05 Sep 23 – The Teaching Church Does Not Invent Her Doctrines

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] My name is Terry Barber with Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[2] Bishop Strickland, busy time of the year.

[3] Thanks again for each week taking time to help us fall deep in love with Jesus and his church.

[4] Thank you, Terry.

[5] Thank you.

[6] Bishop Strickland, I love the tweets that you send.

[7] I keep a file of the really good ones in the sense of I use them on my own shows and I just share them with friends and, you know, they're gems.

[8] because you usually take them from holy men and women to saints, a scripture.

[9] You've got a lot of good scripture quotes today.

[10] It really is uplifting.

[11] I know some people would say, oh, Strickland, man, he's always talking about this or that.

[12] But you know what I see with Bishop Strickland is he's encouraging us with these scripture quotes to keep focused on Jesus Christ.

[13] And you continue to remind us that that's who we worship, Jesus Christ and no other.

[14] So thank you for doing that.

[15] this first one that I got from a tweet from you you said an important quote are you kidding me that's an understatement from Pope Paul the 6th you said the teaching church does not invent her doctrine she is a witness she is a guardian she is an interpreter and she is a mediator Bishop Strickland this quote from Pope Paul the 6 goes way back to January 19th 1972 50 years ago we've been having this a long time I was a kid in junior high yeah kid in junior high I was in junior high too I guess we aren't that far away that's right junior high but because yeah high school was that's right no no I was a freshman in high school sorry I had to correct myself I graduated in 77 so I'm 75 okay so we're two years apart now we got that straight all right but this quote I'd like to really go into it because Pope Paul the 6th.

[16] He's the Pope who came out with Hermione Vite in July 25th, 1968, and took a lot of heat from a lot of people in the church because they really were pressuring him to change something he couldn't change.

[17] And it seems like his later years as the Pope, he died in 1978 in August, August 6th, to be precise.

[18] And so he's in his later years, and he's giving a general audience.

[19] picture this today and the pope says pope paul the six our doctrine is separated from errors oh my goodness which has circulated and still emerge in today's culture and which could totally ruin our christian understanding of life and of history okay that statement right there gives you credibility, Bishop Strickland, for making a stand for the truth.

[20] It's saying that the church it relies on shepherds holding on to the divine teachings of Jesus Christ and that if they don't, he's going to say that we're not doing our job.

[21] So that first sentence, did that touch you as much as it touched me?

[22] Absolutely.

[23] He really truly nails it.

[24] And to realize it was 50 years ago, 51 years ago, we just have to realize, recognize.

[25] And what occurs to me, Terry, I mean, he's at this time, at least by me. I mean, he did a lot of things.

[26] But Paul the 6th is known, I believe, and in history will remember him primarily for writing Humane v. 2.

[27] Oh, yeah.

[28] And because some of the things, frankly, I mean, I don't agree with other things that he did.

[29] But Humane Vite was critical.

[30] And if you look at its history, it could easily have gone the other way.

[31] People were pressuring him.

[32] I mean, you probably realize that he never wrote another encyclical in the last, he had 10 more years as Pope.

[33] He never wrote another encyclical.

[34] It really, he got beaten up.

[35] or writing Humane Vite.

[36] And what occurs to me, Terry, is when the truth is one, because Jesus Christ is truth incarnate.

[37] And you can't say, oh, I look most of the truths of Jesus Christ.

[38] If you bracket out one and say, oh, no, not going to live that one, it all collapses.

[39] And Paul the 6th in Humanevite points that out.

[40] If people don't accept this teaching that contraception is always immoral, then it echoes kind of what he says in that first line of this quote.

[41] Yeah.

[42] That when we reject doctrine and truth, it begins, it's like this terrible flood of evil that begins to erode the landscape of humanity and of creation.

[43] And we've seen that over the past 50 years.

[44] What occurs to me, and I would love to challenge every Catholic school, university or otherwise, every person to say, every married person, are you living according to the church's teaching in Humane Vite or not?

[45] I mean, we've got a Catholic high school here in Tyler, and I would, I mean, we can hope and pray, but I would.

[46] wager.

[47] And it's sadly, it's because the people haven't been taught from the launch, the promulgation of Humaneityte, the bishops of the world.

[48] And in this country, many vocally rejected Humane Vita.

[49] That's a fact.

[50] So the people were taught, oh, you can reject this.

[51] The Pope was wrong.

[52] We'll get it right eventually.

[53] And when people decide to bracket it out, that essential truth, as Paul the Sixth predicted, it will affect women and their place in society, which should be a beautiful place.

