08 Nov 22 – Proclaiming the FULL Gospel

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] My name's Terry Barber for Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[2] Bishop Strickland, thanks again for taking that hour out of your week to proclaim the gospel of life and the teachings and the perennial teachings, I should say, of the Catholic faith here on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[3] Thank you, Terry.

[4] I love you.

[5] Bishop Strickland, we have a lot to cover.

[6] We always talk about the unborn.

[7] We always talk about our lady.

[8] We always talk about the Holy Eucharist.

[9] So we're going to start right off with something that you tweeted about the November elections saying they draw near.

[10] We need to heed the Lord's call to be salt for the earth and light for the world.

[11] And you gave an attached prayer plan to help us make these call more tangible.

[12] Let us pray for deeper faith and seek every means of living it with the, you know, with the, you know, this.

[13] And so basically, what I got out of your tweet, maybe I'm wrong, is we need to vote with a Catholic mindset for life and be able to try and turn the culture of death to become a culture of life by, you know, taking participation into the election process.

[14] Is that pretty much where you're at?

[15] Absolutely.

[16] A well -formed conscience and voting according to that conscience.

[17] Got it.

[18] A well -formed conscience is important.

[19] It's a well -form conscience is important.

[20] embracing the truth that Christ has revealed that the church has taught for two millennia.

[21] That's a well -formed conscience.

[22] Even, you know, the question of conscience seems to be up for grabs now.

[23] And it's like, it's not whatever you think.

[24] It's guided by the truth.

[25] What do you believe is the best response?

[26] And that's how we need to vote.

[27] We need to be guided by the truth.

[28] I mean, you know, certainly there are lots of issues that people are facing.

[29] Sure.

[30] The economy.

[31] Yeah.

[32] I just, this afternoon, stopped by the store to get a few things for the household.

[33] I live alone.

[34] Yeah.

[35] And you need stuff.

[36] And it does get more expensive.

[37] I mean, you know, I shop like anybody else.

[38] And it gets more expensive all the time and people are dealing with that.

[39] Sure.

[40] They, you know, you see people saying, you know, what's the most important issue?

[41] I still believe the bedrock foundational issue is the sanctity of life.

[42] And the very base of that is the sanctity of the life of the unborn, those newly conceived in the womb.

[43] And as you mentioned, in Texas, abortions are way down.

[44] And that's where they need to be.

[45] You know, and the rhetoric that you hear, I mean, these movie stars that come on and say, oh, it's an act of mercy to get an abortion.

[46] It's just unhinged.

[47] It's not dealing with truth.

[48] And that's what a well -formed conscience does.

[49] So, you know, I just urge people to vote that we need to exit.

[50] It's a responsibility.

[51] vote.

[52] I voted early and we need to vote.

[53] We need to speak up.

[54] And I'm confident that if people look to be guided by the truth and seek a well -formed conscience, then sure, we're going to have different opinions on what's the best way to handle whatever, but choosing candidates that at least are not diametrically opposed to the values of the gospel.

[55] And sadly, we have too many that are vehemently promoting abortion and same -sex marriage.

[56] And some of the things that are just contrary to the message of the truth that Jesus Christ has revealed to us.

[57] And a well -formed conscience takes in all the truth of Scripture, the catechism, everything that the church teaches, and we do our best to form our opinions and to vote according to that well -formed conscience.

[58] And frankly, you're not going to find a perfect candidate.

[59] None of us perfectly align with everything the church teaches, but we need to at least be seeking that.

[60] And to many of the candidates, even those who claim to be Catholic are not even close they're actually adamantly against what the church teaches and i would advise every catholic to be very cautious about choosing a candidate who is adamantly against what the church teaches well you know that brings right up to me where the tweet you tweeted regarding cardinal robert sarah uh he said something that you said wow it resonates with you as a shepherd he said the church is dying because her pastors are afraid to speak in all truth and clarity we are afraid of the media afraid of public opinion afraid of our own brethren the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep and your comment here was his eminence speaks of fear thank you for challenging us pastors Jesus said be not afraid may pastors turn from fear to boldly speaking the truth of Jesus you mentioned he is the face of truth.

[61] He died to share the truth that is everlasting.

[62] May pastors know him and thus know truth deeply.

[63] So you are just, you speak like Cardinal Sirrah about that there really is a truth.

[64] And I wanted to ask you, Bishop Strickland, you commented about a Irish priest who made some strong statements of the truth of the gospel and was reprimended by his own bishop.

[65] And you stood out and said, wait a minute, wait a minute.

