03 Nov 2020 – The Eighth Commandment (Pt. 2)

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] My name's Terry Barbara.

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

[3] And we are here to talk about the Eighth Commandment.

[4] Before we do that, we'd like to talk about some of the tweets of Bishop Strickland.

[5] And I say the whole focus of this show, and Bishop Strickland, I think you'd agree, is to help people meet Jesus Christ and fall in love with Jesus and his bride the church.

[6] I can't say it any clearer than that.

[7] Is that a fair statement?

[8] Absolutely.

[9] He's the Savior of the world.

[10] for every human being on the planet.

[11] And we need to get that message out because too many people don't know it.

[12] Well said.

[13] And Bishop Strickland, I've got lots of tweets, but this one I really want you to take a little time on.

[14] You tweeted October 14th, you said this article should be read by every faithful Catholic.

[15] All the wishing in the world can't change the truth.

[16] Well, say, I'll repeat that.

[17] All the wishing in the world cannot change the truth.

[18] the image of a sleeping bishop is a literal wake -up call for all shepherds, so all bishops.

[19] Bishop Strickland said this in his tweet, I will do my best to stay awake and guard the deposit of faith.

[20] From the pope to the cardinals to the bishops, I've always read that in my catechism, Bishop Strickland, that you're guarding the deposit of faith.

[21] And that is such a beautiful tweet.

[22] So Bishop Strickland, before I get into the little article, What made you say that?

[23] What made you tweet that out?

[24] Well, I think we do need to do our job as bishops to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, to teach the world, as Christ called the original apostles, to go out and teach all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

[25] So it's teaching and baptizing.

[26] It's teaching and sacraments.

[27] it's living Jesus Christ and you know I don't accuse any bishop except myself of needing to embrace this call more joyfully more powerfully more clearly truth is truth and that's what I really would urge the people it's it's not a real long article by Father Timothy Vavrick he's in a neighboring diocese here in Texas It's an excellent, clear article, not attacking anyone personally, but just saying that bishops and the church needs to proclaim the truth.

[28] The truth is unchanging.

[29] We know that the truth flows from God, and there are a lot of things that have been relativized, but that's just a human invention.

[30] It's not reality.

[31] We can say truth is relative all we want, but the real message, And the great joy of the gospel, the good news is that there is basic truth that we need to share with others, that suffering has meaning, that death is not the end of life for those who believe in everlasting life.

[32] Those basic truths that God sent his only begotten son to save us, they're not just issues or opinions for some.

[33] it's truth for humanity and I need to do a better job well Bishop Strickland I mean you said about suffering I have something in my studio that I love to read I don't know if I've ever read this from my formation letter from the Opus Angeloam and this ties right in there is so much suffering in the world which could be transformed into streams of grace if it were accepted and offered in union with the sufferings of our blessed Lord check this out hospitals could become spiritual atomic power plants in drawing divine graces into the world.

[34] If all Catholics would work with this great talent properly, the evil one would soon be defeated, and the world would be converted, and countless poor souls would be released from purgatory.

[35] Now, Bishop Strickland, that's saying a lot, but you know what?

[36] I truly believe in that, and that's why when some inconvenience comes, I try to think about it, and I go, you know what, I'm going to offer up that inconvenience for the souls in purgatory.

[37] I'm going to offer this up for some soul in India or China, who's my brother in Christ, that needs my prayers.

[38] And I think that when we realize every action is like a blank check, when Christ's name is on it, it has infinite value.

[39] So I appreciate you bringing up redemptive suffering.

[40] But Bishop Strickland, in this article, it's the Catholic thing, that's who's the publisher of this from Father's article, he says something that really hits me. well because I'm, you know, 63 years old, and I've been involved in Catholic evangelization for over 40 years.

[41] And I've seen some of the leadership in our church fall, and it takes a lot of the flock with them.

[42] And I know there's our Monsignor George Kelly, who's passed away now, but he was a great bishop, a bisoner in New York, and he wrote a book called, Where's the Church going?

[43] And it's, they said, where the church is going is where its leaders take them.

[44] That's why I say Bishop Strickland, with all humility, it's awesome to have a bishop like you teaching, governing, and sanctifying, not just your diocese, but the world through this show.

[45] And that's what Montsenor Kelly was saying.

[46] So when we have periods where sometimes the bishops are sleeping, and I'm sorry, Bishop Strickland, if I incriminate you a little bit, we're all sleeping.

[47] I'm sleeping sometimes at the wheel.

[48] But there's an image in this tweet that you have of a bishop sleeping, and I just want to throw this image out at you because it made me think of a fourth century saint, and he's one of my boys' middle name is Athanasius, John Athanasius, the gospel of love, and then the saint of truth.

[49] And St. Athanasius reportedly said in the fourth century that the floor of hell is paved with the skulls of bishops.

[50] In other words, he said the wickedness and corruption of the church leaders earn them a permanent ornamental place in hell.

[51] Now, Bishop Strickland, that would scare that you know what out of me if I were a bishop.

[52] Are you familiar with that quote?

[53] Yes, I am.

