jesus Christ, as he says in the gospel, we've quoted it before, all power in heaven and on earth has been granted to him by God, our Almighty Father.

[61] And we need to live with that truth guiding us through everything.

[62] All the power that people embrace, all the corrupt power that nations try to have.

[63] I mean, it's happened through the ages, but the real power is the power of God and the power of the name of his son.

[64] Amen.

[65] Well said.

[66] I want to get some tweets now that I got in front of me that people can get by getting on his tweets, Bishop Strickland.

[67] Here's one of my favorite cardinals, Cardinal Sirrah, Robert Surrah, says, yes, to teach with true compassion.

[68] love yes to teach the truth and always point to the truth incarnate who's Jesus Christ sounds like you he says listening is good when it off when it offers the opportunity to fill empty or hardened hearts with love and truth why simply listen to broken hearts with no call to truth wow can I just make one quick comment when I read that I was like, wow, think of that when people don't, you know, share the gospel with someone who's, let's say they're an adulterer, they're a fornicator, or they're living a homosexual lifestyle, and you just say, oh, come on, come on, Ann, it's okay, the church wants you here.

[69] They don't realize the path to the church is not acceptance, it's conversion.

[70] And so I can't judge why they do this.

[71] I can only say it's not what the church has always done for 2 ,000 years.

[72] It's always taught the truth is what sets us free.

[73] And you tweeted this months ago.

[74] Never worry about who will be offended if you speak the truth.

[75] Worry about who will be misled, deceived, and destroyed if you don't.

[76] And I think that's very compelling to speak the truth and charity and clarity.

[77] Your thoughts?

[78] I totally agree, Terry.

[79] And when we have to remind people, I believe it was St. Irenaeus.

[80] I may be wrong, but I know the quote is, man fully alive, the glory of God is man fully alive.

[81] I think St. Irona has said that.

[82] We need to continue to share that good news and that message, because when we are caught up in sin of whatever kind, the more serious it is, the more deadly it is.

[83] That's what mortal sin means, deadly.

[84] And I think what we've got to help people remember is it's deadly even to happiness and fulfillment in this life.

[85] I mean, if you look at the great saints, they very often, you know, they'll have different stories.

[86] Yes.

[87] But many times they were born into wealth like St. Francis of Assisi is a great example.

[88] born into wealth, they reject all of that wealth, all of that power, all that the world has to offer them, and they embrace the life that Jesus Christ offers them.

[89] And they become great saints, fulfilled, maybe not, you know, I mean, St. Francis had some struggles in his life, but he found the real joy and the real fulfillment.

[90] He became, a man fully alive.

[91] That's what saints are.

[92] Men and women fully alive.

[93] That is what glorifies God because we creatures created in his image when we begin to recognize what's really true.

[94] And really, I mean, you know, we both acknowledge, I'll put myself first as a worse sinner than you are.

[95] Just went to confession.

[96] That's true.

[97] I just went to.

[98] But to, I'm not.

[99] I just, but to, I'm, I am seeing more and more the joy of living and being bold enough.

[100] It shouldn't be bold at all, but it was bold for the apostles.

[101] I guess it's bold for us to simply speak the truth of Christ.

[102] But it does become bold when people are telling us, quit speaking about this, go with the modern agenda, embrace all of this false message.

[103] in the church or out of the church I mean there's a lot of false messaging out there but it doesn't bring people to be fully alive it keeps them caught up in sinfulness which is slavery I mean the church says that very clearly and the scriptures say that very clearly slavery to sin that's what Christ freed us from we're just starting with the readings, the daily mass readings, the story of Exodus and Moses.

[104] What is that story about?

[105] Freeing the people of Israel from their slavery in Egypt, an actual human slavery.

[106] What Christ did is greater than the work of Moses.

[107] He freed us for all humanity that are willing to be baptized in him.

[108] And like that prayer says, honor everything that honors.

