20 Sep 22 – Clarity with Charity but Without Compromise

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] My name is Terry Barber, and I'm honored to be here with you, and Bishop Strickland is out this week, but boy, do I have something in store.

[2] I have a lot of good clips from the good bishop that we're going to play that are from previous shows that we're going to just want to hear because they're so timely.

[3] And I want to also give you good news.

[4] The good news that more states are outlawing abortion, which is really a good thing.

[5] The second state is West Virginia, so I wanted to give you that good news story because, as you know, Bishop Strickland's constantly talking about the issue of abortion.

[6] So I just wanted you to know that and to continue to pray for the end of abortion.

[7] All right, I wanted to play this first clip because it's a story about Bishop Fulton J. Sheen.

[8] Mr. Ingeneral, let's play that clip.

[9] That part about cowardice, Christ was a brave man. Of course, he's the son of God also.

[10] But laying aside his divinity and becoming one of us and living with us, his bravery is really throughout his life, and he's the model for us.

[11] The apostles, they were strong, brave men.

[12] Yes.

[13] It reminds me of a story that we were talking about.

[14] I don't think it's written anywhere, but a personal story that was shared with me about Archbishop Sheen.

[15] Oh, yeah.

[16] And I think it was in 1976.

[17] This young man was serving Mass. And Archbishop Sheen, somebody came in and they'd written a book.

[18] I forget exactly the topic.

[19] But it was basically saying, how do we reconcile the Catholic faith with you know, some New Age religion or whatever it was, something that was corrupting the faith in the good Archbishop's opinion.

[20] And he really surprised this young man because he was so so elegant and so proper and just just a wonderful man when he was on television and in everything he did.

[21] He was classy.

[22] But it surprised this.

[23] I think this young man was about 14.

[24] when this happened.

[25] And he said that Archbishop Sheen just looked at this person that was presenting this book that was like comparing Catholicism to some, you know, that new age probably didn't exist then, but something like that.

[26] Right.

[27] And he said, get out of here!

[28] I mean, he yelled.

[29] And he sort of startled this server.

[30] But that's what we need.

[31] All of us, all the baptized, and Deacon's priest, and bishops, we need that fire in the belly.

[32] We can't be, have a cowardly quiet approach.

[33] And, you know, I'm a quiet guy.

[34] People probably say, ah, Bishop Strickland, but I mean, they say all kinds of things and it's like, they're talking about me. But when it comes to the message of the gospel, I do have that fire in the belly because I love the Lord and I love the church he's established.

[35] and I will die for him.

[36] I really will.

[37] That's what the early church, the whole early church had that fire in the belly.

[38] And many people have it now, but with all the controversy, certainly in the church, there's a lot of confusion, there's a lot of controversy.

[39] There really should be no controversy in the church.

[40] It's really very clear.

[41] Go to the catechism, go to the of God, go to the deposit of faith.

[42] And if it's contrary, what's happening or what is being said, how is situation being handled.

[43] If it's contrary to the deposit of faith, we need to be like Archbishop Sheen.

[44] We need to yell.

[45] We need to be vigorous and say, get out of here.

[46] No. Yes, with kindness.

[47] I mean, as you always say, charity with clarity.

[48] Absolutely.

[49] Absolutely.

[50] But the greatest charity is the truth.

[51] I think very often people these days, I mean, what media can you trust, whether in the church or in secular and just public media?

[52] There's so much misinformation.

[53] And the darts get thrown back and forth with, oh, that's misinformation.

[54] And then you find out, well, that's misinformation.

[55] that's really the truth.

[56] And then somebody else calls the truth misinformation.

[57] It's hard to know.

[58] People desperately need clarity with charity.

[59] They need the truth.

[60] Yeah, you're right, spot on, Bishop Strickland.

[61] And this is the thing that we need more bishops like you.

[62] And I think of Cardinal Burke telling us lay people, kind of what Bishop Sheen told lay people back in the early 70s when things were going crazy back then.

[63] What did Cardinal Burke just say last week, similar to what Bishop Strickland just said, the Cardinal doubled down on the need for good Catholics to correct their bishops when they have spoken or acted against the Catholic faith, saying, in cases where the faith is betrayed, even within the church itself, it is even more important for her to insist on Catholic doctrine and practice.

