12 Apr 22 – Think Not of Yourself but of God

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] My name's Terry Barber, and I have the honor of talking to the bishop about our Catholic faith and sharing the gospel with you.

[2] He does a marvelous job sending out tweets all week long, and then we try to get to the catechism, talk about what the church official teachings are on particular topics.

[3] Bishop Strickland, thanks for joining us again.

[4] Thank you, Terry.

[5] God love you.

[6] I want to call this title of the show, whatever.

[7] you do, think not of yourself but of God, because this is the day that we're recording it is on St. Vincent Farrar, and you tweeted this out to everyone, and I just think that that was a marvelous statement in a world that is about me, myself, and I, the unholy Trinity.

[8] So I want to ask you, you point out in your tweet critically important words, in a world that denies God makes false gods of everything, and I might add, in every one.

[9] Can you add a little bit more why you did that?

[10] Well, it really, the rejection of God in our age is reaching pandemic proportions.

[11] And we can see so much unraveling the corruption in humanity, the deceit in the media by politicians, sadly, even in the church.

[12] I mean, just rampant corruption.

[13] yeah um and really terry what we have to acknowledge is rejecting god doesn't just leave the world empty which is devastating but it opens the door to the father of lies to Satan to evil to active evil and i would imagine i mean thankfully i've never experienced any evil manifestation, but I think both of us would acknowledge that sometimes trying to do good things, trying to reach out to people, trying to share God's truth and love, you run into all sorts of obstacles and all sorts of ways that it's as if someone is trying to stop you.

[14] And I think we have to acknowledge without getting paranoid or even fearful, but we just need to be aware.

[15] Yes, just like the St. Michael Prayer, there are demons roaming the world trying to ruin souls.

[16] Just like the meaning of the church is the salvation of souls, Satan and his minions are just all focused on the opposite.

[17] on the destruction of souls.

[18] And we need to be wide awake to that reality.

[19] Again, not fearful.

[20] Christ has conquered sin and death.

[21] He's conquered evil.

[22] And I love the readings that are leading up to Holy Week.

[23] I would encourage everyone to go back to that numbers reading, which was last Friday, that it says the wicked will plot against him.

[24] I mean, it wasn't numbers, it was wisdom, the book of wisdom.

[25] And that reading, of course, was before the time of Christ, before the incarnation.

[26] But the book of wisdom is talking about what the world will do when the son of God, the incarnate son of God comes to us, the one they called the Messiah, God's son.

[27] and we see as I pointed out I got a little fired up in the homily last Friday I hear and I pointed out to people that we read it in the gospel they're trying to push him off a cliff they're trying to get rid of him the plotting against him the the unfolding of that reading from wisdom started literally from the time he was born as soon as they knew he was here I mean, he was only, ironically, safe in the womb.

[28] The son of God, thankfully, was safe in Mary's womb, really because nobody knew he was there.

[29] They'd have been after him, just like sadly, they're after the lives of children now, unborn children.

[30] The womb is not a very safe place, statistically.

[31] But thankfully, for the son of God, he was safe in the womb.

[32] But as soon as he was born, they're trying to get rid of it.

[33] them.

[34] And it continued certainly when he got into his public ministry.

[35] In those hidden years, from 12 to 30, he was pretty safe because he wasn't actively proclaiming the truth.

[36] He was the truth incarnate even then.

[37] But as soon as he started actively proclaiming the truth, he got in trouble.

[38] And the world began plotting.

[39] And I pointed to the crucifix of the cathedral where I had mass that morning.

[40] And I said, and they thought they had killed him.

[41] Well, they did kill him, but he came back.

[42] Amen.

[43] Truth cannot be conquered.

[44] Truth is eternal because God is eternal and truth comes from God.

[45] Thank you.

[46] Bishop Strickland, we don't have a broadcast without you speaking about the truth.

[47] Objective truth.

[48] You want to know what is the truth about this.

[49] And you've got a couple tweets.

[50] I think your own deacon, Keith Fortinay, he was also, you tweeted his tweet, but it was about the great reset.

[51] And I haven't heard a lot of clergy speak about this, and I think it's fine.

[52] I think it's good that we talk about the true reset with Jesus.

[53] He said, absolutely, Jesus Christ, the one, the only true reset, even better.