[54] And it does scare, it wakes up that sleeping bishop if we really have supernatural faith and we believe that hell is not just a literary concept, but a reality.

[55] the total absence of life and love that is God, that's what hell is.

[56] And it's real, and I don't want to be part of the pavement, honestly.

[57] I don't want to either.

[58] We pray for you every day here at Virgin Most Powerful, that you will be faithful, just like all of us.

[59] We need to be faithful.

[60] Bishop Strickland, in Father's article, he noticed it, and you brought it up at the Bishop's Conference.

[61] I remember you, when I watched the Bishop's Conference, I watch it, and I go, oh, here comes Bishop Strickland, my ears pop up.

[62] What's he going to say this time?

[63] Well, in recent decades, numerous bishops have permitted ministries for Catholic homosexuals that don't declare the need to renounce sexual activity and membership in organizations that promote such behavior.

[64] In fact, some bishops have suggested that pastoral accompaniment should include the blessings of ecclesial recognition for same -sex partnerships.

[65] ship, ignoring the scandal of leading people to believe that God approves this behavior.

[66] Bishop Strickland, I'm not saying you did this, but I'm saying we have read here in America that, and even there's that Father James, he's out running around promoting this.

[67] So my question to you is, what did you say at the bishops conference regarding this issue?

[68] Well, I said, I didn't understand how we can allow that kind of message to be.

[69] be propagated in our diocese that's contrary to what the church teaches.

[70] And I think, you know, we live in an age when sexuality is so broken.

[71] A beautiful gift from God for a man and a woman to express their love and the commitment of marriage and to be fruitful with children and to bring them closer and closer together.

[72] The beautiful gift of that complementarity of man and woman, that sexual gift of intimacy has been so distorted.

[73] And so anything to deal with sex is just multiplied and amplified in significant ways.

[74] But I would encourage everyone, the Catholic faith is very logical.

[75] We've been going through the Ten Commandments.

[76] And basically what that deals with is the Sixth Commandment, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

[77] And as we've looked at the Catechism, that expands to significant areas of life that aren't contained in those few words, thou shalt not commit adultery, but that gets at the core of why the Sixth Commandment is against the law of God.

[78] It begins to erode that gift of sexuality.

[79] So really, Terry, I think that people are asking for a pass on that commandment where, well, you know, we might as well give them a pass on all 10 and just declare those who are, you know, embezzlers and business.

[80] Well, we need to just have a group for embezzlers that says, it's okay.

[81] That's what you feel drawn to do.

[82] It's okay to steal other people's money, millions and millions of dollars.

[83] It's okay to be an embezzler.

[84] And we will just embrace you and welcome you and say, go ahead, keep embezzlers.

[85] You know, death row, I mean, we, we see tragically serial murderers.

[86] Why don't we just say, well, that group of people that is drawn to murdering other people, that's not their fault, they're just drawn to that.

[87] I mean, I know that a lot of people are probably, you know, saying, how dare this bishop compare, you know, breaking the Sixth Commandment to murder?

[88] but it's a commandment.

[89] Of course.

[90] And certainly it's not killing someone, but to just lobby for, oh, well, this one is off the list.

[91] Let's just erase the Sixth Commandment and say that that's okay.

[92] And frankly, too many bishops have done exactly that and said, oh, well, we need to embrace this lifestyle and say that it's perfectly fine.

[93] But if we do that, we might as well say all the commandments can be erased.

[94] and people just do what you want and that's sort of where we are I mean we're on the Eighth Commandment thou shalt not lie and how much of that happens constantly in every sphere of life I mean it's like if you can cheat and lie and get away with it then you get a pass as well the reality is it's only a temporary pass Amen we're going to come right back with the Bishop Strickman Hour on Virgin Most Power Radio A great man once said that evil is powerless if the good or unafraid.

[95] Well, you and I have a rendezvous with destiny.

[96] We'll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we'll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.

[97] We're at war with the most dangerous enemy that has ever faced mankind and has long climbed from the swamp to the stars.

[98] And it's been said if we lose this war, and in so doing lose this great way of freedom of ours.

[99] history will report with the greatest astonishment that those that had the most to lose did the least to prevent it from happening.

[100] Well, I think it's high time now that we ask ourselves if we still even know the freedoms that were intended for us by our founding fathers.

[101] Every generation of Americans needs to know that freedom exists, not to do what you like, but having the right to do what you ought.

[102] You weren't made to fit in, my brothers and sisters.

[103] You are born to stand out, set yourself apart from this, generation.

[104] Be saints.

[105] God bless you.

[106] Hebrews 113 says, by faith we come to understand.

[107] According to St. Augustine, understanding is the reward of faith.

[108] Therefore, seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.

[109] May God grant us a strong living faith in him and his divine plan of salvation and help us to believe so that we may understand.

[110] This is Terry Barber.

[111] I want to thank you for your support here at Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[112] Here's an easy way to do it.

[113] If you're going to sell or buy a house, call real estate for life 877 -543 -3871 because they're going to get you a Christ -centered agent to purchase your home or to sell your home.

[114] And at the close of escrow, a portion of his commission goes right back to to Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[115] Call 877 -543 -3871.

