16 Nov 21 – How Do We Deal with Scandal?

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] My name is Terry Barber.

[2] Each week we chat about Bishop Strickland's tweets, and we also open up our catechism of the Catholic Church.

[3] He can teach us the fundamentals of the faith.

[4] So Bishop Strickland, I look forward to seeing you in Baltimore.

[5] Believe it or not, it's coming up, and you have your bishops conference.

[6] I have a conference I'm going to, and we're going to be encouraging the bishops to do the right thing and proclaiming the teachings of the church.

[7] We'll be praying for them, and I hope to get a chance to shake your hand, so I hope to see you there next week.

[8] Great.

[9] Encouraging bishops to do what bishops are supposed to do.

[10] Amen, that's what we're doing.

[11] Support the beauty of the Catholic faith.

[12] Exactly.

[13] And talking about bishops in that meeting, you guys are going to be responding to a need in the church, and that is a eucharistic need.

[14] We know that in this document that said 80 % of the Catholics don't even believe in the real presence, and so the bishops wrote this document, and I actually had a chance to see it before, you know, it was out.

[15] Somebody sent me a copy, and there were a lot of good things in it.

[16] But I wanted to hear from you, one of the bishops, you know, what's your thoughts about this document that's coming out, teaching on what we believe as the Eucharist?

[17] Yeah, thanks, Terry.

[18] It is a draft, but it says a lot of beautiful ancient truth about the Eucharist.

[19] that I say constantly the real presence, the body and blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ.

[20] And I think the document does make it clear that this is the body and blood, soul, and divinity of God's divine son, the Lord of the universe.

[21] And hopefully it will help people come back to faith and help us who do believe to be.

[22] that much more in awe, that much more reverent, that much more aware of what the gospel says, repent of sin and believe in the good news.

[23] That's what we have to do.

[24] Really, Terry, I would say that this document simply needs a dose of John the Baptist to really remind us that we can't it beautifully reminds us of our Catholic faith of who the real presence is.

[25] The real presence is not a what, but a who.

[26] Amen.

[27] Truth has a face, and it's the face of Jesus Christ.

[28] So in light of all of that, we can't turn a blind eye to those who don't show the reverence and respect.

[29] And really, Terry, what I would emphasize is the greatest reverence toward Jesus Christ, absolutely.

[30] reverence in the liturgy, and proper decorum and dressing properly.

[31] All of that's important.

[32] But the greatest reverence is to look into my heart, for you to look into your heart, repent of our sins, and confess those sins before we even contemplate approaching Jesus Christ at the Eucharistic altar.

[33] He's poured his life out.

[34] And that's what really strikes me is some of the beautiful language in this draft reminds us, Jesus gave us his body and blood, soul, and divinity.

[35] He gave his body that we might be freed from sin and death.

[36] And so real reverence is what I hope will flow from this document.

[37] And we need to be reminded that there are too many voices in the world that discount the idea of repentance and turning from sin and acknowledging that I better live the Ten Commandments because receiving the Eucharist is the greatest act of love of the Lord.

[38] And he says in John 14 of John's Gospel verse 15, if you love me, keep my commandments.

[39] That's what we're all, we all have to do.

[40] Every disciple, every bishop, every member of the congregation, every member of the body of Christ.

[41] We've got to say, Lord, I love you.

[42] Receiving the Eucharist and adoring the Eucharist is one of the greatest ways we say that.

[43] But we have to keep his commandments, all of the commandments.

[44] And we have to urge others to keep the commandments if we're really recognizing, as the document beautifully reminds us, that this is real.

[45] This is the body and blood, soul, and divinity of the Son of God.

[46] Well said, Bishop Strickland, thank you.

[47] This is the month of November, and obviously we keep in mind the poor souls in purgatory, and then the church's liturgical year in right before Advent.

[48] It seems like a lot of the readings are kind of talking about judgment.

[49] And then we also end the year with the Christ the King Sunday before Advent.

[50] So you have a tweet here, and it just reminded me of that with November, it says, this is your same reminds you, the responsibility for the dead, these prayers the church has for funerals and for people who have passed away.

[51] It says, this reminds us of our Christian understanding of death.

[52] It is not to be feared as an ultimate end, but instead prepare for us as part of the path to everlasting life with God.

[53] Let us pray for the holy souls in purgatory, they are holy, but not yet perfect.

[54] They need our prayer.

[55] So it's a plea for praying for the poor souls in purgatory.

