20 Jun 23 – Jesus, The Sacred Heart and Holy Eucharist

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] My name's Terry Barber.

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

[3] I'm all excited today because we have a feast coming up on Friday, the Feast of the Sacred Heart.

[4] And Bishop Strickland, thank you for taking a time to talk about your tweets, but more importantly, about the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

[5] Thanks, Terry.

[6] I think we do need to talk about the Sacred Heart.

[7] And then the next day, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, those two hearts, along with the chaste heart of St. Joseph.

[8] We've got to turn to them.

[9] I know I've encouraged people to pray the novena to the sacred heart.

[10] Hopefully they'll be coming toward the end of that as we get close to the Feast of the Sacred Heart.

[11] And really just to focus on what the devotion to the sacred heart really is about.

[12] Because what we know and believe is what John 316 says, God's soul of the world, that he gave us his only begotten son.

[13] And that is the reality of the sacred heart.

[14] As I'm sure we've talked about it before, because devotion to the sacred heart is so significant for me and so significant for so many Catholics.

[15] And it's totally appropriate.

[16] St. Margaret Mary Alico is one of the chief proponents of the devotion to the sacred heart.

[17] And then, of course, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the beautiful consecration to the sacred heart.

[18] through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

[19] But really, Terry, what I would hope people can really reflect on in their prayer, something that I like to do, many people, I'm sure, that listen to this occasionally or frequently, this hour that we have once a week, to talk about our faith, the beauty, the blessings, the gift of knowing God, of knowing God's son, and being...

[20] anointed in God's Holy Spirit to live the truth, to live the faith.

[21] And so the sacred heart, it's not just an image.

[22] It is really the very heart of what our faith is about, living in Jesus Christ.

[23] And I think it's a great image that reminds us that with the incarnation is about.

[24] Yeah.

[25] I mean, the image of the heart is significant for us as human beings.

[26] It we speak of the heart speaking from the heart bless your heart.

[27] I mean, there are all kinds of ways that the human heart is significant.

[28] We know that I mean, it's an image of the very center of the person.

[29] What what makes us human, um, the human, um, the human, heart and the fact that God's divine son from all eternity, the son of God, but at a moment in time was conceived in the womb of the Immaculate Virgin Mary.

[30] And I love to think about it.

[31] And I would encourage all of us to really stop and reflect on the beautiful reality that Jesus' heart began to beat in the womb of his mother as he was developing as a child as all of us.

[32] Yes.

[33] I mean, for you, Terry, for me, for every human being born into the world, at a certain moment when everything, when you reach that point of development of the child in the womb, the heart begins to beat.

[34] Wow.

[35] And the beautiful thought there for all of us.

[36] I mean, we're here because our heart's been beating.

[37] since that moment that's right you know people have issues with or i mean how many people have some kind of heart condition and you know too many people i've had relatives probably all of us have relatives they taught a massive heart attack and they're gone right the stop speeding the person is gone very quickly unless there's some dramatic intervention yeah and what what i what i ask people to focus on is we approach the feast of the sacred heart is that beautiful image of Jesus Christ, God's son, whose heart began to grow in his infant body, and it continued to beat until the moment of his death on the cross.

[38] And the beautiful reality of Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, he truly died.

[39] His heart stopped as all the living functions of human body stopped.

[40] He truly died.

[41] he was buried and so for approximately 40 hours that's the 40 hour devotion is approximately the length of time that Jesus died on the cross and there was buried in the tomb the three day on the third day he rose and his heart began to beat again a risen body yeah and that's all mystery we don't get a lot of information but we know in the gospels he had a real body.

[42] He ate with the disciples.

[43] He appeared to them in a risen body form that is mysterious.

[44] We don't get a lot of details.

[45] He's really there, but he also can go through walls.

[46] He can instantaneously appear and disappear, very different from the physical body that he had for 33 years.

[47] But what I love to think about, and as we celebrate the feast of the sacred heart, let us remember the journey of his heart from being conceived and beginning to beat, you know, within several days, from what I understand.

[48] I mean, I'm no scientist or biologists, but they can tell us, they can tell us when a child's heart begins to beat.

[49] And, I mean, when a woman is pregnant and they're checking, you know, through the pregnancy, the child's development, how are they doing?

[50] they check the child's heartbeat.

[51] I mean, that's just, that's a standard like checking our heartbeat.

[52] When you go into the doctor, that's one way doctors can know.

[53] This person's basically okay.

[54] This child's doing fine.

[55] They're developing.

[56] They check the heartbeat.