[54] The only true Redeemer, humanity needs Jesus more than ever.

[55] Sadly, we are looking for hope and redemption in all the wrong places.

[56] And then you said this, which is a constant theme of yours, turn to Jesus now before our corrupt world consumes you, devours your hope.

[57] And then, yeah, take that one, and then you actually tweeted your deacons quote, but I think it's beautiful too.

[58] First, with yours.

[59] well really terry the way i would put it is we can't survive without the truth amen the truth of who we are maybe the better order is the truth of god the truth of who god is because everything comes from god yeah the truth of creation from god and the truth of how we fit into creation that's what's off the rails.

[60] That's what sadly people even within the church have forgotten and turned away from and twisted according to their image.

[61] When it's not the truth, it's according to some other image.

[62] And very often that's, you know, maybe in the less significant elements, it's just in the image of the person, which isn't lasting, isn't truth, but isn't as devastating, but when it really becomes in the image of the father of lies, in the image of Satan, and that's what too much is.

[63] I mean, people are talking about things that we would never have imagined.

[64] People would even verbalize in the world today.

[65] And it's because that, I've rejected truth.

[66] And once you reject truth, you're on a dangerous path that is destructive to the individual and to the human family.

[67] Well said, and Bishop Strickland, I could see a deacon in a diocese getting in trouble for saying what he's going to say, but he's your deacon.

[68] So I assume you'll defend him on this.

[69] He said, Deacon, Keith, how do I pronounce his last name, Fortinay?

[70] Fornier.

[71] Borgnier.

[72] Oh, thank you for Corny.

[73] Borneo.

[74] He says, we all faithful Christians need to openly and courageously reject the Great Reset.

[75] It is an anti -Christ.

[76] We need to offer an alternative, which is the only true reset, repentance, and conversion to Jesus Christ.

[77] He is the only way to true and authentic freedom.

[78] I happen to agree with him, but I can see him getting in trouble.

[79] those are strong words when he's rejecting the reset absolutely but we all need to reject the reset the reset happened when Jesus Christ rose from the dead amen that's the great reset anything we come up with that denies his truth again is a great destruction it may take a while but it's leading to a path of destruction of the beauty that God is created for us.

[80] Well, said, Bishop Strickland, you always talk again about truth, and I think there's a truth that many, and I've talked to you off the air on this, that many Catholics and non -Catholics don't really believe this, that God brought them into this world for a specific purpose, and that they would cease to exist if God wasn't thinking about them.

[81] And you tweeted this, each of us is the result of a thought of God, each of us.

[82] is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary.

[83] Do we believe that?

[84] Tell me why you put that up because it touched me as something very important to do.

[85] Well, absolutely.

[86] And if you believe that we're created in the image and likeness of God, then we better constantly turn back to our creator.

[87] Constantly look back to that original of the image and likeness that we are a reflection of.

[88] Yes.

[89] To see what fulfills us, what brings us happiness even in this life, what makes us human.

[90] And when we're looking away from God for all of that, it just brings harm.

[91] Well, said, we're going to take a quick break and then I'm going to go to the guy that said, What is truth?

[92] Pontchus Pilate.

[93] And boy, I want to get your take on that.

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

[95] I'm going to say it again.

[96] I'm too blessed to be stressed.

[97] Yeah, I'm too anointed to be disappointed.

[98] And if hope was money, I'd be a billionaire.

[99] Because I do know that Jesus Christ loves me, and I know him personally.

[100] That's why I'm blessed.

[101] We'll be back, folks, with more.

[102] Stay with us.

[103] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[104] And I'm Terry Barber with Virgin Most Powerful radio.

[105] And I wanted to bring up a tweet that the good bishop sent out regarding Pontius Pilate when he said, what is truth?

[106] And I wanted to, again, ask the good bishop to tell us, I mean, you talk about as Holy Week approaches, we soon hear Pontius Pilots question again, what is truth.

[107] The irony is that you say is he's speaking to truth incarnate.

[108] Yeah, you think?

[109] and the very face of truth the spirit of Pilate is very prominent in the world today.

[110] Many questions if there is, I'll call objective truth at all and return to Jesus.

[111] This is something that I think is very apropos for because all the whole show has been so far talking about objective truth and that Jesus is the truth.

[112] Share a little bit more why you want to think about this during Holy Week.