[56] Bishop Strickland, I'm assuming that you did that because maybe I'm putting words in your mouth, but sometimes we forgot about the poor souls in purgatory that they need to be reminded we do to pray for them.

[57] Is that why you did that?

[58] Absolutely.

[59] And it's a beautiful expression of our faith that as the liturgy says, in death, life has changed but not ended.

[60] That's our faith.

[61] The loved ones and the friends and the members of the congregation that I've celebrated their mass of Christian burial, they are still in the universe.

[62] They are in the call of everlasting life.

[63] And probably most of us need some perfecting, need some purging, as in purgatory when we die.

[64] Purgatory is about recognizing.

[65] It's kind of putting everything together that we read in sacred scripture.

[66] Jesus says in the gospel, if you want to share my life, you must be perfect.

[67] You must be perfect as the father is perfect.

[68] Who of us is perfect when we die?

[69] No one.

[70] But if we pay attention to what Christ says, that's part of where purgatory really makes sense.

[71] And it fits with the Christian message.

[72] If you have chosen Christ, taken Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and done your best to live with the sacraments and go to confession, receive communion, and live the Word of God, live the commandments to show your love for God.

[73] I can't claim to have done that perfectly, and I don't think anyone can, really.

[74] I agree.

[75] And that's what purgatory is about, is to be cleansed.

[76] We talk about, you know, in our terms, a thousand days in purgatory or whatever, all of that is in human terms.

[77] Sure.

[78] God is timeless.

[79] Yes, we're rooted in time.

[80] What sort of time purgatory really is?

[81] The church doesn't define that.

[82] Right.

[83] But it does say that we have to be perfect.

[84] and there's some suffering in that.

[85] I believe it's really not part of what the church teaches, but in my own personal belief, and I don't think it's in conflict with what the church teaches, that we can in our suffering in this world, and I'm sure we've both seen people suffer greatly.

[86] They can offer that up for the poor souls and for ourselves.

[87] to be more prepared when we leave this world to spend as little time or energy, you might say, to have as little experience of purgatory as possible.

[88] I think we can offer this world suffering.

[89] Jesus says, take up your cross if you wish to be my disciple.

[90] And in spiritual terms, we all have crosses to bear.

[91] We can make that salvific, just like Christ's cross, is the ultimate savings cross, but we can join our crosses to his if we choose to do so.

[92] And all of that is part of the mystery of purgatory.

[93] We just read out of the book of Maccabees in the Office of Readings just recently because of the month of November, the story of where that comes from.

[94] It is a holy and pious thought to pray for the dead.

[95] It's an Old Testament sentiment that the church embraces.

[96] Well, said, and just to back you up what the church teaches, it's really biblical because as the book of Revelation, chapter 21, verse 27 states, but nothing unclean shall enter heaven.

[97] And that's what you were just saying.

[98] So this is, you know, biblically taught by the church for a long, long time.

[99] Bishop Strickland, I wanted to, see, we're going to take a quick break in a couple of minutes, but I just wanted to give a quote from Fulton Sheen.

[100] I love when you quote Bishop Sheen.

[101] This is a quote he said 50, 60, 70 years ago, and it's so appropriate for today.

[102] He says America is said, it is suffering from intolerance.

[103] It's not.

[104] It's suffering from tolerance, tolerance of right and wrong, truth and error, virtue and evil, Christ in chaos.

[105] Bishop Sheen says, our country is not nearly so overrun with bigotry as it is overrun with broad -mindedness.

[106] Bishop Strickland, he said that a long time ago.

[107] It's still appropriate.

[108] Is that why you said it?

[109] Because it just fits the shoe fits?

[110] Absolutely.

[111] It's more true, sadly, than it was in Archbishop Fulton Sheen's time.

[112] I often wonder what he would think of what we're dealing with in the world and in this nation.

[113] The relativism and the compromise.

[114] Fulton Sheen, I have an idea if he was with us, would be even stronger than he was during his lifetime.

[115] And he said it very well.

[116] I agree, Bishop Strickland.

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

[118] We'll come right back with more of his tweets.

[119] with us, family.

[120] I want to welcome you back.

[121] And we just had a tweet from Bishop Sheen.

[122] Now, another bishop.

[123] This is another Archbishop, Bishop, Archbishop Cordillone and San Francisco, who, for those who don't know, maybe you do already, he has been doing a campaign to pray for, well, people in his diocese, especially Nancy Pelosi, who's, you know, a baptized Catholic, who has been very much opposed to what the Catholic Church teaches when it comes to abortion.