[116] Thank you so much for your support.

[117] Bishop Strickland Hour.

[118] My name is Terry Barber, the Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[119] We've been talking about some of the tweets from Bishop Strickman, and then we're going to get right into the Eighth Commandment after this segment.

[120] And Bishop Strickland, you were explaining the issue of just teaching their faith to people as bishops, the perennial teachings of the church, and I appreciate you doing that.

[121] One concern I have, it seems like, throughout every show we seem to have abortion come up in our conversation because over a million babies are being aborted in America, and, you know, it is the issue because so much is going on with the little ones.

[122] And in recent, well, in recent times, some bishops have failed to instruct Catholics that voters and politicians who approve abortion laws are accomplishing are grave sin and guilty of scandal.

[123] And I just want to bring this up to you that there was a, well, he was a famous cardinal in the Vatican.

[124] His name was Cardinal John P. Foley.

[125] He was the former presidential pontifical council of social communications.

[126] He said this, the greatest barrier to evangelization, which is what we're all about today is bad example.

[127] Our strategy of evangelization must be based upon sanctity, upon our enthusiastic response to Christ's universal call to holiness.

[128] So getting back to the issue of some bishops saying, you know, that abortion is just one issue, because you were at the bishop's conference.

[129] I saw you speak up on that before you, and I think it was Archbishop Shapo.

[130] Both of you stood up and said, wait a minute.

[131] No, no, no, time out.

[132] Abortion is the issue.

[133] So my question to you, because it really kind of goes to your tweet on October 16th where you said, I add an overarching issue.

[134] Both parties, here's what you said, okay, I'm sorry, I'm going to back up.

[135] You said this, you said, I, I, hang a second, I am an overarching issue.

[136] Both parties are flawed, but the Democratic Party not only supports abortion, but advocates for it and supports the Planned Parenthood industry.

[137] built on selling parts of unborn children for scientific research.

[138] This tips the scales.

[139] What are you saying there?

[140] Because I don't hear enough bishops say that this abortion issue is really a deal breaker when it comes.

[141] How can you support somebody who is going to kill unborn babies, support Planned Parenthood, and try to codify Roe versus Wade back in the early 70s?

[142] So you obviously are saying that can't be true, but it doesn't seem like we have a unity on that.

[143] You seem to be, I mean, there's a couple other bishops have said the same thing, but why can't we all be on the same page?

[144] Because isn't that Catholic teaching?

[145] Yeah, you mentioned the page, and the pages in the catechism.

[146] That is the deposit of faith, that the taking of unborn children, the life of an unborn child, is the taking of a human life.

[147] It goes back to the command of.

[148] thou shalt not kill.

[149] And I think that there are a lot of ways that even bishops try to maneuver around that.

[150] I read an article recently where the argument was, well, yes, I agree that abortion is intrinsically evil, but we're talking about passing laws, and that's a prudential judgment.

[151] It doesn't make sense to me. and I just totally disagree.

[152] I mean, again, taking it out of the abortion issue to say that we're going to pass a law that you can steal someone, you could just go into someone's home and take it from them.

[153] You can just evict them and say, this is my home.

[154] We're going to pass a law that says that you can do that.

[155] if you're passing a law then you're making it something that's acceptable you can't say it's intrinsically evil and then pass a law that says it's okay i mean if it's intrinsically evil how does a law suddenly just become a prudential judgment it just doesn't make any sense to me um and i think it's just a way of attempting to to go the way of the world Instead of just acknowledging, like crisis, we're supposed to be in the world, but not of the world.

[156] And there's too much of a tendency to fold on the gospel and just say, oh, well, this is what the world wants, so we'll make it okay for Catholics.

[157] And we can try that, but it doesn't work.

[158] It's still not the truth.

[159] Well, said, well, you just tweeted a couple days later that you stand with Bishop David.

[160] on this idea what you just said that abortion is intrinsically evil so there are other bishops saying that same thing and you know he's saying that a legislation is eat as evil as evil in other words you can't justify this legislation no matter what gymnastics you do to try and make it good so it's just nice to see other bishops saying the same thing that you're saying I just, I would like to see more guys come out and say it because we need clear.

[161] And really, Terry, let me kind of jump in there.

[162] Sure.

[163] Because what are, the job of bishops is to teach, govern, and sanctify.

[164] And I'll be, without, you know, accusing any other bishop, I have to admit that I haven't taught the way I should.

[165] And I need to teach better.

[166] We have politicians that call themselves Catholic, and they're totally contradicting what the Catholic teaching is.

[167] We haven't taught them.

[168] And sometimes those same politicians will point to their bishop and say, well, my bishop said this is okay.

[169] And so, or their priest, it's certainly not just bishops, but parish priests as well, we've got to teach better.

[170] And we've got to teach faithfully to what the church says.

[171] So, yes, I get all upset with politicians that are claiming to be Catholic and contradicting what Catholic teaching is.

[172] And frankly, the Democratic platform does exactly that.

[173] So any Catholic that is Democrat has to ask those questions.

[174] And I know people don't like a bishop talking about parties.

[175] that's their platform.