[57] And I think it's just so significant, especially with all the evil that we're facing and the sinfulness and the denial of God in the attempts to change the faith or to deny the faith, even from people within the church, I think devotion to the sacred heart is essential for our very scientific world.

[58] There's a lot of science in this devotion, if we think about it, even the Eucharistic miracles.

[59] There are tremendous Eucharistic miracles, more than just a few.

[60] A lot of them, and it's interesting that it's heart tissue, it's a simple, post that was, it still looks like wheat bread, simple bread, and I've even read in one of the descriptions of one of those Eucharistic miracles that the scientist said they could not figure out, they couldn't understand.

[61] There was no way that they could devise a method to weave together this heart tissue.

[62] This wheat, this bread, bread and heart tissue woven together in a mysterious way that can't be duplicated.

[63] That's just those miracles of the Eucharist.

[64] And we are both believers.

[65] I've never seen a miracle of the Eucharist, but we see and believe that every Eucharist is a miracle.

[66] And that, but that just reinforces.

[67] They even say that it's the same A .B. A .B. blood.

[68] Blood time.

[69] Yes.

[70] It's from a distressed heart.

[71] Yes, all that.

[72] Living to do is amazing things.

[73] But I believe that, and often as a priest, I remind myself in the prayer that I, I mean, I just say silently in my heart, as I hold the consecrated bread that is now the body and blood, soul, and divinity of Christ, my prayer is often that I can know more deeply that I'm holding before the congregation and before myself, I'm holding over the altar the heart of Christ.

[74] And I mean, the church teaches us that Christ is fully present.

[75] It's not just a piece of him.

[76] So it's not just his heart, but his heart is there.

[77] And I think it's just a beautiful, it's been a devotion that has helped me to grow stronger in faith.

[78] And then you add the immaculate heart of Mary.

[79] What's her heartbeat about?

[80] Right.

[81] It's always pointing to her son.

[82] Yeah.

[83] And then the chaste heart of St. Joseph, it just, the three beautiful hearts of the Holy Family with always.

[84] I mean, Joseph and Mary are the first to point to Jesus as the very heart of their home.

[85] And so devotion to the sacred heart, I think especially, And the dark times of heretical statements and of atrocities and blasphemies and all the things that we can get so disheartened by.

[86] There we are again.

[87] I mean, we use the language so often.

[88] We speak from the heart.

[89] We become disheartened.

[90] We need to be full -heartedly devoted to the sacred heart of Christ.

[91] I really believe in this time in a, I mean, I'm.

[92] No mystic.

[93] I've never seen any, you know, mystical image or heard allocutions like some of the great saints.

[94] But I have had the chance to read about the saints.

[95] And I believe devotion to the sacred heart through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

[96] I mean, there are many writings talking about the significance of Mary and her apparition in Fatima.

[97] What does she tell us?

[98] With a mother's heart, she says, turn from sin and pray, pray, pray.

[99] And we pray.

[100] the sacred heart of Christ.

[101] We pray to Mary asking her to pray with us and for us.

[102] We pray to the sacred heart because he's God.

[103] Amen.

[104] When we come back, I'd like to talk about the Eucharist and the sacred heart.

[105] We notice that the whole month is dedicated to the Eucharist, but we have Corpus Christi Sunday that we just celebrated and how it's tied in to our Eucharistic Lord.

[106] So when we come back, we'll ask Bishop Strickland to talk about the tie -in, the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

[107] Stay with us.

[108] We'll be right.

[109] back family and now back to the bishop strickland hour welcome back indeed we just had a great explanation of devotion to the sacred heart and when bishop strickland was talking about eucharistic miracles the miracle of lancino italy i actually had a present had a chance to be there for that twice now and all you've got to do is google lanciano italy eucharistic miracle and i remember as a teenager when i first read about it i said why doesn't the world convert.

[110] I mean, everybody knows Jesus is president of the Eucharist.

[111] How could we not act like it?

[112] I remember as a kid saying that.

[113] Well, you know, I grew up and I found out that, you know, people have free will.

[114] They can reject it or accept it.

[115] But Bishop Strickland, at the break time, I was thinking, right before the break, I mentioned the tie -in of the church with Corpus Christi.

[116] You know, we've had all kinds of Eucharistic processions here at our chapel.

[117] We had one out on the streets.

[118] Many parishes are doing it much, much more.

[119] And I want to thank the bishops conference for pushing a revival in the Eucharistic presence of Christ.