[64] They must understand that the they are not free to do so, but they are obliged to defend the Catholic faith in these times.

[65] Obedience can never command us to do anything that is against our faith and goodwill.

[66] All of the bishops and priests made a promise to proclaim Christ and his church in the teachings.

[67] So when I talk to a bishop or a priest with clarity and charity, I always ask him, Bishop, you made a promise to God.

[68] I'll give you an example.

[69] Many years ago, MacCain 88, so how 12 plus, like 30 years ago, we had a bishop, local bishop, Bishop, Bishop Warner, Zubi, giving a talk to young people.

[70] And what did I do?

[71] I recorded it, and it was all about liberal things.

[72] He said by the year 2000, we will have women priests.

[73] He says contraception will no longer be practiced.

[74] I mean, we'll be the rule of the church.

[75] So when I ended up being there at the end of the talk, I said, excuse me, I raised my hand.

[76] Bishop, would you say these things if Pope John Paul 2 was sitting in the audience?

[77] He said, no, of course not.

[78] I didn't think so.

[79] Then why are you deviating from the teachings of the church?

[80] You made a promise that you would teach what Christ taught, not what the world teaches.

[81] Well, I transcribed those recordings on cassette tape and said, sent them to the congregation of the doctrine of faith in Rome and went to Cardinal Ratzinger's desk.

[82] And I can't believe it within a couple of months.

[83] I got a call from Bishop Arzubi.

[84] Calls me, says, is this Terry Barber?

[85] I said, yes.

[86] He says, this is Juan.

[87] I said, I don't know any Juan.

[88] This is Bishop.

[89] Oh, hi, Bishop.

[90] What can I do for you?

[91] He says, you got me in a lot of hot water.

[92] I said, well, what are you talking about?

[93] He said, well, you, the congregation, I got a call from my bishop and now I'm in trouble.

[94] I have to clarify and state in a newsletter that I support the church's teaching on the ordination of men only.

[95] And then I have to say that I adhere to Hermione Vite.

[96] And I say, good, you got corrected.

[97] You should be corrected.

[98] Anyhow, he was forced to make a call to apologize to me. I said, don't apologize to me, Bishop.

[99] Politize to Jesus Christ.

[100] What you said wasn't what the Catholic Church teaches.

[101] And this is my point that Bishop Strickland is saying, we need to stand up and say, no, not on our watch.

[102] Why?

[103] Because these are times we're living in right now where Catholics have to stand up even to the bishop and even to the Pope.

[104] That's my take.

[105] All right, let's get to the second clip about compromise.

[106] Let's play that clip.

[107] Sadly, priest and bishops, I haven't heard too many deacons, but they're probably in it too, that are saying, oh, this word of God has been misunderstood or needs to be reinterpreted.

[108] That's not what the church teaches.

[109] The basic word of God, yes, we can understand it more deeply.

[110] It's always a mystery.

[111] And as I continue to read, I think a lot of the, I've always said that a lot of the heresies from the very beginning, they're trying to make it easy.

[112] They're trying to make it simple.

[113] They're trying to humanize it.

[114] Yes.

[115] And instead, Instead, Christ came to divinize us.

[116] Exactly.

[117] I mean, we're not God, but he wants us to share so fully in the life of God.

[118] And we only do that if we're willing to be changed by him and not change him to fit us.

[119] We just see too much of that going on now.

[120] And we've got to know him in Word and Sacrament, in Sacrament and Word.

[121] It's always going back and forth.

[122] Like we, as simple as we are, human beings, we are multi -dimensional.

[123] as well.

[124] That's one of the things that is the great Catholic truth that we are good.

[125] Yes, we're sinners, but body and blood, soul, and humanity, we are a goodness, an expression of the goodness of the Lord, and we're called to flourish in that, to overcome our sinfulness.

[126] And we're hearing too much in the world today, even from the church.

[127] Oh, don't worry about sin.

[128] God's merciful.

[129] Because God's merciful, we're obligated to turn from sin, to repent of our sins.

[130] And to think we can have all the mercy and have none of the repentance.

[131] That's just not reality.

[132] Amen.

[133] We're fooling ourselves and too many in the church today and certainly in the world, but even in the church where we should know real mercy.

[134] mercy is hard won by the Lord as he goes to his passion and suffers deeply, dies on the cross, and then rises from the dead.