[176] I didn't say that they said that.

[177] They proudly proclaim that we support abortion through the nine months of pregnancy and, you know, people have quibbled with, because I said abortion to and after birth.

[178] And of course, it's not abortion any longer.

[179] It becomes infanticide.

[180] But that's what they've said they support that if a child is, if the mother wants that child dead and for some reason they aren't quite dead when they are out of the womb, then they can just be left aside or allowed to die.

[181] And that's called infanticide, if we want to get technical about it.

[182] It's killing an unborn or a newly born child.

[183] And to say for a party to say that, like I said, they've, and that's what I think Bishop Daley was getting at.

[184] They've taken themselves out of the conversation of believing people of if life is sacred and they're saying not in the womb and not moments after birth if if that life isn't wanted then then you know that's what they're saying and it it simply isn't the truth um i had another tweet that a doctor that had been an abortionist.

[185] And she mentions, you know, she understood how the Nazis could do it.

[186] That's right.

[187] Because that's what she was doing.

[188] She was saying, this group of human beings are not really human beings.

[189] And sadly, that happens in all kinds of things.

[190] It happened in slavery.

[191] The same thing is happening when we say that a human being, a child in the womb, is not a human being, then it's okay to murder them.

[192] Um, and that it's just not reality.

[193] And it will catch up, it is catching up with us as a human civilization to just slaughter the unborn.

[194] It, it's catching up with us.

[195] But we need to speak up.

[196] The gospel is a joyful message full of light and hope.

[197] But if we don't share that light and hope, the world can become a very dark place.

[198] Well, Bishop, certainly that follows up with this next tweet where you said Catholics make your decision.

[199] Do you believe what the catechism teaches on life, marriage, sexual morality, and the freedom of religion or not?

[200] You're right in my face and I like that.

[201] I mean, honestly, that's what I need to ask myself.

[202] If you do believe in what our faith teaches, this must guide your vote at the local state and national level.

[203] Vote according to the truth.

[204] And I would add this rather than your pocketbook.

[205] You hit, hard on that you want to elaborate anymore because that that that was hard hitting well i think i've said what i needed to say whether people listen or not and uh and certainly there are many issues but if we can't get life right then all the other issues pale in comparison yeah bishop strickland i love that you you catacized us each week here at the bishop strickland hour but your tweets just do the same thing, and that's why I like to use them.

[206] On the 15th of October, you tweeted, I believe in one God, these words from the creed we pray at every Sunday Mass must resound in our hearts and minds.

[207] God, one in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

[208] Saints through the ages have died rather than worship any false God or image.

[209] Have saintly faith.

[210] Boy, if that's not challenging words from the bishop, thank you for challenge me. I thought about that because if we're supposed to live a Trinitarian life, are we not?

[211] Yep, absolutely.

[212] And, you know, that's, if we believe in God, we need to really, I'm a sinner, we're all sinners.

[213] We fall off the path.

[214] But thankfully, God's merciful, and his mercy is abundant.

[215] He lets us return and try again.

[216] but we need to repent, we need to make reparation in every way we can for all the people that are ignoring God, we can do that.

[217] I'm reminded of the little children at Fatima.

[218] Oh, yeah.

[219] Little children, and they took so seriously that any little inconvenience or any little suffering, they were determined to offer that because that's what the Blessed Mother told them to do.

[220] We all need to have that simplicity of children.

[221] And if, you know, traffic is aggravating, offer it up.

[222] If you're standing in line at the grocery store and the person in front of you is just fumbling with their change and taking forever, offer it up.

[223] Pray for that person.

[224] Don't get all hot and bothered.

[225] That is the way of Jesus Christ.

[226] And it's not, you know, some superficial, you know, nicy, way.

[227] It's tough.

[228] It's hard to sort of contain our natural tendency to get angry or to get aggravated or to yell at someone and to say, Lord, I just offer this to you to be patient and a little kindness can go a long way.

[229] And the Lord shows us that in his walk through his ministry over and over again when someone is needing him, He was human.

[230] He was doing other things.

[231] He was busy headed on his way.

[232] Sometimes the disciples said, leave the master alone.

[233] He's got to get to a meeting.

[234] But he would stop and care for that person.

[235] That's what we need to do.

[236] And when we have aggravations, instead of getting angry, just offer it up.

[237] Amen.

[238] Welcome.

[239] We're going to come right back to talking about the Eighth Commandment here at the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[240] We'll be right back.

[241] Hi, this is Jesse Romero from the Terry and Jesse show also from Jesus 9 -1 -1.

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[252] Thank you for listening to Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[253] Thank you.

[254] God bless you.

[255] Keep the faith.

[256] Our nation is too full of those that are crying down.

[257] Down with the police, down with the churches, down with teachers, down with government.

[258] Can you build anything down?

[259] You cannot.

[260] Certainly time in our nation to change our words.

[261] Let's begin now to use the word up, up from all of this filth.

[262] Up from this violence, up from this indifference of courts, up to the hit battlements of eternity, up, up to God.

[263] This is Terry Barber.

[264] I want to thank you for your support here at Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[265] Here's an easy way to do it.