[124] and what he ended up doing is he's asking people to send a rose to Nancy Pelosi and rosaries as an act of kindness and I think Bishop Strickland you're thanking Archbishop Cordillione in your tweet for his leadership and he said let us pray for the conversion of all hearts who are ignoring the joyful truth God has revealed to us rose in a rosary Benedict the 16th Institute That's the institute that Archbishop Cordillone is running.

[125] I think this was a great idea that he would do that.

[126] Yeah, that's why I tweeted it because that's what a pastor does.

[127] Yeah.

[128] That is love.

[129] Like we were talking about earlier, Jesus says, if you love me, live my commandments.

[130] If we love the flock, we're going to urge them to keep his commandments and to live his commandments.

[131] And for those who are ignoring one or the other of the commandments, whether it's on the sanctity of life or that marriage is only between a man and a woman or that sexual immorality of any kind is a grave sin and destructive to life, the loving thing to do is to tell people and to pray that they will have a conversion of heart.

[132] That can happen to all of us.

[133] Hopefully it does have.

[134] happen to all of us on a daily basis.

[135] Our hearts are converted more and more deeply.

[136] We're loving more and more deeply.

[137] Archbishop Cordlione is doing the loving thing rather than saying, oh, Nancy Pelosi or anyone is a terrible person or, you know, saying things against them.

[138] He's just saying, pray for this woman, a mother, a wife, and a grandmother who, is ignoring what the church teaches regarding the sanctity of life.

[139] I have to presume, I don't know Nancy Pelosi, I believe Archbishop Cordione has met with her and tried to bring her to the truth.

[140] And he's still trying to do that as a loving pastor.

[141] We have free will.

[142] God has given us free will.

[143] And that's one of the things that's raging through our society right now is people being told to do things that are contrary to their free will choice.

[144] We need to support people making a decision based on their conscience, and then it's my job.

[145] It's Archbishop Cordione's job, and that's what he's trying to do to pray that Nancy Pelosi in our Catholic faith, we would say she has an ill -formed conscience, and she needs to be brought to the truth and brought to making decisions that are based on that truth.

[146] That's the loving thing to do.

[147] That's what a pastor should do is call not just people in the headlines, but every person.

[148] If we're living in a way that is contrary to the commandments, contrary to what God has taught us, we don't reject that person.

[149] We don't speak in ways of bigotry against that person.

[150] we call them to a conversion of heart and that really Terry that's what mothers do that love their children and fathers do that love their children parents don't throw their children out i mean sometimes it happens but it really shouldn't it's not the answer you continue to love your children and your grandchildren even if they're not living the truth and amazingly it may not happen on our timetable, but in God's ways, very often, the prayers of those loving parents for their children that have wandered into whatever kind of sinful lifestyle, the prayers are often bare fruit, sometimes after the life of those parents is over in this world.

[151] That's the kind of faithfulness we need to have and to know that real love is calling people away from sin and into.

[152] the truth, into repentance.

[153] There are too many voices in the world today that ignore the repentance and just say, oh, just be embraced by the love of Christ and celebrate His mercy.

[154] Absolutely.

[155] But part of that celebrating Christ's mercy is a conversion of heart to turn from sin, to turn from darkness into the light of Christ.

[156] Well, said, Bishop Strickland, this is a topic that's huge that you tweeted about scandal.

[157] You said that significant paragraph of the catechism with the Catholic Church to be considered in these days is 2285.

[158] I want to read the whole paragraph in the catechism, if you don't mind, because it says a lot.

[159] It says, scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it, or the weakness of those who are scandalized.

[160] I would like to break that down, but let's just say.

[161] Keep going.

[162] It prompted our Lord to utter this curse.

[163] The Lord, a curse, yep.

[164] Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

[165] Scandal is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others.

[166] Jesus reproaches the scribes and the Pharisees on this account.

[167] He likens them to wolves and sheep's clothing.

[168] Okay, now Bishop Strickland, I've heard Mother Angelica quote this 10 years ago.

[169] I want to tell me why you quoted that catechism verse.

[170] because I think it's we have to pay attention Christ speaking in some of his strongest language and what's he speaking about scandal yeah and as you said let's just go back to the very first part yeah scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized Terry I'm a spiritual father you're a father.

[171] Amen.

[172] Father.

[173] Yep.

[174] We have a responsibility because of your office.

[175] Your call to be a loving father means there's a greater weight.