[54] Instead, they're often denigrated.

[55] It will affect marriage.

[56] It will affect family.

[57] And what we've got to keep telling people, and I'm sure you've heard this stories.

[58] Couples that were using contraception, but from whatever means, maybe they earned a holiday or they heard a radio show or they read something finally.

[59] But when they convert, it makes a huge difference in their lives.

[60] And we need to encourage every married couple of childbearing age, even if you've used contraception and you're getting close to the end of that childbearing age.

[61] Stop now.

[62] Return to the truth that the church has revealed.

[63] There, as I'm sure you're aware, there are forces right now to undermine Humane Vite all over again.

[64] And we just have to lovingly, with charity and clarity, but say, no, you cannot change this truth.

[65] No matter how much you want to.

[66] We've had 50 years of people saying, oh, we can change this and we don't have to live up to it.

[67] Our circumstances are different.

[68] Look at where the world is.

[69] Look at so much erosion in the people of God.

[70] We've got to continue to return to the truth with charity and clarity, but with clarity especially, the truth has to be proclaimed.

[71] Well, said, yes, my partner, Romero and his wife, when they were married, he went to the priest at his parish, and unfortunately, the priest told Jesse and his wife, what form of artificial birth control are you going to use and pulled out a book and said, this is the one I recommend.

[72] That is so tragic.

[73] Now, for the first five years of their marriage, they used contraception, and then Jesse and Anita tell the story.

[74] they went to the family conference with Dr. Scott Hahn there and we had a lot of, we had Janet Smith there, we had a lot of good people, and that was when they heard about Hermanni Vite for the first time, read it, heard the teachings on it, and threw their contraception down the toilet, okay?

[75] And they said, why didn't anybody tell us that?

[76] And, you know, it's tragic Bishop Strickland because the priest should be, you know, being in position to, to, to give guidance to these married couples to give them the right stuff.

[77] And it's just tragic when a priest doesn't do that.

[78] And I think that needs to stop, obviously.

[79] And I think what's happening now after 50 -some years, we've done a show on this, you and I, regarding the fruits of Hamanavita and also what Paul the 6th predicted would happen in the culture if we didn't implement this.

[80] Yeah.

[81] So it's powerful.

[82] And Terry, Terry, I have to confess that as a newly ordained priest in 1985, I was getting mixed signals.

[83] See that?

[84] And we didn't have the catechism.

[85] No, you know.

[86] And I knew about Humanevite.

[87] Yeah.

[88] And I would tell people in the confessional, mainly it was women, would ask about it.

[89] And I would, thankfully, I was smart enough to tell them, this is what the church teaches.

[90] Wow.

[91] God bless you.

[92] But also, I have to confess.

[93] that when they pushed back or when they didn't agree, I didn't stand as strong as I should.

[94] I did tell them what the church teaches, but I kind of let them off the hook if they said, well, I disagree.

[95] And I encourage you, I did say, at least if you insist on using contraception, don't make the permanent choices.

[96] In other words, don't have an operation, don't have a hysterectomy.

[97] and don't have a vasectomy.

[98] But I should have been stronger.

[99] But, you know, I'm glad that at least I was strong enough and clear enough that I did tell them this is what the church teaches because other people were saying, oh, that you shouldn't even say that.

[100] So, but it, you know, thankfully we're more clear.

[101] Yes.

[102] And science is more clear.

[103] Oh, yeah.

[104] I mean, contraception, the pill is destructive to a woman's health, much less anything else.

[105] And that's very clear.

[106] Bishop Strickland, when we come back, Pope Paul the 6th in his general audience of January 19, 1972, talked about modernism.

[107] And I thought, wow, that was from 1907 from Pope Pius the 10th.

[108] And he's basically going to talk a little bit about the evil of modernism, what it is, and how to avoid it.

[109] And we're asking how this could apply 50, years later.

[110] Stay with us, family.

[111] We'll be back with more.

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

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

[114] A little side commercial here.

[115] Bishop Strickland last week did the show regarding a letter, pastoral letter, August 22nd, the queenship of Mary, to his sons and daughters in Christ and to the shepherd, to the flock.

[116] And I want to remind everybody that if you go to the diocese's website at Tyler.

[117] diocese you can read that document it's very inspirational because he just covers a lot of things that need to be said regarding those perennial teachings of the church bishop strickland this look this article that you tweeted from paul to six it's basically his general audience we just went through the first first sentence and it was here comes he says modernism represented the characteristic expression of these errors and it is still relevant today under other names.