[266] If you're going to sell or buy a house, call real estate for life 877 -543 -3871, because they're going to get you a Christ -centered agent to purchase your home or to sell your home.

[267] And at the close of Estro, a portion of his commission goes right back to Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[268] Call 877 -543 -3871.

[269] Thank you so much for your support.

[270] Welcome back to the Bishop Stricklandauer.

[271] My name is Terry Barbara.

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

[273] And I want to welcome the 2 ,000 new YouTube listeners from last week we got here at the network.

[274] And if you like what you're seeing on YouTube, like us on social media, like us on Facebook, because that's how our ministry grows.

[275] And I will just say this.

[276] Over 300 ,000 people last month downloaded programs from Virgin Most Powerful.

[277] So I want to thank all the folks just from our social media side, not just the AM and FM stations.

[278] Bishop Strickland, before I get to the Eighth Commandment, I have to ask you about an institute that you founded here at your Diocese of Tyler.

[279] I want to give it a plug because there's so many good resources there.

[280] Can you, for the benefit of the new listeners, tell us a little bit about your institute?

[281] Yeah, the St. Philip Institute, the website is St .Philip Institute .org, Philip with 1L.

[282] It's based on the eighth chapter of Acts where the deacon, Philip, goes up to the Ethiopian in the chariot who is reading the prophet Isaiah.

[283] And he says, you understand what you're reading?

[284] And the Ethiopian says, how do I understand it?

[285] Nobody's told me. And so St. Philip climbs into the chariot and helps him understand what he's reading.

[286] That's the inspiration of teaching, like I was saying earlier, I have a responsibility to share this wondrous truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[287] If we can get people to really open their hearts and minds to the message of Jesus Christ and to the person of Jesus Christ, he's the answer to every problem we have in the world.

[288] He's the answer to the violence.

[289] He's the answer to the division.

[290] He's the answer to the confusion about gender.

[291] He's the answer because he is the son of God.

[292] So that's what the St. Philip Institute is about is joyfully teaching and sharing the message of Jesus Christ.

[293] The Catholic Church is the depository of that deposit of faith.

[294] The Gaville Church is a very human, very sinful organization.

[295] You can point to every year since the year 33 when Christ ascended to the Father and the church began.

[296] We know very little about those earliest years, but we start hearing about the life of the church and acts of the apostles and in the letters of St. Paul and the divisions and the divisions the struggles start to happen, even as the church is beginning.

[297] You go through the year 100, 200, 500, 1, 21st century, the church has always got its struggles because human beings are involved, but the grace of God, the guidance of the Holy Spirit is always there.

[298] We have to be faithful to that wondrous truth that the Son of God suffered and died to share with us.

[299] I like to reflect on the sorrowful mysteries, the passion of Christ, because that's the kind of sacrifice.

[300] You're a husband and father.

[301] That's right.

[302] You know that it takes sacrifice to really love your family.

[303] And that's what you're called to bring spiritually to the altar at mass. When the sacrifices offered, you offer the sacrifices you've made, the struggles, the heartaches, the questions, how are we going to get through this?

[304] how are we going to handle this problem you give all that in your sacrifice that's what christ did so the st philip institute is about sharing the joyful message of jesus christ in the roman catholic tradition it's a treasure that we've got wonderful people sharing and doing their best to share with the world because too many catholics don't really know the treasure of that truth it's challenging it means i have to change my life i have to do an examination of conscience i have to learn and form my conscience to know the truth all of that takes work and it takes sacrifice but christ shows us making those sacrifices ultimately you can say it as a husband and father and a working man in society yeah there are times that you just probably feel like saying to heck with this i'm tired but you make the sacrifice and you've reaped the benefit of making that sacrifice.

[305] The ultimate benefit is Jesus Christ and his resurrection.

[306] Bishop Strickland, I'm glad I asked about the Institute because I love it.

[307] You know, Joe Sixpack, that's who you just spoke to.

[308] It's like, get up.

[309] If you fall, I only have one question.

[310] Did you get up?

[311] Get the confession.

[312] I feel like you just gave me a football coach, you know, talk about, come on, guys, suck it up.

[313] We've got to get out there and do our best.

[314] So thank you when it comes to our salvation of our soul.

[315] I want to, I got it on the screen, your institute right there for people are listening to us on YouTube.

[316] Thank you.

[317] Yes, I want to promote that.

[318] Bishop Strickland, I know that we've been going slow on the Ten Commandments, but these are so important.

[319] This commandment number eight, thou shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor.

[320] Think about what's going on in our media right now and all the lies that are going on on all kinds of people, both sides.

[321] And so I just wanted to quote paragraph 2489, and I'm telling you, that really hit me, because I hadn't read that for a long time.

[322] It says this, charity and respect for the truth should dictate the response to every request for information or communications.

[323] The good and the safety of others.

[324] Respect for privacy and the common good are sufficient reasons for being silent about.

[325] what ought not to be known or for making use of a discreet language.

[326] The duty to avoid scandal often command strict discretion.

[327] No one is bound to reveal the truth to someone who does not have a right to know it.