[135] How do we unlock his mercy for each of us?

[136] We go through our own passion.

[137] We die to sin and rise to his life.

[138] And if we shortcut that, we lose it.

[139] We lose the power.

[140] Just as Christ didn't shortcut it.

[141] divine.

[142] He could have just said, oh, I'll save you without dying on the cross.

[143] But he poured out his last drop of blood.

[144] He completely sacrificed himself.

[145] We can't compromise.

[146] And there's too much compromise in all kinds of ways in the church today.

[147] Well said.

[148] Welcome back to the best of Bishop Joseph Strickland, not in today.

[149] So we're taking clips from previous shows that are powerful statements from the successor of the apostle in the church today.

[150] I wish we had more Bishop Strickland's than the church, and I know you would too.

[151] And I love what he said about mercy right there.

[152] The most merciless thing to do for somebody is to let them wallow in their sin.

[153] You give them the truth to set them free.

[154] Compromise is like a ladder going to hell.

[155] And I think that that is so true.

[156] And I appreciate that clarity.

[157] The next clip I'm going to play, again, is a powerful clip regarding compromise.

[158] So let's play that clip.

[159] Well, Terry, we've witnessed this, you know, wave after wave of more and more, simply contradicting what the church teaches.

[160] And, you know, I'm certainly not a cardinal, but I am a bishop.

[161] And we basically have equal responsibility as far as ecclesiology.

[162] I'm responsible for the teaching.

[163] of the faith in this diocese.

[164] And the way the world is so connected, we can't say, well, you just talk to your diocese.

[165] I mean, when I do, it goes out anyway.

[166] And so we live in a world that is connected, and we need to connect the truth.

[167] Honestly, Terry, I'll share something that, you know, I certainly don't hide it.

[168] I didn't advertise it.

[169] People will tell me, well, you should make a direct contact, which absolutely, the scriptures talk about that.

[170] Talk to your brother who is doing something that you believe is wrong.

[171] Well, I did that.

[172] I wrote back in 2019, I wrote all the Archbishops of Germany, as Bishop of Tyler, I'm just one among many, but I believe in Jesus Christ.

[173] I believe the Catholic.

[174] Church is the true church that he established.

[175] I believe this catechism of the Catholic Church is a document of truth.

[176] And back in December of 2019, I was already hearing disturbing messages of, oh, we're not so sure.

[177] Well, I am.

[178] I'm sure that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

[179] I'm sure that he lived, suffered, died, and rose for us all.

[180] I'm sure that what his church has taught us is the truth.

[181] And really, Terry, in this book that I just finished it today, so it's very fresh on my mind, but this book by Gary Machuda, am I saying his name?

[182] Yeah, Mutuda, that's right.

[183] But he says at the very end that we've got to believe in the the truth that Jesus Christ has shared.

[184] And we've got to stand up for it.

[185] And the title of this book, Revolt Against Reality, that's really what one piece of what that is all about is what Cardinal Marx said.

[186] That's a revolt against reality.

[187] And as Gary says at the end of this book, reality begins to strike back.

[188] and this agenda of the sexual teachings of the church, they're all wrong and they need to be revised and they aren't set in stone, reality is already starting to fight back.

[189] And reality is going to do that.

[190] As I've said so many times on this show or talking to the people in the diocese, truth is what last.

[191] If it's false, if it's a teaching or an idea that wanders from the truth, it isn't going to last.

[192] That's why the Catholic Church has lasted for almost 2 ,000 years.

[193] When Jesus Christ was incarnate, 22 years ago, that's when the mystery of what the church is about, started, the church has lasted because she is guided by the Lord of truth, Jesus Christ.

[194] We simply can't let go of that.

[195] People have died for this truth.

[196] People have lived their lives in ways that the world has judged to be meaningless because they knew Jesus Christ is the Lord of truth.

[197] And it is more than dangerous.

[198] It is devastating to humanity to be told that, you know, truth isn't set in stone.

[199] We can change this.

[200] Even, you know, Gary in the book, I've often, I was kind of glad that he said, he used this as an example that, you know, because I, we probably talked about it here.

[201] I'm a simple guy.

[202] I just go to basic things.

[203] I have a coffee cup here.

[204] I see it.