[66] I'm going to surprise you.

[67] Well, why?

[68] Well, let's play the clip and then let's analyze what he has to say.

[69] What is so sad today is you rarely hear about sin, but it's rampant.

[70] It's rampant.

[71] And we see it, for example, in the legislation of our governments.

[72] We see it in the promotion of abortion.

[73] We see it, for example, in the example of this lunatic approach of transgenderism.

[74] We see it, for example, in the promotion of sex between two men or two women.

[75] That is sinful.

[76] that is mortal sin and people don't seem to realize it but it's a fact, it's a reality and we need to listen to God about it because if we don't then there's no hope for those people and so God is also telling you and me today look you have a responsibility to seek out those who are lost you have a responsibility to call people to an awareness of the fact that sin is destructive sin is detrimental and sin will lead us to hell.

[77] When we honor the saints on the first of this coming month, we honor people who are saints.

[78] Why are they saints?

[79] Because they're repented and because they sought forgiveness.

[80] As somebody said one time, heaven is full of converted sinners.

[81] And so today, God says to us, I have come to call sinners.

[82] But if you don't admit you're a sinner, then you're not listening to my call.

[83] and I can't do anything for you because it's a two -way street.

[84] Now there are people to see who won't like to hear what I'm saying.

[85] But the day you die, you will find out what I'm saying is not what I invented.

[86] It's not what I came up with.

[87] It's what God is saying.

[88] And the day you die, you will find out that is the truth.

[89] Our prayer for people is that it won't be too late for people.

[90] But how will people know that God wants to forgive them if we don't tell them?

[91] How will people who are lost be found if we, as God's people, don't call them and say, look, God loves you.

[92] He has come to call sinners, but he wants you to have life and have it to the full.

[93] Because that's what he wants.

[94] He wants it to live life to the fullest.

[95] Wow.

[96] Your thoughts, Bishop Strickland, on that because it seemed like he was just preaching the gospel.

[97] That needs to be preached at every mass. in the in the in the world really i think so that message i mean what he's talking about is the message of our faith yes and really what i think we've lost touch with terry tell me is the reality of sin i mean a lot of people don't believe things are sinful or or want to change what was considered sin and they just want to manipulate scripture or manipulate the catechism and change it we can't change it Really?

[98] You can't change truth into falsehood, falsehood into truth.

[99] But I think what people are losing touch with, why is it sin?

[100] Because it violates, like this priest was saying very well, it's detrimental.

[101] It harms us.

[102] Yes.

[103] It's like taking poison.

[104] And the poison absolutely can kill us, can kill our immortal life in the sense of salvation.

[105] for our soul, we'll still be there, but we will be suffering damnation if we don't embrace what Christ has brought to us, salvation, repentance, and forgiveness of sin.

[106] But certainly, life everlasting is the biggest issue and the one we need to focus on.

[107] We need to encourage people.

[108] What is the church here for, if not to make saints and get to.

[109] people to heaven.

[110] But what we've lost touch with, even beyond that, is sin masquerades.

[111] I love the way when I celebrate confirmation.

[112] Yes.

[113] One of the questions of the renewal of baptismal promises, do you reject Satan in his empty promises?

[114] That is what we're forgetting.

[115] Sin brings an empty promise of pleasure, of fulfillment, of feeling, you know, this closeness, whatever the sin is.

[116] When we sin, it's an empty promise, even for this life.

[117] And if we embrace that sin, you know, an empty promise may last for a bit, but it doesn't allow us to flourish.

[118] It doesn't bring us fulfillment, it brings us ultimately destruction, even in this life.

[119] I think that's what we need to really remember.

[120] God has taught us how we live as human beings.

[121] Amen.

[122] When we come back, we have more with the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Power.

[123] Stay with us.

[124] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[125] We ran out of time on that segment.

[126] We had just played a very important homily from Ireland where the priest was preaching the gospel, a full gospel, of repentance, mortal sin, you know, how do we have to avoid it?

[127] And Bishop Strickland, I wish I could say that all of you, brother bishops, are on the same page in the sense of our faith.

[128] But that's just not the reality, because this particular priest got reprimented by his ordinary, the bishop there.

[129] We pray for the bishop Ray Brown, because he said that I'm aware of the deep, upset, and hurt caused by the content of this homily in question delivered over the weekend.

[130] The bishop actually apologized to all who were offended, and he said the views expressed do not represent the Christian position, and saying that this is a homily you shouldn't be giving on a weekday mass. I'm not here to criticize the bishop.