[328] Bishop Strickland, can you explain that paragraph because that, I think it's like wow, for most of us.

[329] Well, it's a way of living responsibly as disciples of Jesus Christ that, you know, I think that paragraph really is something we should have a campaign to have it on billboards around the nation and just urge everyone to just read it and take it to heart because we're so far from that.

[330] We talk about the media.

[331] We talk about politics.

[332] We talk about even, you know, leaders in the church, bishops and priests that are not really following this.

[333] And I think really it touches on something that's a pet peeve of mine, but I really believe that the 24 -7 news machine is not a blessing.

[334] No. When we were kids, you had the news, you had Walter Cronkite, you had Huntley and Brinkley, you had somebody else on, on ABC, I guess, but you know, you had three stations, three networks, and for a half hour, you had the news, and certainly they occasionally have a news bulletin breaking into the television show.

[335] But that was really enough, because so much of the news these days, every news outlet, every single one should read this paragraph and recognize that there is, truth that people don't have a right to because of privacy because it they have no right to it because it ultimately does more harm than good yeah it's the truth and and we live in a society i mean it's such a dichotomy that we all deal with society demands we know everything and then on the flip side everybody lies about everything so we have a demand that nobody can have a a secret a secret is is something that is seen as is evil not necessarily sometimes it's the greatest charity to keep something quiet certainly that gets abused and this paragraph talks about one of the toughest discernments, even thinking about in your own family.

[336] I'm sure there are things that have happened between you and your wife that mature parents say, the kids don't need to know about this.

[337] It may be the truth.

[338] It may be something that was very significant, but you have to discern as the adults for young children, especially, what do they need to know?

[339] What do they have a right to know what do they need in order to be true disciples themselves we've lost so much of that in today's society so we have an expectation in the media that everything is known everything's an open book and then on the flip side nobody tells the truth so it's it's sort of the the perfect brokenness instead of the perfect world it's perfectly broken it's a demand for everything to be exposed and a lack of discretion and a lack of willingness to say if you're going to say this it needs to be true and even if it is true does it need to be said a lot of that it kind of goes back to me to what we see in the scientific world it's like the scientists say we can do it so we're going to do it no the discretion of should we do it is it right to do it is it right to do it Is it helpful to humanity to do it?

[340] All of those questions of ethics kind of get left at the wayside, and it's like, we can do it, so we're going to do it.

[341] And it's the same thing with media.

[342] We found this out, so we're going to blast it across the airwaves.

[343] We don't care who it hurts or whether it's irresponsible to share that or not, or whether it's ultimately going to do more harm than good.

[344] That discernment of absolutely the truth sets us free, but the truth is too often weaponized in our world today.

[345] Well, said, there's so many other paragraphs on that topic, but I want to move quickly to the next one, the use of the social communications media.

[346] Actually, the catechism talks about this.

[347] Paragraph 2493 says, with modern society, the communication media play a major role in information, cultural promotion, and formation.

[348] this role is increasing as a result of technological progress extent and diversity of the news transmitted and influence exercised on public opinion Bishop Strickland we are having all this issue right now with the high -tech censorship of political news with Google and I mean I'm just going to give one quote here we had a situation where one of our commandments the sixth commandment thou shalt not commit adultery were told that we couldn't that offended a certain amount of YouTube listeners.

[349] I said, are you kidding me?

[350] I got a letter from YouTube saying that.

[351] We are just giving this Ten Commandments.

[352] I mean, come on.

[353] Hey, when we come back, we'll talk more about the Eighth Commandment with Bishop Strickland regarding the social communications media.

[354] You're listening to the Terry, you're listening to the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[355] Welcome, Daniel.

[356] You're on the line.

[357] What's on your mind?

[358] brother.

[359] Hi, I just wanted to share a testimony about Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[360] I had a buddy at work who, you know, he's a lukewarm Catholic guy and I wanted him to start listening to the Terry and Jesse show, so I kept telling him to download the app, and he kept putting me off.

[361] So one day, I grabbed his phone and I downloaded the app for him.

[362] I went on vacation, and I kept telling him to listen to it.

[363] He was kind of put me off.

[364] I came back from vacation.

[365] He comes to my cubicle, and it says to me, hey, man, I've been listening to Terry Jesse show, and it's great.

[366] And it's made a big impact in his life.

[367] The guy, he's going to weekly adoration a couple times a week.

[368] He goes to the Mass in the morning.

[369] He's on fire Catholic, and he promotes the Taran Jesse show in the Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[370] Daniel, what a testimony, and I want to encourage our listeners to get those cards by going to Virgin Most Powerful Radio .org and do what Daniel's doing.

[371] Go out and spread the faith by inviting people to listen to Virgin Most Powerful.

[372] Daniel, thanks for your testimony, brother.

[373] God love you.

[374] You're welcome.

[375] Hebrews 11th.

[376] 3 says, by faith we come to understand.

[377] According to St. Augustine, understanding is the reward of faith.

[378] Therefore, seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.

[379] May God grant us a strong living faith in Him and His Divine Plan of Salvation and help us to believe so that we may understand.

[380] This is Terry Barber.

