12 Sep 23 – On Bishop Strickland’s Second Pastoral Letter

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

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

[2] Thank you, Jesus.

[3] I get to talk about Jesus Christ and his bride the church with a successor of the apostle.

[4] Bishop Strickland, thanks for taking the time to do all of this.

[5] Thank you, Terry.

[6] Yeah, God left you.

[7] And if you've heard last week's show, folks, please do it because if you haven't, we covered St. Paul the 6th general audience of January 19th, 1972, and what he said at that general audience, how it applies to us today was just remarkable.

[8] So I want to remind everybody to listen to last week's show.

[9] Mr. Strickland, I appreciate what you just did on the 5th of September.

[10] It's a second letter to the flock of Tyler, and I say to the whole church, because we have a universal church.

[11] What you say to your diocese applies to people like me in California and everywhere in the world.

[12] You wrote another letter to your flock, and I'd like to take at least a segment or two to discuss this because what I'm seeing you do is mimic St. John Paul to the Great.

[13] I call him the Great, because during his pontificate, he put out lots of documents on what the church teaches whether it was liturgical or whether it was moral very taught to splendor and he just laid it out and said this is what we believe and so he fought error through example and i think uh your two letters now really address some key issues in the church today where people are starting to wonder do we still believe this and you're reaffirming and saying yes we do so if i could just read a paragraph at a time and you can give a little commentary, that would be grand.

[14] You said, dear sons and daughters in Christ, I write to you today to discuss more fully the first basic truth that I spoke of in my first pastoral letter.

[15] That's a great point.

[16] Christ established one church, the Catholic Church, and therefore only the Catholic Church provides the fullness of Christ's truth and the authentic path to his salvation for all of us.

[17] That is well said in a short paragraph, but I'm really wonder how many Catholics have been taught that because it's a straightforward statement in this paragraph, Bishop Strickland, but if we really believe that, then we understand what Jesus Christ died for because his bride is to continue on with that teaching that he gave us and that the church is the authentic interpreter for ages to come.

[18] So I want to ask you that opening paragraph, what made you just go right to that point about the church being instituted by Christ?

[19] Well, I think in the context of the original letter, it really followed on in my thought with believing in who Jesus Christ is.

[20] If you truly believe Jesus Christ, is God's son, his only son, Father's Son, and Spirit, or the Trinity, if you believe that, then he's the Savior of all humanity for all time.

[21] Yes.

[22] And that's what the other letter talked about.

[23] Right.

[24] If you believe in him, then you believe in the church that he established, and that's the Catholic Church.

[25] That's based in scripture.

[26] It's based in history.

[27] And it's being really, even with all the turmoil that we're seeing now, this truth that comes from Christ, once it's compared to the false messages that are out there in the world and creeping into the church, the truth is what sets us free, not some man -made imitation of it.

[28] So you start with Jesus, in my logic, and I think it makes sense.

[29] You start with Jesus Christ, and then you go to his church.

[30] And there aren't many churches.

[31] There's not, he's not one among many saviors.

[32] He is the savior.

[33] And that's not, that's not something, I know people, Protestant or otherwise, non -Christians, are going to argue with that.

[34] Yes.

[35] But it's based in scripture.

[36] Of course, if they understand how scripture developed, they, you really have to, if you reject Jesus Christ, if you reject his church, sure, you can reject scripture because scripture really came out of his church.

[37] Right.

[38] Even Old Testament came from the chosen people of God, the people of Israel, which were the precursors of the church that the Son of God, Christ established.

[39] So it all fits together logically.

[40] And I always argue that that's one of the things that we've lost a grasp of is logical thinking.

[41] Yes.

[42] If this is true, therefore, this has to be true.

[43] If Jesus Christ is who we say he is, he can't lie.

[44] He doesn't make mistakes.

[45] He's not playing games.

[46] And when he says, I establish this church, we have to believe it.

[47] I mean, just logically.

[48] That's right.

[49] I know many people don't, but that's the reason I started with.

[50] Thank you.

[51] His church is what brings him forward.

[52] Here we are the beneficiaries of a church.

[53] through the ages into the 20th and 21st century.

[54] We're old, but we're not that old.

[55] We're only about 60 plus years old.

[56] Which only stretches over the 20th and 21st century.

[57] Yep.

[58] The church has been around long, long before we were overthought of.

[59] And that's the whole design of the church, is to bring us the reality that the Son of God was sent to humanity.

[60] as our Savior.

[61] Yes, 2 ,000 years ago, but the church makes him as present as he was in some ways more deeply.

[62] Because he couldn't be universally present as one real human being, fully gone and fully man. He chose to be bound to space and time.