[113] well i think pilot's question really is the question of humanity sometimes from the i think you can take it from the angle of someone seeking someone asking really what is the truth help me find the truth and also you can take it from the angle of arrogance saying oh what is truth and a rejection of truth.

[114] Yeah.

[115] And I think you can, even with Pilot himself, you can see some of that ambiguity.

[116] Yeah.

[117] As we know that his wife was saying, oh, you better, better watch it with this Jesus that you're encountering.

[118] You better be careful.

[119] And then, and Pilot washes his hands of it.

[120] It's clear that Pilot is a little conflicted.

[121] Yeah.

[122] The sad thing that I see is too often.

[123] And too many people in today's world here in the 22nd year of the 21st century, people don't seem conflicted at all.

[124] It's just an outright, full bore rejection of truth.

[125] That's right.

[126] And making a mockery of anyone who claims to say that truth is truth.

[127] And so the question of pilot, is really another book I read years ago, Man's Quest for Meaning.

[128] Oh, yeah.

[129] That's a great book.

[130] That's what really Pilot is about whether he's, you know, and there's probably some, I mean, he's, you know, the Roman authority of Jerusalem at that time.

[131] He's a big deal in terms of the world.

[132] Yep.

[133] So it probably does have some tones of arrogance, but he's also just a man and maybe in ways that I mean we don't know and be interesting to sort of psychoanalize pilot but he is a real man a real human being and God has created all of us with goodness so maybe it was very buried in ambition um pilot's quest for the truth and maybe maybe it sort of peaked out here and there, especially as his wife is talking to him, as he hears the crowd.

[134] He says, do you want Jesus or Barabbas?

[135] That story that we know so well that, again, will be unfolding during Holy Week, on Sunday and Holy Week.

[136] Beautifully, you know, the liturgy calls us to really reflect on that.

[137] It's a lengthy gospel, and I'm sure, I know as a kid, and said, uh -oh, it's a long time.

[138] We all have to stand up for so long.

[139] And I'm sure a lot of little kids and adults kind of have that attitude.

[140] But if we listen to this drama of Holy Week and especially the Holy Week gospel, it really is our drama.

[141] And that quest for truth, it's built into us.

[142] Amen.

[143] Whether we like it when we find it or not, whether we come to realize that Jesus is the Lord of truth, it's built into, that's why, I mean, you can say, that's why God, because God's soul of the world, he sent us incarnate truth, because we knows we're hungry for it.

[144] He knows that we need it.

[145] He knows that we can't live.

[146] He is truth.

[147] He is love, he is truth.

[148] God is the essence of everything, that is good and as created in his image and likeness, we really can't live.

[149] We can't survive without truth.

[150] And I think we need to take it that seriously because humanity right now, ignoring God, ignoring truth, trying to manipulate it according to our image and our purposes, we're on a path of destruction for a large part of the human race if we don't begin to push back and say, there is God.

[151] There is truth.

[152] There is objective truth that can't be twisted according to our whim.

[153] And more and more people, I think you hear people all the time, but it is certainly the people in power seem to be on the wrong side.

[154] Maybe not every individual, but the power move, what's happening in the world, this global reset, and all of these things, it's not on the side of truth.

[155] And that means ultimately, just like the Roman Empire, it started off with more truth that it ended with, but it disappeared because it lost touch with the truth.

[156] Never knew the truth and rejected the truth.

[157] that God revealed.

[158] But the Roman Empire, that the Roman culture accomplished a lot of good things.

[159] But as it got more and more corrupt and further and further from those basic principles, even though they didn't know the one true God as Romans, they had been blessed to instinctively embrace a good portion of the truth.

[160] But the more that eroded, the more they moved to, collapse.

[161] And frankly, that's where Western civilization is headed unless we seriously wake up.

[162] We know the message of Fatima.

[163] It basically is our mother's warning, and we haven't really listened the way we should.

[164] It's about consecration of Russia and ourselves to the truth, to the truth, to the Immaculate Virgin Mary, who always leads us to truth incarnate.

[165] It's about several steps.

[166] It's about a change of life.

[167] That's what the Immaculate Virgin Mary, our mother, is constantly asking the children of God to do.

[168] Turn from sin.

[169] Change your lives.

[170] Grow in the image of the one who made you in his image.

[171] Grow closer to God.