[109] his name and reject everything that is contrary to his name, when we do that, we embrace the freedom from sin and death that he offers to all the world.

[110] That's the wonder of this story of Jesus Christ.

[111] Yes.

[112] As great as it was for the people of Israel to be freed in that time from slavery in Egypt, Jesus Christ accomplishes it for all people, the new Israel.

[113] We all have the opportunity of being part of the new Israel if we embrace life in Jesus Christ.

[114] Well, said, and when we come back, we're going to talk about what you've said for years.

[115] We have to become first century Christians again.

[116] We've got a quote about that.

[117] And much more, you're listening to the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[118] Stay with us, family.

[119] We'll be back with more to inspire you to fall deeper in love with Jesus Christ and his bride the church.

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

[121] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[122] People ask me, Bishop Strickland, they go, are you always this excited?

[123] I said, yeah, I mean, I've been doing this for 44 years sharing the gospel.

[124] And I just, I can't think of anything better to do.

[125] I mean, it's really exciting to help people fall deep in love with Jesus Christ.

[126] And Bishop Strickland, that's what you do.

[127] And so I just feel like, man, I get excited to be with you because what you're doing is introducing people to Christ.

[128] And there's nothing better than that.

[129] Bishop Shrek.

[130] You've got a quote here for a tweet that says, the apostles and other first century Christians had the audacity to preach about a Savior who had died and risen.

[131] Where did this boldness come from?

[132] And then you said this and I think you nailed it.

[133] From knowing Jesus Christ, from knowing him alive, dead on the cross, risen once again among them.

[134] And then you made the appeal that you make appeal every single show.

[135] Let us know Jesus more deeply every day.

[136] Amen, amen.

[137] Really, Terry, I know that some have said, oh, you need to get off Twitter and I know certainly I've said things on Twitter that were misinterpreted and I've to be very careful about that.

[138] But I think more than ever, I need to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

[139] It's not about me. It's not about you.

[140] It's about Jesus Christ.

[141] Amen.

[142] And I want to, because I know a lot of people stay away from Twitter, and I understand that.

[143] It can be pretty toxic.

[144] But if people want to be able to access my tweets, and I, I know people will say oh there he goes promoting himself I don't care because I'm not promoting me yeah I'm promoting Jesus Christ man good news that he brings us yep but people need to go to bishop strickland dot com that is my website in the Twitter feed is there as well as like today I posted something about what is my week look like just to help the people here understand that I'm their shepherd and it's a joy to be their shepherd.

[145] But you can see if I post something on the website, you can see that.

[146] But you can also access the tweets.

[147] If you want to stay away from Twitter, but you want to keep up with what I have to say about Jesus Christ on Twitter, just go to bishop strickland .com.

[148] And I do my, I pray.

[149] pray about it and do my best, like you said, I mean, you say all the time, you like my best, my best tweets are quoting scripture.

[150] Exactly.

[151] It's exactly what we need to do.

[152] But I mean, to put the word of God out there on something that's accessible around the world, we need to do that.

[153] We need to continue to put the message of God's word, old and New Testament, especially.

[154] the message of Jesus Christ, which is really old and New Testament, like we've talked about before, and that's what people have to understand.

[155] Every time I have confirmation lately, I tell the young people being confirmed that the pillars of our Catholic faith are sacred scripture and Jesus Christ in the New Testament and the sacraments.

[156] Word and sacrament.

[157] That's what makes is Catholic.

[158] We're in a very non -Catholic area, and a lot of very good Christians, and they look to the Bible, which absolutely, we do too.

[159] But the sacraments make Christ really present, especially the Eucharist, but really all the sacraments in different ways.

[160] And I think as Catholics, we need to embrace the power of God's word.

[161] and the power of the sacraments as real power, as the power of Jesus Christ.

[162] He's the word of God, and he's the word incarnate.

[163] We need to continue to share that message.