[131] I'm here to say, Bishop, excuse me, you made a promise to preach the gospel, and your priest did that, and you're questioning him.

[132] whether that was a Christian view, I think that all of us who are in that diocese should ask the bishop, do you believe in mortal sin?

[133] Do you believe in these tenants that are taught by the Catholic faith?

[134] Because what he's saying here is not what the perennial teachings of the church say in regards to homosexuality or any of the other issues when it comes to transgenderism.

[135] It seems that Bishop, I'd like to say that we're all on the same page, but I humbly have to say that that Bishop, Brown, needs our prayers because he's reprimanding a priest who's just trying to preach the perennial teachings of the church.

[136] You agree with that?

[137] I do.

[138] And it's troubling that we're, we need to be united in Christ.

[139] We hear a lot about, you know, we don't need division in the church.

[140] We need to be united.

[141] we need to have fraternity absolutely but christ and his teaching has to be the principle of unity and if we're if we're not following his teaching no wonder things are divided we've got to get back to what has christ taught us what is god revealed to us through his son and the power of his spirit and you know it's just like you know it takes me back to Cardinal Sarah's quote that basically we're afraid to tell that truth.

[142] Yeah.

[143] And this pastor wasn't the priest that gave the homily.

[144] Yes.

[145] Everything he said is, like we've said before, both of us, it's straight out of the catechism.

[146] If he needs to be corrected, show me or show him where he's not representing what the catechism said.

[147] And everything I heard him say, yeah, it's challenging, but it's more challenging to let people, I take, I use the analogy of poison again.

[148] Yeah.

[149] It's like we're saying, oh, just don't upset people.

[150] They're taking poison just on a daily basis, and it's harming their life in this world every day.

[151] It's bringing harm to their life in this world.

[152] And it will ultimately destroy their hope of everlasting life.

[153] But, you know, we don't want to upset them.

[154] So let them keep taking the poison.

[155] Sin is poisonous.

[156] Yes.

[157] And just like that pre -said, it's detrimental to the life that God wants us to have.

[158] Amen.

[159] And we hear a lot about, you know, the terrible scourge of this fentanyl that is all over the country.

[160] people dying of overdoses of fentanyl, which doesn't take much from what I understand.

[161] Thankfully, I had never had any attraction to drugs.

[162] I mean, that's one fault that I don't have to worry about.

[163] I never wanted to smoke.

[164] I never wanted drugs or marijuana or any of that.

[165] But a lot of people, especially young people, are tempted by that and they get caught up in it.

[166] Fentanyl destroys lives.

[167] Yes, it does.

[168] And to say, oh, well, you know, if people want to, you know, use fentanyl, it's okay, and we don't want to upset them, they're going to be dead.

[169] And the most important death is everlasting death beyond this world.

[170] Yes.

[171] And that's what we're fighting against ultimately.

[172] So we just have to keep teaching the truth, like I tried to say, responding to Cardinal Sarah's message in that tweet.

[173] Yes.

[174] It is glorious truth.

[175] It sets us free.

[176] It allows us to flourish.

[177] And when we try to change it or manipulate it and take the sting out, we're losing the punch that that truth brings.

[178] We're losing the cleansing and the renewal that truth brings us.

[179] And that's devastating for each of us individually, for our families, and for humanity.

[180] Well said.

[181] Bishop Strickland, you also tweeted this, that evil is tightening.

[182] grip on the world like a noose, strangling the life out of the children of God.

[183] And I agree with what this next statement is really like, yeah, I'm looking for this.

[184] Where is the clear, cleansing voice of the church?

[185] Bishops and cardinals either join the voices, denying Christ's truth, or remain silent.

[186] And you ask Pope Francis, it's the vigor of Christ, please, please help us.

[187] And I plead with you because when I read that, I said, here, here, exactly, we're looking for guys dressed like you to give us leadership because I'm going to say something that might offend the listenership, but priests and bishops are going to take thousands of souls either to heaven or to hell.

[188] And I hate to say it, but there will, I mean, some of the great saints say that there's many bishops in hell.

[189] And I don't want to see that, Bishop Strickland.

[190] So my question to you is I'll give you one quote from Ezekiel, and then you're laughing, because you know the one I keep quoting.

[191] Ezekiel three, if I say to the wicked, you shall surely die, and you give him no warning, nor speak to the warn the wicked from his wicked ways in order to save his life, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity.

[192] But his blood I will require at your hand.

[193] But here's the good part.

[194] But if you warn the wicked, bishops, priests, lay people like me, and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity.