[63] He chose to be in a place and what we now call the Middle East in a country we call Israel around not that far in his whole lifetime from a city called Jerusalem that's still there.

[64] But now, as Lord of His Universal Church, he's universally present, physically present in the Eucharist.

[65] So, you know, I get carried away.

[66] Well, you should.

[67] You should.

[68] It's a beautiful truth that we need to treasure and be clear about.

[69] And, you know, you're just echoing Cardinal Ratzinger in his book, the Rattinger report in 1985, and he made the point.

[70] He said, our big problem in the church today is our ecclesiology.

[71] That's a big word for our listeners.

[72] What's ecclesiology?

[73] What is the church?

[74] Is it the right of Christ?

[75] Yes, it is.

[76] Or is it the optimist club?

[77] No, it isn't.

[78] Or is it majority rules?

[79] Let's vote on that.

[80] No, that's not the church.

[81] and I think Cardinal Ratzinger said that and here now oh gosh, for 30, 40 years later you're basically saying the same thing that we have to understand what the church, who established the church and what the church is for.

[82] And one last comment, the last quote of canon law says the whole purpose of the church the last canon says for the salvation of souls.

[83] So everything the church is supposed to do has to relate really ultimately to the salvation of souls.

[84] So this plastic bottle I'm going to recycle.

[85] I promise, okay?

[86] But you know what?

[87] I'm just going to be honest with you.

[88] The church's breath and time and energy, let's spend it on salvation.

[89] I have, I can talk to other people about recycling.

[90] I mean, it's not our real charism.

[91] The charism of the Catholic Church is the salvation of souls.

[92] All right.

[93] And beautifully, Terry.

[94] Yeah.

[95] That's because that's why Jesus Christ came.

[96] He tells us.

[97] There you go.

[98] aim to save humanity.

[99] That's so the church is carrying on the mission of Jesus Christ.

[100] Amen.

[101] It is the mystical body of Christ.

[102] Amen.

[103] He's still here carrying on his own mission through his church.

[104] Thank you.

[105] Thank you.

[106] Thank you.

[107] Thank you.

[108] All right.

[109] Second paragraph.

[110] Man, we're just getting started, Bishop.

[111] I love this.

[112] We're at a coffee shop, folks.

[113] You're with us.

[114] Have a seat.

[115] We're talking about the most important thing.

[116] That is the meaning and purpose.

[117] life.

[118] Here's the second paragraph.

[119] To begin, I must state clearly and emphatically this fundamental truth that Jesus Christ is the only path to everlasting life.

[120] Nor their path to salvation can be found, as our Lord himself tells us, I am the way and the truth and the life.

[121] No one comes to the Father except through me. Now, Bishop Strickland, I don't need to read the read.

[122] I mean, hope the point is Jesus Christ is the way but why don't you explain a little bit more this paragraph because it's a little longer and you quote some more scripture verses of Matthew 16 but can you talk a little bit about this fundamental truth that Jesus Christ is the only path to everlasting life well again using the the fancier terminology the term that's used the unicity of Jesus Christ he is the unique Savior of the world.

[123] He's the unique son of God.

[124] He's the one and only.

[125] And that's what really is so important for us to remember because there are a lot of messages out there that he's one among many.

[126] That isn't, that's denying Christianity.

[127] That's denying the heart of the church to say that to line up Christ equally with other saviors, other masters of religion.

[128] is simply not the Christian message.

[129] The Christian message is that Christ alone.

[130] Well, so well said, and if you want to back up that up, Dominus Jesus in the year 2000, the church came out with a document pointing out the uniqueness of the Catholic Church, and it irritated people dressed like Bishop Strickland, not him, but bishops and cardinals, I know, were upset with that document because it portrayed the uniqueness of the church.

[131] Stay with me. family.

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

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

[134] Welcome back indeed.

[135] We're talking about Bishop Strickland's second pastoral letter in just the last couple of weeks that are clarifying what the church actually teaches on topics that I think are really important for all of us, not just for the diocese of Tyler.

[136] I mean, this is being put out throughout the world.

[137] And I have to say Bishop Strickland, I have friends all in Europe, and in the Middle East, and people are watching this, they're listening, and they're edified that you would take the time to just reaffirm teachings of the church that have been around for centuries.

[138] The next paragraph that you point out, the Catholic Church is the body of Christ, and he is inseparable from his body.

[139] The church's understanding of Christ's words in Matthew has deepened throughout the ages, but in accordance with sacred tradition handed down from Christ to the apostles, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 15, and then preserved and protected by the church fathers, saints and martyrs, until this very day.