[164] And that's why I mention my website, bishopsdrickland .com.

[165] It's not about me, and people can accuse all they want that, oh, he's promoting himself.

[166] No, I'm not.

[167] I don't get anything except the blessing of and the joy.

[168] of what you're doing.

[169] I mean, you're not making big bucks.

[170] I know that.

[171] Radio program and all the work you do, their Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[172] But you're getting the good news out there.

[173] And I know you've felt the blessings, even though there's been, you know, there's been hardship and people fight against you and try to cancel you.

[174] Yeah.

[175] But the Word of God, the message of Jesus Christ, will never be canceled.

[176] because it's the truth.

[177] Well, you just quoted Romans.

[178] I'll paraphrase.

[179] I'll read it right here.

[180] You tweeted this of Romans, and I thought it was very appropriate.

[181] Who will separate us from the love of Christ?

[182] Trial?

[183] You're under trial.

[184] Distress?

[185] Persecution.

[186] You must be doing something right.

[187] Or hunger, our nakedness, our danger in the sword.

[188] Yet in all this, we are more than conquerors because of him who has loved us.

[189] when we understand, and I'm just going to give you my take and then I want your response, you're under, you know, you get persecuted on Twitter.

[190] I see the people respond.

[191] I see something that's really horrendous where some, I don't know if it's a priest.

[192] He said it, we don't know where this came from, but they're mimicking you, saying things that you didn't even say on the internet and accusing you of all kinds of horrible things.

[193] And, you know, one bishop, Archbishop Cordillian, who I know quite well, said this is wrong.

[194] And it is wrong.

[195] But you see, that scripture verse from Romans says to you, Bishop Strickland, you're doing your job.

[196] Yeah.

[197] And thankfully, I feel tremendous support for doing that job.

[198] Yeah.

[199] I mean, really, Terry, I think both of us have enjoyed working together so much.

[200] Oh, yeah.

[201] Because we're down to early.

[202] guys.

[203] We know we're nothing special.

[204] That's amen.

[205] But we have something special to share that the world desperately needs.

[206] And sadly, too many in the Vatican, too many cardinals are, if nothing else, deeply confused and deeply unaware of what the gospel is really about.

[207] Because it's got to be, just like Jesus says, I know we repeat ourselves, but we have to.

[208] Because we need to continue to get the word out.

[209] What did Jesus say?

[210] Deny yourself.

[211] Take up your cross and follow me. And too many in the Vatican, I don't care if they're cardinals.

[212] I really don't.

[213] I mean, we respect the office.

[214] Of course.

[215] But they lose the respect that they deserve when they're not teaching and working according to the responsibility of their office.

[216] That's right.

[217] What does a cardinal wear red for be to be willing to die for the faith?

[218] Yep.

[219] And if a cardinal is contradicting the faith, then they don't deserve the cardinal rent.

[220] That is, I mean, and that is going on too much in the church.

[221] Like we've said before, Terry, we're not fighting people, and we not all need to remember that.

[222] Yep.

[223] By the grace of God, I'm not that smart a guy.

[224] But thankfully, I know God's word and I know the truth of Jesus Christ because I know him.

[225] And when I was at Dodger Stadium, I think we've talked about it before, but it's worth repeating.

[226] Oh, yeah.

[227] But I said to the people there in that great crowd, we're not fighting the people in Georgia Stadium that are dressing up and mocking religious women and mocking the cross of Jesus Christ, we're not fighting them.

[228] We're not attacking them.

[229] We are proclaiming the truth, and we're fighting the evil forces that they have gotten caught up in.

[230] We always have to remember, and this, I think, is very important, and it's something I learn more deeply all the time, but we've got to remember when we see the evils unfolding in our world.

[231] And there are too many to count.

[232] God loves even the person perpetrating the most evil act.

[233] God continues to love them.

[234] I like to sort of playfully, but I like to ask the young people at confirmation, is everybody breathing?