[118] And then he quotes the St. Pope Pius the 10th document of 1907.

[119] So he really is calling us out.

[120] And I think it was necessary because if we can remember those days, I was just a youngster.

[121] But there were a lot of, there's a lot of care.

[122] There's a lot of, let's just say, similarities to the 1970s to the 2020s, because we have a lot of people wanting to change things.

[123] Absolutely.

[124] I thank God for Paul the Sixth.

[125] Really, Terry.

[126] Tell me. Sorry to interrupt.

[127] Oh, hit it.

[128] I'm going to.

[129] That's what it is your show.

[130] It, you know, and I know this may ruffle some feathers.

[131] Okay.

[132] But I have to say it.

[133] This, just these paragraphs, these sentences, as you said, we just talked for 10, 15 minutes about one sentence.

[134] Exactly.

[135] And each sentence is that, potent, powerful.

[136] These paragraphs should be read to the synod delegates as they gather.

[137] And frankly, I think it would basically a lot of them, if they really take this to heart, they'd say, we don't need to have this Senate.

[138] We don't need to meet.

[139] We're discussing things that as Paul the 6th, St. Paul the 6th reminds us, This isn't up for discussion.

[140] And the next sentence, I mean, this, it is about modernism.

[141] Yes.

[142] And I quoted, you know, recently Lamentabali Sane, the document for Pius the 10th, we talked about, I think, last week.

[143] But let's read the next sentence.

[144] To me, that is the sentence that needs to be read across the world and to all these people gathering for the Senate.

[145] And we need to pray that they will read this and understand it and come out of this Senate upholding all the doctrines.

[146] Let me just read this next sentence.

[147] Please do.

[148] Because it's so important.

[149] It is critical to the world and to the church in this moment.

[150] And this con was again from Pope Paul VI, 1972, 51 years.

[151] ago.

[152] We may understand then why the Catholic Church, both yesterday and today, attaches so much importance to the rigorous conservation of true revelation, considering at an inviable treasure and why she is such a strict awareness of her fundamental duty to defend and transmit in unequivocal terms, the doctrine of the faith.

[153] That sentence is gold.

[154] Amen.

[155] And it needs to be proclaimed to the world.

[156] Wow.

[157] In unequivocal terms, rigorous.

[158] That word I love, because it's not such a popular word today.

[159] Yeah.

[160] Importance to the rigorous conservation of true revelation.

[161] That, Terry, sentence, I believe, is it's simple.

[162] It's clear and it's profoundly important for this moment in the world and in the church.

[163] I agree.

[164] I'm going to have you read the rest of that because it seems that I'm excited when I hear you speak like this and quoting Paul the 6th, I keep saying, wow, it's so refreshing, but it's so, it's such great advice to our modern church today, please heed this, shepherds and priests.

[165] And Terry, really, I didn't get emotional about this because this paragraph is what I've been trying to do as a bishop.

[166] That's it.

[167] That's it.

[168] You nailed it.

[169] These two, and it's just two sentences.

[170] I know.

[171] It's unbelievable.

[172] Keep going, Bishop Strickland.

[173] It's unbelievable.

[174] Yeah, I want to keep reading this because it is gold.

[175] It is gold.

[176] Go ahead.

[177] Orthodoxy is her first concern, the pastoral magisterium or primary and providential function.

[178] In fact, the apostolic teaching fixes the canons of her preaching and the mandate of the Apostle Paul, guard the deposit entrusted to you.

[179] Constate such a commitment for her that its violation would be betrayal.

[180] Pope St. Paul the Sixth, thank you.

[181] That is what the world needs to hear today.

[182] The violation of this truth, guard the deposit and trusted to you, the violation of this is a betrayal.

[183] And that is what we see happening.

[184] I don't care whose voice it is.

[185] Any voice that denies this paragraph is a betrayal of Jesus Christ and they can complain and attack me however they want.

[186] Terry, you and I spend time with our Lord.

[187] Amen.

[188] Before his Eucharistic faith.

[189] I will not betray him.

[190] Amen.

[191] Bishop Strickland, I'm on the edge of my chair when I'm hearing you read this because this is what you have been I've been doing this show for five years with you and I keep, it reminds me you're like a broken record preaching the gospel over and over again that we have to stick to the deposit of faith and perennial teachings of the church and I really like what Paul the 6th said when he said a commitment for her if you don't do this you're in violation would be a betrayal and I say this in charity and I mean real charity.

[192] I think we're doing them a favor when we show this to our leaders in our church as a layman and as a bishop to say, Bishop Strickland, you said this, I'm going to correct you as a layman.

