01 Aug 23 – Humanae Vitae Revisited

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland show.

[1] Terry Barber here.

[2] I always get excited doing this show once a week with the good bishop to talk about how to fall in love with Jesus Christ and his bride, the church.

[3] Bishop Strickland, thanks again for doing the same thing.

[4] Thanks, Terry.

[5] Yep.

[6] Bishop, we were talking off the air about Hermannivete that was done 55 years ago by St. Pope Paul the 6th.

[7] And it's just amazing.

[8] We were just kids when this went out.

[9] and I didn't have any idea what was going on at that time when it came out.

[10] But boy, he was prophetic in his four prophecies regarding this teaching that they, it's called it perennial teachings of the church.

[11] This is something that can't change.

[12] But I wanted to ask you, you tweeted about it, you sent me a document on this topic.

[13] Give us your take.

[14] Why are you bringing up?

[15] Is it because yesterday was the anniversary?

[16] Well, that's one of the reasons.

[17] And as you said, it's a perennial teaching.

[18] So it's something, even as we know, it was very much attacked, pretty much ignored by the world back in 1968, 58, 55 years ago when it was first published.

[19] But it was true then.

[20] It was true in the time of Christ.

[21] It's true now.

[22] And it really is the root of a lot of what's broken as St. Pope Paul the Six really nails it with what he talks about.

[23] I think it's in number eight of the document.

[24] It's a short document.

[25] If anybody's listening that's never read Humane Vite, I recommend reading it.

[26] It's short.

[27] It says some very important things.

[28] There's nothing dated about it.

[29] it's pertinent for right now.

[30] And the predictions that Paul the Six makes are just, we've seen it happen.

[31] Astounding.

[32] Infidelity and moral decline.

[33] Big time.

[34] Loss of respect for women.

[35] Yep.

[36] Abuse of power.

[37] Yep.

[38] And unlimited dominion.

[39] Well, let's get into this because I think it's worth even describing, you don't mind, because I think people need to see how prophetic this man was.

[40] Yeah, I do.

[41] I agree.

[42] Do it.

[43] So you want to read with Pope?

[44] He noted that widespread, like you said, use of contraception would lead to conjugal infidelity.

[45] That's happening.

[46] General lowering of morality.

[47] That's happened that there's been widespread decline in morality, especially sexual morality.

[48] In the last, it says 25, we'll call 55 years.

[49] It's difficult to deny that.

[50] The increase in the number of divorces, big time.

[51] Abortions, out of wedlocked pregnancies, the statistics are there.

[52] Venereal diseases.

[53] We have 350 million people in America, and we have 190 million with STDs, sexually transmitted diseases.

[54] We're out of control.

[55] Pope Paul VI nailed it.

[56] He said, there's no question that contraception is behind much of our trouble.

[57] Bishop Strickland, you've taught this before, that the Catholic Church has the answer to the sexual revolution that's going on, that if we follow God's plan, much of what we've been dealing with goes away.

[58] Absolutely.

[59] I mean, it's, it really is elementary.

[60] Yeah.

[61] Just a basic elementary education that what is our sexuality for?

[62] It's for marriage between a man and a woman only for life, open to children.

[63] That's it.

[64] I mean, first graders can understand all that.

[65] Exactly.

[66] I mean, they really can.

[67] And we think we're so smart and so sophisticated and we're losing it.

[68] And all of this transgender stuff and all the how to identify today and maybe it's different than tomorrow.

[69] It's all just, I mean, it goes beyond even what Paul VI predicted.

[70] But his predictions have all come true in devastating ways in society, really throughout the world and certainly in this nation.

[71] Wow.

[72] And I love what he's had to say because women, the dignity of women, has really, gone down.

[73] He argued that man will lose respect for women and no longer care for her physical and psychological equilibrium and will come to a point of considering her as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment and no longer as respected and beloved companion.

[74] That's exactly what happened with contraception and that's exactly why so many divorces came because basically men said, hey, you know what?

[75] I can use my wife and you know what I can actually have you know commit adultery and because I'm using contraception hey no one will know except God of course the point is that it's undermined the commitment to marriage and family and as St. John Paul too said the way the family goes is the way the culture goes yeah absolutely and the the human trafficking that is in the news now with this movie that thankfully people are watching this the sound of freedom what is human trafficking it traces back to those same issues that women and children are not respected they're just seen as more instruments of pleasure for evil men and you know what was interesting too pope paul the six said that widespread acceptance of contraception would place a dangerous weapon in the hands of those public authorities who take no heat of moral exeges, the history of the family planning programs and third world, you know, they basically would sterilize people.