[235] If everybody's breathing, that That is the simplest sign we know that God continues to love us.

[236] Amen.

[237] Because if we, if God stops loving us, we will simply go out of existence.

[238] But God's love is never going to stop.

[239] And as long as we're breathing, it means we have the opportunity to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him, to repent of our sins, and to embrace the good news that he's.

[240] given us through his son in the power of the Holy Spirit.

[241] So every person, as long as they're breathing, has the opportunity to embrace that good news.

[242] And that's what we have to remember.

[243] That's what the great saint evangelizers remember.

[244] As long as they could share the good news of Christ, many people rejected.

[245] Many people rejected Christ himself.

[246] Of course.

[247] Here is.

[248] The word of God incarnate standing among them.

[249] And, I mean, what does Pilots say?

[250] What is truth?

[251] Too many people in the world say that now.

[252] And they attack me or they attack you.

[253] But it's like we have a bulletproof vest on that is the armor of the truth of Jesus Christ.

[254] When we don't take ourselves too seriously, when we know, yeah, I can make mistakes.

[255] Like I've said many times, before and I know you join me and saying if we get the catechism wrong please correct us we want the truth yep we want to be clear about the truth if I say something that is inaccurate according to the catechism I want to be corrected amen because then I can be freed from any error freed from any mistake I make we all make mistakes and we all sin but we need to continue to share the good news of Jesus Christ with joy and with vigor and not allow the shouting down that happens to stop us.

[256] We don't shout back.

[257] We just say with vigor and with joy, Jesus Christ is Lord.

[258] And with him guiding us, it really is a joyful work.

[259] And that's why both of us i mean both of us have had a long day oh yeah you know i'm toward the end of the day you're a couple of hours behind yeah but you've had a lot of work to do i'm sure you got up early as i did yeah four o 'clock the morning i started it really is energizing yeah i love this hour that we spend together talking about jesus christ and the good news of the gospel i can't say i just say amen when we come back from the break i want to quote Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, but this is something, and oh, he's pious, he's sorry, Pope Benedict the 16th, but this, you tweeted a picture of a young Joseph Ratzinger with, you know, I mean, it looks like he's maybe 20 years old, and he has something to say about Christianity that I think is very profound, you tweeted, and when we come back from the break, we'll share that, and much more here on the Bishop Strickman Hour.

[260] Stay with us, family.

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

[262] Welcome back, indeed.

[263] Bishop Strickland, we have a teaser here from the break.

[264] Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI.

[265] I love this image you have of him.

[266] He said something that I think is really fundamental to our faith.

[267] He said, Christianity is not a philosophical speculation.

[268] It is not a construction of our mind.

[269] Christianity is not our work.

[270] What you were just saying, it is revelation, and we have no right to reconstruct it.

[271] Is that something we need to hear today, Bishop Strickland?

[272] Do we need to hear that?

[273] And it's so interesting.

[274] You know, it's basically just been this year that, you know, Pope Benedict the 16th, of course he was Pope Emeritus for the past 10 years.

[275] Sure.

[276] But he died just before this year started.

[277] That's right.

[278] And really, he still speaks.

[279] Oh, yeah.

[280] I mean, I see quotes of his all the time.

[281] Yes.

[282] And what we have to remember is God's in control.

[283] This is God's creation and his church.

[284] God is love and that's the positive message we have to hang on to.

[285] I want to talk about the apostolic visitation that I just experienced.

[286] Oh good, yeah, let's get an update.

[287] You know, it probably well, the reality is, I know it's out there.

[288] It was done very quietly, but then it made the news.

[289] And people are aware of it.

[290] Sure.

[291] Really, it isn't about me, but it's about the truth of our faith.

[292] The, you know, I'm a very, as I've said before, I'm a sinner.

[293] I make mistakes.

[294] But the diocese is really in good shape, not because of me, but by the grace of God and the goodness of the people.

