19 Mar 24 – Coptics Suspend Dialogue with Church over Fiducia Supplicans

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

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

[2] And every Tuesday and Wednesday, we have an hour with the bishop.

[3] I call them America's Bishop.

[4] Welcome to the show again, Bishop Strickland.

[5] Thanks, Terry.

[6] Thank you.

[7] I don't see you yet, but I'm sure I will.

[8] We have some technical difficulty.

[9] Bishop Strickland, we're going to be chatting about, I call first century Christianity.

[10] You constantly talk about that.

[11] we're going to be having Archbishop Cordillian's article in the register to talk about honoring the martyrs of communism, music, and art and literature.

[12] So that's going to be good.

[13] We also are going to be talking about the ecumenical movement in regards to the Coptic church, which is a fascinating topic, and much more.

[14] But before we do any of that, well, Jesse and I call it soul food, but it's the gospel, the good news of Jesus.

[15] Jesus Christ.

[16] And every day here at Virgin Most Powerful, that's my favorite part of the show, because Bishop Strickland is a bishop, right?

[17] But he doesn't compare to the gospel.

[18] The gospel is what we're all about.

[19] So let's go ahead and take Tuesday, March 19th.

[20] And I might add that here it is, the Feast of St. Joseph, patron of the Universal Church, Terror of Demons.

[21] I'm sorry, but I get a little excited because I've got a great love for St. Joseph.

[22] So we have the gospel, and Bishop Strickland, if you could read that gospel, that'd be great.

[23] Sure.

[24] A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

[25] Glory to you, O Lord.

[26] Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.

[27] Of her was born Jesus, who was called the Christ.

[28] Now, this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

[29] When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they, lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.

[30] Joseph, her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.

[31] Such was his intention when behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home for it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her she will bear his son and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins when Joseph awoke he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home the gospel of the Lord praise to you lord jesus christ well um very good to celebrate saint joseph one of his feast days yeah he's one of the few saints that gets more than one um st joseph husband of mary is what we celebrate march 19th a beautiful reminder where many people have joined me in a 54 day a rosary novena that concludes March 19th with this feast of St. Joseph.

[32] St. Joseph, if people notice on the video just over my shoulder, is an image of Joseph Terror of Demons.

[33] And St. Joseph, like the Blessed Virgin Mary, has many different titles.

[34] One of my favorites is Terror of Demons, especially in this time.

[35] And I think beautifully, this God, reminds us of who St. Joseph is.

[36] A faithful member of the Jewish community, Jacob was the father of Joseph, but he was betrothed to Mary, and infidelity to the teachings of his faith.

[37] When he found that Mary was expecting a child, he decided to divorce her quietly, the honorable thing to do for a righteous man. As it points out, St. Joseph is called a righteous man. And so God intervenes through the voice of an angel in a dream telling St. Joseph, don't be afraid.

[38] We'll hear that many times in this gospel story that unfolds in our lives.

[39] Christ himself says, be not afraid.

[40] But early on, And I think that's one of the beautiful things about this passage.

[41] It touches on some themes that will be repeated over and over and over again.

[42] And hopefully, we continue to repeat them now.

[43] One of those themes is be not afraid.

[44] Another of the themes that it touches on at the end of this passage that really struck me, as I read it a few moments ago.

[45] She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.

[46] Jesus Christ, Savior of the world.

[47] We know our Catholic faith teaches that he ultimately conquers sin and death.

[48] I underscore that that he will save his people from their sins.

[49] it reminds us this is the very beginning of the Christian story the very beginning Jesus has just been conceived in the womb of Mary and Joseph is just finding out about it quandary at first wondering how he should handle this as a righteous man but the angel of the Lord intervenes in a dream and tells Joseph take Mary as your wife the child that she bears is of the Holy Spirit.

[50] And so this is how St. Joseph finds out about the conception of the Son of God in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

[51] In other gospel accounts, we hear from Mary's side, the angel telling her what we celebrate a week later, a week after this feast of St. Joseph, of March 25th is the enunciation when the angel Gabriel comes to Mary and announces, annunciation means announcement, announces that she will be the mother of the son of God.

[52] I think it's very important that we listen to this gospel and absorb what it tells us.

[53] Be not afraid.

[54] Be not afraid.

[55] One of the, I mean, there are many dimensions.