[76] We heard about this in Africa and other developed countries without them even having knowledge what they're doing.

[77] And this is basically treating them as a commodity and not as a person.

[78] Absolutely.

[79] Wow.

[80] What about this unlimited dominion?

[81] What's that all about?

[82] Well, I think it's talking about that.

[83] The government starts to interfere in families because families are a wreck and so the government takes over and like they say we're from the government we're here to help it doesn't work whenever they say that yeah Ronald Reagan's famous line is that's scary when the government says we're here to help run but that's a funny line but yeah it's so true so the bottom line Bishop Strickland I think if people opened up the catechism of the Catholic Church under marriage It makes it really clear the purpose of marriage.

[84] You nailed it earlier in the conversation.

[85] But I would really recommend that people would even open up the catechism of the Catholic Church on the segment of marriage, the sacrament of marriage, and read that.

[86] It doesn't take a long time, but it really keeps you focus.

[87] And one thing I'm going to say, and I'll turn it right back, and that is we married couples.

[88] We need to renew our love for our wives or our husbands on a regular basis because Bishop Sheen said it, world in his book three to get married that our love will not last because we're tough guys our love will last because we have the power to renew it and i would encourage all men including myself to renew those vows to their spouses absolutely now bishop strickland they let's shift to your your uh tweets that you sent out i i've really got uh i i love whenever you tweet uh cardinal sarah and here's one that you uh you did that I thought was apropos because we all want unity.

[89] You know, what is unity in the church?

[90] Well, you quoted this that Cardinal Sirrah said, church unity must be built around the truth of the Catholic doctrine and the moral teachings of the church.

[91] And then he says, there are no other ways.

[92] It can't get any simpler.

[93] You know, you've said something very similar over the years here.

[94] I love what he did said.

[95] Yeah.

[96] And, well, what he says to me traces back to, you don't have unity without Jesus Christ.

[97] Amen.

[98] He's the principle of unity in everything that he's taught us.

[99] And when you start saying, oh, we can change this teaching and that teaching, that's where the disunity comes from.

[100] And I was thinking today, sadly, the church is probably more fragmented than it has been in a very long time.

[101] I agree.

[102] Because, I mean, there are people that agree with that, but don't agree with this.

[103] I mean, it's just the unity is a wreck because we've forgotten that the only principle of unity is Jesus Christ is teachings and everything that the church is.

[104] The church is one holy Catholic and apostolic.

[105] That oneness is in Jesus Christ.

[106] Well, said, and I would say this, one of your tweets really fired me up to keep.

[107] my perspective that life is short and eternity is forever.

[108] Sometimes we can get a little flustered by some of the craziness in the church.

[109] I know I do.

[110] I mean, I see things and I go, what?

[111] Can you imagine what this guy just said?

[112] He needs prayer.

[113] But here's what you said.

[114] Glory wins.

[115] When we are confused, disheartened, betrayed, remember glory wins.

[116] Yep.

[117] When the truth is attacked, and twisted even by those who promise to guard it when a false gospel is pushed down our throats remember glory wins when corruptors are promoted remember glory wins well I relate to that in every little section of that statement because I think of the injustice going on even inside the church right now when people have a right to the fullness of the church teachings, and we see much compromise.

[118] And so that keeps me focused on Jesus Christ.

[119] Right here, I'm holding that crucifix.

[120] That's who we're focusing on, not on prelates, priests, or anyone else in the church, because men will always let us down, but Jesus Christ will never let us down.

[121] Yeah, and that really came from, as you said, as you predicted.

[122] I did.

[123] It came from.

[124] It came from prayer.

[125] And it came from praying the glorious mysteries.

[126] It just occurred to me that we live in a world where glory has one.

[127] The glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, the light from his resurrection is undemned.

[128] We have the free choice to reject it, to ignore it, but that light is still there.

[129] And thankfully, many are discovering it, and many are holding fast to the light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[130] Keep your eyes on the prize, Jesus Christ to heaven.

[131] Life is short, eternity is forever.

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

[133] When we come back, Bishop Strickland is quoting Pope Benedict XVIth in regards to some of the attacks in the church.

[134] Stay with us.

[135] Now back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[136] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[137] I made a little teaser about Pope.

[138] Benedict the 16th, he had a lot of things that he said in his lifetime that seemed to be so accurate.