[205] If I throw it across the room, it's likely to break.

[206] That's the laws of physics, the laws of gravity.

[207] We can say, oh, well, I've decided that I don't believe that.

[208] And this cup isn't going to break.

[209] I can throw it off the roof and it hits concrete.

[210] It'll be just fine because I've decided that I don't believe in those laws of physics and gravity.

[211] Well, I hate to tell you, the coffee cup is going to break.

[212] right well said my line is you jump off a 12 -story building as you pass the sixth story everything looks great but it's that sudden stop at the end that's the effect and that's living in reality and that's the point bishop strickland's making we're not living in reality and i like what his tweet said this week ties into the family he quotes st john paul too saying as the family goes so goes the nation and so goes the world in which we live.

[213] That was his letter, St. John Paul II's letter to the family in 1994.

[214] I remember it well.

[215] And what did St. Faustina, excuse me, what did St. Lucie of the Fatima Sears say?

[216] The final battle will be with the family.

[217] This is so important to really realize that that is the battle we're up against right now.

[218] I want to see if we can play this next clip quickly before the next break.

[219] So let's go ahead.

[220] Bishop's are to guard the deposit of faith.

[221] That's a promise we made.

[222] And frankly, the senatoral path of Germany, as proposed, is doing the opposite.

[223] It's eroding the deposit of faith and saying, oh, it's all up for grabs.

[224] That's not what we're celebrating during this Holy Week.

[225] And Terry, really, the way I would frame it is you have a crucifference.

[226] there behind you.

[227] I do.

[228] This Holy Week, it's the week of weeks.

[229] It is the greatest seven days in all of our time.

[230] Every year we commemorate what the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, what he accomplished?

[231] And we can't let it go.

[232] Even if every person on earth decided to deny it, it's still the truth.

[233] Right.

[234] And it's the truth that will set us free if we will just allow it to.

[235] So frankly, Terry, we need not just 70 bishops, but 70 times seven bishops.

[236] We need every bishop being a bishop and supporting the truth.

[237] When blood and water flowed from his peers side, pierced by the lance of us, soldier to prove that he was dead, that he had given his life for us, that blood and water flowed forth as an image of the sacraments, especially baptism in Eucharist.

[238] But really all of the sacraments flowing out of those two sacraments, baptism in Eucharist.

[239] And that's the truth that Jesus Christ sent his apostles out to teach.

[240] He said, go and baptize all nations.

[241] In the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, share with them the good news of his truth and message.

[242] And that has that mandate, the great commissioning there in Matthew's Gospel at the very end, it's still our commissioning.

[243] It's our mandate for today.

[244] And we can't let go of it.

[245] I won't let go of it until they pry it from my dead hands.

[246] I mean, that's how that's the only way I'll let go, is if they eliminate me. But I can't.

[247] Nope.

[248] And, you know, so both of us, when it comes to Jesus Christ, we get carried away.

[249] Amen.

[250] We should.

[251] We get enthusiastic.

[252] We get on our bandwagon.

[253] Yep.

[254] But that's your job as just a disciple, a father and a grandfather, a husband, a Catholic man. And for me as a Catholic bishop.

[255] We start as Catholic sons of God.

[256] We believe in our faith.

[257] Yep.

[258] And we need to be willing to stand for it.

[259] Wow.

[260] You know what I think of?

[261] I think of another saint that his name is Saint, Pope Felix III.

[262] He sounds like he's not wanting to compromise, and I love it.

[263] He said this back in 475 AD, not to oppose error is to approve it, not to defend truth is to suppress it.

[264] And indeed, to neglect to confound evil men, and we can do it, is no less a sin than to encourage them.

[265] And, you know, it's just refreshing to see the apostolic fathers be so straight when it comes to our Catholic faith.

[266] And I think Bishop Strickland will go down in the church history.

[267] It's one of those bishops among where things were so wishy -washy, and you had a couple good guys that just spoke the truth, and he'll pay a price for that.

[268] You know, he tweeted a question.

[269] quote here from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, he said, the one who has hope lives differently.

[270] That's the challenge right now.

[271] We have people living without hope because they're living in fear.

[272] Why are they living in fear?

[273] Because the government, the world is telling them, oh, you might get COVID.

[274] You better wear a mask.

[275] You better not go outside your house.