[56] to that lack of fear that followers, disciples of Jesus Christ should have, including his own foster father.

[57] One of those is to not be afraid of acknowledging our sins so that they can be washed away.

[58] Originally in baptism and then in the sacrament of confession.

[59] And I keep repeating this because we're living in a time where it's not being repeated, is not being emphasized, and there are actually forces working against the idea of what this gospel tells us.

[60] He will come to save his people from their sins.

[61] That is very striking to me, Terry, in our time and what we're living through now, because to eliminate that, that's the only reason we're given in this passage of the gospel.

[62] Certainly there are other elements that are brought in, and other places.

[63] But the voice says that he will save his people from their sins.

[64] This is why he's named Jesus, and that's the purpose of Jesus coming to save us from our sins.

[65] And so to not acknowledge sin or to rewrite the gospel and say, oh, what was sinful at that time, as the angel spoke, St. Joseph, a righteous man was very clear about what sin was.

[66] And, you know, imagine the joy that he and all the people like Mary, Mary and Joseph, some of the first of the children of Israel to hear that a savior has come.

[67] And what is that, what's he savior for?

[68] What's he saving us from?

[69] saving us from our sins.

[70] And so that is the power of Jesus Christ.

[71] And to ignore sin gives it more power in the world.

[72] And we're seeing that in too many ways and in the life of the church.

[73] So as we celebrate St. Joseph, husband of Mary, I think this passage reminds us to rejoice and to be very clear.

[74] year, one of the primary purposes of the incarnation is to free us from sin.

[75] Certainly, as we say with baptism, what are the gifts of baptism to wash away our sins and to give us sanctifying grace, the life of God, the gift of the Holy Spirit.

[76] So really, as some of the great fathers of the church talk about, washing away sin, cleaning up our hearts, preparing our souls, opening our hearts and minds to receive grace, it's important that sin is washed away, that sin, we're freed from sin so that we can be open to the grace.

[77] And I think that I would have to admit in my sinfulness and in the world's sinfulness, sin becomes a block to that grace.

[78] It's like our cup already overflows.

[79] And many people are living lives.

[80] It's certainly not everything they're doing is a sin.

[81] But when you ignore sin, it fills up your life and doesn't leave the space that we need in our hearts to receive that original gift of God's life that is what we're made for.

[82] We're made to be vessels of the Holy Spirit.

[83] But if there's too much sin in our hearts and in our lives, then we have a hard time receiving that grace.

[84] Sin blocks that mortal sin absolutely blocks sanctifying grace from transform.

[85] our lives.

[86] Thankfully, we can always be freed, but we'll be back with more with the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[87] Stay with us.

[88] We'll be back in a moment.

[89] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

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

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

[92] I wanted to remind those folks who might have not gone to the spiritual Warfare Conference, the recordings are available for downloads by going to vmpr .org.

[93] That's where Bishop Strickland spoke, Father Chad Ripperker, the whole team.

[94] It was Jesse Romero.

[95] We're all there.

[96] It was a great, great conference.

[97] So if you missed it, you can still have all the talks available to you by going to vmpr .org, register for that.

[98] Bishop Strickland, before we get into your tweets, something really was puzzling me. And I'm just going to throw it to you.

[99] I saw an article about the Coptic Church.

[100] Now, I have a very good friend.

[101] Father, he's a friend, he's a priest who ministers to Muslims, and Father Zechariah Boutros has his own TV show, and millions of Muslims watch this show, and many of them have become Christian.

[102] So he's a good friend now, and I've been on his TV show over the years, and he's 88 years old now and he's still preaching like he's in his 50s.

[103] But here's the problem.

[104] The Coptic Church has been in dialogue with the Catholic Church since 1972.

[105] So when we were kids and they're breaking off the dialogue of the ecumenical dialogue that the Second Vatican Council asked all of us to dialogue with our separated brethren to try and bring them back into the faith.

[106] And under, you know, these circumstances.

[107] Well, the Coptic church, church last week said, we're not going to do it anymore because you Catholics are blessing homosexual so -called marriages, and we don't buy that.

[108] That's not a biblical teaching.

[109] And I just thought to you, Bishop Strickland, doesn't your heart go out when you hear something like that?

[110] Yeah, Terry, it's a shame.