[172] And like so many children, in ignoring their parents' warnings and their parents' pleadings as humanity, we've ignored, for the most part, our mother's pleading.

[173] Well, said, I had to Fatima the first five Saturdays in my hand because while you were preaching, my mind was going to Fatima about our lady's peace plan from heaven, especially in a world that acts like God doesn't exist.

[174] And last Saturday, the first Saturday of the month, you tweeted, hey, get involved and practice the first five Saturdays.

[175] And we started here at our chapel.

[176] We got a beautiful green screen of our chapel.

[177] We had about 110 people come for, you know, 3 o 'clock in the afternoon on a Saturday.

[178] And this is the model I want to encourage others to do at their parishes.

[179] Three o 'clock, start with the divine mercy, pray your rosary, have a 15 -minute least meditation on the mysteries.

[180] of the rosary.

[181] Then we had confession at 3 .45.

[182] After that, we had Holy Mass at 5 o 'clock.

[183] And then after that, we had a potluck.

[184] And we just had a, not only it was spiritually, but it was fun.

[185] We had people, you know, having a great meal after Holy Mass. And for our first day, having 110 people, I'm going to ask all of our listeners, ask your parish priest if you could run the first Saturday devotion of Our Lady of Fatima and get people on board because we also have a little talk that we plug in there on certain aspects of Fatima and we get individuals I gave the talk the first month but I've already got someone else to do it next month because as you teach something you'll learn it better and so we're all going to do that I think that's a good model so I want to encourage you to do that Bishop Strickland you also talked and tweeted about J .R .R. Tolkien and it's about Eucharistic adoration.

[186] And you talk about truth, you talk about adoration before the Blessed Sacrament consistently.

[187] You talk about love for our lady.

[188] I mean, this is the meat and potatoes of our Catholic faith, but here's the tweet you set out.

[189] Out of the darkness of my life, this is J .R. Token, out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth the blessed sacraments.

[190] There, you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and true way of all your loves on earth.

[191] Wow, I mean, that can go for a long time.

[192] That quote speaks volumes.

[193] Can you share a little bit about why you did that and what was he talking about?

[194] Well, as you said, it speaks volumes.

[195] And somebody recently gave me the Lord of the Rings.

[196] I've honestly never read it.

[197] I've heard a lot about it, but it's a big book.

[198] And I mean, some people know it very well, but there is a lot of faith imagery and Lord of the Rings by J .R. Tolkien.

[199] And that's what he's talking about.

[200] And the Eucharist, for us as Catholics, and that's what's so devastating about the statistics we hear.

[201] And hopefully they're not, accurate as maybe they appear.

[202] But for any Catholic to say, yeah, I'm Catholic, but I don't really believe in the Eucharist is like literally, I mean, the Eucharist is the Eucharist is the sacred heart of Christ.

[203] And it's saying you don't believe in the heart of the church if you don't believe in the blessed sacrament.

[204] And as I share with people about that, I mean, we're in the here in the diocese, we're in the year of the Immaculate Virgin Mary and the Eucharist.

[205] Awesome.

[206] The Eucharistic presence of the Lord.

[207] We're going to have a Eucharistic Congress with Archbishop Cordon Leone.

[208] Awesome.

[209] June 10th and 11th here in Tyler.

[210] So Eucharist is very significant for this year and for always.

[211] And what I would hope people can recognize there, as I'm sure we've talked about, I talk about a lot of things with a lot of people, but it's always the same thing.

[212] So it's easy to keep up.

[213] But we have a lack of supernatural faith, even among the clergy of the church all too often.

[214] Because if you really believe that the Lord of the universe, the one who walked this earth with us, the one that God sent, you really believe he's there, body and blood, soul, and divinity.

[215] and the mysterious presence of the Eucharist, the real presence.

[216] If you believe that, you're going to be reverent.

[217] You're going to ask yourself, how can I receive him as reverently as possible?

[218] And then be very humble in doing that because you're aware of who you're receiving.

[219] Well, said, when we come back, we've got a quote from the great St. Augustine.

[220] And man, this is a quote that you can take to the grave.

[221] I love this quote.

[222] with us, family, here on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[223] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[224] I gave a little tease on the break about St. Augustine.

[225] He's got some great lines of his book, Confessions of St. Augustine.