[193] I hope you have the humility to say, okay, I can show you in the scriptures and the catechism, you're wrong.

[194] I want to hear that from the folks in the Vatican and the people at that Senate that can say, well, wait a minute, I'm reading this, he's right.

[195] That means we can't be voting on all these stupid things that have nothing to do with the deposit of faith.

[196] In other words, to take away from the deposit of faith.

[197] Like, I'll give you an example, women's ordination.

[198] That's something that has been already nailed.

[199] Women cannot be ordained to priesthood.

[200] End of story.

[201] Why are we spending time on?

[202] St. John Paul, you said that really clear.

[203] And then on the active homosexuality about chastity, the church has always taught that we're all called to chastity.

[204] See, these are the things that I think Paul the 6 is saying, guard a deposit, gentlemen, guard it with your life.

[205] I'd like to read that whole paragraph again.

[206] Please do.

[207] Because people that may have missed it, that you're just getting, listening to this, say, oh, I didn't hear that.

[208] What did you say?

[209] We all need to hear this.

[210] I do want to read the whole paragraph all to again.

[211] All right.

[212] This is from Pope St. Paul the 6th, writing in 1972.

[213] we may understand then why the Catholic Church, both yesterday and today, attaches so much importance to the rigorous conservation of true revelation, considering it an inviable treasure, and why she has such a strict awareness of her fundamental duty to defend and transmit in unequivocal terms, the doctrine of the faith.

[214] Orthodoxy is her first concern.

[215] The pastoral magisterium, her primary and providential function.

[216] In fact, the apostolic teaching fixes the canons of her preaching, and the mandate of the Apostle Paul guard the deposit entrusted to you constitute such a commitment for her that it's vital.

[217] violation would be a betrayal.

[218] I'm stunned.

[219] But Bishop Strickland, I'm going to say this as a layman, not as a bishop.

[220] When I read and hear what you just said from Paul the 6th, this is an indictment on the modern church today.

[221] I mean, I really mean that.

[222] I see so much compromise where we're lowering the bar on things that we can't be lowering the bar on the moral teachings of the church.

[223] and I want to thank Pope Paul the 6th, St. Pope Paul the 6th, for speaking like a true prophet, because here we are 51 years later reading this, and he's firing me up as a layman to say, no compromising.

[224] We've got to stick to the perennial teachings of the church.

[225] I don't care who is going to say we have to compromise.

[226] We can't do it.

[227] So thank you.

[228] And I'm sure that people, because like you said and reading the note, it's from a general audience.

[229] Yeah, general audience.

[230] In January of 1972, I'm sure that many of the people listening didn't have any idea of how important these words were and how we would need them so desperately 51 years later.

[231] This should be shared with every bishop in the world at this moment, every cardinal, every bishop, every one of us.

[232] We're all called to do the same thing.

[233] Terry, this.

[234] I think this, these paragraphs, I mean, it's so brief.

[235] Yeah.

[236] It's so important.

[237] Yeah.

[238] And we need to get to the third paragraph.

[239] Well, we're going to, when we come back from the break, this is going to be a third paragraph.

[240] And the ending is just as powerful as the beginning.

[241] It is.

[242] I want to recommend people to, again, get the letter that Bishop Strickland wrote on a diocese on the 22nd of August, queenship of Mary, two pages long.

[243] Send it to your friends.

[244] has gone all over the world.

[245] And Bishop Strickland, you did nothing but, you had like these seven points of fundamental teachings of the church.

[246] And a lot of people are getting excited saying, hey, what are you doing?

[247] I think you're implementing what Pope St. Pope Paul VI said.

[248] We have to stick to our fundamentals.

[249] And if people are going to condemn you for that, so be it.

[250] Because I'll go down with you on this because it's not because of you.

[251] It's because of Jesus Christ.

[252] You have nothing to do with this because it's Jesus Christ teachings.

[253] That's what's important.

[254] Not Bishop Strickland.

[255] He's a nobody.

[256] I'm sorry, I'm a nobody because we're talking about a somebody in the name of Jesus Christ.

[257] When we come back, we're going to have the last paragraph of this segment, but I also want to recommend somebody else who's speaking the truth.

[258] Archbishop Fulton Sheen will be, we have a day with Fulton Sheen coming up October 14th here in the Covina area at the Sacred Heart Chapel.

[259] You can listen to it by streaming.

[260] You don't have to come to Covina, but I can tell you something.

[261] You're going to get an amazing story.

[262] We have a priest who was converted by Bishop Sheen when he was 13 years old in a communist country.