[139] I just loved his teachings on the ecclesiology of the church and just how he saw the church.

[140] But Pope Benedict the 16th, you quoted, he said, the greatest attacks on the church come from within, the passion of the church.

[141] Bishop Strickland, wouldn't that make sense when you think about how can you have a betrayal if you didn't have trust?

[142] See, we have trust in the church.

[143] And when we see people like Cardinal McCarrick and people like that who have betrayed us with their trust and did horrible things, it is an attack on the church.

[144] And I don't know if that's historically accurate, but it seems like that statement makes sense, especially for us today.

[145] Yeah, I think you're right.

[146] And we see a lot of evidence.

[147] It's in it, I guess if you look through history, I mean, Martin Luther was a priest.

[148] That's right.

[149] That attack came from within.

[150] Yep.

[151] It's interesting that, you know, certainly we have a lot of people that have left the church through the centuries.

[152] But they tend to, it seems, I don't have all the answers, but I think it is accurate that very often the attacks come from within.

[153] Those attacking may eventually leave, but they do a lot of damage before they leave instead of just saying, I don't believe this and leaving for whatever reasons they tend to stay around long enough to do a lot of damage.

[154] And then usually they finally leave because the truth doesn't change.

[155] I mean, all this is going on now is the truth doesn't change.

[156] I think it was today that, you know, the Vatican is finally saying something to the German bishops, and I think there's some kind of meeting happening.

[157] But, you know, it's taken a while, and what's ironic is it seems like the instrument of laboris for the Senate was taken out of the playbook for the German senator movement.

[158] But thankfully, they're being asked some questions.

[159] I don't know if anything will come of it, but it needs to.

[160] And people talk about schism in the church.

[161] That word has been buzzing around a lot.

[162] And what we have to remember that to be schismatic is to turn from the teaching of Christ.

[163] From the deposit of faith.

[164] from the ancient magisterial teachings of the church from the catechism.

[165] That's what schism is.

[166] And, you know, in modern terms, it's like, oh, you're being schismatic if you protest those who are speaking against the deposit of faith.

[167] That's not schismatic.

[168] That's a, you know, that's not understanding what schism is.

[169] Schism is about dividing from the truth that the church proclamation.

[170] claims.

[171] Hanging on to that truth, people can claim it's schismatic, but it's not.

[172] And the good thing that we know is what truly is schismatic will fade away, will fall by the wayside, ultimately.

[173] I mean, you know, there are many people that have been raised.

[174] I mean, here we are 500 years into the Protestant Reformation.

[175] Right.

[176] Many people, through no fault of their own, no little of the Catholic Church.

[177] I have a good friend.

[178] I don't know him well, but we know each other well in the faith.

[179] Joshua Charles, you may have seen some of his tweets.

[180] But he's a very learned young man. He converted from, I don't even know what Protestant religion he was, but he's a very strong Catholic.

[181] And he talks about how the truth captivated him, really, even before he knew anything about the Catholic Church, he began to see the truth that he finally found in the Catholic Church, and he saw that he couldn't hang on to his Protestant faith because it wasn't rooted in the truth.

[182] So the truth prevails.

[183] Glory wins.

[184] And that's what we just have to keep reminding people, because I know it's a difficult time and a lot of people I'm concerned that aren't strong in faith, that aren't well catechized, are going to either go with the false teachings or they're going to abandon faith at all.

[185] And sadly, I think that's probably, I mean, I don't know that we've talked about it that much, but for years, I know we both heard, the second largest denomination in our nation is fallen away Catholic.

[186] The fact.

[187] And sadly, that may become the largest before long.

[188] The largest group of human beings is those who don't believe anything.

[189] And that doesn't mean the truth has somehow fallen by the wayside.

[190] But sadly, people are turning away from the truth and being encouraged to turn away from the truth.

[191] Then they walk down a path where they just say, forget all.

[192] of it because leading them down a false gospel doesn't take them more deeply into the truth.

[193] It takes them to a more fractured life that ultimately leaves them wondering, is there any truth at all?

[194] We know there is, and it's Jesus Christ is truth incarnate.

[195] That's what we've got to, like we say all the time, Terry, with clarity and charity, share the truth, share Jesus Christ, and allow people to know that all these false teachings, oh, we're going to change this, we're going to change that, we're going to redefine marriage.

[196] No, you're not.

[197] You're not going to redefine marriage.

[198] You can pretend you are, but it's not going to work because anything that is a false definition of marriage begins to collapse very quickly.