[226] Back in the 1980s, we read that book onto cassette tape.

[227] And people, I said, people have to read this.

[228] It's so amazing.

[229] I think it relates to a large portion of our culture.

[230] So if you can get a chance to pick up the Confessions of St. Augustine, Bishop Strickland, you tweeted this, and I think this is what you're saying.

[231] You're just saying what Augustine said, what, 1700 years ago.

[232] That's what I like about our Catholic faith.

[233] There's nothing really new.

[234] It's just being repurposed.

[235] In other words, we're all saying the same thing because truth doesn't change.

[236] Here's what you tweeted.

[237] To fall in love with God is the greatest romance.

[238] To seek him the greatest adventure.

[239] to find him the greatest human achievement.

[240] Now, my question is, do we believe that?

[241] Because if we believe that, then we are going to live a God -centered life.

[242] What was the purpose of tweeting that?

[243] Well, as you said, St. Augustine has so many things that he said, and one that I quote constantly, our hearts are restless until they rest in God.

[244] Yes.

[245] What he says in that, what I tweeted is another way of saying that same thing.

[246] We live in a world of restless humanity, sometimes restless to the point of devastation.

[247] I mean, with depression and suicide and young people, maybe not suicidal, but ultimately losing their life to these horrible drugs that are flowing over our borders.

[248] and people are making a God of money.

[249] I mean, it's just restless hearts is the reality of our day.

[250] And it's so sad that people don't know where their heart needs to rest.

[251] And when you reject God, I mean, it's just another way of saying what we've already said, that you begin to destroy yourself little by little.

[252] It's like a disintegration.

[253] a disintegration of the human person when you turn your back on God.

[254] Thankfully, God's merciful.

[255] We can go very far.

[256] And there's some, as I know, we both are aware of some wonderful conversion stories.

[257] Yes.

[258] Of people that were dead set on, there is no God.

[259] I'm a proud atheist.

[260] And getting into, you know, even writing books and arguing against the.

[261] existence of God.

[262] But very often those people convert and become very significant believers and leaders in the faith.

[263] What's interesting, Terry, I don't have any statistics, but and certainly as a Catholic and as a Catholic bishop now, I pay attention to those who convert to Catholicism.

[264] But very often, People that were atheists will convert to Catholicism.

[265] Yes.

[266] And that really is Catholicism, as I believe it, as you believe it, as we know it, is the fond of truth that God has given us with Jesus Christ at the heart.

[267] He has established the church.

[268] to be that fond of truth and it makes sense that when people start to wake up to the truth and wake up to God, they would come all the way I mean, as I would see it, because the Catholic Church is the true church, certainly broken and sinful, corrupt, all the things that go on in the world infect the church, but she is holy because she is of God.

[269] And so, So on one end of the spectrum is the godless atheist who has denied God.

[270] On the other end of the spectrum is the Immaculate Virgin Mary, the Queen of Heaven, our mother in the Catholic Church, mother of all humanity, but we as Catholics embrace her as our mother.

[271] So she's at one end and, you know, Satan at the other, and the atheist is hanging out with Satan.

[272] Yep.

[273] The great saints like St. Augustine are with the Immaculate Virgin Mary.

[274] We all have a choice.

[275] We can go whichever direction.

[276] God will not force us.

[277] We are free.

[278] God in his mercy always gives us the chance to come back from the dark side, but we can choose the dark side, and sadly too many people do.

[279] And what, especially as we go through these last days of Lent and prepare if we're Holy Week.

[280] We've talked about it before, Terry.

[281] I mean, we're both broken records.

[282] You talk about the same thing.

[283] Yep.

[284] But the four last things are things that need to be contemplated during this last days of Lent and Holy Week, because that's what it really comes down to.

[285] Yep.

[286] Death, judgment, heaven, hell.

[287] Exactly.

[288] We all face it.

[289] Amen.

[290] I'm going to throw you a curveball, Bishop Strickland, because I saw something on the internet that kind of relates to what we're talking about, objective truth, love of God, that we have this love for God.

[291] It says that seven and ten people really consider their dog, the dog, their best friend.

[292] And they also say seven out of ten people, these 2 ,000 dog owners, four and five, that's 80 % say they pamper their dog as much as possible.

[293] Now, Bishop Strickland, let me set the stage here.