[295] You know, I've been in Tyler a long time.

[296] My first assignment was to Immaculate Conception Church here in Tyler as a newly ordained priest.

[297] June of 1985, I came here as a newly ordained priest.

[298] here for four years I grew to love the people of this community here because I love being a priest and I'm a very imperfect priest very I mean there many more talented priests and bishops than I am better theologians better homilist better everything but I would put my love for the Lord and his church against anyone's Because that's what we're called to.

[299] Amen.

[300] And when I left at, when I was reassigned by the new bishop of Tyler, we were two years old as a diocese.

[301] Wow.

[302] When I was assigned after four years as assistant at the cathedral, I was reassigned.

[303] And it was hard to leap, you know, because you develop a family as a priest.

[304] But when I, when I left, I said.

[305] said, I thank the people, and I said that the goodness that I experienced was by the grace of God and the goodness of the people.

[306] And really, Terry, all these years later, here we are in 2023, 1985.

[307] That's 38 years ago.

[308] Wow.

[309] And I can still say that everything that's going on, I'm at peace.

[310] I'm happy.

[311] Yeah.

[312] By the grace of God and the goodness of the people, the outpouring of support has been embarrassing to some point, but it's been, again, a great tribute to the goodness of the people.

[313] And I wanted to talk about that, Terry, because...

[314] It's important.

[315] No, it's not fun.

[316] I mean, I kind of compare it to being called to the principal's office, this apostolic visitation.

[317] And they were looking at everything.

[318] Yeah, the metrics.

[319] Yeah, I get it.

[320] It's an open book as far as I'm concerned.

[321] Yeah, there have been some administrative issues, and I'm sure people are concerned.

[322] I know people are asking here locally and beyond, how's Bishop Strickland doing, or things okay.

[323] And I'm sure that there are people saying, oh, well, there must be something really bad and something's really gone wrong for this apostolic visitation.

[324] You know, I've got nothing to hide.

[325] Right.

[326] The finances are in order.

[327] We have a great finance team in the diocese.

[328] Development is strong.

[329] We have a good number of seminarians.

[330] And as I go to the different parishes celebrating confirmation, the people are very welcoming.

[331] They say they're praying for me. It's humbling to see the concern of the people, but the faith of the people.

[332] it's humbling but also uplifting to see the goodness of the people I'm not sure that you know people will always go after me and say oh this guy is just promoting himself I'm really not and I think that both of us are experiencing those sort of pushbacks and people going after us the world tries to stop the message of Jesus Christ but when we have our feet on the ground.

[333] And by the grace of God, I know that I'm just a kid who grew up here in East Texas.

[334] I'm still that kid at heart.

[335] And I know that I'm no great anything.

[336] I'm no great theologian.

[337] I'm no great anything.

[338] But I am a great lover of Jesus Christ and his church.

[339] And I'm willing to go through anything I have to, to continue to proclaim that message, because love for God's people means we share the good news of Jesus Christ.

[340] So I wanted to talk about that, Terry, because I know a lot of people are concerned.

[341] Yeah.

[342] And, you know, people are going after me and just say, I mean, you see things on Twitter.

[343] Thankfully, they've done this ablestolic visitation, Bishop Strickland's on the way out.

[344] Maybe they're right, but the reality is that I'm happy serving as a shepherd of the Diocese of Tyler.

[345] I consider it an honor that I don't deserve, but it's a lot of work.

[346] It's a lot of challenges.

[347] I have made mistakes, but the goodness of the people and the grace of God have allowed us to do some really good things.

[348] The St. Philip Institute, we have a great team there working to develop the church here in Northeast Texas.

[349] So, you know, I don't want to brag about anything, but I will brag on the goodness of the people and the power of God's grace when we say yes to his will the best we can.

[350] Yep.

[351] And we humbly confess our sins often.

[352] and keep seeking to live his goodness.

[353] I mean, that's what it's all about.