[140] It has always been understood and proclaimed that the Catholic Church is the single divinely instituted church that Christ established for the salvation of souls all that the church is as the mystical body of Christ flows from the truth that it was and is divinely constituted by Christ and her basic elements which include the sacred deposit of faith cannot be altered by men because it does not belong to men.

[141] The church belongs to Christ.

[142] Well said, Bishop St. Clinton.

[143] You know, before you respond, in my lifetime, I can count more of them.

[144] My fingers, probably 10 priests have told me, you know, Jesus never really intended to start a church.

[145] It just happened.

[146] I thought, why would you?

[147] Maybe you've never had someone say that to you, but I've had it said many times to me. And I go, what do you think the church is?

[148] The Optimist Club?

[149] All right, let's get into that paragraph.

[150] I want to hear your thoughts on that.

[151] well again terry it goes back to who is jesus christ yeah and that he's still here i guess that's the the simple yeah but profoundly beautiful answer that i can give and that's why this church is so important yeah because in god's wisdom he knew that you and i yeah living in this year 2023 we would need to know his son just like the people of the first century.

[152] And look at all the development of doctrine that has strengthened the church like the example of use of transubstantiation.

[153] That was not a word that Jesus used and people would argue that's not in the Bible, but neither is Trinity.

[154] Exactly.

[155] I've often said in classes that I've taught, that's a great example of really the development of doctrine, the way the Holy Spirit has guided the church.

[156] The truth is there.

[157] In Scripture clearly talks about God.

[158] I mean, Jesus says, go out to all nations, the Great Commission.

[159] Go to all nations and baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[160] Amen.

[161] So Jesus speaks of the truth of the Trinity, but he doesn't use the word Trinity.

[162] that's the best human expression for the mystery of a God that is one and three persons.

[163] And that's just one example of probably millions, literally, thousands for sure, of developments of what this means and how we understand it.

[164] The same thing with transubstantiation.

[165] Jesus didn't whisper to the apostles.

[166] Now, guys, this is transubstantiation that I'm talking about.

[167] He just was there saying, I want you to know me so intimately, so deeply, that I'm going to be with you under the form of consecrated bread and wine.

[168] So what all of this letter really is about is reminding us of the treasure that the church is because Christ is the savior of all humanity for all time.

[169] the church is the vehicle for that salvation.

[170] And therefore, just as Christ can't be destroyed, he can be harmed.

[171] He could be hung on a cross, but he rose from the dead.

[172] He's the Lord of Life.

[173] And so his church seems to be going through a passion herself.

[174] She's gone through rough periods before, but this, frankly, I think we can say.

[175] This is one of the roughest.

[176] I agree.

[177] Because there's so much confusion and so much confusion at the very top of the church with literally cardinals against cardinals and bishops against bishops.

[178] The confusion is thick and troublesome.

[179] That's why, like we were talking about, that's why, you know, here's this bishop from northeast Texas, a place called Tyler.

[180] But I have the same mandate as every bishop and every archbishop of every diocese are the largest archdiocese in the world.

[181] That may be Mexico City, I'm not sure, but certainly Tyler is not even close.

[182] It would be down there closer to the smallest diocese in the world.

[183] But it doesn't matter.

[184] I mean, it's not like, well, the apostles, certainly the Sea of Peter is.

[185] significant.

[186] But he's also one among the bishops.

[187] He's the leader among the body of bishops.

[188] That's what Peter did.

[189] That's what the papacy is about.

[190] But each bishop, and I think that's something that we've really not, and I've had to learn more deeply as I've been a bishop, and the great responsibility of this has impacted my life.

[191] I've learned more clearly and more deeply.

[192] my responsibility, we speak of like the diocese of Tyler or the diocese where you are, it's an archdiocese where you are, that's called a local church.

[193] The church is present in all of her elements as the mystical body of Christ and even institutionally.

[194] Certainly, we don't have the wealth and the glorious buildings and the things of other churches, but a church is a flock of faithful followers.

[195] of Jesus Christ in the Catholic tradition.

[196] And so the church, that universal church, is gathered in dioceses around the world.

[197] Every bishop has the same responsibility.

[198] For whatever reasons, the Lord has inspired me. Yes.

[199] And maybe it's just my down -to -earth East Texas upbringing, that when I believe something, I've got to talk about it.

[200] I can't just say, well, yeah, I have.

[201] this treasure, but I'm not going to share it with everyone, or I'm going to let you just have whatever portion of the truth you have.

[202] I've got to share the fullness of the truth that is Jesus Christ offered through the church that he established.

[203] I think you said it well in one of your tweets.