[111] And it makes it very clear that with all the attempts to say, oh, no, we're not doing this.

[112] It's very clear to the Coptics what the church is doing.

[113] And what it can't do also.

[114] It's so interesting how God works to have these separated brethren really correcting the bride of Christ that is the Catholic Church.

[115] We do need to continue to work for unity, as you mentioned.

[116] Christ prays for us to be one, and the church has struggled with that.

[117] They struggled as he said that.

[118] The oneness of the church, it's one of the marks of the church, but it's a challenge.

[119] The church is one.

[120] Ultimately, we know that, but to manifest that oneness in the life of the church and in the world, we've got a very long way to go, but we need to keep working at it.

[121] And frankly, the Coptics are reminding us that what is going on now is about fragmenting more and more the church.

[122] Many times both of us have been accused of causing division.

[123] Oh, yeah.

[124] The division is caused when we start to play games with the truth.

[125] And I just think the double message of this report on the Coptics decision to stop this dialogue, it's very clear what this document, fiducius suplicons, what it's calling for, even though there's been a lot of ink spilled trying to explain, oh, no, it's not doing that.

[126] The Coptics, and people, I'm sure, are already saying, I haven't seen.

[127] anything, but I can imagine people say, oh, the Coptics, they just don't understand what we do.

[128] They understand very clearly what the game, and it's a very, you know, game is probably not a good word because this is very serious.

[129] Like games with the truth of our faith is very serious.

[130] It's devastating.

[131] But also, the Coptics remind us that scripture in the tradition of the church that these truths haven't changed and aren't going to change.

[132] And the sooner that are the bride of Christ, the Catholic Church, once again becomes very clear about these truths and many others, that truth doesn't change because truth, I mean, what we've just reflected on in the gospel is Jesus Christ, incarnate.

[133] among us, what that gospel for St. Joseph's husband of Mary, what that gospel passage talks about, is truth incarnate.

[134] It comes to save us from our sins and to pretend that here we are 2 ,000 years later and somehow what was sinful then when Christ came to save us, oh, that's not sin anymore.

[135] that is not the church, and it's devastating, destructive, divisive, and it needs to stop, frankly.

[136] Well said.

[137] Amen, amen.

[138] I say on to you.

[139] Well said, Bishop Strickland.

[140] I wanted to bring up a movie that just came out.

[141] We've been doing many interviews on the life of Mother Cabrini, and friends of ours in Hollywood put this movie out.

[142] They did Bella.

[143] and they've done other good moral movies.

[144] And now they did the Mother Cabrini movie.

[145] Bishop Strickland, I understand you've actually seen the movie, correct?

[146] Correct.

[147] And what did you think of it?

[148] I think it's very well done.

[149] I know that for some Catholics, it's disappointing that it doesn't show her spirituality as much.

[150] But I think the purpose of the movie was really focused on non -Catholics.

[151] Exactly.

[152] What I would hope is that people who know St. Francis Cabrini as a saint, a canonized saint of the church, learn more about her.

[153] It seems like everything's controversial today.

[154] In this movie, Cabrini, there's some controversy around it.

[155] It certainly portrays a very strong woman who did wonderful things, but probably doesn't.

[156] doesn't emphasize what I believe she would have emphasized.

[157] She emphasized with her life that both what both of us try to emphasize, any good that we do is by the grace of God.

[158] Amen.

[159] And that could have been highlighted more.

[160] I agree.

[161] But I guess rather than entering into this online debate about whether it's good or bad or all this conversation about it, the conversation is good to the point that if people will think about and learn more about this great saintly woman of God that the movie is portraying.

[162] Certainly, no movie can capture the whole, the totality of a person's life.

[163] But I would encourage people, whether they want to see the movie or don't or whatever, but to say, hey, all this about St. Francis Xavier Cabrini.

[164] Let's, you know, let's learn more about her.

[165] What did she do?

[166] And the movie does illustrate that by the grace of God, maybe not emphasizing that as I would have liked, but it definitely was, by the grace of God, she did build an empire of charitable work literally around the world.

[167] And one of the great things that I, at the toward the end of the movie, which was some of the best part for me, As they illustrated, she had originally wanted to go to Asia.

[168] The work of Mother Cabrini ended up in Asia.

[169] And I think that's a beautiful reminder.