[120] And I think that's helped some of the parishes say, well, wait a minute, let's be, you know, it's proud to be Catholic Day.

[121] Let's take Jesus out under the streets.

[122] So I want to ask you the connection between the Holy Eucharist and the sacred heart devotion.

[123] Well, as I was saying earlier, Terry, and I think that like you said, I don't think it's by accident that this month of the sacred heart, June, and I've been encouraging, because the sacred heart of Christ, I mean, think about it, here we are called to celebrate the sacred heart of Christ, both his sacred heart and the gift of himself in the Eucharist, they are humility incarnate.

[124] Yeah, there you go.

[125] Here's the Lord of the universe, the creator of all.

[126] And I think a beautiful way to be reminded of the significance of his incarnation, which is an act of humility.

[127] But that God has a heart.

[128] And I just quoted recently somebody that said that.

[129] Anyway, it's something we really need to reflect on.

[130] Through God's son, Jesus Christ, God has a heart like ours.

[131] Yes.

[132] It really echoes what John's gospel says so beautifully that God is love, that God has a heart of love for all humanity.

[133] And the same thing in the Eucharist.

[134] Really, as we talk about Eucharist and the Sacred Heart, they begin to merge into one reality.

[135] And I think that's what I'd encourage us.

[136] to be reminded of.

[137] There have even been Eucharistic miracles fairly recent.

[138] Yeah, 96 and what is there?

[139] Even this year.

[140] Right, right.

[141] There's a new, yep.

[142] The, the, the, this host is pulsing.

[143] Like a heartbeat.

[144] Yeah.

[145] I mean, it hasn't been investigated, and I understand all that.

[146] Right.

[147] It's not officially recognized.

[148] But I just think it's another, and I would encourage people as they're at mass, and I encourage the priest.

[149] to take enough time for people to really reflect and reverence and say, my Lord and my God.

[150] Amen.

[151] Not out loud, but in their heart, say, my Lord and my God, because he's really there.

[152] Yes.

[153] And to just allow our hearts, I tell this to young people at confirmation very often.

[154] Sure.

[155] I tell you know whoever we are if you I mean for us you know they're testing our health to get our heart rate up and all that yeah the little kid you know all of us you run you run a bit in your heart you start to feel your heartbeat sure and and to me that we need to be reminded that when we are at mass yeah and as a priest or as the people the people the people the people they congregation gathered, we need to be spiritually tuned in to that heartbeat of Christ.

[156] That's right there.

[157] No, I'm not saying you're going to hear anything and you don't expect a miracle like the host pulsing in front of you.

[158] But to really know and to remind ourselves, no, it's veiled under bread and wine, common bread and wine.

[159] That's all it looks like.

[160] that's most of the time, that's what our senses perceive.

[161] I mean, if you look at these Eucharistic miracles, they are minuscule compared to every mass being celebrated and all the Eucharist and the tabernacles around the world.

[162] They're reminders to us to look again to the heart.

[163] But really, as we talk about the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart, the Feast of Corpus Christi, the body of Christ and the feast of the Sacred Heart, that we celebrate this year, June 16th, both of those feasts are about the same Lord.

[164] And I think that's what is probably the most important thing we need to remember.

[165] And really let ourselves prayerfully enter into that.

[166] What does it mean that the Eucharist is the sacred heart?

[167] The sacred heart is our Eucharistic Lord and that he's truly there and allow our human hearts to be moved by the presence of his sacred heart.

[168] Beautiful.

[169] And I always just mention that if people Google enthronement of the sacred heart, you'll get the forms that you can enthrone the sacred heart of Jesus in your home.

[170] It's nice to have a priest say the mass there, and the mom and the dad are there with the kids, and you can sign this little document saying that Jesus Christ is king of kings here at this home.

[171] And it's a beautiful devotion, and I would encourage.

[172] everyone to Google that called enthronement of the sacred heart the Jesuit fathers way back when were the custodians of that and it's a great way to dedicate your home to the sacred heart Terry I'm so glad you mentioned that because as I'm talking about this devotion we need those sacramentals we need those elements that can remind us I would encourage I know you know one of the reasons for my devotion to the Sacred Heart is because my parents had a statue of the sacred art on their dresser in their bedroom.

[173] Awesome.

[174] But make sure in your home, absolutely the consecration of your home and your family to the Sacred Heart, but also have an image.

[175] A statue, they don't have to be expensive, or it can be beautiful.

[176] It could be the most glorious piece of art in your home.

[177] But the most important thing is to have that image And to really enkindle that devotion and make it something that, you know, your kids learn.