[195] But you will have saved your life.

[196] Now, Bishop Strickland, to me, that gives me a lot of solace to say, in charity, I have to speak out even if I have to correct a bishop or even a pope.

[197] Why?

[198] Because I'm called to as a follower of Christ to share the gospel.

[199] Absolutely.

[200] And as you quote that, I think people are afraid to use the word wicked and to say that is a wicked action.

[201] But we see a lot of wickedness.

[202] We see a lot of evil, but we're very shy about talking about it.

[203] And, you know, as that quote from Ezekiel says, if you don't warn people, when you know the truth and we, when we don't warn people, I mean, you know, as I've said before, that's a big motivation for me. I mean, I don't want to be a skull of a bishop giving the way to hell.

[204] I mean, it's certainly, it's the greatest service we can provide to another is to guide them in the light of truth.

[205] that is Jesus Christ.

[206] Yes.

[207] But beyond that, you know, in some ways it's selfish for me because I'm worried about my own skull.

[208] I'm worried about my own life and I should be, but always in the context of serving others.

[209] And that's what I promised to do, to guard the deposit of faith.

[210] And when a priest gets reprimanded for speaking the deposit of faith, we got problems.

[211] And clearly we do.

[212] not just in this nation, but around the world, in various places, the problems are there.

[213] The answer is really simple.

[214] We've got the truth.

[215] God has revealed it to us.

[216] Jesus Christ still going back to the Eucharist, like you said, we talk about the Eucharist all the time.

[217] Jesus Christ is really here.

[218] And that's what I was trying to encourage.

[219] I know in my life, the more I've done.

[220] come to know Christ, and I still have a long way to go.

[221] A lot of sin to overcome, a lot of weakness, but the closer I am to Christ, the stronger I am, and the holier I am.

[222] Yes.

[223] And that's what happens to us.

[224] It's like, you know, I'm sure with your children, Terry, yes.

[225] You encourage them to find good friends and to hang around friends that supported the values and help to encourage them and challenge them and urge them, you know, to be, you know, good in sports, but to do it with, you know, following the rules and to do it responsibly, to do well in school, but to do so with respect for the teachers and respect for the rules and always being above board with taking exams and not trying to skirt around it.

[226] We need to associate with people that are seeking virtue and to support each other.

[227] That's what we need to do in the life of the church.

[228] And, you know, when people are caught up in wicked things, the kindest thing, like we've said before, the greatest charity is to warn them and say, that is dangerous.

[229] That is evil.

[230] That is harmful.

[231] And there's too much of that not happening in the church and in the world today.

[232] And much less warning people.

[233] about things that are evil, people are being encouraged to do things that are evil.

[234] And, you know, that is just devastating for the body of Christ.

[235] But Christ's truth is with us.

[236] He is with us.

[237] We need to turn to him and be strong in his truth, in his grace.

[238] Well, said Bishop Strickland, I keep going to Cardinal Sirrah, other Cardinals in the church who are speaking like you with the perennial teachings of the church.

[239] But I love what Cardinal Sirrah said, and I want you to comment on it, you tweeted, without God, man builds his hell on earth.

[240] Wow, isn't that what's going on right now?

[241] Yeah, exactly.

[242] That's exactly what I was saying.

[243] I mean, all this transgender movement, you know, there's so many stories about about children, really, are very young people that have these surgeries and really violate their bodies.

[244] I mean, they manipulate things and have these surgeries, removing organs or adding organs.

[245] Then if they do wake up and recognize, maybe I should have paid attention more to the body that God gave me. and try to understand and, you know, celebrate and respect, our bodies are a gift from God.

[246] Amen.

[247] And to be manipulating those bodies and really violating them with these surgeries or with hormone treatments, especially for young children or children that maybe even haven't even entered into puberty, they're doing these puberty blockers.

[248] and all this stuff, and when people come to regret it, it's too late.

[249] If they've already done these surgeries removing parts of their body, then or these chemical alterations in their body through hormones, it's very dangerous and very harmful.

[250] Right.

[251] We're going to have a clip from a lady who had said exactly what the bishop said.

[252] She regretted it, it's a good turnout.

[253] You'll want to hear this when we come back on the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[254] Stay with his family.

[255] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[256] Bishop was just explaining the evils of transgenderism and these operations that are putting on young people.

[257] And I thought I would play a clip that was so inspirational for me. Bishop Strickland hasn't even seen this, but I think it'll inspire all of us.

[258] So Mr. Engineer, play that clip.

[259] We'll get it.