[170] As one of her places was in China that the power of God's grace, if we will just do what she did and open our hearts.

[171] Another aspect that wasn't emphasized, but that I love about St. Francis Cabrini is, I mean, she belonged to an order, the missionaries of the sacred heart.

[172] And I know we've talked about many times the significance of the sacred heart of Jesus Christ in our lives and in the life of the church.

[173] And to know that she was in an order dedicated to the sacred heart is just a beautiful reminder that all of us lent as a time to renew our consecration.

[174] or if you've never done the consecration to the sacred heart of Jesus through the immaculate heart of Mary, I would urge everyone to renew that or do it for the first time.

[175] But we need to be those seeking the sacred heart of Christ through the immaculate heart of his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

[176] Well said, again, I love one of the lines that Mother said.

[177] She says, we can serve our weakness or our purpose.

[178] And I thought, wow, that is well said.

[179] And there's a bunch of one -liners that she has said that just a woman of great tenacity.

[180] I compare her to Catherine of Sienna.

[181] She was another bold woman.

[182] Mother Teresa was bold.

[183] I mean, 1982, what did Mother Teresa do in Beirut and Lebanon when there was a war going on?

[184] She says, I'm going in there to take care of those kids.

[185] But Mother, they said, there's a war going on.

[186] there will be a ceasefire for this.

[187] And they said, and Mother, I don't think so.

[188] And what happens?

[189] Cease fire.

[190] Now, was she too bold to tell those men that, hey, this is what's going to happen, guys.

[191] Seas fire, I'm going in to take care of them.

[192] I have no problem with women like that.

[193] As a matter of fact, to be honest with you, Bishop Strickland, I've actually seen my wife when things come up with children, she goes into a gear that's very proactive, not receptive.

[194] I mean, a child's sick.

[195] What does a mother do?

[196] She moves on it.

[197] You know what I'm talking about?

[198] Sure.

[199] So there you go.

[200] Yeah, and it is a, I think the movie does do a good job of reminding us.

[201] God made us male and female.

[202] Yeah.

[203] And he gave different gifts to males than females.

[204] Both can be powerful.

[205] Both can be weak.

[206] Both can be very holy.

[207] Both can be very sinful.

[208] But I think it does illustrate that.

[209] And one last thing I would say, I really enjoyed her what I would call clever.

[210] I mean, it was like she hit a wall.

[211] She found a way to get over it or around it or big under it.

[212] And I thought that she did that with the restrictions that were placed on her.

[213] when she went to the press.

[214] And that was very effective.

[215] So I think it's a great story.

[216] And I would hope, like I said, regardless of the movie, get to know St. Francis Cabrini better and get to know all the saints, St. Joseph.

[217] The saints, I believe more and more, I recognize that we need the saints.

[218] saints.

[219] We need reminders that these people didn't pretend there was no sin.

[220] These people didn't say, oh, scripture can change, and we're going to find a new truth that's more comfortable.

[221] They faced the hard truth, but the joyful truth of the gospel head on, and by the grace of God, were conduits of that grace and truly did miraculous things in their lifetime.

[222] I mean, it's no, it's nothing unusual that part of the canonization process is that for a man or woman to be canonized as a Catholic saint, they need to be, have miracles attributed to them.

[223] Because God worked miracles through it during their long time.

[224] Amen.

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

[226] we come back, we're going to take a tweet about St. Thomas Aquinas, the angelic doctor.

[227] Stay with us or more.

[228] We'll be back in a moment.

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

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

[231] This is a show that I hope and pray will give you inspiration to fall deep in love with Jesus Christ because Bishop Strickland, I don't about you, but for me, any time I can share the gospel with someone, it's just an honor and a pleasure.

[232] I just love being able to show people the meaning and purpose of life because as you said earlier in the program, people are lost right now.

[233] They don't have a purpose.

[234] And I think that movie that you talked about with Mother Cabrini, I think that could reach a secular audience in a very powerful way because they can see what happens when you do have purpose in life.

[235] And so anyhow, that's my take.

[236] Bishop Strickland, you tweet a lot.

[237] I know it's an X now, but I keep calling it tweeting because I'm old -fashioned.

[238] But you have a tweet, and it was on the 7th of March, the anniversary of the death of St. Thomas Aquinas.