[204] You said on August 29th, as weak and sinful as I am, I have come to know Jesus Christ so deeply that it's impossible for me to remain silent about his beautiful truth as i enter more deeply into his sacred heart i see more profoundly that i have so much to learn i pray that all may come to know jesus east texas i love it i was there with you last weekend for the conference but you know what even better than even better than being you know growing up in east texas is your relationship with jesus christ and that you have said that.

[205] Look, I'm compelled, as the Bibles, I'm compelled to preach this, in season and out.

[206] And so I think that the tweet says it well, and I thank you for that because Bishop Strickland, I share that with you.

[207] I really believe that God's given me as a layman, an opportunity with this Mike and all the things that we've done in media from Lighthouse Catholic Media, the St. Joseph Communications, writing books, doing that.

[208] It's not about me. It's about sharing.

[209] the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[210] So that's why I think I have a kindred spirit with you because you motivate me to go out and just say, hey, you know what?

[211] I only got so many breaths of air.

[212] I'm in my mid -60s right now.

[213] I don't want to go down where I was too quiet about Christ and his church.

[214] So this show has helped me become a better evangelist, so I will publicly thank you for that, Bishop Strickland.

[215] And I want to point out just last Sunday's reading, the prophet Jeremiah speaks about it burning in his bone so that he couldn't even the prophet very humanly, very honestly says he tried to shut up about it.

[216] He tried to quit speaking.

[217] Of course, he's speaking the name of the Lord God before the time of Christ.

[218] But we know God, father, son, and spirit through his son more deeply than even the prophet Jeremiah.

[219] And as I said, at the masses I celebrated, we're all called to be prophets.

[220] We're all called to have that truth burning in our bones that we have to speak up with joy, with clarity, with vigor.

[221] We have to speak the truth.

[222] And the church needs this truth as much as the world.

[223] I mean, the church can't be the bride of Christ without constantly turning.

[224] to Christ and knowing him more deeply.

[225] And the church is, I mean, every priest, every baptized member of the church, but certainly every priest, we've got to come to know Jesus Christ more deeply to authentically share his truth through his church.

[226] Wow.

[227] I just want to do one more paragraph and it'll bleed into the next segment and then we'll get to your tweets.

[228] but you're speaking like a great saint and I thought I had my quote in front of me from Pope Leal the yeah I do Pope Leal the 13th and 475 said this not to oppose error is to approve it not to defend truth is to suppress it and indeed to neglect the confound evil man when you can do it is no less a sin than to encourage them so that also makes me realize that I need to speak the truth truth with clarity and with charity and this is what we try to do here at virgin most powerful radio every day we're not into getting mad at people we're into trying to get them motivated to fall deep in love with jesus christ and his bride the church when we come back i want to talk about a great saint cyril of jerusalem and he stated something in 350 a d that i think the bishop quoted in his pastoral letter the second one in the last couple of weeks We'll talk about that.

[229] Also, I just want to give a plug to Bishop Fulton Sheen.

[230] We have a rally with Bishop Sheen here at the church at the Sacred Heart Chapel on the 14th of October.

[231] And we have a priest who was converted through Bishop Sheen's book.

[232] And now he was only 14 years old when that happened.

[233] And then he ends up becoming a Catholic priest.

[234] He's going to tell his story.

[235] And I just think it's going to be a great weekend.

[236] So if you can join us on the 14th, just go online to vmpr .org.

[237] You can also stream it anywhere in the world.

[238] You can watch the whole event.

[239] And by the way, I just say, if you want to hear Bishop Strickland's talk from last weekend and all the talks, Janet Smith and all the others, Mother Miriam, we've got it all available at Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[240] We've done some editing, and I think if you call 877 -526 -215, and they can download that to you.

[241] And we'll get it up on our website.

[242] people can just get that message that we did on the Defending the Faith Conference in Tyler, Texas last weekend.

[243] Wow, when we come back, we're going to talk a little bit more about the second pastoral letter from Bishop Strickland to the flock.

[244] And we're going to be quoting St. Cyril of Jerusalem.

[245] Stay with us, family.

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

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

[248] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[249] Indeed, we're talking about his pastoral letter, the second one, that he came out on September 5th.

[250] You know, it's right on their website, the Diocese of Tyler, and I think lots other people, LifeSight News has picked it up, and others.

[251] So this is a paragraph quoting St. Cyril of Jerusalem, stating in 350 AD, he says the church, now this is kind of interesting, really, you think about it.

[252] what, 17 hundred years ago.