[294] I have a dog, a Labador, great dog.

[295] He's outside.

[296] He keeps the coyotes out from my yard.

[297] He gets fed. I like him.

[298] But, you know, he's a dog, okay?

[299] And I'm just going to say something, and then you tell me, if I'm on to something, I'm probably going to get some dog lovers to not like me, but it's the inconvenient truth I'm going to think I'm going to state.

[300] And that is, when we don't put God first in our lives, whether it's our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, or even having our lady, our guardian angel, and with a relationship, we go down to our best friend is a dog, eight out of ten people.

[301] It seems to me, Bishop Strickland, and I'm going to say it, and I get in trouble, but you can disagree with me. I'm okay.

[302] I think this is what happens when we don't value human life.

[303] Am I on to something?

[304] Yeah, I think you are.

[305] And like you said, I love dogs.

[306] I grew up with dogs.

[307] I'd love to have a dog now, but I'm not, because I love dogs, I'm not going to inflict being alone all the time on a dog because dogs need companionship, just like we do.

[308] Dogs are made for companionship.

[309] And so loving dogs is not a substitute for loving people.

[310] Amen.

[311] It's really on a totally different level.

[312] And so, yes, I mean, dogs are a beautiful part of the creation God has given us.

[313] Any pet is, I mean, we need to, cruelty to animals is a grave sin because they don't have the ability to protect themselves.

[314] I mean, some are, you know, very powerful or ferocious.

[315] But as far as really caring for themselves, especially domesticated animals, They rely on their owners and mistreat an animal in the wild or a domesticate animal is absolutely wrong.

[316] But once again, it goes back to truth.

[317] It goes back to there is a hierarchy of existence and of creation.

[318] We may not like it, but there is a hierarchy.

[319] There are things that are more significant than the other.

[320] That doesn't mean anything.

[321] I mean, everything we have is created by God, and it should be treated with the respect, do that level of creation.

[322] But frankly, I mean, even a little crazier, you know, these days, they're probably people that have more relationship with rocks and crystals.

[323] That's right.

[324] And even with their dog.

[325] Yep.

[326] You know, and certainly creation is beautiful, but it is not.

[327] at the level of and that's the awesome gift and the awesome responsibility we have once again we're the only part of creation that is in the image and likeness of god all of creation reflects the beauty of god a loving creator has brought the beautiful you know the beauty of the the earth the beauty of the cosmos it all comes from god but we have a unique place in creation and that it's not just oh you know humanity's wonderful sometimes it's not so wonderful it it basically we have a unique place that exalts us but we have we have more responsibility we have the responsibility for creation the birds of the air and the fish in the sea don't control anything they live by their natural calling and part of the beauty of God's creation.

[328] But we have the responsibility because being created in the image and likeness of God means that we can think.

[329] And really, Terry, I could get on that soapbox also because part of what's happened in the churches, catechesis, and then just in general education in this nation, Yes.

[330] We've really moved away from teaching people how to think.

[331] Absolutely.

[332] How to think through logically from one step to another.

[333] If this is true, then this is true.

[334] Then this is true.

[335] People don't operate that way any longer.

[336] And it's harmful.

[337] It's harmful to creation.

[338] It's harmful to our stewardship of creation.

[339] And it's harmful to the human family and the human person.

[340] We have an obligation.

[341] to use that God -given ability to reason out and to think what is truth here, what is the right thing to do, what is the responsible thing to do for a man or woman that seeks to be a disciple of the son of God?

[342] Well, said, I don't want to keep beating us drum, but in the article it points out that 30 % of dog owners even own a pet stroller so they can carry their dog around it.

[343] I see it at behind our church, women walking their dog in a stroller.

[344] And this is the one that really gets me. People are spending $50 ,000 to clone their dog so that they can have a little Bubba back again.

[345] And I just, this is how strange it is.

[346] We're living in times where our priorities are on things that a hierarchy are too low and on sacredness of life with killing our own children.

[347] We'll be back with more and opening up our catechism to the Catholic Church.

[348] Stay with us, family.

[349] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[350] I wanted to ask everybody to open up their catechism to the Catholic, to their catechism with the Catholic Church.

[351] The reason I want to do this is because we keep talking about objective truth.

[352] What is the truth about this?