[239] I think people are shocked to know that he was only 49 years old when he died.

[240] Bishop Strickland, that was a few years ago for us.

[241] I mean, I was just getting in my swing of things.

[242] But for whatever reason, God called him home at age 49.

[243] and at the end of his life he said that all he had written and immense body of work that he produced of the Summa Theological all this stuff he said they're still guiding people today he says what's straw I know you've quoted this before compared to the wondrous truth of God you know I think we need to think about that because we think and I'll let you comment on it but we live in a world that you know we think that if it's not modern they didn't know that darn thing.

[244] They were very antiquated in their thought process.

[245] We're going to St. Thomas Aquinas today in 2004 and getting insights that, you know, like his definition of love, to will the good of the other.

[246] Is that still good?

[247] Yes, because it's the truth.

[248] Your thoughts.

[249] Why did you tweet that?

[250] Well, I've always had great appreciation of and respect for St. Thomas Aquinas.

[251] And as you said, that that's really my favorite quote of his with all you can quote from Thomas Aquinas that and I think it's a perspective of humility that we all need a recognition that we all need to understand and to remember all the great things that have happened in the world all the technologies all the things that man has accomplished they are like I mean I mean, I would say, like St. Thomas Aquinas, all of it's strong compared to what God has done in creating the universe and in sustaining the universe and in calling us to know him fully in everlasting life.

[252] And sadly, Terry, in that context, through our.

[253] sinfulness through a broken world.

[254] Think of through the ages and in our time.

[255] So many people embracing what ultimately is simply strong and throwing away their birthright, God's desire for them to know and be with him for all eternity.

[256] God gives us the freedom to be so foolish to throw away the treasure, the pearl of great prize, and ultimately, it's all strong.

[257] I think St. Thomas Aquinas really nails it, not just talking about the great, which his teachings are marvelous.

[258] They're so well thought out.

[259] Just recently, in my own personal journey, his, and it's very brief, I mean, the sum of not brief, but his explication of true obedience, it's only a couple of pages.

[260] Yep, I got it here.

[261] But I found it very, very helpful because he said there are levels of obedience and ultimately the highest level of obedience and the world needs to remember this and the church needs to remember this.

[262] the highest level of obedience is obedience to God, our divine creator.

[263] He's the source of all.

[264] And it makes sense that true obedience ultimately bows to God.

[265] He's the creator of the universe.

[266] He sustains us in life like we've talked about before.

[267] Yes, and then Thomas continues with the various levels of obedience.

[268] And beautifully reminds us that anyone given authority in this structure, either at the lowest level or the highest level, they deserve respect.

[269] And I think that's a very important point.

[270] Because sometimes with disobedience, even if it's proper, well -ordered disobedience, which it can be, if the situation, is violating divine law.

[271] That's right.

[272] Then proper obedience is to say no to that, but to do so respectfully.

[273] And I think that's a beautiful and important point that St. Thomas Aquinas makes.

[274] I mean, you're a father.

[275] That's right.

[276] And I'm sure there have been situations where your children have disagreed with you.

[277] Oh, yeah.

[278] And sometimes they may have been correct.

[279] Maybe you had bad information or maybe you just made a bad call.

[280] I can do that.

[281] If we all make mistakes.

[282] So for your son or daughter to say, Dad, wait a minute, that's not what you've taught us.

[283] And there's an inconsistency here.

[284] For them to be bold enough to do that is the proper thing.

[285] But to do it with respect for you as their dad.

[286] Yeah.

[287] And not treating you and say, oh, you're an idiot.

[288] And what sometimes happens with us kids.

[289] I mean, we get frustrated as humans, and we can be disrespectful to the proper authority.

[290] And Thomas makes it very clear that there may be times when you need to, and as I've argued, that is the greatest respect, ultimately, is to continue to speak the truth respectfully.

[291] That's right.

[292] if whatever authority is not making decisions according to the truth that God is revealed to us, then we have an obligation to follow the truth of God and not to say, well, you know, this is what the authority said, so I'm going to follow that.

[293] If you know it's contrary to what God has revealed to us, You can't follow it just because a human authority is telling you to.

[294] You've got to respectfully say, no, I'll stay with the truth that God is revealed, but to do it with respect.

[295] I think that's exactly what you did.