[260] I really thought transitioning was going to fix everything.

[261] My period's stopped, facial hair grew.

[262] Pretty soon I was passing as male.

[263] At first, I was elated, but my mental health did not improve.

[264] I became more suicidal, more unstable, and the anxiety became debilitating.

[265] The testosterone was never questioned as a contributing factor to my increasing instability.

[266] I was in and out of mental hospitals six times, while being affirmed as male and supported in my decision to transition by my doctor, psychiatrist, immediate family, and even church.

[267] I was also diagnosed with complex PTSD and OCD during this time.

[268] I desperately wanted top surgery and hysterectomy, but couldn't afford them.

[269] After a serious suicide attempt in February of 2018, I realized that just changing my appearance was not going to take away the pain.

[270] So I started working really hard in therapy, but I still believed I was male.

[271] A year later in 2019, I had a life -changing encounter with Jesus and begin to find deep healing and peace within myself.

[272] After nearly four years of being on testosterone, I decided to detransition and accept my womanhood.

[273] My mental health improved exponentially.

[274] I'm no longer in therapy nor even on mental health medication.

[275] I have not been suicidal or hospitalized since stopping testosterone.

[276] Three years later, my menstrual cycle has still been irregular.

[277] I still have to shave my face daily and I struggle with hormonal acne.

[278] I'm truly grateful and I never got surgery because now I'm happily married and 28 weeks pregnant.

[279] But if I had gotten surgeries that I so desperately wanted as a teenager, that would have stolen this future from me. So I'm asking the board to create a rule that makes it unethical for doctors to prescribe these hormone treatments for people under the age of 18 and surgeries under the age of 21.

[280] Thank you.

[281] Wow.

[282] Did you like that, Bishop Strickland?

[283] Well, it's sad to see, and those stories are repeated over and over again, you know, especially for children or minors.

[284] I mean, there's so many things that are restricted for them and to be doing permanent.

[285] I mean, think if this young woman had had those surgeries that removed her womanhood.

[286] It's just, it's unhinged.

[287] It is.

[288] Absolutely.

[289] We have to be compassionate to people.

[290] that are going through confusions that are, a lot of time, is inflicted by society.

[291] Because, you know, I mean, when we grow up, people didn't have these kind of.

[292] No. I mean, it just, there may have been a person here or there that, you know, had some issues because of real physiological problems they had, but, you know, it just wasn't something that people we're having a deal with.

[293] And now it's, talk about epidemic.

[294] It's worse than COVID ever was.

[295] It's affecting so many people.

[296] And to do permanent damage to your body without any real guidance of the truth, it's just, we've got, I mean, it's not really a religious question.

[297] It's a humanity question.

[298] You know, we've got to help people, whether they believe in God or not.

[299] They were born either male or female.

[300] Amen.

[301] And they've got to learn what that means and go through.

[302] I mean, having these surgeries is not the fix.

[303] And I think so many things right now, Terry, what we're seeing is, you know, we both have heard this.

[304] I mean, people have been really.

[305] I mean, probably for many, many years, but certainly in my lifetime, there are things that we can do.

[306] Yeah.

[307] But the question is, should we?

[308] And now it's almost like the should we is just left out of the picture.

[309] Oh, well, we can do this.

[310] We can do this.

[311] We can do that.

[312] And so we do it.

[313] And it's just, it's unhinged, and it's harmful to humanity.

[314] it's harmful to individuals.

[315] And it is not lacking in compassion.

[316] Lacking in compassion is to allow people to just, like, you know, the young woman in the clip said family support it, her church support it.

[317] Everyone's, oh, we've got to be supportive.

[318] Supportive to be destructive to your life?

[319] Terrible.

[320] I say no. Amen.

[321] Yes, support people, but support them in the truth.

[322] Yes.

[323] And if they're born male or female, that's their truth.

[324] And they need to understand what that means.

[325] I mean, it's just, we can't be afraid to call people to the truth of who they are.

[326] And to do it with absolutely with compassion.

[327] But it is not compassion to allow people to just say, oh, well, I've decided I'm something else that isn't reality.

[328] and you know that's not going to be a fix for whatever issues they're facing and we do need to understand that people across the spectrum are hurting and confused and we need to assist them but it's not assisting them to just say oh we'll support you in embracing something that's not true amen well said there's a tweet that you quote changing gears to the issue of the Senate that's going on, and it's going to be extended another year.

[329] Father Jerry Murray, who is a priest for 35 years.