[178] I mean, I say it all the time, oh, sacred heart of Christ, have mercy on me. You know, it's we need to connect that.

[179] And I think it's, you know, what's beautiful about the sacred heart and the Eucharist is that God knows us.

[180] He's walked this human journey with us.

[181] That's the beauty of the incarnation of the Son of God.

[182] That's at the very part of our faith.

[183] Documents of Vatican too talk about the source and the summit is the mass. And the source in the summit is the mass that brings us the heart of Christ and makes his presence real and tangible for us so that we can be strengthened to endure all the struggles that we have.

[184] And I know people have a lot of struggles in the world today.

[185] And I would encourage them to help themselves and their children and their grandchildren, anyone that comes into their home to develop that devotion to the sacred heart of Christ.

[186] And to really think about that beautiful gift that God's son has taken on a human heart like ours, except sinless, divine, but a real human heart.

[187] with all the elements of a human heart that is the organ in our bodies.

[188] Beautiful.

[189] Bishop Strickman, I'd like to shift gears if we can mount to some of your tweets.

[190] I know you've made a bunch of tweets regarding the Sacred Heart.

[191] We talked about that and also Eucharistic adoration through Corpus Christi processions.

[192] But here's a tweet that I think anytime you can tweet, Cardinal Robert Serra, Cardinal in Rome, I read his books.

[193] and I think the world of him he has a tweet you tweeted something from him and you said amen I mean what else can you say he said this and this is I think tied into all of us especially as lay people and then also to the bishops and to the priests the entire church this relates to it the church is suffering we see it you see it he said she is being trampled on yes and her enemies are within but you're Strickland you've said that many times.

[194] We have enemies within the church.

[195] Now, his comment is, let us not abandon her.

[196] Her meaning the church.

[197] Now, can you say a little bit more than amen?

[198] Because I mean, this guy has got it straight, man. I mean, he's a holy man. I know he's a very prayerful man. But he's telling us, he sees the church suffering.

[199] You know, he's praying.

[200] And I think that's important.

[201] But it's also important that we take the gospel to the world and challenge the world to fall in love with Jesus Christ and proclaim it and not compromise because we're afraid that they're not going to be offended if we preach Christ and Him crucified.

[202] Am I under something?

[203] Absolutely.

[204] And I like that part where he says, don't abandon her.

[205] And too many people are and have.

[206] here in the diocese of Tyler, we're in the midst of the year of baptism.

[207] And I was just reflecting, you know, we've all, and we lament with sadness that too many Catholics say, oh, they don't really believe in the transubstantiation.

[208] They don't really believe.

[209] It's just a symbol instead of truly being the heart of Christ, his body and blood, soul, and divinity.

[210] But I think we have a similar problem with baptism.

[211] that it occurred to me, you know, we would lament over a similar kind of study that asks people, are you a baptized Catholic?

[212] And then the next question, are you living as a member of the Catholic Church?

[213] Sadly, many people are baptized Catholics, but never go any further.

[214] And a lot of times, not through their own fault.

[215] They're just in a family that leaves the church or the family breaks up or for some reason they may be baptized, but they never go any further with really living as a member of the mystical body of Christ that is the church.

[216] And I think it's, it really is a reminder that we who are blessed to know our Catholic faith is the true faith.

[217] It's the faith that God is established, to guide humanity, we shouldn't be haughty about that.

[218] We should humbly say, I've got to share this gift.

[219] And I've got to bring back every person that I can in our own families, in our communities, to call people, many people aren't baptized.

[220] But we would make huge progress in the life of the church if everyone who is baptized, Catholic or any baptism, if all of them came deeper and closer to the sacred heart of Christ, they're going to come to his Eucharistic presence.

[221] How many times have both of us heard people say they came to the Catholic faith because of the Eucharist?

[222] I was talking to a great man just last week who was on his way to become brilliant man becoming a Protestant minister, and it was the Eucharist that brought him to the Catholic.

[223] church.

[224] Jesus Christ, his sacred heart.

[225] I love stories like that.

[226] All right, we're listening to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[227] We come back.

[228] We'll talk more on these tweets.

[229] And I like what the Cardinal Siross said, and I want to apply that to lay people defending the church by going out and proclaiming Christ.

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

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

[232] Yes, indeed.

[233] Welcome back.

[234] Bishop Strickland, we're talking about the sacred heart of Jesus.

[235] They tie in with the Corpus Christi, the Eucharist and the heart of Jesus, how they beat in the Immaculate Heart and how the church has got them just one after another like the two hearts beating together.