[176] If you cause scandal to your children, that's a greater weight of scandal than if it was in some other circumstance.

[177] So for myself as a spiritual father, as a pastor, as a bishop, for me to cause scandal has a greater weight than others.

[178] And it speaks about the weakness of those who are scandalized.

[179] In this case, the spiritual weakness for your children, you're their dad.

[180] That's right.

[181] you have the responsibility of being a good model.

[182] Certainly, we're all sinners, and you have to approach that call with humility.

[183] And hopefully your children will recognize, well, yeah, dad's a great guy, and he does his best, but sometimes he's a sinner and he fails.

[184] But to a really, I think what we have to pay attention to in this in our time, one of the things, when a father or a shepherd, a pastor, or a bishop, when we ignore sin or teach, oh, that's not something you really need to worry about.

[185] If we just sort of gloss over the sin, that causes deep scandal for you to your children and for me to the flock.

[186] And that touches on living all the commandments.

[187] If we say abortion is murder, but, you know, we don't really have any consequences for those carrying out this murder, that's causing scandal for the flock.

[188] And if you did that, it would cause scandal for your children.

[189] If we say marriage is between a man and a woman, but we don't really say anything when those basic guidelines of what the sanctity of marriage is about are not followed, then we're causing scandal.

[190] When we turn a blind eye to sexual sins of whatever kind, we're causing scandal.

[191] And I think we need to really pay serious attention to that in the world today.

[192] Well, said, thank you very much.

[193] I wanted to remind everybody the spiritual warfare conference is coming up on the 29th and 30th of January, 2022, just a couple months away.

[194] Already, we have 400 people registered, so I would encourage our listeners to go online to VMPR .org to register for the conference, and you can do that by calling 877526215.

[195] Bishop Strickland, before we break, I want to give a plug to your institute because I think you're doing great work.

[196] can you tell us how people can access your institute on your diocese at your diocese?

[197] Yeah, it's St .Philip Institute .org is the website.

[198] Great materials.

[199] They put out articles in the Catholic East Texas, our diocesan online newspaper that's soon to be back in print.

[200] They're great teachings, podcasts.

[201] We've got some great things that are available.

[202] The Way of Christ is a great tool for just learning the basics of the faith.

[203] If there's anybody listening that says, you know, really, I want to get back to being a stronger Catholic.

[204] The Way of Christ is a book that some of our priests and lay staff put together a couple of years ago now that many people have used.

[205] It just gives you the basics of getting a deeper understanding of what it means to be Catholic.

[206] So in the context of what we've been talking about, I think the St. Philip Institute is a great tool for dads, for pastors, for catechists, who want to teach people what it means to live the commandment so that we can love the Lord better and so that we can do the opposite of causing scandal, but really call people to virtue and lift up their lives by letting them see.

[207] the truth of Jesus Christ.

[208] That's what the St. Philip Institute is all about.

[209] Awesome.

[210] And I just want to remind everybody, I have The Life of Christ by Archbishop Sheen.

[211] It's about a 400 -page book.

[212] We've put it on cassette tape back 30 years ago, and now I have it as a free download on the Virgin Most Powerful Radio's website.

[213] Why do I say that?

[214] Because reading the life of Christ changed to so many people's lives because it inspires them.

[215] The gospel is what inspires.

[216] us more than anything else, that message that Christ gave us 2 ,000 years ago.

[217] And I always say repent and believe in the gospel.

[218] That's my line from the gospel, but that's what I tell myself, repent, Terry, and believe.

[219] And I want to also remind you, don't forget to ask Jesus Christ for more faith every single day.

[220] That's an important thing to do that I encourage everyone to do, including myself.

[221] When we come back, Bishop Strickland has some scripture quotes that I think you should put on your bathroom window there in your mirror because it's a it's something that scripture always inspires us that's what the bible says and we come back we'll deal with a couple of those stay with us family you're listening to the bishop strickland hour welcome back to the bishop strickland hour and that last segment made me think of my examination of conscience on scandal and i mean that that paragraph i think i should read before i go into confession because uh you know it's a important that we walk to talk and we don't look the other way because of convenience.

[222] And I saw something on one of your tweets that fit that when you said, oh, hang on a second, I'll get it.

[223] We're talking about living the faith more than just talking about it.

[224] You have to live it.

[225] And I think it's just basically a tweet.

[226] I don't see it here in front of me right now, Bishop Strickland, but it's a line that says, make sure you're living the faith before you preach the faith.

[227] Absolutely.

[228] That's what the preaching is about.