[330] I met him when he was in the seminary, and you met him, I think, up in Northern California two summers ago, if I recall, was up at the Napa Institute.

[331] And he's a good canon lawyer up in New York.

[332] And basically, your tweet was, pray that the Senate fathers and all the bishops will, what, defend the Catholic teachings and practices against the Senate of senatorality exercise and self -destructive behavior well when you ask people to read the article and I want to encourage people to go to the Catholic thing very good articles in there the Catholic thing Father Murray points out that they're attacking the what we call perennial teachings of the church at the Senate and he says the teaching of the church given to her by Christ they're saying is the problem the church is being asked to seriously discuss discarding the teachings that contradict the beliefs and desires of the church number one those living in adulterous second marriages number two men who have two or three wives what number three homosexuals and bisexuals we've got to change that view number four people who believe they are not the sex they were born as This is stuff that is like, are you kidding me?

[333] Number four, women who want to be ordained deacons and priests.

[334] Number five, lay people who want the authority given by God to bishops and priests.

[335] Before I have you respond to that, Bishop Strickland, our pastor here at the Anglican Ordinariot was a Protestant minister for many years, and when he read the senator the senatoral process and what they were discussing, he said they reminded me as, when I was a Protestant, how the Protestants approached, revealed truth.

[336] And he said, it made me sick that we're seeing this in the Catholic Church.

[337] And he's obviously a Catholic priest and loves the church, but he said, we're falling for the same thing.

[338] The Protestants did.

[339] Your thoughts.

[340] Well, it's interesting because that's exactly what I was thinking, as you were talking about that, Terry, is it's revealed truth.

[341] Yes.

[342] God has revealed to us.

[343] who we are, created in his image and likeness.

[344] Male and female, he created us.

[345] This is what God has revealed.

[346] And to treat it as if it's just, you know, something we've decided arbitrarily, and we can undecide if we decide we want to, that's just losing touch with what the church is based on.

[347] I mean, Jesus Christ is, revealed truth incarnate.

[348] And that's why I keep going back to, I mean, I truly believe if you know him, you can't.

[349] I mean, he says it in the scripture.

[350] You deny me. I can't deny myself.

[351] So I'll have to deny you.

[352] I mean, that's not the best paraphrase of the scripture.

[353] But the gist of it is Jesus Christ is truth incarnate.

[354] He's never going to deny that.

[355] He can't.

[356] I mean, He is, he'd be denying himself.

[357] He's not going to deny himself.

[358] And if we deny him, he's going to deny us.

[359] I mean, I think we've got to take that very seriously.

[360] And this, you know, agenda that we're caught up in now, sadly, what does it sound like?

[361] Yeah.

[362] It does sound like Protestant churches.

[363] It sounds like the original Protestant Reformation.

[364] Yes.

[365] Where a man decides, oh, the Catholic churches, wrong.

[366] And a lot of people said, oh, well, yeah, I'm going to go with him.

[367] That's what both of us have decided.

[368] I know over and over again, we're going to stay with the church that Jesus Christ established.

[369] Certainly, she's had her problems through the centuries because, you know, human beings get involved and start trying to manipulate things, but we always go back to what did Christ reveal to us?

[370] And that's what we have to go back to.

[371] What did Christ reveal to us and remind ourselves, like we were saying earlier, Christ is not some distant Lord who visited us 2 ,000 years ago, but we haven't heard from since.

[372] Jesus Christ came incarnate to be with us.

[373] He promised to be with us until the end of the age, and he is with us.

[374] Yes.

[375] And many different ways, especially in the Eucharist and the other sacraments, and the power of God's word.

[376] But if we act as if it's all up for grabs, we're denying Christ.

[377] And he's going to deny us.

[378] Amen.

[379] Ultimately.

[380] Well, when we come back from our break, I want to talk now about a bishop who's actually standing up to the culture of death out in Detroit, Michigan.

[381] And I want to get your take on that.

[382] But before I do that, you remind me of a tweet that.

[383] you just said, in a tweet said, God is not going to rewrite the Bible for your generation.

[384] Stop trying to change Scripture when it's written to change you.

[385] I think that's good advice to our fathers' haly up in the church right now is stick to the scriptures and stop changing, trying to change things that are not possible to change and embrace God's divine revelation, not man's revelation.

[386] Okay, that's kind of hard language.

[387] We'll be back with more on the bishop.

[388] Strickland Hour.

[389] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[390] Hey, I'm having to give some good news.