[263] Great story of how he became a Catholic and then a Catholic priest.

[264] He's going to tell his story at that event.

[265] Go to Virgin Most Powerful Radio .org to sign up for that event.

[266] When we come back, St. Paul the 6th general audience, January 19th, 1972, to wait to you hear what he closes with for the church back then and applies to us today.

[267] Stay with us.

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

[269] Welcome back.

[270] I'm laughing.

[271] I'll tell you why, Bishop Strickland.

[272] I love having an hour with you.

[273] I feel like I'm at a restaurant talking about what's most important about the meaning and purpose of life.

[274] And we've got everybody around the breakfast nook table.

[275] We're here at Denny's just having a grand old talk about, you know, the church and how we need to fall deeper in love with Jesus.

[276] And this is a, again, Pope Paul the 6th, general audience January 19th, 1972, short little audience.

[277] But Bishop Strickon, could you read the final paragraph or two that he spoke about because it seems like he's, you're following his lead.

[278] So could you do that for us, please?

[279] Absolutely.

[280] Pope Paul the 6th continues.

[281] The teaching church does not invent her doctrine.

[282] Really?

[283] She is a witness.

[284] She is a guardian.

[285] She's an interpreter.

[286] She is a mediator.

[287] As far as the truths pertaining to the Christian message you're concerned, she can be said to be conservative, intransigent, and to those who urge her to make the faith easier, more relevant to the taste of the changing mentality of the dimes, She replies with the apostles, non -posumus, we cannot.

[288] That needs to resound in the halls where these synod delegates meet.

[289] And I hate to tell them, you know, a lot of them accuse us of being conservative and intransigent.

[290] They want to make things easier, more relevant to the taste of the times.

[291] we need to tell him read what Paul the 6 said 51 years ago he's got it and he's quoting the apostles non posumous we cannot wow I'm just stunned and I'm still stunned I'm sitting down Bishop Strickland but I just thank Paul the 6 for being so clear and simple about this because I like the fake as being simple and thank you for for reading that last section and I would say Bishop Strickland this should give you if you don't need it but I would think it would help you not compromise one iota when it comes to the faith when you see a vigor of Christ like Paul the 6th speak at a time in the church where it was right after the council we all know what was going on there was all kinds of changes and people came up with this term the spirit of Vatican 2 and that spirit of Vatican 2 was whatever I think it should be, and that's not what Paul VI said, and I thank him for that.

[292] Did that reading, I'm assuming the reason you put that out is it inspired you even as a bishop, is that correct?

[293] Absolutely, and I have to admit, Terry, that our conversation with it has inspired me even more.

[294] I know it was important, but it is, it's essential.

[295] He really instructs the world in our moment, in our time, and we better listen, we cannot change the eternal truth that is Jesus Christ.

[296] And people, I mean, I've been attacked already for people saying, oh, you just calm down and you're not planning to do anything at the Synod.

[297] That is foolish.

[298] Yeah.

[299] Because look at the delegates that are there.

[300] The delegates that have been called there purposefully, they're people who preach against this, constantly.

[301] And Paul the Six is talking about the Catholic faith.

[302] And like you said, Terry, I'm not important.

[303] And I'll say that you're not important.

[304] None of us are important.

[305] We're all just people.

[306] But thankfully, we have the treasure.

[307] We have this deposit that we better guard and we better speak up loudly and clearly with charity.

[308] And always remembering as we do, I'm a sinner, you're a sinner, we fail, but we have the proper focus with charity and clarity this needs to be said, not attacking anyone, not telling a priest that goes around, and there is a priest that goes around, contradicting this constantly, not attacking, but saying, please, brother, priest of Jesus Christ, think about who you are, believe what you do, practice what you believe.

[309] I mean, we've got to call these people who are trying to attack the faith.

[310] We've got to call them back to the heart of Christ.

[311] That's the greatest compassion.

[312] But we have to do it much more clearly, much more vigorously, because these words, they're poetic, They're beautiful and they're clear, and they need to be shared with clarity.

[313] Well, you're not the only one saying that, and I'm glad because Cardinal Sirrah, who you quote often, said something very similar.

[314] He said, church unity must be built around the truth of the Catholic doctrine and the moral teachings of the church, comma, there are no other ways.

[315] You can't be any clear.

[316] and Bishop Strickland, that's what I appreciate most about you is that you speak in real simple terms and you tell the people the truth and you don't compromise, so thank you for that.

[317] I didn't expect this to go on that long, but you know what?

[318] It's the spirit, I assume.