[381] I want to thank you for your support here at Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

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[387] Thank you so much for your support.

[388] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[389] I get mixed up so much, Bishop Strickland.

[390] I have three shows that I try to facilitate.

[391] I have the Terry and Jesse show.

[392] I have the Bible with the Barbers and now Bishop Strickland's show.

[393] But I wanted to plug something that's happening November 7.

[394] Dr. Scott Hahn, Tim Staples, Father Bill Casey, Kimberly Hahn.

[395] Oh, my gosh, the lineup is great.

[396] It's called What Every Catholic Needs to Know series.

[397] And we published this back in the 90s.

[398] So I'm doing a virtual conference on the 7th of November, and it's on the Mass. It's on whatever Catholic needs to know about hell, whatever Catholic needs to know about the Pope, whatever Catholic needs to know about Mary, and whatever Catholic needs to know about the Bible.

[399] And I've got some top -level priests and laymen speaking at that conference.

[400] It starts at 9 a .m. The way you can register is call 877526 -215.

[401] Or go to Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[402] and register.

[403] That's November 7th.

[404] You'll learn a lot on your faith.

[405] Whatever be Catholic needs to know conference.

[406] Bishop Strickland, this next paragraph really got me because it's short and piffy.

[407] It says paragraph 2494.

[408] The information provided by the media is at the service of the common good.

[409] Oh boy.

[410] I wish they understood that.

[411] Society has a right to the information based on truth, freedom, justice, and solidarity.

[412] It seems like right now that paragraph really could help a lot of the media right now.

[413] Notice it said truth, freedom, justice, and solidarity.

[414] Could you comment on that?

[415] Absolutely.

[416] And I think it is something that we've really lost focus on.

[417] Sadly, like so many things, and we've talked about before in various topics.

[418] but a lot that interferes with the media following those ethical guidelines is money.

[419] The money is in really the opposite on each of those points, sadly.

[420] And I think we need to really challenge the media because truth, freedom, justice, and solidarity go out the window when profit gets in the way.

[421] and well it may not we may not know whether it's true or not but it'll it'll sell airtime and it'll you know not so much newspapers they're sort of going by the wayside but it'll get clicks you know all the metrics i'm sure even in the radio business you know about how to to measure those things and it's tempting it's tempting to get caught up in wow how much money we're making on this and that's what the the corruption gets into so often even within the church It can start off with the very best of motivations, but when you start loosening those ethical guidelines, because, well, we can do this and make half a million dollars, and if we just do, we follow this, we're only going to make, you know, $100 million.

[422] And, you know, it just, it, it, so often in the media, it's a big business.

[423] most things are big business in the world today and that tends to corrupt the ethics that should be there I always say follow the money and can I tell everybody full disclosure Bishop Strickland doesn't get a dime for doing this show and I say that Thank you.

[424] No and you don't we are trying to get this word out now Bishop Strickland right in paragraph 2498 at the end of the this is towards the end of the Eighth Commandment.

[425] Talking about civil authorities have a particular responsibility in this field because of the common good.

[426] I notice the common good is always being looked at, and I love that.

[427] It is the civil authority to defend and safeguard a true and just freedom of information.

[428] I think of this right now because Google is being, the government is looking at them right now, the federal government is putting an investigation in Google right now.

[429] If you go to LifeSight News, you can read about that.

[430] So the catechism is saying that it is the civil authority to defend the safeguard a true and just freedom of information to promulgate laws and overseeing their application.

[431] Public authorities should ensure that public morality and social progress are not bravely endangered through the misuse of the media.

[432] I think of some things like pornography.

[433] There's a good example of misuse.

[434] Civil authorities should punish any violation of the rights of individuals to their reputation and privacy.

[435] They should give timely and reliable reports concerning the general good, respond to the well -founded concerns of the people.

[436] Nothing can justify recourse to disinformation for manipulating public opinion through the media.

[437] Wow, that's huge.

[438] Interventions by public authorities should avoid injuring the freedom of, individuals or groups.

[439] Take the rest of the show on that one.

[440] Yeah.

[441] Well, it really, as you mentioned, it mentions the common good a number of times.

[442] And I've heard people these days talk about the real common good, because sometimes even the term common good gets used as if it's just what you want.

[443] Give everybody what they want.

[444] But the real common good is based on the Judeo -Christian tradition of believing that we are created by God, we are creatures of a loving creator.

[445] And the common good is recognizing the value of all of us and recognizing that we all have rights that are limited when they begin to impinge on another person.

[446] and their rights.

[447] The whole idea of common good is something that I think we need to study better and to share that truth.

[448] And it really goes even beyond what we believe.

[449] Absolutely, we believe Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior of humanity.

[450] He's the son of God.

[451] But the common good is even more basic to just what the reality of human existence is.

[452] And the common good gets down to even for someone who says they don't believe in God, they don't believe in Jesus Christ, they don't believe in the value of any person.

[453] We believe that they are valuable because of the common good.

[454] That's the most basic level.

[455] And I think we really need to teach that better and to help people understand because once you start relativizing the common good, and it's not the real common good, but it's a good that gets distorted by whatever this group or that group says it is.