[276] No, no, don't do that.

[277] Because you might catch it.

[278] When in fact, the chances of you dying from COVID are slim and none, okay?

[279] So what Bishop Strickland is saying, in my opinion, listening to him, is that we need to stand up for the truth of the gospel.

[280] What is that truth?

[281] The truth is that Jesus Christ is Lord of all of our life.

[282] I really had saddened yesterday when I had one of our listeners, she wanted her mother to be anointed in the hospital because she's dying.

[283] And she said, Terry, I called the local parish, and they said, no, no, the priest won't go there.

[284] They might catch COVID.

[285] Are you kidding me?

[286] We got St. Charles Borromeo, anointing people in the 15th century.

[287] We got, you know, is this plague the only time it ever happened?

[288] What happened to sacrificial love?

[289] Or you're going to take a risk to love?

[290] And so we finally got someone to get over there.

[291] for her to anoint her mother, but we had to really push, and we really shouldn't have to do that in the church.

[292] And this is why I want to encourage you to get Bishop Strickland's podcast and share them with as many people as possible.

[293] This is going to be a good show to share because it gives people a taste of what he's saying on a variety of topics.

[294] And most people are going to go, wow, that bishop sounds like he means it.

[295] He actually believes in the apostolic teachings of the church?

[296] Yes, as a matter of fact, he does.

[297] And if anybody ever tells him to stop preaching the truths of the gospel, did you hear what he said?

[298] They'll have to rip it out of my hand after I'm dead.

[299] And I love that about him.

[300] He's a man of his word, and he shares the gospel with passion.

[301] When we come back, we'll have more of the best of Bishop Joseph Strickland here on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[302] Don't change that dial.

[303] Stay with us, family.

[304] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[305] Terry Barber here.

[306] Bishop Strickland is out, so we're playing a lot of his older clips that he said profound things.

[307] And also we're taking his emails that he sends out.

[308] They call tweets around the country.

[309] And I love what he had, a tweet where he quoted a father at Jard.

[310] He said, this priest is a chaplain for colleges.

[311] And I love it.

[312] He sounds like Bishop Strickland has influenced him.

[313] he says as I get to know all these awesome college students more and more one thing is coming in crystal clear they are not interested in weak Catholicism that's for sure father they want the truth they want beauty they want goodness and they want tradition when are our hierarchy going to understand that's what we want wow they want community they want authentic masculinity they want authentic femininity they want heaven and they want other souls to get there with them that's a powerful tweet and i think you know as bishop strickland said he speaks critical truths for our time bishop strickland said i see the same hunger that father jrott has seen and that many people are fed up with the world and the compromise of the church.

[314] I agree with him.

[315] We are fed up with it.

[316] As Bishop Strickland said in his tweet, let us renew the bride of Christ and his precious blood.

[317] Let us guard the deposit of faith.

[318] Jesus died to reveal to us.

[319] Let us feed his flock.

[320] Well, he talks about the deposit of faith.

[321] That is something that all the time I've had him on for two years now, he talks constantly about the deposit of faith.

[322] And I wish we had more like him talking about that and not talking about some new idea that can change the deposit of faith, which they can't.

[323] I also like the idea how Bishop Strickland tweets about other bishops that are like him.

[324] For example, Bishop Sampleton from Portland, Oregon.

[325] He actually condemned abortion, transgender ideology, and saying a man's body doesn't make sense without a woman's body.

[326] And a woman's bodies doesn't make sense without a man's body.

[327] As my good friend Father Fesio said, the parts don't fit.

[328] And why do I say that?

[329] Well, because Bishop Strickland is saying, hey, I'm grateful for the Archbishop Sampled and has spoken so clearly here about the plague of lies that is strangling our world.

[330] That's a good way of saying.

[331] He strangling the world with error.

[332] All faith leaders of all God's people must speak the truth to the lies that are flooding our culture.

[333] Truth is the greatest mercy.

[334] I underlined that whole statement.

[335] Truth is the greatest mercy.

[336] I wish our hierarchy, all of you would be on the same page, to realize it's the truth that sets us free.

[337] And as my good friend, Father Bill Casey, always said, the most merciless thing you can do is let someone wallow in their sin and that's what he's saying here and I'm gonna, he's got another quote from another bishop that he supports but before I go to the next bishop I'd like to play that clip the next clip of the actual bishop Joseph Strickland we can see so much unraveling the corruption in humanity the deceit in the media by politicians, sadly, even in the church.