[296] You took the advice of Thomas Aquinas, and you paid a price for that Bishop Strickland.

[297] I'll just be honest.

[298] As a layman, one of the reasons I enjoy my friendship with you, Because we talk about the Catholic faith 99 % of the time in our conversations.

[299] But what I like about you is what you just said, that the truth is the number one thing you're working on.

[300] You want to know what the truth is, and you're willing to take a hit for the truth, even when officials in the church are going to tell you, no, no, you've got to be able to do X, Y, and Z. But your conscience that's informed says, you know, there's documents that have come out recently that you've said not just you but hundreds of bishops have come out and said the document about blessing same -sex so -called couples you said no I can't I can't buy into that because it's contrary to scripture and I think Thomas would support you and hundreds of other bishops who have said holy see please you need to get rid of that document it's causing confusion in the church and it's outright unbiblical.

[301] And so for you to do that, yes, you're going to be called names and you're going to be saying, come on, just get with the program and don't worry about it.

[302] But I think this is inspirational for us lay people when we see successors of the apostles willing to do what they did a thousand years ago, almost 2 ,000 years ago, where the government was the one that was pushing you to compromise.

[303] And you said, you know, I can't do that.

[304] And many of our Saints are those individuals who got their head cut off because of that very thought, Joan of Arc, I could think of one.

[305] She could have just acquiesced and said, okay, I'm, you know, I'm wrong.

[306] No, she stuck to her, excuse the expression, her guns.

[307] In other words, her story, she wouldn't compromise.

[308] And I think that this is something important in our culture right now.

[309] We need more of our clergy to say, look, I know what the truth is.

[310] I know what the biblical teaching is, I can't compromise that, even if it meant, even if it meant being reprimanded by officials in the church, because my conscience says I can't do it.

[311] That's what we love about you.

[312] We call you America's Bishop because you have resonated to us lay people to say, look, this guys, wouldn't take it for Jesus?

[313] And I thank you for that publicly.

[314] Well, thanks, Terry.

[315] And I'm reminded again, I really like our practice.

[316] that we've adopted of reading the gospel.

[317] Again, I'm reminded of that gospel passage, like I pointed out.

[318] Yeah.

[319] What does the angel say to St. Joseph?

[320] Yeah.

[321] He's saying, well, I guess I better divorce Mary because I'm a righteous man, and that's the righteous thing to do.

[322] The angel says, be not afraid.

[323] Yes.

[324] And I think all of us need to hear the angel and hear Jesus himself and hear John Paul the Great.

[325] That's where I was going.

[326] John Paul, who often repeated, be not afraid.

[327] If you know the truth and whoever is opposing the truth, don't be afraid to say respectfully, no, I cannot deny the truth, no matter what you tell me to do, no matter what consequences you speak of.

[328] And we need to be not afraid.

[329] There's too much fear.

[330] There's too much fear of what the world will do to us.

[331] Not fear of God.

[332] We need a little more of that probably.

[333] There's too much fear of the consequences in the world.

[334] And once again, I mean, as we talk about, say, Thomas Aquinas, it comes back to what you're fearing losing, whether it's status or whatever it is, it falls to straw and dust compared to what God offers us if we live his truth, if we stay faithful.

[335] Amen.

[336] So there really is nothing to fear.

[337] Oh, but fear itself.

[338] What you're grasping at will be dust and straw.

[339] When we come back, talk about a saint, St. John Paul, too, has a great comment about.

[340] evil.

[341] We'll come back and talk about that.

[342] Much more on the Bishop Strickland Hour.

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

[344] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[345] Before I give you this quote from St. John Paul II, Bishop Strickland, the world has gone crazy.

[346] Even out in Spain, I don't know if you saw this, but Spanish soldiers are changing their legally registered sex to benefit from policies directed at women, including higher pay.

[347] and private accommodations.

[348] This is unbelievable.

[349] They're basically trying to do this affirmative action in the government of Spain to increase more women into the military.

[350] So what's happening is the guys are going, hey, dude, I'm a woman, pay me more money, give me more benefits.

[351] And I'm just saying again, Bishop Strickland, the world's gone crazy.

[352] I mean, how many of these guys know that that's just a, nonsense, but if you want me to sign my name and you give me more money to say I'm a woman, hey, so be it.

[353] Yeah.

[354] This is where we're going in the world.