[319] My Holy Spirit wanted this out.

[320] I think so.

[321] Mr. Strickland, you also have a good sense of humor.

[322] I saw a tweet and it made me chuckle.

[323] I had like four priests at my house this week and I read it to them and they were all chuckling.

[324] You said a little humor.

[325] It reminds me of another one.

[326] God's speaking from a cloud.

[327] Don't make me come down there.

[328] And so here it is.

[329] If the apostle Paul were alive today, put your seatbelt on, you're going to laugh at this.

[330] Paul, you're reading right from the Bible.

[331] Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ to the churches of the United States, of America.

[332] Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

[333] Now here's the part that's hilarious.

[334] I don't even really know where to begin with you guys.

[335] And I thought about, you know, there's a lot of truth in that because we've wavered so far.

[336] We've gone off the deep end.

[337] We can't even tell the difference between a man and a woman anymore.

[338] Yeah.

[339] I love that because, you know, that's what we have to remember.

[340] These letters from Paul to the Romans or to the Corinthians, these are real people.

[341] Yes.

[342] They have real issues that he's trying to help them deal with.

[343] Yes.

[344] That's how we need to hear those scriptures that we read.

[345] Right.

[346] And to really take seriously, I would love for Paul to come down and write the letter again.

[347] Yes.

[348] And it would be scathing.

[349] Yeah.

[350] Yeah, I agree.

[351] Well, here's a statement from a saint.

[352] I love when you, we have some scripture from Hebrew, Colossians.

[353] Oh, my gosh, some great stuff coming.

[354] But here's a tweet that you got from a priest.

[355] He said, and he was quoting St. Philip Neri, great saint.

[356] If a man finds it very hard to forgive injuries, let him look at a crucifix and think that Christ shed all his blood for him, and not only forgave his enemies but even prayed his heavenly father to forgive them also.

[357] Bishop Strickland, anybody, we all have challenges to forgive.

[358] I mean, that's a powerful quote from a saint.

[359] I love that.

[360] Yeah, absolutely.

[361] Wow.

[362] All right.

[363] Let's shift into scripture because Hebrews is great.

[364] Hebrews chapter 13, verse 7 to 9.

[365] here's what you said remember your leaders who you spoke the word of god to you consider how they lived how their lives ended and imitate their faith jesus christ is the same yesterday today today and forever in this last statement such a killer do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings even that 2 ,000 years ago, you always say we have to become first century Christians again.

[366] Give me your thoughts on that scripture verse.

[367] Well, it really is echoing what Paul VI said in the 20th century and what great saints have said from the first century all the way through to the 21st century, we have to live the truth.

[368] We have to hold to the truth and we have to be uncompromising because and really, Terry, what I tell people all the time, and I'm sure you agree.

[369] I think we were talking about this before we actually went into recording, but we both spend time with the Lord before his Eucharistic face.

[370] I did had the blessing of that this morning before Mass and hoped to again this evening before my next thing and that's not because I'm the Holy God.

[371] It's because I need him.

[372] I need the power that flows from him.

[373] And I read something just recently that really reminded me. It was speaking of the need for bishops and priests to recognize that all the issues we face will be solved when we know him more deeply and spend time with him.

[374] This, what I read just actually talked about the power that flows from him.

[375] He's the Lord of the universe.

[376] If we think about who we're worshipping in Eucharistic adoration.

[377] He's the Lord of the universe.

[378] All power in heaven and on earth has been given to him, and that's who we have the privilege of kneeling before or sitting before in prayer.

[379] That is, it should blow your mind.

[380] It blows mine.

[381] It blows my mind.

[382] But to realize that is the power that allows us to do what Paul the 6 talks about and what this quote from scripture that you just quoted what it's talking about.

[383] How do we do this?

[384] How do we live up to this truth?

[385] How do we not water it down?

[386] Know him.

[387] Spend time with the power source.

[388] It's a pretty straightforward approach and I agree.

[389] I had the blessing of being in church at 4 a .m. for a .m. mass at our chapel and I was the only one there preparing for it and I got that experience I said thank you Jesus I know who you are that's why I'm here at 4 in the morning when we come back we're going to talk another scripture verse Colossius chapter 1 stay with us family we'll be right back and now back to the Bishop Strickland Hour indeed wow what a quick hour went by Bishop Strickland this is amazing I love for those who just tuned in you missed something at the beginning the first two segments we talked about Paul the sixth little general audience back in January 19th of 2000 no not 2000 1972 wow so appropriate for us today and now we're taking some scripture verses that you tweeted that I think are just so apropos and one of them Bishop Strickland is from Colossians chapter 1 verse 9 to 11 I'll read it and then you give us your thoughts your commentary may you attain full knowledge of God's will Oh, my gosh.