[236] So that's all beautiful.

[237] And this Friday at the Dodger Stadium in the parking lot, you're joining us on that feast day of the Sacred Heart to help us pray and make reparation for sacrilegious attacks on the Catholic Church.

[238] And I think that it's awesome that have brother bishops like archbishop court de leone in san francisco blessing us we have bishop robert baron who was our auxiliary bishop in santa barbara saying look i'm a baseball fan but you know that's crossing the line attacking the catholic church is not cool so to speak and so i wanted to ask you you're the you're coming please god um how would you encourage people to come and pray with us what would you tell them if they asked you should i go i'd say absolutely if you you can go, be there.

[239] There's something about being physically present and making the sacrifices it may take to be there, getting through traffic and all of that.

[240] Many people won't be able to.

[241] Many people that don't live there in that area can still join us in prayer.

[242] That's right.

[243] And I would encourage people to really make this Feast of the Sacred Heart a time to come together in prayer.

[244] And as we've talked, Terry, and as I continue to think about everything that we reflect on together, just recently I read one of my favorite readings with Ignatius of Antioch talking about going to his martyrdom.

[245] And we need to have, as I've said many times before, we need that kind of faith.

[246] We need to be first -century Christians in the 21st century.

[247] And I think this Feast of the Sacred Heart is really a time to step up, to put our heart into it, to wholeheartedly embrace our beautiful Catholic faith, our life in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, the Immaculate Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and all the saints.

[248] We need to take this seriously and speak up for this treasure that we have.

[249] because it is being trampled on, being blasphemed, and people are trying to rid the world of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

[250] There are too many people that are not going to be satisfied until Catholicism and Christianity are gone.

[251] We know that's not going to happen because of who's got the real power, and that is Jesus Christ.

[252] But I think it's important because we're in a very contentious time in the world.

[253] I mean, the violence and the division among the people of God is terrible.

[254] Within the church, within governments, and this nation, really in so many nations in the world, people are denying the sanctity of life, the sanctity of marriage, just basic truths that not that long ago, nobody was questioning.

[255] even though many people didn't bother to really believe or to live their faith, they weren't attacking those who are.

[256] But we see more and more of that.

[257] And what we're doing Friday with this prayer rally, it's about prayer.

[258] Amen.

[259] It's about faith.

[260] And what I want to emphasize is what Christ says, love your enemies, be good to your persecutors.

[261] We have to live that very clearly.

[262] in our time.

[263] We don't attack.

[264] We don't belittle.

[265] We don't try to tear down, even those who are attacking us.

[266] The Christian way is to prayerfully and kindly stand for the truth.

[267] Yeah.

[268] I think that sometimes it's interpreted as, you know, what the church would call quietism.

[269] Yes.

[270] Well, and just don't do anything.

[271] Not doing anything, is really, in some ways, allowing the violence and the hatred and the blasphemy to just take over.

[272] And we can't do that either.

[273] But I think a good way to remember in the context of all of this, Terry, whatever evil we're facing.

[274] And you can go down the list of the Ten Commandments and the Seven Deadly Sins and see one after another of images and symbols and things that are.

[275] are being pushed in our society that are one of those sins or against one of the Ten Commandments.

[276] Rather than attacking anyone, we have to, in the love of Christ, say no to things that are false.

[277] Pray for those who are attacking us and remember that they're beloved of God.

[278] I mean, we're going to be a group, hopefully many people gathered there to pray.

[279] We're beloved of God.

[280] But so are the people that will be in Dodger Stadium.

[281] That's right.

[282] Every person there.

[283] If it's a human being, God loves them.

[284] And that's the message we have to get out.

[285] Does that mean anything goes?

[286] That's the interpretation of love sometimes, even in the church today.

[287] Oh, well, just God loves us.

[288] Period.

[289] God loves us.

[290] So therefore, we have to be changed daily to be more God -like, to be more like God, to be more in his image and likeness, because God loves us.

[291] So yes, God is love, and it really is all about love, but it's about the truth of love.

[292] And if people want to know, what does love really look at look like, look at a crucifix.

[293] That is love, sacrificial love.

[294] That's what we've got to tell people over and over again, as long as we have a voice, lovingly tell them the truth.

[295] And many rejected, that's between them and God.

[296] Because God has given us all free will.

[297] Like you were saying, as a young person, as you grew in fake, it's like, how can people not believe this?

[298] How come everyone doesn't conferred?

[299] Yeah.