[229] And sometimes the best preaching, I mean, you know, like talking about your children again, your example is your best preaching.

[230] Your example of remaining a faithful man, even though you are a sinner and though you are weak.

[231] For people to see that example.

[232] And that's really like you're saying, the opposite of, the opposite of, of causing scandal is causing virtue and encouraging people to really recognize that everybody's got it tough.

[233] We all make mistakes.

[234] We all live in a dark world.

[235] But the great hope is seeing the good person living virtuously.

[236] That's the opposite of causing scandal.

[237] And you know, Bishop Strickland, some of your tweets are the kinds that you just take out, cut it out a piece of paper, put it in your prayer book because this second letter of Peter chapter 1 verse 19 to 21 is one of those great quotes from the Bible that really gives you focused about life.

[238] It says, we possess the prophetic message as something altogether reliable.

[239] Keep your attention closely fixed on it as you would on a lamp shining in a dark place until the first streaks of dawn appear and the morning star rises in your hearts.

[240] Mr. Strickland, that got me because when I read that I thought with all the confusion going on in the world, basically you're telling me to keep my eyes on Jesus.

[241] Absolutely.

[242] What a great message.

[243] Love it.

[244] Bishop Strickland, I noticed as a bishop, you're going to be criticized.

[245] Let's just be honest.

[246] A lot of your tweets, I won't read the ones, you know where people respond and say you're a knucklehead basically and I'm being nice you know because they don't like you because you're telling them the truth and it makes them uncomfortable I get it but you you tweeted this from well cardinal Burke a comment that he said he says when I die I will appear before the Lord to give an account of my services as a bishop not before the conference of bishops now Bishop Strickland that's very bold for a bishop a cardinal to say that.

[247] And you quoted this saying, you said a reminder that in the end, we are all simply children of God, a glorious call that should always be what guides us.

[248] Whatever our position is in this world, the Lord will only ask, have you been a good and faithful servant?

[249] Let us strive to make the answer yes.

[250] So you quote Bishop, Cardinal Burke, I would think that you need to hear that probably more often than not.

[251] I mean, as a bishop, am I on to something that bishops have to kind of have thick skin?

[252] Absolutely.

[253] And we have to remember who the ultimate judge is.

[254] Yeah.

[255] As we know, scripture says, judge not let you be judged.

[256] And sometimes that gets twisted to say, oh, well, don't judge anything.

[257] Not judging the person, not saying, I can read your, heart and your mind.

[258] But we have to judge the actions.

[259] Amen.

[260] Well, going back to any politician who is ignoring what the church teaches.

[261] No, I don't, we shouldn't claim.

[262] And I don't claim to know what's in that person's heart.

[263] But all we can, all we can see is the actions of a person.

[264] Right.

[265] And so we pray for the conversion of a person's heart whose actions are contrary.

[266] to the commandments of God.

[267] That's what it comes down to.

[268] And we all need to pray for each other.

[269] We all are sinners, and therefore sometimes our actions are contrary to the commandments of God.

[270] God is the ultimate judge, but as Cardinal Burke points out, you know, no bishop judge is another.

[271] We may be put into circumstances where we have to make some sort of a judge or some decision regarding, I mean, as a bishop, that's one of the burdens that I carry is not judging, hopefully, but I do have to make judgments about, is this priest suitable for this work, or does a change need to be made?

[272] We have to make those judgments all the time.

[273] Hopefully, praying with our priests and helping them to be good and virtuous holy men, as we strive to be good and virtuous holy men, but we've got to really make that distinction between making judgments about good and evil, which is part of being human, part of being created in the image and likeness of God, is to make those choices.

[274] But also, to always be aware, thankfully, you can't judge me ultimately, I can't judge you ultimately, But we can, out of love, as shepherds, I need to guide others in the way of Christ, humbly acknowledging that I need that guidance as well.

[275] And we should always be willing to make a good examination of conscience, as you were saying, and ask ourselves, how have I failed?

[276] And then letting our example help others to do the same thing and grow in the light of of Christ that that from Peter, one Peter speaks up.

[277] The beautiful light of Christ that is always there to guide us.

[278] We can all wonder from it because we're sinful, we're foolish.

[279] I'll speak for myself.

[280] And but thankfully, that's what Christ's mercy is.

[281] God never gives up on us.

[282] God never says, oh, that person's heart is too hardened and too sinful.

[283] We give up on ourselves sometimes and say, oh, God could never forgive me. But God doesn't do that.