[199] Well, said, and I think we constantly talk about, you know, the pro -life side of how many women have committed abortion, not really knowing that this was a baby.

[200] I mean, I talked to lots of women, and it's because they haven't been taught, and this is something that we need to communicate.

[201] We do every week of the pro -life side.

[202] Bishop Strickland, off the air, we were talking about a book that you were reading, and it's really a book about Adam and Eve and about the priesthood.

[203] I think his name is Bergsmah.

[204] He's the author from Steubenville.

[205] Can you give us the title?

[206] There it is.

[207] I don't know if you can see it.

[208] Jesus, the Old Testament roots of the priesthood.

[209] Published, does it say it's published by Stubinville or who is it published by?

[210] Doesn't say anything on the back?

[211] Okay.

[212] If you type in that title.

[213] Emmaus, okay, that's Scott Hahn's publication.

[214] Yeah, they're real tight.

[215] Those guys like Brent Petrie, Dr. Michael Barber, they're all birds of the feather young guys that are biblical scholars what what's the just of the book bishop strickland well and dr berggema is a convert himself and he talks in the introduction to the book i just started reading it's a very short book it's probably what is it just 160 pages but the the message is the title i think tells you jesus and the Old Testament roots of the priesthood.

[216] And he begins literally with Adam.

[217] And what really captivated me that I mentioned to you when we keep talking about guarding the deposit of faith.

[218] And I'm so glad that different lay groups like yourself, and I know you've talked to other people in other parts of the country, that you're saying, let's as laity, let's guard the deposit of faith ourselves.

[219] Yes.

[220] I mean, it's part of my promises as a bishop, as we've talked about before.

[221] When a pastor is installed as pastor of a church, that's a significant canonical role that a priest has.

[222] He's not just the priest filling in and taking care of things.

[223] When he has installed as pastor, that's significant.

[224] And he makes promises as well.

[225] And when a pastor is installed as the pastor, he promises to guard the deposit of faith as well.

[226] And what Dr. Bergman's book begins with is, starting with Adam and Eve, he says that the translation that typically is that Adam is told to till the soil, and he says to guard the garden is a better translation than tilling the soil.

[227] I mean, you know, and he acknowledges that it makes sense for the translators because it's garden, I mean, to till and care for the garden, but to guard the garden, I think to me it just, it really, the light bulb went off with guarding the deposit of faith.

[228] What is the fall of Adam and Eve?

[229] What is the sin?

[230] And it, I think it really emphasizes, and a lot of people in the world don't like it, but again, it goes back to the distinct roles of men and women that are ordained by God, the beautiful roles, not one better than the other, but the complementarity that's necessary in humanity and in marriage between man and woman.

[231] But what Dr. Bergman talks about in the very beginning of this book is Adam failed to guard the garden.

[232] He was charged with guarding the garden, and he failed.

[233] He didn't make sure Eve stayed away from the serpent and instead gave in to the serpent.

[234] And I'm sure as I read the rest of it, I will get more of that information.

[235] But it really struck me that as a bishop, I'm supposed to guard the household of the church, you could say.

[236] To guard it against falsehood, to guard it against attacks of evil, to guard it against sin.

[237] you as a father of a family you're supposed to guard your home to make those decisions as the man of the house as dad as husband to make sure and we're not talking about just physical guarding probably the most important guarding is to make sure that evil doesn't enter the home through internet through books through all the conduits television um all the ways that evil does enter the home.

[238] I mean, it's a tough job these days to be a loving, respectful father in the home, guarding the home against evil.

[239] It's a tough job as a bishop.

[240] It's a tough job to just be a man in the world with that role of, like Adam, guarding against evil, guarding against false messages, guarding against anything that will harm the family or the parish or the diocese that we're charged with guarding.

[241] Well said, when we come back, Bishop Strickland, there's a book by Father Don Calloway that you are endorsing in a tweet.

[242] I actually have the book here in my hands.

[243] I've read it.

[244] The Chase Heart of St. Joseph, I have Father Don Calloway coming on August 4th on the Terry and Jesse show.

[245] to talk about this very book.

[246] And we can chat a little bit when we come back about the meet to Super St. Joseph in a new comic book by Father Calloway, the Holy Family Head, is here, and man, the graphics are good.

[247] I mean, I was inspired.

[248] I'm reading this to my grandchild.

[249] This is good stuff, and I think Father Calloway has a gift of communicating the saints.

[250] Stay with us and talk more about that when we come back.