[338] I mean, just rampant corruption.

[339] Yeah.

[340] 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.

[341] And I would imagine, I mean, thankfully I've never experienced any real 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.

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

[343] Yes, just like the St. Michael prayer.

[344] There are demons roaming the world trying to ruin souls.

[345] Just like the meaning of the church is the salvation of souls.

[346] Satan and his minions are just all focused on the opposite, on the destruction of souls.

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

[348] Again, not fearful.

[349] Christ has conquered sin and death.

[350] He's conquered evil.

[351] I pointed out to people that we read it in the gospel.

[352] They're trying to push him off a cliff.

[353] They're trying to get rid of him.

[354] The plotting against him, the unfolding of that reading from wisdom, started literally from the time he was born.

[355] As soon as they knew he was here, I mean, he was only, ironically, safe in the womb.

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

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

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

[359] But thankfully, for the Son of God, he was safe in the womb.

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

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

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

[363] He was the truth incarnate even then.

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

[365] And the world began plotting.

[366] And I pointed to the crucifix of the cathedral where I had massed that morning.

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

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

[369] Amen.

[370] Truth cannot be conquered.

[371] Truth is eternal because God is eternal.

[372] and truth comes from God.

[373] We all need to reject the reset.

[374] The reset happened when Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

[375] Amen.

[376] That's the great reset.

[377] Amen.

[378] Anything we come up with that denies his truth, again, is a great destruction.

[379] Yeah.

[380] It may take a while, but it's leading to a path of destruction of the beauty that God is created for us.

[381] The coming of Christ, that's the reset.

[382] need to be promoting.

[383] Wow.

[384] And you know, Bishop Strickland constantly, when he sees other bishops doing what he's doing, like here's another bishop, Bishop McManus.

[385] He's taking a stand.

[386] And this is here in the Wooster School debate about transgenderism.

[387] And he is right on the spot.

[388] He's saying, look, we're not going to be flying the homosexual flag.

[389] No. He's basically saying, It's a dispute, but you have to put out the Catholic faith, not what the world says.

[390] And so another bishop who's standing up for the faith, and this is what we need.

[391] And then he's got another bishop out in South Dakota.

[392] Are you ready for this?

[393] He said, another bishop I support.

[394] All these bishops seem to be standing up more and more.

[395] And I really think Bishop Strickland's making an effect on his brother bishops.

[396] I've been at the bishops conference last year in Baltimore.

[397] and I know that most of the bishops alienate him because he speaks the truth and he makes a lot of bishops uncomfortable when he says guys do we really believe what we teach the Catholic faith the catechism do we yes or no do you believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist yes or no well you know some of the guys are going to say get rid of that guy well fortunate we still have him at the bishopry now he says another bishop I support I'm sure his decision will be labeled as an attack by those who choose to ignore the truth of God as revealed to us.

[398] This bishop is simply supporting the truth and sharing the truth always with the greatest charity.

[399] May hearts embrace the truth.

[400] Well, he's the South Dakota bishop.

[401] He's banning publicly transgenderism people from Holy Communion, thus saying, no, you can't objectively say I'm living in this lifestyle and go to Holy Communion.

[402] and I noticed Father James Martin attacked him.

[403] Yeah.

[404] Well, then Father Martin, we know where you stand, don't we?

[405] And see, this is the battle that he is actually standing up for what the church teaches in an atmosphere where the secular world and even people inside the church are going to say, you're nuts, stop this, you're offensive, you're making people feel uncomfortable, well what did our Lord do when he taught about marriage and didn't some people say well that's a hard saying we can't follow that what did our Lord say hey some can't some can't you've been given the grace to follow the commandments and this is something that I think we need more and more of and that's why I think it's important for us to play these clips and these next clip after the break I've got two more clips that are going to be really really good so I want you to listen to him because these are clips that we've spent over two years collecting and it's inspiring not only the lay people but I believe other bishops to be like -minded I would think if you were a bishop as Bishop Strickland said to me he said I have to you know meet our Lord at the time of my death and one of the questions he thinks he's going to have is what did you do with the gifts you you gave you what did you do about your responsibility before Almighty God as the bishop of that diocese.