[284] And we need to remember that's what his mercy is about, really, is recognizing, yes, we can fall into grave sin.

[285] But when we wake up like the prodigal son and turn around and return to the father, God is always ready to welcome us with open arms.

[286] That is a great blessing and a great gift.

[287] But it does call us, to wake up from our sin and to turn around.

[288] And then we can be welcomed by the open arms of God.

[289] What we hear too much in the world today is, oh, just keep marching on the path that you've decided in God's mercy.

[290] God's mercy can't catch up with us.

[291] Because we're marching away from him if we don't ever turn from sin and return to the Father.

[292] Well said, Bishop Strickland.

[293] You know, something popped in my head when you were saying, talking earlier about scandal.

[294] It just came up again and how do we deal with it.

[295] And we had a scandal.

[296] Unfortunately, it's public out here in California where at a Jesuit university, a Planned Parenthood was doing a fundraiser at a Catholic university.

[297] And we all went, what?

[298] So we called a president.

[299] We called for a prayer vigil.

[300] Hundreds of Catholics went to that university gate.

[301] We didn't go on their property and prayed the rosary.

[302] wrote letters to the president of the university, Jesuit University in L .A. And we just made reparation because we thought, well, it makes no sense that a Catholic university would have a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood, who is the number one killer of abortion.

[303] And it's scandalous that we didn't get one response from the officials.

[304] Nothing.

[305] They were completely silent.

[306] But I commend the faithful because this next tweet said It's, we're crying out.

[307] We're crying out for clear truth, Bishop Strickland.

[308] That was an example, and I'm tying it into your tweet right now, because on November 7th, you tweeted, the Catholic faithful are crying out for clear truth, and that's what we were crying out at that university.

[309] Abortion is murder.

[310] Advocating the murder is sinful.

[311] Communion is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, receiving communion with no repentance or confession of sin.

[312] is in itself sinful, no matter who you are.

[313] Truth.

[314] What you just tweeted is ultimated, unadulterated truth.

[315] That's what it is.

[316] It's the truth about our faith.

[317] But you said it in a paragraph or two.

[318] That's what the hundreds of Catholics who went to that university to pray for just want our Catholic faith in the truth being proclaimed.

[319] And when we see it at universities like that, it just makes us feel very sad, and our natural response is to pray for the leaders in the church to come about and respond in a very Catholic way rather than a secular way.

[320] So anyhow, that happened out here in L .A., not in Texas.

[321] I get it.

[322] You guys don't do those kind of things out in Texas.

[323] But in California, we got that going on.

[324] Bishop Strickland, before we get into the catechism, we just have another minute before the break.

[325] I wanted to give one more tweet that Father Frank Provone, who's priest for life, he responded to a tweet that you just did on, yeah, on the ninth.

[326] It said, the Catholic faith are crying out what you just said for abortions, murder, advocating for murder, sinful, communion is the body.

[327] Just what I just said.

[328] And your response, it wasn't a priest saying, oh, cut it out, Bishop, stop talking like that.

[329] No, Bishop, Father Frank Avone says, amen.

[330] man and thank you for your outstanding leadership.

[331] Bishop Strickland, I know this is you're just doing your duty, okay?

[332] You're not even doing anything heroic.

[333] I'll be honest with you.

[334] I don't think.

[335] I mean, people say, oh, you're heroic telling people that abortion is murder.

[336] Really?

[337] I don't think so.

[338] You know what I think?

[339] You're doing your job.

[340] Well, your duty.

[341] Yeah, exactly.

[342] And it is a shame.

[343] I mean, if that's heroic, I'm going to keep being heroic.

[344] It's helping people to faith.

[345] It really is a shame that it's considered to be heroic when it should be just basic job description.

[346] Exactly.

[347] You know, so we need to encourage shepherds to simply do what Christ says.

[348] If you love me, keep my commandments.

[349] We have to do that as men first.

[350] And then as shepherds, we have to urge others to keep his commandments.

[351] saying the Lord loves us.

[352] He wants us to love him.

[353] Well said, when we come back, there's a men's march in Baltimore, Maryland.

[354] Bishop Strickland is going to give a plug for that.

[355] If you're out there, please join him.

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

[357] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[358] My name's Terry Barber.

[359] For those who just tuned in, we cover the catechism of the Catholic Church.

[360] We cover his tweets.

[361] But I also want to plug some things that Bishop Strickland is involved with.

[362] where he's going to Baltimore, Maryland, I guess, well, for the Bishop's Conference, but I believe Sunday they're going to have a men's march.