[354] That's what Full Sheenahead is about.

[355] That's what Pope Benedict the 16th, Cardinal Sarah, all of the quotes that we talk about.

[356] It's about living Jesus Christ and keeping him as our Lord and Savior and recognizing that all the wealth in the world, all the prestige in the world, everything that the world has to offer is nothing compared to life in Jesus' crimes.

[357] And so I want people to know, no, it's not something that I would volunteer for to go through an apostolic visitation because it kind of puts a shadow over the diocese and say, like a lot of people are convinced that, oh, there's got to be something really wrong.

[358] But I think that I went through this because I've been bold enough and loved the Lord enough and his church simply keep preaching the truth.

[359] And the sad thing is, too many are bringing a false message that is harmful to the world and to the mystical body of Christ that is the church.

[360] But the false message will never prevail.

[361] It will never destroy the faith of people who know their faith and are strong in faith.

[362] Sadly, there are too many people that aren't well catechized, and they're easily deluded by false gospels that are out there.

[363] But the joy of continuing to share the good news of Jesus Christ is a joy that I know that won't stop you.

[364] and they won't stop me. We do it with love, in clarity and charity, and with humility, always ready to be corrected.

[365] But when we're speaking of the truth of Jesus Christ, there is no correction.

[366] And the world can try to shout us down, but it won't work.

[367] Right.

[368] Well, I get something in common with you, Bishop Strickland.

[369] I like the term personnel is policy.

[370] I was on a national radio station for the whole country and a high prelate in America, Cardinal, told that radio station that I'm not going to support you unless you get rid of people like Mother Maryam, Catholic Answers, and the Terry and Jesse show.

[371] Now, many people would say, well, that was horrible, but you know what it was?

[372] It was a blessing because that's how we started Virgin Most Powerful Radio and we're actually reaching more people this way than if we had been kept in that position.

[373] And I think this is the key.

[374] Many people in the church do not want to hear, and these are high officials in the Vatican, do not want to hear the deposit of faith.

[375] They don't want to hear the perennial teachings of the church.

[376] And so when you do speak so clearly about the faith, they're going to have people there that say, you know, we've got to make sure that these bishops around the world in America, we've got to get the guys on the same page.

[377] So we need personnel that's going to implement.

[378] the approach that Germany has.

[379] And we know what happened in Germany.

[380] A half a million Catholics this year left.

[381] And we know, I have Dan Schneider from Father Chad Ripper's group here, and he was telling you about his visit in Germany.

[382] And he told me that it's worse than I thought.

[383] The people have lost the faith.

[384] And only a handful.

[385] Yeah, he said, I'm there to try and help.

[386] But what I witnessed, nobody would want to see it come to America in other parts of the country.

[387] Wow.

[388] You're listening to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[389] Thank you, Bishop Strickland.

[390] We'll continue to pray for you and for your work and sharing the gospel because we know that any good that you do comes from God, and that's why you do it.

[391] And we're going to come right back with one last segment.

[392] I'd like to switch into the catechism now.

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

[394] Welcome back to the final segment here on the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[395] And for those who are brand new, I know we're picking up a lot of new people.

[396] And I said this to you, I think, last week, but we had over 2 million views on our YouTube channel the last 14 days.

[397] And so it seems that, you know, like I said, it's not us.

[398] It's any good we do comes from God.

[399] We thank them for it.

[400] But people want to hear the teachings of the church.

[401] And I think they're willing to search it out.

[402] And when they hear it, they like it, they come back for more.

[403] And one of the segments that we do usually every week with Bishop Strickland is a catechism class.

[404] Why?

[405] And I'll just be quite frank, because people, well we call it low information Catholics because for the last 50 years the catechesis has been weak.

[406] I'll just be quite frank.

[407] They just don't know the faith.