[391] I mean, I like, we've been talking about bishops who are maybe undermining the faith by not teaching the faith, but here's a bishop who recently came out, and I love the headline, Michigan Archbishop writes to thousands of Catholics urging them to oppose the new abortion law.

[392] They have a proposition 14.

[393] It's four.

[394] It's similar to ours, number one, that's saying that we're going to pay.

[395] for all the killing of unborn babies in Michigan, and we'll do like California.

[396] We'll have everybody come to our state.

[397] And Archbishop Vigano, he oversees six counties.

[398] I don't know how many counties you have in your diocese, Mr. Strickland, but in the Archdiocese of Detroit, Michigan, he sent letters to each household registered as parishioners within that area, stressing the importance of voting in the upcoming midterm elections against the right to reproductive freedom initiative or Prop 3, as they call it.

[399] You know, Bishop Strickland, I hear sometimes people say, hey, Bishop, stop talking politics, you know, don't get involved.

[400] Let us handle this.

[401] I mean, I personally am glad that the Archbishop there in Michigan is speaking up.

[402] But what are your thoughts?

[403] Well, I'm glad that Archbishop Vinyeron did speak up and make it clear that choosing something like Proposition 3 there or Proposition 1 in California is contrary to the Catholic faith.

[404] That's not politics.

[405] That's guiding people in the truth of the faith.

[406] Amen.

[407] Politics is to say, well, you've got to vote for this guy or that guy or this part woman or that woman.

[408] But to talk about the issues.

[409] Certainly, I mean, sadly, it's often very clear who you're you can vote for and be aligned with Catholic teaching.

[410] But that's, you know, that I don't believe that's political.

[411] It's simply speaking the truth, that well -formed conscience.

[412] I mean, Archbishop Vinyron is helping Catholics.

[413] That's right.

[414] Form their conscience according to the truth that the church teaches.

[415] And we need to do that.

[416] I applaud him for doing that.

[417] Well, you know who else would applaud him a saint, St. Pope Pius the 10th.

[418] And you tweeted this two weeks ago, and I now have it on my desk, and I read it because it motivates me to do what the archbishop just did.

[419] And here's what it says.

[420] And I hope I can tell it affected you, too.

[421] How I tremble to think that souls can be punished for all eternity on the account of the negligence of their pastor, that innocent people can be led from the path of truth because the words of the inspired text were never preached to them and that the spirit of the world and of our time especially should pour into ill -instructed minds for want of a firm hand to check its tide and this is what the saint said and I'm as a father this applies to me as much as to Bishop Strickland I have a sacred duty to defend the truth openly for God will ask me to render an account for all those souls who have strayed into the way of perdition.

[422] St. Pope Pius I. Your thoughts?

[423] Well, the phrase that catches me in what Pope Pius X. said is punished for all eternity.

[424] Oh, geez, that's true.

[425] It's a long time.

[426] I think that that really gets to the very root of what's wrong in the world.

[427] and what's wrong in the church.

[428] Too many people don't believe anyone is punished for all eternity.

[429] But I have it on good authority that we need to listen to that.

[430] And that authority is Jesus Christ himself.

[431] He says it many times.

[432] It may get bracketed out when we have the readings at Mass or people may not want to preach about or talk about it.

[433] But Christ makes it very clear he speaks of the gnashing of teeth and the the fires of gahena yes and the separating the sheep from the goats punished for all eternity i believe that really st pious the tenth in using that phrase how often do we hear that phrase used now yeah i think too many bishops too many catholics too many people of whatever faith don't believe that punish for all eternity is something we even need to worry about.

[434] But Jesus said it is, and I'm going to listen to Jesus Christ.

[435] He says it in the gospel more than once.

[436] Yes, the beatitude.

[437] People love to talk about the beatitudes.

[438] Beautiful.

[439] It's the Word of Christ.

[440] Absolutely guides us.

[441] But punish for all eternity is something that we need to pay a lot of attention to and eternity as you said is a very long time longer than we can imagine and to be playing around with our eternal salvation the way we are yes it is it is diabolical it is evil and it is harmful and you know for one I'm going to keep speaking up because I feel that I must.

[442] I mean, just as St. Pines the 10th said, we are duty -bound to warn people of that punishment for all eternity that looms if we ignore the truth that Christ died and rose to share with all humanity.

[443] for the benefit of those listening when you were ordained or to be a bishop didn't you make promises from that day when you said that you would faithfully adhere to the gospel and teach the teachings of the church am i putting words into your mouth or is that pretty much what you made a promise to do one of the promises specifically says i will guard the deposit of faith wow wow you know that's what we need to do to protect people from being punished for all eternity and to believe there's a heaven, there's a hell, there's life and death.