[353] I think that if we read the catechism on a regular basis, you'd get a strong taste of truth because the Catholic Churches put this catechism together in the early 90s, that are so articulated our faith so you really can really nail it down and we've been dealing with marriage for a couple weeks now and paragraph 1656 is right there and I'll read it but you can see how it ties into the world has got off on truth about marriage it says in our own time in a world often alien and even hostile to the faith.

[354] But we're living in that time.

[355] Believing families are the primary importance as the center of living, the radiant faith.

[356] For this reason, the Second Vatican Council, using an ancient expression, calls the family the Ecclesio Domestica, the domestic church in English.

[357] It is in the bosom of the family that parents are, by word and example, for heralds of the faith with regard to their children.

[358] It should encourage them in their vocation, which is proper to each child, fostering with special care, any religious vocation.

[359] Your thoughts, Bishop Strickland?

[360] Well, this part of the catechism really ties in everything we've been talking about.

[361] Yeah.

[362] to family and to living the reality of the faith.

[363] In that first sentence, it's so devastatingly true in our own time.

[364] In a world often alien and even hostile to faith, believing families are of primary importance.

[365] The centers of living, radiant faith.

[366] Believing families, many, in many ways are God's instrument to save us.

[367] And we need to nurture families.

[368] We need to support them and challenge them to live the truth and to share it with their children.

[369] And what's so tragic in our time is this book, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is being attacked.

[370] Oh, yeah.

[371] Even from within the church.

[372] True.

[373] And we are hearing the false gospel that, oh, this isn't necessarily true, it's not written in stone, you can have your doubts.

[374] And that's simply not Catholic.

[375] And for that to come from Catholic leadership, it shows how far we've come, how far we've fallen.

[376] We should never despair.

[377] Christ is with his church, but we need to, we speak of the one holy Catholic.

[378] an apostolic church.

[379] This paragraph is talking about how essential dedicated believing families, families that are living their faith, how essential they are to making the church what it is.

[380] And for anyone in the church, especially leadership, bishops, cardinals, to be speaking of the catechism, as it's one more thing that can change if we decide, then what is there any objective truth, just like we were talking about?

[381] And really, again, logically, if you think through a statement like, oh, we don't have to believe in the catechism, it's not written in stone, we can have our own doubts.

[382] If you logically follow that through, then there is nothing certain.

[383] there is no there is no truth to build our lives on and too many people are living that way i mean when we're at the point where you know a man decides tomorrow that he's a woman a woman decides the next day that she's a man that is simply not the truth and that it's harmful to that individual who remains a beloved son or daughter of God.

[384] Whatever they do to themselves, there's still a son or daughter of God.

[385] And we know even scientifically that that goes to their DNA makeup, their chromosomes.

[386] There's a built -in identity.

[387] That's what love is, is to encourage people to live out their built -in identity.

[388] And if they're having questions or uncertainties or doubts, and people have doubts and questions and uncertainties about all kinds of things, they're looking for some certainty.

[389] And that's where we really love.

[390] And that's the Lord of Love has established the church to be a font of truth that really is always about loving.

[391] I mean, in God, truth and love are not some sort of separate categories of God.

[392] It reminds us that real love is all about the truth.

[393] Real truth is all about love.

[394] And that's what this paragraph is talking about.

[395] We desperately need believing families.

[396] We need those domestic churches, ecclesia domestica in Latin.

[397] We need the home church, the domestic church, each family living, the truth and love that is God, and being a model for their neighbor and their friends in school and in everyone that they encounter.

[398] And thankfully, we have that, not as much as we should, but we do have these godly believing families.

[399] And they make a difference.

[400] They're not perfect.

[401] They're not flawless, but people can look to that family in the neighborhood.

[402] that family in their school, that family, if they hopefully go to church, that family that really gets it, that is really living, and the parents recognize their role.

[403] And the children are children, but they're being formed to know the truth and to love God and to love their neighbor as themselves, to live the commandments.

[404] It's just so critical that we never let go of the truth, no matter who tries to take it from our lives, no matter who demands that we let go of the truth.

[405] Like the saints of old and the martyrs specifically, we have to be willing even to die rather than let go of the truth.

[406] And ironically, the martyrs witnessed, and that's probably the better way to speak of martyrs.

[407] Yes, they died in this life, but they are eternal.

[408] witnesses of the truth.