[251] Now back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[252] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[253] We're talking about a book by Father Don Callaway, Chase Heart of St. Joseph.

[254] And I love the quote that he said in this book on page 61.

[255] He says, Be in Good Spirits under the Fatherly mantle of St. Joseph, a place of safest refuge in trials and tribulations.

[256] Is that not our situation?

[257] This was St. Joseph Marley.

[258] who said that.

[259] He has quotes from the Fathers of the Church in this book from St. John Paul 2, Pope Leo the 13th.

[260] And what I like about the book is Father Calloway is like teaching the life of St. Joseph to these kids.

[261] And the kids are asking these great questions about St. Joseph.

[262] So I assume the reason you promoted is because you have a great devotion to St. Joseph also, Maying Joseph Strickland.

[263] Go ahead.

[264] Absolutely.

[265] Absolutely.

[266] And I just love the idea.

[267] I mean, superheroes, I remember as a kid, we probably both remember Batman and Superman and all of that.

[268] I mean, that was even when we were kids.

[269] Absolutely.

[270] And it's natural for kids to look for heroes.

[271] So to recognize the saints, I mean, they're the greatest heroes of all.

[272] And that's why I saw that.

[273] And I wanted to retweet it to encourage people to to use that for their kids, to make them excited about their saints, whether it's their saint's name or their favorite saint or then they get older, their confirmation saint to learn about these people.

[274] I mean, they're just tremendous stories.

[275] There's such a variety.

[276] There's such a inspiration.

[277] Some of them went through all sorts of challenges.

[278] I mean, each story's different.

[279] Some of them had very quiet.

[280] lives, but very saintly lives.

[281] Others had lives that would make a great adventure movie.

[282] But they really are the heroes of humanity that we need to highlight, especially in this time.

[283] I mean, I ask the saints for their intercession all the time.

[284] I mean, the apostles, the Queen of Saints, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

[285] I mean, they're the superstars.

[286] They're the action heroes of humanity, if we really understand what that's all about.

[287] Well said, you can get that book from the Marian Fathers, that Father Calloway is a member of.

[288] Bishop Strickland, this is a statement again from Cardinal Soraw that you sent out, and I'm just going to be really blunt about it.

[289] I love what he said about Eucharistic adoration.

[290] He says, the men and women who pray in silence in the night and in solitude are the supporting pillars of Christ.

[291] church now you can pray at home obviously but praying before the blessed sacrament is such a gift to us in the church and there are some knuckleheads and i use the word affectionately in the church who somehow think that it's a waste of time i've heard this for 40 or 50 years of my life people dressed like you saying that i'm thinking what do they believe if they think it's a waste of time being in the presence of christ this is the age we're in so i really appreciate cardinal sarah the record straight because the church teaches that prayer is essential in anyone's life.

[292] Absolutely, Terry.

[293] And I think another thing that is, I think probably, I mean, to say that it's a waste of time is just an indication that you don't believe that the Lord of the universe is truly present, which he is.

[294] But another comment that I hear, I think is well -intentioned and a bit more understandable, but I still disagree with.

[295] Oh, well, we don't want it to distract from the mass. I've heard that too.

[296] I can testify that my love for the mass has only grown as I've spent time with our Lord in his Eucharistic presence.

[297] I was thinking, you know, I was there just this morning as I try to be every day, at least for, you know, a good chunk of time as much time as I can.

[298] Yep.

[299] And it occurred to, because I have some beautiful images of Christ, and it really occurred to me in my prayer this morning.

[300] It's like, I mean, you were, you were, your wife.

[301] You're not going to gaze at a picture of her when she's sitting next to you on the couch.

[302] That's for sure.

[303] And it just occurred to me, yes.

[304] And I know that after experience of prayer and the Eucharistic before the Eucharistic face of our Lord, it's probably a bit easier for me to make this transition.

[305] But it just occurred to me in my own personal prayer.

[306] And I'm by myself in my little chapel in the house where I live, or I'm at the chapel at the chancery.

[307] Those are the main places where I pray Eucharistic adoration once a week and Fridays when I'm in town at the cathedral early on Friday morning.

[308] But it just occurred to me that, you know, I don't need to look at the beautiful images of Christ.

[309] I need to look at him.

[310] I need to look at his Eucharistic face and remind myself, we all need to deep.

[311] our faith and to constantly remind ourselves that we're looking at the great mystery of his body and blood, soul and divinity presence in the world.

[312] They're the monstrance when we're at mass. That's why a lot of people express their appreciation for it.