[390] Yep.

[391] Through perfect wisdom and spiritual insight.

[392] By the might of his glory, you will be endowed with the strength needed to stand fast, even to endure joyfully, whatever may come.

[393] I got some, I want to hear your comment.

[394] That should apply to you in a big way, my friend.

[395] Well, it applies to all of us.

[396] And really, whatever may come.

[397] I mean, those are important words when you know Jesus Christ, and that's, he's the one that's talking about.

[398] He is the heart of the church.

[399] He is the truth.

[400] When you know him, you know that truth.

[401] And nothing, as he says, nothing in heaven or on earth can separate us from him, as Paul says in his letters.

[402] We cannot be separated from Christ except by.

[403] our own foolish, sinful choices.

[404] Wow.

[405] So true.

[406] Talk about truth.

[407] You tweeted another one.

[408] Truth is more than a lion.

[409] Truth is Jesus Christ.

[410] Truth incarnate.

[411] He came to us 2003 years ago, giving us his sacred heart and conquering sin and death with his precious blood.

[412] Turn from sin.

[413] Turn to him.

[414] Live his joyful truth.

[415] What a gospel message.

[416] I mean, that's just you just kind of capsulize what the gospel's about, but you put it out a quote from St. Augustine.

[417] I mean, we're talking 15, 1600 years ago one of the fathers of the church.

[418] Here's what he said.

[419] The truth is like a lion.

[420] You don't have to defend it.

[421] Let it loose.

[422] It will defend itself.

[423] Your thoughts?

[424] Well, I love the St. Augustine quote.

[425] And what he's saying is absolutely true.

[426] but when you start trying to twist the truth and change the truth that's where you get in danger because then you're trying to take the power of the lion out and that's and why do we use the term water it down because then it becomes weaker it doesn't carry the force anything that's watered down either loses its punch or loses its ability to, I mean, think of vinegar.

[427] What does vinegar do?

[428] It can be used to clean.

[429] It can be, it's an acid.

[430] Vinegar is really acid.

[431] And when you water it down, you can weaken its effect.

[432] I mean, the same thing, you know, with battery acid.

[433] If you water it down enough, it's not going to start your car.

[434] Because that's the wonder of a battery, of at least a car battery.

[435] It has acid in it, and that's what makes it able to store the electricity.

[436] If you water it down, it has no power.

[437] So we've got to trust in the truth and know that when it's strong, it takes care of it because I mean what that quote really reminds me of is what I say all the time it reminds me that Jesus Christ is truth he's truth incarnate and he's not going to be watered down we can we can try but it it really doesn't work it does a lot of damage because you're turning from the truth but the truth doesn't need to be defended if you're allowing it to carry its force and its strength.

[438] Bishop Strickland, one of your tweets really, it's like you just spoke your heart out.

[439] You know, he said, look, this is where I'm at.

[440] You point out in this tweet, it says, as weak and sinful as I am, I'm with you, you said, I have come to know Jesus Christ so deeply that it's impossible for me to remain silent about his beautiful truth.

[441] as I enter more deeply into his sacred heart I see more profoundly that I have so much to learn I pray that all may come to know Jesus that came from prayer I imagine I mean that doesn't come from just writing a book no absolutely in prayer in his presence yeah I bet I bet here's my question for me And when I hear you say this, it resounded in myself to say, look, all I want to know is to know Jesus Christ.

[442] All I want to do is share the gospel with people.

[443] I just want people to know who Jesus Christ is.

[444] And I just will say this on this show.

[445] We just started a new show with Father Charles Murr called The Life of Christ by Archbishop Fulton Sheen.

[446] It's a great book that he wrote back in the 1950s.

[447] and what we do is we take each chapter of that book and introduce people to the person of Christ and I think that's what the network is all about, Bishop Strickland, what you just said.

[448] I'm weak, I'm sinful, but I've come to know Jesus Christ so deeply that I can't be quiet about him.

[449] I've got to tell everybody about him.

[450] Yeah, absolutely.

[451] Beautiful.

[452] Now, Bishop Strickland, we're going to be in Tyler, virgin most powerful radio I'm flying out there Friday morning and we're going to have the Defending the Faith conference you're the keynote address I am a master's ceremonies they call me so I'm looking forward to that and we're going to be giving out a sheet for people that's a biblical cheat sheet that gives you more scripture verses about whether you're you know why do we go to confession John 20 where all these scriptural verses because I think what happens with us Catholics is maybe we just don't know our Bible well enough to defend it because maybe we were counting on people like you, the bishop and priests.