[253] The church is called Catholic then because it extends over all the world from one end of the earth to the other because it teaches universally and completely the doctrines that ought to come out, that ought to come to men's knowledge concerning things both visible and invisible, heavenly and earthly.

[254] Wow.

[255] And because it brings into subjection to godliness, the whole race of mankind governs and governed, learned and unlearned, and because it universally treats and heals the whole class of sins that are committed by soul or body and possesses in itself every form of virtue that is named both in deeds and words and in every spiritual gift.

[256] That's a mouthful, Bishop Strickland.

[257] Well, what I like about that, I mean, like you said, about 1700 years ago, the church becomes called Catholic.

[258] And it existed before, again, before that name was used, it was the Catholic Church.

[259] It was the Church of Christ, which is a universal message of salvation.

[260] What's interesting there, just historically, where both of us are, Texas and California, were wilderness that were unknown to St. Cyril of Jerusalem.

[261] Amen.

[262] But the universality of the church is so woven into her reality and what the church is about.

[263] Right.

[264] Because, again, the church in her holiness, in her, when she gets it right, she models, she models.

[265] Amen.

[266] The church also is made up of human beings, so we get it wrong in their divisions and there's corruption.

[267] And we see all of that from the very beginning.

[268] I mean, you just look to the acts of the apostles.

[269] They're already having struggles.

[270] I mean, I always allude to an ordination of deacons.

[271] Deacons came out of people arguing, people saying, hey, we're not getting the fair share here.

[272] You know, so the church in her humanity has always had those struggles, but that universal nature of the church is tied to her divine head.

[273] That's Jesus Christ.

[274] He's universal Lord.

[275] So, of course, his church is universal.

[276] He's, you know, I know that a lot of people would bristle at this terminology, but he's the Catholic Lord of the world, meaning not saying, that Jesus is Catholic, he's beyond Catholic, but that universally, he's universally present in the tiniest village in Siberia to the small town in East Texas, to the gathering of a few people on the tip of South America, Jesus is Lord.

[277] If you're looking to salvation, you look to him.

[278] That's right.

[279] Wow.

[280] We'll get back to to the letter next week now that was just the first you know one two have the fourth paragraphs that's the first page bishop strickland i want to shift gears into some of your tweets i don't think we've ever gone doing a show without talking about the unborn and um you really uh said something that i think we all have to do we have to pray for these people and leadership in the world who are for killing unborn babies.

[281] Not that it upsets us.

[282] It upsets me that they're in positions of power to put out more documentation and laws to kill the unborn like Nancy Pelosi.

[283] And she's a baptized Catholic.

[284] So we should really be praying for her conversion.

[285] She said that it's sinful to restrict women from killing their children in the womb.

[286] Now, Bishop Strickland, she is mixed up.

[287] I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt, but something has gone into her head.

[288] Now, I know for a fact, when she was a young person in college, some Dominican nuns that heard the interview on the YouTube, influenced her to become pro -choice, meaning killing babies.

[289] And that was, you know, 50, 60 years ago.

[290] So that's sad.

[291] She got bad formation.

[292] That's why what you're doing right now is so critical for formation for all of us.

[293] And you said, pray for God's daughter, Nancy.

[294] She still has time to repent of her sins.

[295] I love it.

[296] And step away from her evil path.

[297] Because that is evil, killing innocent life.

[298] In the end, she has no power, no wealth, no influence.

[299] Pray that her heart may be converted before it's too late.

[300] Pray that she becomes a voice for life.

[301] And you said, pray for a miracle.

[302] I agree.

[303] You know what?

[304] let's do this our listeners.

[305] Let's make a effort to pray not just for Nancy Pelosi and President Biden and other prominent leaders, but let's offer some sacrifice in the next day for them because we know our lady is talking about that.

[306] Soul's going to hell because no one's there to pray and make sacrifices.

[307] Let's name them.

[308] Let's name Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden and make some sacrifice.

[309] I'm going to do it tonight.

[310] I'm not going to wait until tomorrow.

[311] But Bishop Strickland, I want to throw it to you because you're the one who sent the tweet out saying that we need to pray for.

[312] Well, I think that's constantly what I try to remember and what we must remember is even some way like Nancy who's saying it's a sin to murder children, I mean to oppose murdering children, that we remember every person speaking is beloved of God.

[313] And it's God's will that they share his everlasting life.

[314] Amen.

[315] No matter what they've done in the world, I mean, even many of the saints were not living in the light of Christ throughout their lives.

[316] I mean, we just celebrated St. Augustine.

[317] He's well known.

[318] I mean, he wrote a book talking about his.

[319] his own conversion.

[320] Many of the strongest Catholics in the church today are people who converted from a very sinful path.