[355] It's just, it's like a circus.

[356] It would be hilarious.

[357] Yeah, if it was.

[358] It wasn't so tragically sad.

[359] Yeah.

[360] I just, I think out there, and I say, this is why we need to be preaching the truths of the gospel.

[361] Because I, my opinion, when you hear this kind of stuff, and let's say you're not in love with God.

[362] You're just a secular humanist.

[363] And you go, well, I can see the guy doing that because it benefits him financially.

[364] So?

[365] But when you preach the gospel, there's a beauty in the gospel that supersedes benefits in this world.

[366] Okay.

[367] It shows you eternal life that, hey, no matter, these guys can get another 30 years of extra pay.

[368] And then what?

[369] They die.

[370] there's not much of a benefit is it well and it i i love it the irony of it because it backfires on you know the spanish government and our government's doing too many you know insane similarly insane things but you know these men in spain are you know sort of saying okay well if you're going to pay women more we're women pay us more and what are they going to do except wait a minute, you're not really women.

[371] It's like, well, yeah, let's, uh, let's pay attention to that.

[372] But, you know, it's when you start playing fast and loose with reality.

[373] Yes, with and pretending that we can reshape it however we want.

[374] Yeah.

[375] It needs to come back and bite us.

[376] And it does and it will.

[377] Maybe in devastating ways, but it needs to.

[378] It will.

[379] Because, I mean, it's the same thing you've taught your kids.

[380] I'm always referring to, because that's where it comes down to, moms and dads, teaching their kids the truth.

[381] That's right.

[382] Pastors preaching the truth from their pulpits and getting away from these silly games that are harmful, deeply harmful.

[383] I agree.

[384] Let's get to a true saint.

[385] You know, Bishop Strickland, you and I grew up in a very similar era of time.

[386] We're not that far apart in age.

[387] I remember when St. John Paul II became the Pope, and I was sitting with my father.

[388] I can still remember exactly where I was, this Polish Archbishop Cardinal, he becomes the Pope, and he comes out and says, fear not.

[389] You know, he's always saying, I just don't fear fear.

[390] He has a comment here that you tweeted, and I thought, wow, if this isn't appropriate for us today, let me read it, and then you comment on it.

[391] The Holy Father said this, St. John Paul II, the great, I call him.

[392] there is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us.

[393] Wow, that helps.

[394] There is no enemy that Christ has not already conquered.

[395] Oh, this is awesome.

[396] There is no cross to bear that Christ has not already born for us and does not now bear it with us.

[397] Those are very consoling words.

[398] powerful and so important and reminds us of the power of Christ and that you know I'm reminded again of the be not afraid that's why we need not be afraid because all evil has been conquered by Christ that's right and I think that you know there there's so many great quotes from Pope St. John Paul the second, John Paul the Great.

[399] That's what I call it.

[400] But that is so important to remember.

[401] Yeah.

[402] And that I tweeted because I think we need, because many people are confused and fearful and even on the brink of despair.

[403] Absolutely.

[404] Hopefully, I always urge people.

[405] I said, never despair.

[406] If we know Jesus Christ, despairing is contrary to knowing Jesus Christ.

[407] There's no way that we should, I mean, we all get burdened, we get upset, we get fearful, we get angry, we're disturbed by what's going on in the world and the, the rampaging evil that we see.

[408] But those words of St. John Paul are so important because Christ is our Christos Vincied.

[409] It's another way of, you know, more extrapolating on that.

[410] Christ has conquered.

[411] He's conquered sin.

[412] He's conquered death.

[413] He's conquered evil.

[414] And all the people playing around with Satan and his demons at this time.

[415] And it's like a whole industry is developing around satanic things and playing with evil.

[416] But I'm reminded as you were reading that, I was.

[417] reminded of some of the exorcists that I've spoken to.

[418] And the power of Jesus' name, the power of blessing in his name, that really, and I mean, it's much more complicated than that, but in simple terms, that's what exorcists do.

[419] They confront evil with the power of Jesus Christ.

[420] Amen.

[421] There's no match.

[422] There's no, it's no contest.

[423] The battle has already been won.

[424] That's right.

[425] But because of our sinfulness, individually and in a sinful world, we can allow, God gives us the irony of, but it's part of the whole mystery.