[409] They gave up life in this world, but they live eternally witnessing to truth.

[410] So that's the main gift that the martyrs offer us.

[411] It's not just someone brave enough to die, but someone faithful enough to live and witness to the truth for all eternity.

[412] Well said, Bishop Strickland, I wanted to share something that I was told to do for Lent, and I think it's a good thing with family life.

[413] Whenever I see a young family, I will compliment them and, you know, hand out a virgin most powerful radio card, which I just want to thank all the new listeners.

[414] We've had our tremendous growth just this past month.

[415] Thousands of new people are listening, so I want to welcome you.

[416] But what I do to the young family is I give them a card, and I say, you know, you're the future of our country and our church.

[417] I wanted to ask you to consider downloading this app so you can hear some good material that'll build your family up.

[418] And then I always give them some cash, because why do I give them cash?

[419] As a way of saying, God bless you, you're a young family.

[420] I saw the dad looking at their baby.

[421] These kids were probably in their early 20s.

[422] They're at a restaurant.

[423] I noticed they got water rather than a cold drink to save a few bucks.

[424] You know, they're frugally living in their life.

[425] And you can see his marveling at his baby.

[426] So I went up to him and gave him a few bucks.

[427] And he's like, oh, no, that's more than that.

[428] I said, no, no, no. I said, I was your position at one time.

[429] And now I'm an old guy.

[430] I'm just going back.

[431] Someone gave you, this happened to me. I want to pass it on to you now.

[432] And when you get older, you pass it on to someone else.

[433] Anyhow, the point I'm making is he was very open to learning about his Catholic faith.

[434] They were Hispanic, they're Catholic.

[435] But I think by doing this, by reaching out to the family and giving them a little support, whether it's financial or just compliment.

[436] them.

[437] You're changing the world one diaper at a time, mom, keep it up.

[438] This is what I think needs to be done.

[439] And so I'm going to make a suggestion before you give us our blessing.

[440] And that is, reach out the rest of Lent when you see a young family.

[441] Pay them a compliment, invite them to join us here at Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[442] Your thoughts about complimenting young families, Bishop.

[443] Absolutely.

[444] And I mean, we need to have that generosity of our heart and spirit.

[445] when we see goodness we should support it and compliment it i think of the same thing with you know we we hear a lot of the trouble with teenagers and struggles of young people when you see i actually saw a tweet where a young man a lady was selling flowers i think it was somewhere in europe yeah it looked like it but a woman was selling flowers obviously poor and just trying to make a little money for some food probably but the young man gives her, you know, some money for the flowers and then gives her the flowers back.

[446] Smile, the smile on the lady's face and the smile on the young man's face as he's walking off is priceless.

[447] I love it.

[448] That's what we're called to do.

[449] Yeah, I agree.

[450] And to compliment young people that are doing the right thing, compliment families, and especially large families, they kind of get bash.

[451] It's like, don't you know what's causing this?

[452] and all sorts of crass comments to really compliment them for loving life and following God's will.

[453] Amen.

[454] People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

[455] Bishop Strickland, how about a blessing for our listeners?

[456] And again, everyone, thank you for joining us.

[457] You can listen to all these other shows on our website, vmpr .org.

[458] A blessing, please?

[459] Almighty God, we ask your blessing for all who will listen.

[460] to this program.

[461] We ask your blessing for Terry and all who work with him, that we may continue during these Lenton days and into Holy Week and in the Easter season to rejoice in your son, the gift of your spirit, and the light of truth and grace that you offer us.

[462] May the Immaculate Virgin Mary constantly intercede for us.

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

[464] Amen.

[465] Thank you, Bishop Strickland.

[466] I want to remind everybody the Father Chad Ripperger Spiritual Warfare Conference is still available on our website.

[467] Thousands now are participating in sharing that conference at home.

[468] They're buying the recordings and showing it at their home to help protect your family from spiritual warfare.

[469] So I want to encourage you to go to vmpr .org and you can get that by downloading it at vmpr .org.

[470] And all of the shows a virgin most powerful radio is available on our website.

[471] May God richly bless you and I want to encourage you to continue to keep the faith, spread the faith, love the faith, and we will continue to pray for you and continue to pray for us.

[472] Remember, never worry about who will be offended when you speak the truth.

[473] God bless you and your family.