[453] But can you share with our listeners why it's important that lay people take God's word on a daily basis and reread those verses on a regular basis and how important that is for one's relationship with Jesus?

[454] absolutely terry because even you know the title of this conference yeah i mean these days breathing is controversial i guess but there are people that don't like the title of this conference and it's i've made it very clear in the diocese it's run by the laity which i think it's beautiful the lady have a voice and they need to i mean yeah there's a couple of priests talking there's a sister They're, but they're also laity speaking.

[455] And they've organized it.

[456] They want this.

[457] And defending the faith, it's like, oh, we can't even use the word defending.

[458] And people get upset.

[459] But what we're talking about, if you know Jesus Christ, and you know his truth, it's the greatest treasure we have.

[460] Right.

[461] I mean, I live in a house that's comfortable, it's not a mansion or anything, but I've got things here that people might say, oh, that's your treasure.

[462] Not really.

[463] I mean, it's nice.

[464] And people have been generous and given me things.

[465] Sure.

[466] But none of it really matters.

[467] None of it.

[468] Right.

[469] And that's what we have to remember.

[470] We have the pearl of great price.

[471] And talking about the title of this conference, defending the faith.

[472] Yes.

[473] For one thing, Terry, like you said, the scripture verses.

[474] Yes.

[475] And help the individual person, in a sense, every day.

[476] Oh, absolutely.

[477] We have to defend our faith against the temptation to sin.

[478] Yeah.

[479] Because all of us are tempted and all of us fail here and there.

[480] Yes.

[481] Hopefully not in mortally sinful.

[482] ways, but we do sin, and guarding or defending the faith is about knowing how to defend ourselves.

[483] When we're tempted to do something that deep down, we know is wrong, is sinful, then defending the faith first with us, defending our own faith is what we need to do.

[484] And that strengthens us to help others defend, defend the faith for them.

[485] Like you as a father and a husband, you have the job as the head of the household, the head of your domestic church.

[486] Part of your responsibility is to defend the faith for yourself and for your family.

[487] If there's something that goes on in L .A. that is contrary to the faith.

[488] I would imagine that happens daily.

[489] Oh, yeah.

[490] One of the ones today.

[491] You have to speak up and say, children and dear wife, we know that's wrong.

[492] We pray for those people that are doing something that is contrary to the faith.

[493] But defending the faith is pointing out where false messages are floating around.

[494] And sadly, even within the church, sadly, Terry, I'm sure you have because you're a man of faith.

[495] You had to say, we're not going to that parish.

[496] That's right.

[497] Because that priest is not defending the faith.

[498] He's attacking the faith.

[499] We don't attack back.

[500] We don't cease loving that priest.

[501] But the way to love him is to say, Father, come back and learn how to defend the faith instead of watering it down and attacking it.

[502] Yeah, well said.

[503] We just have another minute or two.

[504] I want to remind everybody you tweeted a 54 -day rosary novena that begins August 27th and ends October 19th.

[505] You've done these, you've promoted these rosary novenas before.

[506] Can you tell us a little bit more about it?

[507] Well, specifically, this rosary novena spanning that time, starting with the memorial of St. Monica, honestly, my mother's name was Monica, so St. Monica is one of my favorites.

[508] And then ending on on October 19th, which is Canadian martyrs, John de Bruboeuf and his companions.

[509] So a great praying saint and martyrs bracket this 54 -day novena.

[510] And it's praying for the Senate, praying for the Senate delegates to grow closer to the sacred heart of Christ.

[511] Amen.

[512] Bishop Strickland, how about a blessing for all of our listeners, please?

[513] Almighty God, we ask your blessing for all of us and all involved in Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[514] we may continue to joyfully and vigorously proclaim the faith and guard the truth.

[515] In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.

[516] Thank you so much, folks.

[517] You can be going to VMPR, Virgin Most Powerful Radio's website for all the podcasts of Bishop Strickland shows in the past.

[518] Also, other shows that we do on Virgin Most Powerful are there.

[519] There's also some free downloads for you to put up at Virgin Most Powerful Radio .org.

[520] We want to thank all of our listeners and the benefactors to make it possible for us to broadcast the fruits of the Catholic faith.

[521] May God richly bless you, and I hope to see some of you in Tyler, Texas is coming in defending the faith.

[522] God, Richel bless you and your family.