[313] I'm sure that people say, ah, you know, the bishop just takes too long at the consecration.

[314] But I feel like I have to.

[315] for myself, but also for the people.

[316] I mean, here we are.

[317] The Lord of the universe has just come into our midst.

[318] And let me emphasize that, no, we shouldn't just say, oh, well, the mass is just the moment of consecration and then everything after.

[319] The whole mass is leading up to and then celebrating the presence of our Eucharistic Lord.

[320] The Word of God is essential to that because he is the word.

[321] He's the word incarnate.

[322] So I want to emphasize that Eucharistic adoration really does allow us and encourage us and support our appreciation for every moment of the mass from the beginning in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to the final blessing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

[323] I encourage myself, and I encourage all of us, to develop a deeper faith that during that whole beautiful liturgy, whether it's in Latin or English, whether it's either Orientum or verses Populam, as they say, to me, if we're focused on Christ, we're getting it because it's an encounter with him from that first greeting to the final blessing of the prayer.

[324] or in my case the bishop.

[325] And again, Terry, what that emphasizes, that's why we need to be reverent because we're either leading up to his presence or celebrating his presence during the whole mass or giving thanks for those of us who have been able to receive his body and blood, soul and divinity into our body and blood, soul and humanity.

[326] I mean, we've got to see the mass in its interpretation.

[327] entirety as an encounter with Jesus Christ.

[328] And the more we do that, the more powerful his presence that it is in our lives.

[329] The more we know the truth that we are willing to embrace and turn away from sin and truth that we're willing to die for like the martyrs.

[330] But the Eucharistic presence of the Lord can do all of that for us.

[331] I've experienced it.

[332] Amen.

[333] And people, Bishop Strickland, isn't it true?

[334] I saw the statistics of vocations to the priesthood.

[335] Many of our men tell us statistically that it was before the blessed sacrament that they really felt the call to the priesthood.

[336] Is that a fair statement?

[337] Absolutely.

[338] And Terry, I can testify to that myself.

[339] Good.

[340] Eucharistic adoration was not something that was, I never experienced it as a kid.

[341] I did experience benediction.

[342] but usually it wasn't a prolonged time of adoration but i did experience and i count part of my vocation the nurturing of my vocation was when i was a kid in probably as early as junior high i would go to the church and pray wow with not not adoration with our lord in the tabernacle he's there yes Absolutely.

[343] His sacred presence is there.

[344] I find it nurturing and it makes me able to focus in prayer more with Eucharistic adoration.

[345] But I would encourage people if you want to really develop a deeper faith, go pray in the presence of the Lord, his presence in the tabernacle, the blessed sacrament, body and blood, soul, and divinity.

[346] If adoration is not available.

[347] Just go pray before the tabernacle.

[348] And I've had people, and I think back to, you know, during the time of the pandemic, I saw images of people outside of the church because they couldn't get in, but they knew the Lord was there.

[349] I even talked about that with people that, you know, in that challenging time, even then we can look for creative ways to, deep in our faith.

[350] And I remember having a conversation with someone that think of the church as a tabernacle.

[351] Yes.

[352] It was locked.

[353] He's still there.

[354] And I've heard stories and I've experienced it myself because sometimes churches are locked.

[355] Yes.

[356] But you can still kneel there at the front door and know in your imagination.

[357] I mean, you're not imagining it, but since you can't see him, just remind yourself that he's there in the tabernacle and spend some time in prayer.

[358] That's why I've encouraged people.

[359] And a lot of these practices, they used to be the norm, but we need to encourage people again.

[360] When you drive past a Catholic church, make the sign of the cross, make a little prayer that reminds you that you're driving past a building that is really a tabernacle.

[361] Yep.

[362] What are churches for?

[363] They're the house of God.

[364] And a Catholic church that has a tabernacle, you can consider the whole building as a tabernacle.

[365] Certainly, to me, the ultimate is to receive him in communion.

[366] That next is Eucharist degeneration.

[367] But if you can't do either of those, Go pray in front of the church door, no one is there in the tabernacle.

[368] Amen, source and summit of the Christian life, the Holy Euchar.

[369] Stay with us, family.

[370] We'll be right back.

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

[372] Welcome back indeed.

[373] Before we get into the catechism, I couldn't let this one quote go by because it's just a tragedy what's happening in our culture for the last, you know, 50, 60 years regarding the sacredness of life, regarding the baby.