[406] Did you compromise?

[407] Did you decide I just want to be liked rather than telling people the truth of the gospel?

[408] I hope not.

[409] And I think this is what compels him and other bishops to realize, hey, I got to speak out whether it's Archbishop Vigano, who's in his late 70s.

[410] And what he's doing, he could have retired and not said a word.

[411] But I think he loves the church too much.

[412] Got another bishop, Bishop Athanasia Snyder.

[413] Same thing as Bishop Joseph Strickland.

[414] More and more are coming out to speak the truth with clarity and charity.

[415] When we come back, we'll have a couple more clips of Bishop Strickland speaking about the truths of the faith, especially his next one about experiencing mass and what the Eucharist means to the entire world, the source and summit of the Christian faith.

[416] Stay with us, family.

[417] Welcome back to the Bishop Joseph Strickland show.

[418] Terry Barber here, Bishop Strickland's out.

[419] We're taking some of his quotes.

[420] He has another message out regarding Cardinal Sirrah.

[421] He tweeted this, what is happening in Germany is terrible.

[422] This is Cardinal Sirah.

[423] One gets the impression that truths of the faith and the commandments of the gospel are being put to a vote.

[424] By what right can we decide to renounce part of the teachings of Christ?

[425] He's sitting there with Pope Benedict the 16th.

[426] I love it.

[427] Let's get this next quote about the Mass. It really struck me that as a priest, I am holding the sacred heart of Christ in my hands as I consecrate that host.

[428] Wow.

[429] And that I should approach with fear and trembling.

[430] Amen.

[431] with a tremendous awe and a tremendous awareness of how weak I am, how sinful I am, how an unfit vessel that I am.

[432] But if Christ is going to wait to find the perfect human person, the perfect man to celebrate his mass, we're not going to have mass. And he knows we are imperfect.

[433] The priest is a sinner like all the people that are gathered as the congregation.

[434] But we all need to approach with that kind of awe, that kind of reverence, that as I'm the one holding the bread when I say, this is my body, this is my blood when I hold the chalice with the wine, the people hearing that.

[435] we all need to focus on what is happening and that we are literally opening another door to eternity and to the to the reality of Jesus Christ I like to as I'm celebrating confirmations this year yes I'm focusing on the line in the part of the renewal of baptismal promises it says we believe in Jesus Christ and at the end it says seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty.

[436] And what I'm trying to emphasize to the congregation, to the young people being confirmed into the old congregation, is that Jesus, as we're speaking, Terry, it's our faith that God is eternally in heaven, outside time and space, and the wonder of having sent his son to be with us, conceived in the womb of Mary about 2 ,000 and 222 years.

[437] ago, and ever since he's been here with us in a physical presence for 33 years in the body of a human being, just like our bodies, a real man, lived to be 33 years old.

[438] But even after he died, he's with us in a real physical presence in the Eucharist, body and blood, soul, and divinity.

[439] So ever since Jesus came to us, he's been with what?

[440] He promised us, I will remain with you until the end of the age, and he's fulfilled that promise in his Eucharistic presence.

[441] So if we really embrace the wonder of that, then everything we've talked about already makes sense.

[442] Yes, that's indeed it does.

[443] The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life, and he never goes a day without talking about Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and the real presence, which is exactly what we need in the church today.

[444] this next clip Bishop Strickland talks about his experience again explaining the catechism of grace we always go to the catechism every week to talk about why the catechism is so important in one's life and studying the faith it's a lifetime occupation let's play that clip Bishop Strickland paragraph 1996 talks about grace and I'll read the paragraph and you can give commentary like we normally do our justification comes from the grace of god grace is favor the free and undeserved help that god gives us to respond to his call to become children of god adoptive sons partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life as the footnote says it's basically all from it's coming from scripture yeah from the the gospel of john and from romans and from second peter and it really it reminds us it basically defines what grace is yeah it's favor free and undeserved help that god gives us yeah respond to his call to basically give us his life so that we can be alive in him and know what our life is about.

[445] I mean, that's what it comes down to.

[446] We can't have divine, we can't be partakers in the divine nature and an eternal life without God's grace and that free gift, undeserved.

[447] We don't earn it, but we are called to cooperate with it.