[408] And so the diocese of Tyler came out with this catechism through the St. Philip Institute of Catechesis and Evangelization and I think it's mostly lay people who are working with this and correct me if I'm wrong but it seems like a lot of lay people are involved in this and it's a question to answer catechism kind of like what I do on Tuesday nights with the Baltimore Catechism here at our chapel we teach by Q &A so we're on chapter 8 right now Bishop Strickham the church the fullness of grace and truth Jesus founded a church that is one holy Catholic and apostolic the app uh the apothe excuse me i'm getting tired here the church holds and guarantees that one true church can pass down the teaching of jesus to sanctify us and lead us to heaven you see canon law the last canon of the church says all the things of the church have one goal the salvation of souls and i think that's why fulton sheen said if souls are saved everything is saved if souls are not saved nothing is saved so here's the first question and answer and then we'll get a comment from the good bishop what is the church bishop why don't you tell us what the church is well it's the body of christ the mystical body of christ i think that's the best answer there are many ways to answer what the church is but i think people need to recognize that the structures and in all of the way the church operates.

[409] It's a huge institution, about a billion people.

[410] But the church is a spiritual entity, most importantly.

[411] It is, I mean, we're human beings living on this earth, but, and so we need, you know, the structures and the institutions.

[412] But that's really not, that's certainly not the heart of the church the heart of the church is believing people that know we're called to turn from sin and to live the sanctity of the one holy catholic and apostolic church so i think that what and i've grown in my understanding of the church with all this turmoil because what we have to recognize is that the essential elements of the church will not go away but some of the the ways the church operates it can change it didn't have to develop exactly the way it is the church the church is most importantly the font of truth yeah of jesus christ yes as long as the word of god and the sacraments are celebrated properly yeah and and sacraments involved holy orders.

[413] And that's a huge part of the mystery of the church.

[414] Holy orders is part of that deposit of faith of apostolic succession, which is the reason I'm Bishop of Tyler is because of apostolic succession.

[415] And so that's an essential element of the church that traces back to Christ himself.

[416] The first example of apostolic succession is in the acts of the apostles when the replacement for Judas Ascariot, the betrayer, the apostle said, we've got to replace Judas.

[417] And so they prayed to the Holy Spirit and the name of the new apostle Matthias was added.

[418] And so that was the the first example in scripture of apostolic succession.

[419] And as the apostles, most of them were martyred, all except John were martyred.

[420] But they had already ordained new bishops to be their successors.

[421] And that's how the church began to grow.

[422] A lot of the early martyrs of the church were bishops and martyrs because the church continued to be persecuted and through the years various bishops have died for the faith but bishops and really we have to recognize that the whole sacrament of holy orders hinges on that apostolic succession yeah well the bishop ordains the priest and the deacons that continue the ministry of the church.

[423] I mean, even in a small diocese like Tyler, when we cover 33 counties, a lot of places I can't get to more than at the most a couple of times a year or maybe just once a year.

[424] So who's caring for the people of God there the rest of the year?

[425] It's the priests and the deacons that they are there on the local scene.

[426] That's how the church's function since the very beginning.

[427] And that is an essential element of the church that will continue.

[428] But some of the things that we see as essential to the church, I mean, that's what we have to be discerning about and recognize that all the structures that exist don't necessarily have to continue.

[429] And I find that helpful.

[430] in this time with so many questions and so many issues that we're addressing, we need to remember it's about Jesus Christ and it's about basic elements that will keep the church continuing from as long as humanity continues, the church will continue to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ as he promised.

[431] He will be with us until the end of the age, the gates of the gates.

[432] of hell will not prevail against the church.

[433] Sadly, as you mentioned, in Germany, and in too many, I mean, there are too many people here in this country that are walking away from the church because they see confusion, they see division, they see a lot of mixed messages.

[434] And that's why we've got to be very clear about the truth.

[435] And I would urge anyone, and I have.

[436] I've had people contact me that from all over the country that said, Bishop, I'm considering leaving the church and I've always pleaded with them not to give up on the church because it's the mystical body of Christ.