[321] And we all remain sinners even after that conversion.

[322] But it's about conversion, and that's what Nancy Pelosi meets, as does everyone.

[323] And certainly the sanctity of life issue, the sanctity of the life of the unborn, is certainly the only only issue, but as we've argued before, if you're attacking life in the womb, you're striking at the very foundation, the very basic beginning of life.

[324] That's right.

[325] So, and I'm sure Nancy has other policies in her, you know, leadership, so -called, that need to be converted.

[326] But calling, trying to prevent abortion, sinful.

[327] I mean, it's just twisted, and she needs to untwist before the end of her life.

[328] Yes, he did.

[329] Because she's older than both of us, quite a bit older than both of us.

[330] And, you know, nobody lives forever.

[331] No. Even if she lives to 100, God bless her.

[332] Yeah.

[333] But that means God's mercy is giving her about 20 more years to get on the path of light and truth.

[334] Yes.

[335] And stop this evil.

[336] And thankfully, I mean, like the Dr. Bernard Nathanson said, one of the primary abortionists.

[337] I mean, he was a doctor who performed abortions.

[338] 75 ,000 of them.

[339] Go ahead.

[340] But he had a tremendous conversion and repented and did reparation the best he could for the rest of his life for all of those murders that he committed.

[341] So anybody can be converted.

[342] We have to have that kind of faith and hope.

[343] hope as well.

[344] The world can be dark and the turmoil is overwhelming, but we've always got to have hope and faith that the mystery of Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, it's available to all of us.

[345] We all should seek deeper conversion and pray for those that are caught up in darkness to see the light of truth.

[346] I got to just say, but Bernard Nathanson said, I knew him well because I would record him over the years at pro -life events and he's the author of that movie The Silent Screen and that is what got him to really realize that was life but he performed 75 ,000 abortions and then he was baptized the Catholic from being a Jew can you imagine all those sin was absolved when the priest baptized him everything wow and then he became a fervent Catholic.

[347] And I can just tell you a side note, he listened to Archbishop Fulton Sheen's convert course, because I gave it to him.

[348] Really?

[349] Yeah, I mean, the guy, is another little quick note, I got arrested with Dr. Bernard Nathens and had an abortion clinic.

[350] Well, I locked arms to arms with him.

[351] And so I know him well, and I think it's a great example of praying for people because it's never too late.

[352] I mean, God's mercy is there, but we have to have free will to repent and believe.

[353] And what I would emphasize, Tell me. You know, I've never met Nancy Pelosi.

[354] No, I haven't you.

[355] Most of the people that are promoting abortion, Joe Biden, I've ever met him.

[356] But we do know people in our own communities, and we have to treat them with the same love and compassion, calling them to the truth, being clear with charity and clarity.

[357] Amen.

[358] But remembering that person who is going into the Planned Parenthood Clinic to perform abortion.

[359] that they're beloved children of God as well.

[360] We've always got to pray.

[361] And that's what I would encourage that we remember the people in our own communities that are opposing the truth that we know comes from Christ himself, that we pray for them, that we don't get on the attack.

[362] I mean, we can all get angry, we can all get hurt and upset, but we need to remember that every person we encounter no matter what they're doing if they're breathing they're beloved of God and there's a chance and a hope that they can convert from whatever atrocity they may be caught up in and become a disciple of God's son, Jesus Christ.

[363] Amen, amen, amen.

[364] We're going to take a quick break and then we're going to talk about a prominent Dutch philosopher she converted to Catholicism and wait to you hear the circumstances, I just think how God can work good out of evil, and he brings good out of evil.

[365] In other words, bad things happen, but somehow God gives us an opportunity to bring good out of it.

[366] So we'll come right back after a quick break to talk about that and much more on the Bishop Strickland hour.

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

[368] Indeed, welcome back.

[369] I love good news, Bishop Strickland.

[370] When I would love when people come into the church, and I'll tell you why, 40, no, 30, whatever, four years ago when Dr. Hahn, I recorded his conversion story, it brought such joy to my heart to hear this man's story because he was anti -Catholic.

[371] And he found through studying the fathers of the church, you know, that the church was Catholic, and he became Catholic.

[372] And look, he's written 50 books on the Catholic faith and doing great work over at the St. Paul Center.

[373] So we have another good story.

[374] It's written in the National Catholic Register, and I would recommend people to read that National Catholic Register online or get a subscription to the paper.

[375] This is a prominent Dutch philosopher, and she basically tells her story, her church, her path into the church.

[376] But she talks about a political commentator, Eva van Roken, and her father will be received into the church Sunday.