[448] That is what's missing and what we were talking about earlier from our secularized world that doesn't, too often is atheist, doesn't believe in God and that it becomes such an empty life.

[449] And, you know, the grace that is there to call us to be who we've been created to be.

[450] We're created in the image and likeness of God.

[451] And in order to fulfill ourselves, we have to follow that power.

[452] that God has given us.

[453] So grace is what allows us to respond to that character that God has given us.

[454] We're on paragraph 1997 of the Catholic Church's catechism, and I'll read this paragraph to you.

[455] It says, grace is a participation in the life of God.

[456] It introduces us into the intimacy of the Trinitarian life by baptism the Christian participates in the grace of Christ the head of his body as adopted son he can henceforth call God father in union with the only son he receives the life of the spirit who breeds charity into him and who forms the church well it really just in this paragraph talks about what you know what is what it's all about grace is a participation in the life of God and that really is is awesome if we we think about it it is to it's that spark of the divine that is available to all of us um and And it says, introduces us into the intimacy of Trinitarian life by baptism.

[457] The Christian participates in the grace of Christ, the head of his body.

[458] So really what this paragraph reminds me of is that grace allows us to know who we are.

[459] So people, you know, so many people, and even people of faith, we all have to continue to grow in faith and to allow grace to work more effectively in our lives.

[460] That's why I'm so inspired by the saints.

[461] I mean, they, they are people that are models for us and so many different ways of life, so many different stories, so many different life situations.

[462] But what they have in common is that they learn how to cooperate with grace and to share that relationship with God as it says participating in the life of God, many of the saints, or really by definition, the saints do that while they're in this journey that we're part of.

[463] We can all, we're all called to be saints, and we can all do that by the grace of God if we respond the way the saints did.

[464] And they don't, the saints, if you think, oh, well, they had it easy.

[465] virtually no saint had it easy some had it more challenging than others i mean especially the martyrs but there are many white martyrs among the saints who suffered greatly either physical sufferings or spiritual sufferings i think of st teresa of calcutta known in her life as mother teresa it was revealed after her death uh that she suffered tremendously, tremendous darkness, tremendous burden of doubt and of concern and just a darkness in her life.

[466] But in faith, she continued.

[467] And she relied on that grace to pull her out of darkness.

[468] And I think many of us were, because the world followed Mother Teresa, St. Teresa of Calcutta very closely in her life.

[469] And she had some great things to say and her great actions and forming the community of religious women that she did.

[470] She did some tremendous things.

[471] And I know I was really surprised to find out how much darkness she battled in the midst of that.

[472] But she kept going.

[473] And she remained a woman with great faith and really challenging the world to have a deeper faith, even as she struggled with that white martyrdom, I would call it, of deep and profound suffering.

[474] So the saints are not people that had it easy or that because they share in the life of God that like this says that they somehow were exempted from suffering.

[475] Sometimes that very participation in the life of God caused them to suffer deeply.

[476] That's part of the mystery that the mystery of suffering is one of the great mysteries that humanity faces.

[477] And Jesus Christ suffered and gives us some meaning to that suffering.

[478] Jesus Christ gives us meaning of Jesus Christ suffering.

[479] And, you know, Colossians chapter one, I fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the good of the church so that every action can become like a blank check.

[480] That's so, that's a game changer.

[481] So now all this pain in hospitals, I hear them all the time at these funerals we do here at the chapel, hundreds of them a year and the suffering, but many of them didn't understand how to unite their suffering with the sufferings of Christ.

[482] I hope today's show where we took clips, the best of Joseph Strickland, the bishop, inspired you as much as it inspired me. you want to send this show to somebody and say why don't you start listening to bishop strickland hour all you're going to do is go to vmpr dot org we'll have it on a podcast and this way you can be an apostle of love by sharing a wonderful bishop of the church i think he's inspiring more lay people even his own brother bishops to stand up for the truth in season and out and i thank god that he works here with virgin most powerful radio that tells you something about us Yeah, he fits our charism.

[483] Charity with clarity.

[484] Sharing the gospel with the catechism, scripture, a biblical world view.

[485] He's calling us to be first century Christians today in the 21st century.

[486] May God richly bless you and your family, and thanks for supporting us here at VMPR.

[487] That's Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[488] God love you and your family.