[374] And Pope Benedict the 16th back in 2007 just reminded us something fundamental, and you tweeted at Bishop Strickland, saying that the direct destruction of an innocent human life can never be justified, however difficult to circumstances that may lead some to consider taking such a grave step.

[375] And he tells us, pleads with us, we must hold fast to this truth regarding the atrocity of, abortion.

[376] I thought that advice was so apropos, Bishop Strickland, because even inside the church, I hear people saying, well, we really have to lighten up on this idea that abortion is always wrong.

[377] And I ask myself, where in the world did you come up with that idea?

[378] I mean, my point to you is, it seems to me that we continually need to be defending life from the moment of conception to natural death.

[379] Absolutely, Terry.

[380] And what's troubling to me, you've mentioned a couple of times, personnel is policy.

[381] Yes.

[382] I think that's so true.

[383] And there are too many personnel being welcomed in the Vatican who are notorious for promoting abortion.

[384] Scandal.

[385] That has to stop.

[386] That simply has to stop.

[387] I don't claim to know all the reasons, but there's not a good one.

[388] There's not a good reason that someone who is adamantly pro -abortion, is in some Vatican position.

[389] There's just no good reason for it.

[390] It'd be like, you know, having President Biden, who seems to gleefully promote abortion.

[391] I mean, it's like it's his testament is to promote the killing of the unborn.

[392] Thankfully, Pope Francis has been very clear that it's murder.

[393] Absolutely.

[394] But it'd be like welcoming Pope Biden to some pro -life commission for the church.

[395] President Biden cannot be in, I mean, it's contradictory.

[396] It is.

[397] And the personnel do create policy.

[398] So I think we need to be very concerned about people that are working in the Vatican that are undermining what the church teaches.

[399] Well, that's why we're praying, prayers of reparation for them specifically that they will come to see the light of the truth of the gospel of life because obviously they don't so that's where we come in as lay people we can make up for what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the good of the church it's called reparation expiation so we're going to do that bishop strickland you have a catechism and I've been promoting this for years from the St. Philip Institute called the way of Christ I have the student book, and we've been going through this book a little out of time.

[400] And I say this because you know, it's so important that Catholics know the fundamentals of their faith.

[401] And we've seen it over my lifetime, in your lifetime, we're of similar ages.

[402] We've seen the lack of catechesis inside the church where people come and they become an adult and they know all about worldly things educated, but they don't know the basics on the faith.

[403] So that's why I appreciate you making the suggestion, let's talk about the catechism every week and inform people these beautiful teaching.

[404] So we're on chapter 8 right now.

[405] Number three question, this is, what I like about it, it's still, you've got a section of a big catechism of the Catholic Church referencing paragraphs that we're going to be talking about.

[406] So if you want to go deeper, you can go deeper.

[407] So here it is.

[408] What images express what the church is?

[409] It says this, the church is the people of God, the first chosen people of God were Israel.

[410] After Christ all are able to become God's children, people by what?

[411] By entering the church through baptism.

[412] Now the church is the mystical body of Christ.

[413] We are all united in one church by the Holy Spirit, the soul of the body that is the church.

[414] Jesus is the head and we make up the body.

[415] I like this because this last part about the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

[416] It's really clear.

[417] The church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

[418] The Holy Spirit is dwelling in the hearts of the faithful.

[419] So together, we are the home or the temple of the Holy Spirit.

[420] See, this is what we call the supernatural look on what the church is.

[421] Now, we have the human aspect.

[422] We have that in guys like you and other people like myself.

[423] That's the human element.

[424] But really, I like this expression of what the church really is.

[425] Yeah, beautiful.

[426] as always with the catechism.

[427] And what comes to mind is living stones.

[428] And I think that what's important is that we all recognize.

[429] Yeah, I'm a bishop, but ultimately my greatest claim is that I'm one of the baptines.

[430] Amen.

[431] That's the most basic.

[432] Yep.

[433] And each baptized person is a living stone of the church.

[434] Wow.

[435] And if we remember that, then it's up to me, it's up to you, it's up to every individual.

[436] Going back to that principle of subsidiarity, which I think is one of the critical principles in the church and in humanity today that's been lost, we've lost sight of it.

[437] Instead of recognizing the ultimate.

[438] cell of the church you can say is each baptized person yeah and the church is as strong as the collective the collection of individual living stones yes each person is the stronger the holier i am the more i've turned from sin and embrace the gospel the more i'm living in sanctifying grace the stronger stone I am for the church.

[439] And when you start multiplying that by the members of a congregation, the members of a family, that's where our strength is, each person recognizing we have the most glorious call of all.