[363] Can you share a little bit about that, please, Bishop?

[364] Yeah, it's actually on Monday.

[365] Monday, okay.

[366] I hope it is because that's what's on my calendar.

[367] But, yeah, it's on Monday, and it's a men's march for the end of abortion.

[368] So when they contacted me and asked if I would participate, I said, absolutely.

[369] I believe some other bishops are able to join in it as well.

[370] And, you know, we need to joyfully and clearly just continue to share the treasure of life from conception to natural death and to pray that one day abortion will end, hopefully in our lifetime.

[371] But whether or not it does happen, our fidelity demands.

[372] that we work and pray for the sanctity of life.

[373] And that means every aspect of life from conception to natural death.

[374] Well done.

[375] Now, I'd like to ask everybody to open up their catechism of their Catholic Church.

[376] And again, this is important for us to really review our faith on a regular basis.

[377] I know some of you say, oh, I went to 12 years of Catholic education.

[378] I don't need to open up a catechism.

[379] All right.

[380] No pun intended.

[381] Yes, you do.

[382] And I'll tell you why, because our faith is a lifetime occupation.

[383] We're always studying our faith to grow in knowledge and love of Jesus Christ.

[384] So we're on paragraph 255.

[385] We've been dealing with the Holy Trinity of the Catholic Church's teachings on that.

[386] And right now we're at 255, and I'll just read this, and then Bishop Strickon can give us some commentary teaching on it.

[387] The divine persons are relative to one another.

[388] it does not divide the divine unity.

[389] The real distinction of the persons from one another resides solely in the relationship which relate them to one another.

[390] In the relational names of the persons, the father is related to the son, the son to the father, and the Holy Spirit to both.

[391] while they are called three persons in view of their relations we believe in one nature or substance very clear indeed everything in them is one where there is no opposition of relationship because of that unity the father is holy in the sun and holy in the Holy Spirit and the sun is holy in the Father and Holy in the Holy Spirit.

[392] The Holy Spirit is holy in the Father and holy in the Son.

[393] Pretty profound stuff.

[394] It really is if you think about it.

[395] And I like that person.

[396] I love the listing of the councils that it is quoting from the Council of Toledo, the Council of Florence, the Ladering Council 4.

[397] It just is a reminder that this is not something that the church developed easily or recently or just in a brief span of time, but it's continued to grow deeper as we understand the mystery that ultimately Christ fully reveals, then the Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit to guide the church.

[398] And I think the beautiful thing about this paragraph, 255, is, it speaks several times of relationship in reminding us that that is really the wonder of God is father, son, and spirit, and their relationship to each other.

[399] It becomes kind of a mouthful to talk about the son, fully and the father and holy and the spirit.

[400] But that is speaking of the reality of their relationship toward each other.

[401] Terry, you are called to live the sacrament of matrimony, a relationship with a woman, a man and a woman in relationship.

[402] That's a beautiful dimension of what the Holy Trinity is about and what a tremendous call you have.

[403] That's why with the teachings of so many of the popes through the centuries, and especially the focus that John Paul the great gives, he speaks so eloquently of the essential nature of marriage and family, it's just a reminder to us that we're all called to be children of God.

[404] and that call for you and your wife, what is your wife's name?

[405] Mary, like a blessed mother, Mary.

[406] What a beautiful name.

[407] Yeah, I think so.

[408] But Terry and Mary are called to live what we've been talking about in this session.

[409] Yeah.

[410] To demonstrate their love for Christ by living the commandments.

[411] And you're called to do that together.

[412] Right.

[413] In a relationship of love that is, echo, in many ways a tiny echo, but in terms of this world, a glorious and beautiful echo of the infinite love that is God.

[414] A man and a woman committed in marriage are called to echo that beautiful love of God.

[415] And though no man and woman can can even approach in any way, really, the tremendous love of God.

[416] What the sacrament of matrimony offers you is that opportunity to even in the tiniest way imitate God in your love for your wife and her love for you.

[417] It's about relationship.

[418] It's about the mystery of that relationship that a man and a woman are called to live.

[419] So I think this paragraph 255 really is a beautiful reflection on what it means.

[420] to be a human being.

[421] We've all read that no man is an island.

[422] God demonstrates that for us.

[423] And in the fact that we're created in the image and likeness of God, we're called into relationship.

[424] That relationship is different for me as a priest and now a bishop, but I'm called into relationship.