[300] Well, that's part of the mystery because we all have the freedom.

[301] I think a lot of people just don't pay that much attention, really, until they reach the point.

[302] I mean, how many deathbed conversions are there through history, even in our own families?

[303] I mean, many times people will say when they're shocked by being, they're facing their own death, Maybe it's a diagnosis of an illness or a bad accident or whatever causes them to face their own death.

[304] Right.

[305] I mean, the saints talk about all the time, Memento Mori, remember death, and people say, oh, that's dark or that's, you know, that's not joyful, that's gloomy.

[306] Right.

[307] But really, it's just reality.

[308] Right.

[309] I mean, you know, and as you said, and that's what good Christians say, good Catholics say all the time, God willing, as you've said a couple of times.

[310] I'll be there with you at Dodger Stadium to pray on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, June 16th, God willing.

[311] If it's not God's will that I'm there and something happens that prevents that, we have to, as long as we do our best to cooperate with God's will, sometimes things do intervene.

[312] And our plans don't go the way we plan.

[313] Yep.

[314] But we have to always humbly look to the Lord.

[315] And that's the kind of way, you know, not just for some big event, but the way we should approach every day and recognize that every day is a gift.

[316] And in faith, it's another opportunity to grow closer to the Lord, to grow closer to the sacred heart of Jesus.

[317] And again, that's what the Immaculate Virgin Mary is all about.

[318] So I hadn't even thought of.

[319] it this way, but I think we need to remember, May is the month of Mary.

[320] She comes and says, follow my son, do what he tells you.

[321] She's always pointing to Christ.

[322] And then June is the celebrate the month of the sacred heart of Jesus Christ.

[323] So May and June, very significant for us.

[324] Lots of things going on, graduations and confirmations and weddings, but we need to remember those faith elements and like we were talking about an image of the sacred heart in your home to really bring it into your daily life.

[325] And again, it's not just one day a year that we should be paying attention to the sacred heart of Jesus Christ.

[326] And if we have those images and we develop that faith life, it doesn't take hours and hours of prayer.

[327] If you can, wonderful.

[328] The more we can pray the closer we can come to God and to his son father's son and spirit the the better off we are but even if it's just a simple prayer of sacred heart of Christ I place my trust indeed to do that every time we we leave our home every time we come into our home to have it in the car when we're setting off to work or to the store or on the long trip anytime we get in the car it's appropriate to say a little prayer yeah Because you never know if you're going to make it home.

[329] And that's not some dark, gloomy idea.

[330] It's just facing reality.

[331] That's right.

[332] But trusting and being joyful in our faith.

[333] And that leads us to our last segment coming up.

[334] And I want to cover the catechism that we're working with on what are the fruits of the Holy Spirit?

[335] Because we're going to need those fruits on Friday.

[336] Okay.

[337] But I love the tweet you mentioned months ago.

[338] And you said, never worry about who will be offended if you speak the truth.

[339] truth.

[340] Worry about who will be misled, deceived, and destroyed if you don't speak the truth.

[341] And I think that's some encouraging words.

[342] I don't have anybody who said that, but I think it's a statement that's very, very powerful.

[343] Bishop Strickland, we have a minute or two before the break, but I want to just set the stage.

[344] We have a catechism that we're going through for people that are brand new called The Way of Christ Student Book, published by the St. Philip Institute, the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, so you can pick that up.

[345] We're on Chapter 7, and it just seems to me we just had Pentecost, you know, the birthday of the church, you know, the Holy Spirit.

[346] We've been covering the gifts of the Holy Spirit and what the Holy Spirit is.

[347] And I just want to start off if we have, I think we're going to finish in a minute here, but I'm going to set the stage.

[348] What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit and see how they can apply to us, especially as you always say that first century Christians, well, it seems like that's what's going on right now to renew the society.

[349] The first century Christians did some really bold things in proclaiming Jesus Christ.

[350] And some of them lost their lives over it.

[351] So when we come back, we'll talk about what are the fruits of the Holy Spirit on the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Power radio.

[352] Don't turn that down.

[353] You're going to want to know about these fruits of the Holy Spirit because all of us get that.

[354] The Bishop Strickland's going to talk about that when we come back.

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

[356] Welcome back indeed to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[357] We're going to be talking about the Holy Spirit.

[358] And I'll tell you why we need the gifts of the Holy Spirit, even if you're not coming to Dodger Stadium to pray with us and make reparation for sacrilegies that are done to the Holy Catholic Church.

[359] I'm going to ask Bishop Strickland after I read what these gifts are to talk about and detailed more.