[440] To be children of God.

[441] That's for all of us.

[442] I mean, if it was a bishop or a cardinal or those are service calls, just like ultimately your call as a father and a husband is to serve immediately to serve your wife and your children.

[443] Amen.

[444] And to guard the family like we were talking about and foster a family that goes out in service to others and recognizing that serving others.

[445] is our greatest joy, and it's the call that we share.

[446] Imagine if all of us, all the people in the world suddenly decided to start doing that.

[447] Wow.

[448] Look at all the issues that would fall by the wayside.

[449] Look at all the problems that would be, I mean, it says, oh, that's utopia, that's unrealistic.

[450] But it's what Christ calls us to.

[451] If we just pay attention, we all feel.

[452] fail, it's never going to be heaven on earth.

[453] But we are called to build the church one living stone at a time, and it's doable.

[454] The people converting, I was just during the break, I saw a Catholic priest talking about how he was a convert to the Catholic faith.

[455] And as a teenager, he would go to Eucharistic Adoration.

[456] And his mother, who wasn't Catholic, wasn't even thinking about becoming Catholic, took him to adoration.

[457] Little did he know that she would quietly go on her own when he wasn't going.

[458] Wow.

[459] And he's a Catholic.

[460] Wow.

[461] And that's what living stones do.

[462] We inspire each other.

[463] Here's a son inspiring his mother to embrace her life in Jesus Christ.

[464] That's what we're all called to.

[465] And it's a joyful message.

[466] That's what we need to remember.

[467] Being a living stone of the church is the most joyful call than any human can have.

[468] Yep.

[469] Bishop Strickland, you remind me of a beautiful testimony out of Phoenix.

[470] I've interviewed the young boy.

[471] He's about eight years old.

[472] And when he was in first grade, the teacher invited the school to make Eucharistic adoration.

[473] and when he found out about Jesus in the Eucharist he asked his mommy and daddy that he could go see Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament at the church well mom said fine but dad wasn't practicing his faith and then they started going to Eucharistic adoration as a family because the little boy led them to the Eucharist they prayed the daily the rosary mom and dad mom and the little boy and then the little boy said daddy do you know how to pray the rosary and he was like mom does no so he got mom dad to pray the rosary to visit once a week special adoration to the blessed sacrament and that brought dad back to the Catholic faith a little eight -year -old boy so this is why it's so important that we stay close to Jesus in the Eucharist so I love that story too Bishop Strickland I want to wait for the next question for the next week because it really is a question, what is the mission of the church?

[474] And I think you need a time to, that's a, you know, what does Bishop Sheen say?

[475] If souls are saved, nothing is saved.

[476] If souls are saved, everything is saved.

[477] And canon law and the last canon says, that's the mission, you know, saving souls, not so much, you know, recycling my plastic bottle after I'm done drinking it.

[478] That's kind of a worldly view.

[479] That's important to do.

[480] I get that.

[481] But our energies are needing to be expressed in the salvation of souls.

[482] Bishop Strickland, one last thought I have for you.

[483] Many people have been praying for you.

[484] I know that you gave us an update last week regarding the visitation from the Vatican.

[485] And I'm sure we just keep praying that things go well for the diocese and that you stay, you know, centered on Christ.

[486] And I think that the advice that you've given in your tweets as so beautiful because we all have a certain amount of, I would say, persecution, family life inside the church, and that your advice about keeping our eyes on Christ and realizing that, you know, this life is short and that eternity is forever.

[487] So I would like to ask you for a blessing.

[488] And if you have any thoughts about whatever else people can do for you and your diocese, let us know.

[489] Well, I would say praying the rosary especially because our blessed mother has asked us to pray the rosary.

[490] So the more rosaries we can pray, the better for me, the better for this diocese, the better for every diocese and for every bishop.

[491] So pray the rosary would be my response.

[492] Awesome response.

[493] How about a blessing for our listeners, Bishop Strickman?

[494] Almighty God, we ask your blessing for all who are listening and participating in all the great programming of verse.

[495] Virgin Most Powerful Radio, then we may all be better living stones of your church.

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

[497] Amen.

[498] Thank you, Bishop Strickland.

[499] Remember, everybody, you can go to vmpr .org, download any of the past shows with Bishop Strickland or any of the other shows that we produce here at Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[500] Thanks again for supporting us in this mission to teach with the clarity and charity.

[501] May God bless you.

[502] We'll see you again next week.

[503] Same time, same station.

[504] God love you.