[437] The church is the font of truth in Jesus Christ.

[438] The sacraments bring him to us, especially the Eucharist, and that's where, you know, I think that a real faith in the real presence, to me that's our biggest mission, is to draw more people to a faith in what happens at mass that bread and wine become the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ.

[439] Yes.

[440] As the church says, that's the source and the summit of the church.

[441] is Jesus Christ, present in the Eucharist, present in all the sacraments.

[442] Another essential sacrament is, of course, matrimony.

[443] And where is that?

[444] That's under attack as well.

[445] Yes.

[446] Even people within the church saying, oh, we need to redefine matrimony.

[447] We can't.

[448] And it won't work.

[449] It can, I mean, we can do anything.

[450] God gives us free will.

[451] And even those in the church that want to can use their free will to contradict the deposit of faith in the ancient truth of the church.

[452] But redefining marriage, they can write documents and have synods and do all they want to redefine marriage.

[453] But it's going to be false.

[454] Marriages between one man and one woman for life open to children.

[455] and all of those elements are essential to marriage so when you talk about the church essential to the church is holy orders essential to the church is matrimony and those two sacraments live faithfully are how the church is strengthened today and strengthened for the future well said i think you're echoing st john paul too in his letter to the families when he says the way the culture goes is the way the family goes.

[456] So we need strong families.

[457] Where do the priest, where do the priest, where do a good priest come from?

[458] Families.

[459] And I want to just recommend as you were speaking about the church, Cardinal Ratzinger wrote a book in 1985 right when you were ordained a priest called the Ratzinger Report.

[460] And it's a very good book.

[461] Ignatius still has it and it shows you the humanity and divinity of the church.

[462] And it says how you see the church is really incredibly important.

[463] Do you see it as the optimist club?

[464] like just another group who's voting on things.

[465] Many in the church are seeing that right now.

[466] They think that's what it is.

[467] Majority rules, no!

[468] Or do you see it as the bride of Christ?

[469] And this is why, you know, we have to remember who we worship.

[470] We don't worship a priest, bishop, or pope.

[471] We worship Jesus Christ.

[472] And anybody in the church who teaches something that's contrary to the perennial teachings of the church, respectfully I reject as a layman and I do that because I've been taught the faith and I think it was St. Athanasius who said in the fourth century they have the churches we have the faith and I almost think Bishop Strickland I'm sorry to say this to you as a bishop but I really wonder what some of our bishops are thinking and what their faith is because they act like their faith is not supernatural it's all natural.

[473] And I can't judge them.

[474] God will judge them.

[475] But by the actions of what I see, I'm actually what they do, actually believe about the Holy Eucharist, what they believe about the saccharges.

[476] Do they see the church as the bride of Christ, or do they see it as the Optimus Club?

[477] And I'm not picking on them, but there are leaders.

[478] So that's my final thought.

[479] All right.

[480] Can we get a blessing?

[481] I know.

[482] I kind of went off a little there on you guys.

[483] But you know what?

[484] It's deserving, in my opinion.

[485] The bishops are successors of the apostle they have to act like it and Fulton sheen told us to call you guys out if you're not teaching what the church is always taught call me out all right how about a blessing almighty god we ask your blessing for all of us as we continue to seek to live the faith more deeply humbly repent of our sins live the wondrous truth that is Jesus Christ incarnate among us we ask this blessing in the name of the father the son of the holy spirit amen thank you bishop strickland folks you can hear all the shows by going to vmpr .org, not only Bishop Strickland's show, but all the different shows that we have on our network.

[486] And I want to thank everybody in the bottom of my heart for your support here at Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[487] Couldn't do it without your prayerful support and your financial support.

[488] Go to vmpr .org.

[489] We'll find out how you can support us.

[490] May God richly bless you and when God willing, I say God willing, we'll see again next week.