[360] It says the fruits of the Holy Spirit are the results of living a life in tune with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.

[361] The fruits of the Holy Spirit are charity?

[362] Why are we going to need that Friday?

[363] Joy, yes, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self -control, and chastity.

[364] And you might say, well, where did you get all this?

[365] It's right in the Bible.

[366] Galatians chapter 5, verse 22 to 23.

[367] Your thoughts on that?

[368] Absolutely, Terry.

[369] And what occurs to me as you list those fruits of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, it's all woven together, it's once again, living who we are in the image and likeness of God.

[370] Because all of those are, I mean, who is the Holy Spirit?

[371] the third person of the Trinity, the mystery of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit of Jesus and the Father, sent forth into the world after Jesus' journey of incarnation, his death and resurrection.

[372] He ascends to the Father and sends the, they send the Holy Spirit.

[373] The same Holy Spirit that conceived Jesus in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

[374] So throughout salvation history, we see the Holy Spirit.

[375] Spirit at work.

[376] And the wonder that we have to, I think we too easily take for granted.

[377] I mean, you know, we talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit, that this is God.

[378] Yes.

[379] God working in us as sinful human beings.

[380] The more we can be open to those gifts and those fruits of the Holy Spirit, the more human we are, the more we are living our destiny as those created in the image and likeness of God.

[381] One of the things that I think, like you said, we're going to need all of them.

[382] We always do.

[383] Yes.

[384] But any time we face a challenge, anytime we face temptations, you know, both of us, you know, I'll admit, and I think you would admit along with me, we can get angry when we see injustice, when we see evil and blasphemy and.

[385] And like Cardinal Sarah said, people trampling on the sacred, trampling on the faith, mocking beautiful religious women or mocking Christ himself.

[386] You can get angry, you can get belligerent, you can get upset, you can get violent.

[387] And so we need the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the fruits of the Holy Spirit to help us avoid sinful behavior.

[388] Anything that goes against love in all of its dimensions.

[389] And that's really another way of talking about the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

[390] It's the dimensions of love.

[391] One of the ones that I was talking about or thinking about during the break, as you mentioned that, you know, fortitude, courage.

[392] And once again, that goes back to the heart.

[393] Because the root of courage is core.

[394] Right.

[395] And that's heart.

[396] In Latin, corajure.

[397] It's basically to speak from the heart.

[398] And that's what takes courage.

[399] Many people have said that we're praying for us as we gather on Friday to have courage.

[400] We need to have that fortitude.

[401] We need to have that strength.

[402] We need to have the joy and the charity, all those dimensions.

[403] And all of that can help us to avoid falling into sin, falling into revenge or violent reaction.

[404] or attacking someone.

[405] That happens all the time.

[406] But that is not what we're about as Christians.

[407] I mean, you know, to some degree we make those mistakes and we have to confess that.

[408] We're sinners.

[409] But we, especially entering into what hopefully is a beautiful time of prayer and uplifting people, we need the fruits and the gifts of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us.

[410] The spirit of God, the spirit of real love, like we talked about earlier, what is love?

[411] It's what happened on the cross, that sacrificial love.

[412] That's what love is always about, wanting the good of the other, not just wanting what makes me feel good, but wanting the good of the other.

[413] Another thing that I like to talk about, Terry, is the whole idea that I was reminded of at a seminar that we had for our Eucharistic Congress.

[414] And it's something that I don't talk about that much.

[415] and I think we forget about, is the idea of making sacrifices, of mortification.

[416] And I think people say, mortification sounds like death.

[417] Well, it is dying to self.

[418] Exactly.

[419] So that we can truly live, like Christ says.

[420] And mortification is one of those things that's not emphasized, even in the Catholic faith, the way it was at one point.

[421] but I think there's a great value there and I would encourage people you know there may be people listening and they may actually see this after June 16th after the Feast of the Sacred Heart and said well I can't be there it's already happened but a mortification to give up something and it can be tiny I mean it can be saying no, instead of having a soft drink, which you'd rather have, I'll just have water.

[422] That's a mortification.

[423] Absolutely.

[424] It's pretty simple.

[425] But we can, through the day, it's a mortification that when someone cuts us off in traffic to, rather than honking the horn and yelling and, you know, getting angry, to just say, God bless you, be safe.

[426] That's a mortification as well.

[427] any way that we pull back from what we want to do or our natural tendency to do whatever it whether it's good or bad a mortification is something that reminds us this world is God's gift to us and to die to self man to truly be alive so I would encourage as we celebrate the feast of the sacred heart or then you know next week we will be celebrating the nativity of John the Baptist.