[377] And here's the kicker, Bishop Strickland.

[378] said, God bless her and guide her.

[379] And it was the COVID -19 pandemic that fully awakened her to the reality of the spiritual battle the world is facing and a realization that the Catholic faith is the most powerful weapon against the moral relativism of today.

[380] Wow, wow, wow.

[381] Can you imagine that this woman figured that out through the pandemic?

[382] I'm blown away.

[383] Yeah, it shows version, I mean, like we were talking about.

[384] It can always happen.

[385] And people, if they open their hearts and minds, the truth is powerful.

[386] It is.

[387] The truth really does set us free.

[388] It gives you peace.

[389] It's, you know, like we've talked about before, I mean, just on a very basic human level, if you're after the truth and if you are opening yourself to the truth, It's always consistent.

[390] It always brings you peace.

[391] It may be greatly challenging, but the truth has a power to it that, you know, all the lies that people cling to and try to argue for, it all ultimately falls by the wayside.

[392] Even as you mentioned with Scott Hahn, and I've been blessed to talk to Scott, a great man, a great mind, a great scholar, and he's made a great contribution.

[393] to the modern church.

[394] But when you're talking about him being anti -Catholic, there's something reasonable about those who are anti -Catholic because there are elements of the church, the human brokenness that's there.

[395] And that's what somebody like Scott Hahn is focused on before their conversion, before they begin to see that despite all the human brokenness, The truth is embedded in the church.

[396] The church is Catholic.

[397] That's what Scott Hahn came to understand.

[398] The corruption and the things that he had pointed to that bolstered his opinion of being anti -Catholic haven't disappeared, but he saw deeper.

[399] He saw through to the truth.

[400] And that's what we have to pray for for everyone.

[401] We need to acknowledge there are things that we should be anti -as -as -well.

[402] empty the corruptions in the church, the issues with the abuse of funds, the abuse of people, the distortion of the truth, the sexual abuse crisis.

[403] I mean, there are a lot of things that we should be adamantly against that are manifest in the church.

[404] But that should never lead us.

[405] And sadly, it does lead people to reject the church herself.

[406] But I encourage people, yes, speak against the evil that you see, the corruption, whether on the local scene or in the universal church, wherever you see it.

[407] We need to call out evil and falsehood and manipulation of things and corruption, but never letting that cause us to reject the church herself.

[408] The church is not that evil, that corruption.

[409] That's all the human brokenness that is there.

[410] I mean, in the church, I don't want people to get the idea that the church is just some spiritualized thing that doesn't really have any concrete existence.

[411] The church is embedded in us.

[412] We're all part of the body of Christ.

[413] We're called to be living stones, but each of us is a flog stone, and we're called to do our best to overcome those flogs, to turn away from sin, to repent of the sin and make reparation for our personal sin and for the sin of others, but always to seek that treasure of great Christ, that pearl of great Christ, that is the church, because it's the pathway to knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, his Father and spirit more deeply to knowing God.

[414] And so we can never reject the church.

[415] We can never alter the church and find a new one that's better.

[416] I mean, look at the Protestant Reformation.

[417] I mean, the Protestant churches are collapsing.

[418] And people say, people may look at the Catholic church that, well, it's collapsing too.

[419] Elements of the church are collapsing.

[420] But if the church is purified, which she will be, she has been through the age.

[421] That is painful, but as long as you know, the sacred heart of Christ is at the heart of the church, just like the church says the Eucharist is the source and summit of everything that the church is about.

[422] If you remember that sacred heart that is Christ, then everything can fall away.

[423] I mean, it's not essential.

[424] What's essential is our life in Christ and everything that properly takes us deeper into his life, the word and sacraments, the teachings of the church, the challenges to turn from sin and to live the virtues.

[425] All of that is the church.

[426] And it's challenging.

[427] People don't want to be challenged as deeply as the church said.

[428] They say, oh, it's too idealistic.

[429] Yes, it's idealistic.

[430] Because to approach sharing in God's divine life, talk about idealistic.

[431] But that's what Christ has given us.

[432] That's the call that we have to go out to the world and call people to the ideal of sharing life with God.

[433] You know, that's a great way to end a show with all that.

[434] But I just want to say kudos to Texas and Alaska, because recently they're both Supreme Courts are allowing a ban on gender -affirming care for most minors to take in effect Friday, and you tweeted that, and you actually, Dr. Peter McCulloch, he's the one who was honored to assist the Texas Attorney General's office with evidence based on this, and you just publicly, and I think it's great that you do this, Bishop Strickland, because they need to hear from the clergy when something's done right morally, we've got to say that a boy, and you just said, I'm going to say that a boy, he said, thank you, Dr. McCullick, bless you.