[426] We have the free will because we have to be free to truly love, to will the good of the other.

[427] We have to be free to do that.

[428] And so, but God.

[429] gives us that freedom, and we can be foolish enough to choose the darkness and the evil.

[430] And too many people, like you said, Terry, in the secular world, I mean, here we are two men of faith talking, I'm sure, primarily to an audience of faith.

[431] Sure.

[432] People aren't going to tune into this if they say God isn't real and they're atheists.

[433] I mean, as I've said before, I'm sure, I've said many times.

[434] I don't believe there are many real atheists in the world because it's not natural.

[435] It's contrary to who we are because we're created in the image and likeness of God.

[436] But to live that atheist, there is a lot of living an atheistic path pretending that this straw that we're building empires of is what will last and what will sustain.

[437] sustain us and what gives us eternal hope.

[438] It's just straw, ultimately.

[439] The greatest empires of the world have fallen to dust.

[440] The present empires of the world will fall to dust to the degree that they don't cling to eternal truth in Jesus Christ.

[441] And the same is true for all of us.

[442] We started this Lenton season.

[443] Many of us reminded with ashes in our forest, remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return and we will simply be dust unless we remember that we're created by God made from dust into his image and likeness and called to share eternity with him.

[444] But it's our choice and we have to daily choose to turn from sin and anything that drags us back into the dust and instead embrace our heavenly destiny to be children of the kingdom.

[445] So that's what we have to keep reminding ourselves and keep supporting ourselves and evangelize the world with that truth with always respecting the God -given freedom that we all have.

[446] If we choose to reject it, God's not going to force us.

[447] He wants us to embrace him.

[448] He gives us every opportunity, but he will leave us free to say, no, I want dust instead.

[449] You know, but as you're certainly, you sound like a football coach.

[450] No, on the spiritual level.

[451] I love it.

[452] And, you know, I want to just encourage the men that are listening right now to take on with St. Joseph as your patron and your family.

[453] Because he's the model of fatherhood, in my opinion.

[454] The guy, I mean, can you imagine if St. Joseph was here today, what he would say to fathers regarding the culture of life issues?

[455] Are you kidding me?

[456] He would say, man, man up, stand up for life.

[457] Because he stood up for life.

[458] Absolutely.

[459] Anyhow, Bishop Strickland, we just have a couple minutes.

[460] I love to give a plug to your YouTube channel.

[461] and the reason is is because people can type in your name on the YouTube channel and what can they find?

[462] Well, reflections on all kinds of things.

[463] I just did some recordings this morning looking ahead to Holy Week and Easter.

[464] And the help that I have gets those things posted at the appropriate time.

[465] And it's six or seven minutes of just reflecting on the treasure of our Catholic faith, the truth that is unchanging, the bedrock of faith that needs to, it does sustain us, we need to cling to it with all that we have, and be not afraid.

[466] So that's what I try to do with, you know, these posts on the YouTube chair.

[467] Excellent.

[468] In a couple minutes left, I want to say the week that changed the world is coming up.

[469] We're well past halfway for Lent.

[470] Any encouraging words for all of us to finish Lent in with a strong spiritual manner with the week that's changing the world, which is Holy Week.

[471] Your thoughts?

[472] Well, I'll just give you a little thought that I had in the video that I produced this morning was to realize every Mass is a little Holy Week.

[473] Oh, yeah.

[474] And to enter into Holy Week remembering that.

[475] And alert to all those, I mean, even for families that have young kids, I'd encourage them to say, you know, if they're able to go to the Tritome, I know it's long for kids and all of that, but at least to talk about it if you're not able to go to those liturgies, but to almost have a treasure hunt and say, where do you see in every mass some echoes of what we're hearing about during Holy Week?

[476] Well, said.

[477] I love it.

[478] How about a blessing before we have to run?

[479] Mighty God, we ask your blessing for all of us participating in our lady's power, Virgin Most Powerful Radio, remind us to always seek the loving grace you offer us in your time.

[480] We ask you, in the name of the Father, the Son of the Holy Spirit.

[481] Amen.

[482] Thank you, Bishop Strickland.

[483] Don't forget, folks, every Tuesday and Wednesday here on Virgin Most Powerful, we have the good bishop to teach us.

[484] I also want to thank all of our supporters who give us support spiritually and financially.