[456] It begins to have an unraveling effect on society.

[457] And I think that's a lot of what we're seeing, because it's not the real common good that people are after.

[458] It's the good of this group or that group or this cause or that cause.

[459] Instead of the common good is exactly that.

[460] What is good for every human being on the planet?

[461] Bishop Strickland, that sentence right where it says, nothing can justify recourse to disinformation for manipulating public opinion through the media.

[462] I've lived through a long enough time to see that the media sometimes will do just that.

[463] It puts out information that is just total lies.

[464] And then to try and fix it, it's like it takes, it's almost, they say tell the lie often enough, and it becomes the truth to people.

[465] And we really have a lot.

[466] And then it says interventions by public authority should avoid injuring the freedom of individuals or groups.

[467] Are they talking also about religious freedom there, Bishop Strickland?

[468] In other words, do we have a religious freedom to be able to proclaim our faith and not be persecuted by the media just because we proclaim the life of an unborn child is sacred?

[469] That's my question.

[470] Absolutely.

[471] And that I think is, again, when we lose sight of the real common good, then you get different groups that have the power that can begin to distort things.

[472] And people lose religious freedom and many other kinds of freedoms because, you know, the power says, no, you don't get that freedom anymore.

[473] And that's where totalitarian or dictatorship, I mean, all of that, the manipulation.

[474] the misinformation, we often call it fake news today.

[475] Yeah, that's it.

[476] But it really is, it's not just silly or stupid.

[477] It's harmful.

[478] It's harmful to the fabric of our civilization.

[479] Mr. Strickland, can we comment again on the examination of conscience?

[480] I hit that a lot when I share it with people.

[481] Could we just talk about the value of doing an examination each day and even maybe midday?

[482] Absolutely.

[483] Absolutely.

[484] First, you have to have a well -formed conscience, so it's not just examine your conscience, but is my conscience?

[485] Well, that's part of the examination.

[486] Have I learned what I need to learn about ethical work in my business or how to treat others or whatever the issues are?

[487] We need to learn what the church teaches.

[488] So you have to form your conscience, and it's an ongoing process.

[489] I mean, we should always keep learning.

[490] and keep growing in virtue, and that's informing your conscience.

[491] And then the better your conscience is formed, the more when you examine it, you become aware of the ways you've failed.

[492] We all do.

[493] We're all sinners.

[494] And in that context, to keep working toward doing a better job, you know, maybe someone has a tendency to get angry and say very harmful things.

[495] To examine your conscience is to acknowledge that you've said things that were harmful to others.

[496] Forming your conscience is learning just how much that harms others and how you can do a better job of avoiding those kinds of transgressions against the value of another person by not using words that are harmful, even if true, they sometimes can be harmful.

[497] Well, said, I wanted to also ask you, Bishop Strickland, because we're going through the commandments talking about the great sacrament of confession, and how often would you recommend to the listeners that they should be frequenting the sacraments?

[498] What's a good benchmark for that?

[499] Well, thanks for asking that question.

[500] I like to ask people to once a month, at least one, to me that's a basic minimum.

[501] We do lots of things once a month.

[502] And you may, you know, certainly some people go once a week, once every two weeks, but at least once a month for the average person, at least to ask the serious question, if you're regularly examining your conscience and you're really honest with yourself, I know I won't go past a month before I say, You know, I better get to confession.

[503] I really have some things that I've messed up.

[504] So I'd say at least once a month.

[505] What day of the month were you born on, Terry?

[506] A fourth of November.

[507] Yep, the fourth.

[508] The fourth.

[509] The fourth of every month.

[510] Think about should I go to confession?

[511] I mean, I think that's just a basic thing to approach.

[512] You made it easy.

[513] How about a blessing for all of our listeners, Mr. Strickland?

[514] Sure.

[515] The Lord be with you.

[516] And with your spirit.

[517] almighty god bless you the father the son and the holy spirit amen amen thank you so much bishop strickland and folks again the same time next week we'll be continuing we're going to shift right into the ninth commandment you shall not covet your neighbor's house you shall not covet your neighbor's wife all that and more on virgin most powerful radio the bishop strickland hour and don't and don't hesitate to check out all the other shows that we have on the network we want to give you a blessing as bishop just did and ask for your prayers and your support here at virgin most powerful radio.

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

[519] God bless.

[520] God bless.

[521] St. Faustina's prayer for priests.

[522] Oh my Jesus, I beg thee on behalf of the whole church, granted love and the light of thy spirit and give power to the words of priests so that hardened hearts might be brought to repentance and return to thee, O Lord.

[523] Lord, give us holy priests, thou thyself maintain them in holiness.

[524] O divine and great high priest, may the power of thy mercy accompany them everywhere and protect them from the devil's traps and snares, which are continually being set for the souls of priests.

[525] May the power of thy mercy, O Lord, shatter and bring to naught all that might tarnish the sanctity of priests.

[526] For thou canst do all things.

[527] Amen.

[528] Virgin Most Powerful.

[529] Pray for us.

[530] Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[531] Sharing the gospel with clarity and charity.

[532] The sorrowful mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.