[428] Another beautiful feast for this June that John the Baptist is a great image of everything we've been talking about.

[429] The humility, the service to others, he points to Christ and not himself.

[430] All of these feasts need to really nurture our faith and help us to be strong and to have the courage, have the joy, have the wisdom and the fortitude to really be able to live the truth that God is revealed to us through His Son Jesus Christ.

[431] Wow, you know, we have about three and a half minutes left.

[432] I don't want to go to the next question because what you just said, it's all about self -abandonment.

[433] You know, deny, if you can't deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me. this is all about self -abandonment and you know the prayers that we're going to be praying i printed eight pages of litanies and prayers that we're going to be praying at dodger stadium and i know a lot of our listeners have prayer books and it's always good taking these prayers and not that's very good but i think also sometimes your own prayer of saying dear lord i give myself to you every day do with me what you want not my will but your will and i think that's such a simple prayer but what you're What it's basically saying is, I'm not in control.

[434] You know, what I think Pierre de Cassad wrote back in the 16th century, a Jesuit priest, a book called Abandonment to Divine Providence.

[435] These were letters to the sisters, and they were talking about God's will being manifested moment by moment as long as we're staying faithful to our duties in our state and life.

[436] I embraced that as a teenager when I read that the first time.

[437] And then I never had anxieties about what's God calling me to do.

[438] I just tried to do my daily duty, and if this is what I need to do, God will open doors for me. He'll show me the way.

[439] Terry, I think I'm so glad that you've mentioned that simple phrase that we need to keep in mind.

[440] It comes from Christ himself.

[441] Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow him.

[442] And it's the deny yourself.

[443] Yeah.

[444] We're in an age where people laugh at and scoff at the idea.

[445] of deny yourself but that's what a father does for his wife and children that's what a mother does for her husband and children that's what a priest is called to do to serve the flock that he's called to serve and it's very interesting and what i think we need to highlight terry christ puts it first yep the first step is to deny yourself then take up your cross take up the sufferings take up all the burdens that come with that self -denial and in the determination to follow Jesus Christ.

[446] But the deny yourself, I mean, we could have a whole program discussing how important that is and how much it's been abandoned, even within the Catholic Church, within all Christianity and within humanity, that ingredient of, and it's the first step, the wisdom of our Lord that he shared with us, it's got to be the first step, because if you're not willing to deny yourself for the other, ultimately for God, and then for our neighbor, love God and love your neighbor as yourself, it all ties together.

[447] But if you aren't willing to take that self -denial step, all the rest of it is weakened and begins to fall apart.

[448] Well, said, I think of what Bishop Sheen used to say, sacrifice is the language of love.

[449] and so you yeah so when I tell a husband you know there's an old story a priest told me and I give this advice to other other people who say they're getting married I tell them I said are you willing to die to sell for your wife that's going to be the bride you're going to marry this girl are you willing to deny yourself well I was looking forward to her second her income now we got two income no no no I'm talking about you dying to yourself well I'm not so sure then don't get married because you're not ready and I would tell these guys this.

[450] Then I said, now you go talk to the priest, but I'm going to tell you, because people ask me a lot about that.

[451] I say, no, no, no. If you don't have sacrificial love for the future of your bride that you're wanting to marry, then you shouldn't get married.

[452] If you think it's just going to be, oh, fun and games, hey, dude, you're going down the wrong road.

[453] Now, again, Bishop Strickland, it's all about what you just said, self -abandonment, and how we can give ourselves to Christ.

[454] Could you give us a blessing, our listeners here at this moment, God, we ask your blessing as we reflect on and meditate on the sacred heart of your son, the immaculate heart of Mary, his mother.

[455] Help us to be strengthened in our own hearts, to follow your truth joyfully, to be strong and courageous and battling evil in our own sinfulness and being guided always in your Holy Spirit with its fruits and gifts.

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

[457] Amen.

[458] Thank you again, Bishop Strickland.

[459] I want our listeners to know there's podcasts of all your shows.

[460] Matter of fact, all the shows that we produce are there at virgin most powerful radio .org.

[461] I want to thank our listeners for their support and supporting all of the shows that we give to all the Catholic stations who want these shows.

[462] And it seems to continue to grow because there's a great need for clarity with charity.

[463] And that's our model here at Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[464] Thanks again for listening, and we'll see you again, same time, same station next week.

[465] God love you.