[444] Yeah.

[445] And we, I mean, what's the church for?

[446] It's to guide people to live the virtues of the gospel now to improve the world that we live in and to ultimately end up in everlasting life with God.

[447] But the real, I mean, Christ again says, and St. Faustine, His vision is lined up with Christ.

[448] Too many times we don't hear the same thing in the world today.

[449] Christ says the road to heaven is narrow.

[450] It's a narrow gate.

[451] It's a narrow road, a narrow road, a narrow path.

[452] The road to hell is wide.

[453] And that is what we need to pay attention to.

[454] Well, we don't hear enough of that.

[455] As a matter of fact, I like to give a plug to your St. Phil Institute.

[456] I try to do it every time we're on the air because it's a resource for our listeners to get to.

[457] Can you talk a little bit about the St. Philip Institute?

[458] Sure.

[459] It's about teaching the truth God is revealed to us, the Catechism, the Word of God, the Magisterial teachings of the Church, this wondrous, glorious truth that really allows us to flourish.

[460] That's the whole purpose.

[461] I mean, as I talked to the team of this, St. Philip Institute, we talk about, it's our work here in the 33 counties of the diocese of Tyler, but it's the work of the church to form disciples.

[462] Who are disciples?

[463] They are those who follow the way, the truth, and the life of Jesus Christ, doing our best to repent of our sins, to grow in virtue, and to seek everlasting life with God.

[464] That's what a disciple is about.

[465] Amen.

[466] That's what the St. Philip Institute is doing their best to evangelize and catechise to teach disciples.

[467] Bishop Strickland, I just think of a quote from Bishop Sheen.

[468] Fulton Sheen said something very similar that you're saying, the only difference between a sinner and a saint is found in their attitude towards their sins.

[469] The one persisting in them and the other weeping bitterly.

[470] So you see, that's the point we're making in the judge.

[471] church today that when you see someone objectively living in a sinful lifestyle, you as a bishop, me as a layman, if we love the person, we say, wait a minute.

[472] That's not according to God's plan.

[473] Do you want to be happy?

[474] Let's do it according to God's plan.

[475] That's what I tell people who are living in adulterous marriages.

[476] I tell them when they're living homosexual marriages, so -called homosexual marriages.

[477] I tell them, look, this isn't part of God.

[478] plan brother you're not going to be happy think about the suicide rate for people who are living not according to god's plan it's way up there that's on the natural level but most important the supernatural level the salvation of their souls am i on to something absolutely and i bring it back to tell me if you have a relationship with jesus christ who went through agony in order to free up from sin and death, then we should be horrified at our sin.

[479] I know you are, I know I am, we should all be horrified in doing our best to pull ourselves away from even what we would call venial sin, but especially any serious sin that we're dealing with.

[480] We should be horrified.

[481] And if we know Jesus, if we really know Him, If we reflect on the torture, the passion that he went through, his body being scourged, and really throughout his incarnation, throughout his years on earth, he suffered for us.

[482] If you know him, you're going to be horrified at the idea that you have added to the suffering of the Lord.

[483] And the mystery of a timeless God entering into our creation, part of that mystery in many of of the saints have alluded to this, Christ suffers when I sin, when we sin, right now.

[484] It's part of the great mystery of his saving love for us.

[485] He takes on our sins, not just somebody sins from thousands of years ago, but our sins in order to redeem us and to transform us.

[486] So we should be horrified at our sinfulness and humbly repentant, seeking forgiveness.

[487] And thankfully, we have a sacrament that does exactly that.

[488] If we're humble enough to approach the Lord, it's the Lord who forgives us.

[489] I've heard a lot of confessions as a priest, and I've never forgiven anyone.

[490] I've absolved a lot of people in the absolution that Christ made possible in his forgiveness.

[491] He's the one forgiving, and he's the one we're sinning against when we ignore the truth that he lived, died, and rose to share.

[492] So think about it in terms of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and what's offensive to him should be offensive to us.

[493] Wow, amen to that.

[494] Bishop, how about a blessing for our listenership, please?

[495] Almighty God, we ask your blessing for all participating in this opportunity.

[496] our faith and we ask this blessing in the name of the father the son of the holy spirit amen thanks again bishop strickland folks you can listen to any of the shows by going to vmpr .org and affect all the different shows that are on don't forget our lady of fatima said souls are going to hell because no one is there to pray and make sacrifices let's make those sacrifices and give them to god god bless you and your family