[425] that as a shepherd, I'm called into a relationship with my flock.

[426] You are called into a sacrament that is a relationship with you and your wife.

[427] And the beauty of that is that you are God -like when you're living faithfully your vocation.

[428] And that's true for all of us.

[429] From our baptism, we're called to live in relationship with God.

[430] who is, by definition, a relationship of love and a mystery that we can never fathom, but God has revealed enough to us.

[431] If we listen, if we listen to His Word and know His commandments, we begin to grow in being human, being the children of God that we're called to be.

[432] So it all comes down to that mystery of a relationship of love.

[433] and in God's case, divine love.

[434] Beautifully stated, I think of the book Three to Get Married by Archbishop Fulton Sheen.

[435] The first five chapters of the book are all about Trinitarian life.

[436] And so you were just saying such beautiful things that made me think of Archbishop Sheen.

[437] Bishop Strickland, you're going to be leaving for the bishop's conference.

[438] I'm going to ask all of our listeners, not to just pray for you, but all of our shepherds that the Holy Spirit will guide this meeting in a really powerful way to encourage our bishops to be bold and proclaiming the eternal truths of the Catholic faith that they will be very fearless and speaking on any aspect of the faith in a way that they're not concerned about who's going to think what and it's just going to be with a great time with all the bishops praying about leading our church because I think of Monsignor George Kelly's book, The Battle for the American Church, he says, where is the church going where its leaders take them?

[439] So we need strong leadership in our church.

[440] And as shepherds, we're the flock right now.

[441] We're looking for you to be a true shepherd in protecting our faith against a world that acts like God doesn't exist.

[442] So I would ask everybody for three things.

[443] One, make a special visit to the Blessed Sacrament this coming week and pray for the bishops yeah number two get your rosary out you're off the team if you don't have the rosary you got to pray the rosary have a rosary offered for all the bishops not just for bishop strickland but all of them and then in this coming week i know this is i'm going to ask you a lot get to an extra mass yeah one extra so if you go to a sunday mass go to a saturday evening mass too or maybe the weekday mass whatever you can get to and offer that mass for our leaders our bishops who are meeting next week in Baltimore.

[444] And those are the three things I would ask.

[445] I will do the same.

[446] I will pray the rosary.

[447] I will make an extra visit and I will get to an extra mass for our bishops because they need our prayerful support.

[448] I always think of Our Lady of Fatima and not that so many bishops are going to lose their salvation, but I'm saying, our lady says this, that souls are going to hell because no one is there to pray and make sacrifices.

[449] Well, just because you're a bishop, that doesn't You get an automatic pass to heaven.

[450] And so we need to pray for our bishops, our priests, our deacons, for everyone.

[451] So before I sign off, I want to also encourage people to listen to the podcasts of Bishop Strickland's shows.

[452] They're all on Virgin Most Powerful Radio's website, and it's vmpr .org.

[453] All the shows are there.

[454] We've got a brand new show, Barbara McWigan, from EWTN for 20 years.

[455] did a pro -life show called Fight the Good Fight, and now she is on Virgin Most Powerful as of right now, after this show, you're going to hear Barbara McWiggin with her first show on pro -life.

[456] And so we want to have a dedicated show every week with one of the best persons I can think of.

[457] She's been in the trenches.

[458] She worked with Father Paul Marks of Human Life International for 30 years, and she'll be coming on right after this show for her first show.

[459] But Bishop Strickland, could you also give us your bishop, your blessing for all of our listeners that we will also be faithful to our duties in our state in life?

[460] It's mutual.

[461] Sure.

[462] Thank you, Terry.

[463] And I would echo what you've said and ask for everyone to pray for me and for every bishop for a deeper conversion of heart to Jesus Christ.

[464] I need that every man on the planet.

[465] does.

[466] And certainly all of us who are called to be shepherd.

[467] So let me offer a blessing.

[468] Almighty God, we ask your blessing for all who are listening and participating that Virgin Most Powerful Radio may continue to inspire with this time when Terry and I speak and when others offer the truth of Jesus Christ.

[469] Help us to remain joyful and guided in the light of your son.

[470] ask this.

[471] In the name of the Father, there's something that we're going to say.

[472] Amen.

[473] Thank you so much, Bishop Strickland.

[474] Folks, we'll be back next week.

[475] We have a special edition with Bishop Strickland and Bishop Athanasia Snyder on Monday of next week on the Terry and Jesse show.

[476] We'd love to have you listen to that.

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

[478] Until next week, God love you.