[435] And I think it's important, again, to thank our doctors, our governors, our leaders in a political, when they do something right, which is what they just did, acknowledge it and thank them.

[436] So I just, is that why you said that?

[437] Is that what you were trying to do is just let him know that we appreciate what he's doing?

[438] Absolutely.

[439] As you said, we need to let leaders know when they get it right.

[440] Yeah.

[441] If some miracle did happen and Nancy or Joe did convert, I'll be the first to applaud them.

[442] Yes, of course.

[443] Of course.

[444] Bishop Strickland, I like what's your last tweet the end of the day.

[445] You said a great reminder for us all.

[446] And you had the seven chief spiritual works of mercy.

[447] Number one, to admonish the center, which, you know, that's kind of been forgotten in this age right now.

[448] And I think we need to bring that back to instruct the ignorant, another one that's very powerful, to counsel the doubtful, to comfort the sorrowful, to bear wrongs, patiently, yep, to forgive all injuries and seven to pray for the living and the dead.

[449] What a great approach to life, those, you know, the spiritual works of mercy.

[450] And Bishop Strickland, is that the reason you put that in?

[451] You just want to remind people that profound teaching of the church on the seven spiritual works of mercy?

[452] Absolutely, and they go hand in hand with the corporal works of mercy, which are important too.

[453] Yep.

[454] to help people with physical needs, housing and food and shelter and safety, all the things that there's a lot of focus on.

[455] Still, we have an awful lot of problems in those areas, but the corporal works of mercy, the spiritual works of mercy, living out our faith, as the scriptures tell us.

[456] But I think what we get reversed is the energy for that, the proper direction from that, comes from a deep relationship.

[457] with Jesus Christ.

[458] And I think we tend to just run out there and get busy, instead of being busy with knowing Christ more deeply, he'll guide us in taking care of the ills of society and the injustices that people endure to care for the poor.

[459] He will guide us in that if we come to know him more deeply.

[460] Amen.

[461] I'm laughing because I got a text from someone saying, how can I say all these prayers?

[462] I'm a busy grandma.

[463] I'm taking care of kids.

[464] And I said to her, hey, duty first.

[465] fulfill your duty get up early say your prayers and and do what you can for as long as you can because when you have children you're taking care of that's that's in a sense a prayer i'm not trying to get them out of saying their formal prayers but you know life is busy when you're a parent and so you'll give it all to jesus every action is is like a prayer and so i just want to say thanks for putting the uh the tweet out for the corporal works of mercy and the spiritual works of mercy Bishop Strickland.

[466] And also I want to ask if you could give us your blessing for all of the listeners who listen to this live and also on podcasts.

[467] Almighty God, we ask your blessing for all of us participating in Virgin Most Powerful Radio, that we may continue to share the truth with clarity and charity, with joy, and to be strengthened in the truth ourselves.

[468] May all the saints and the Queen of Saints, the Immaculate Virgin Mary.

[469] your seat for us.

[470] And we ask this in the name of the Father, the Son of the Holy Spirit.

[471] Amen.

[472] I want to just remind everybody, and if you're brand new to the show, we have a catechism that we're using from the Diocese of Tyler that's put out by the St. Philip Institute called The Way of Christ.

[473] And you can pick that up by going to the St. Philip Institute because catechisms are really important for all of us because what Bishop Strickland did today in his letter was very catechetical.

[474] And I think if we don't know our faith today in the world that we're living in, we'll lose it.

[475] So I would encourage everyone to spend time each week studying their faith.

[476] You can get the big catechism.

[477] But this one I like Bishop Strickland because it gives you all the references for the big catechism, but it's a question and answer format.

[478] So I just want to recommend people to go to the St. Philip Institute of Catechesis and Evangelization.

[479] There's lots of resources there for all of us to learn and help our families.

[480] As you know, we say the way the family goes is the way the culture goes.

[481] Bishop Strickland, thanks again for being here and joining us here on your show.

[482] Bishop Strickland out here at Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[483] Folks, you can hear all the shows by going to vmpr .org and not just Bishop Strickland's show, but we have lots of others available.

[484] I love the new one we just came out with, The Life of Christ by Archbishop Sheen with Father Charles Murr.

[485] Check it all out because there's one focus here at Virgin Most Powerful to help you fall deep in love with Jesus Christ and his bride, the church.

[486] Up on the screen, there's St. Philip's website.

[487] Get that catechism.

[488] God of your faith.

[489] God bless you and your family.

[490] And thanks for supporting us here at Virgin Most Powerful Radio.