01 Dec 2020 – Bishop Strickland Invites You to Accept Christ

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

[1] We have a show that what we do is we have Bishop Strickland comment on catechetical teachings like the Ten Commandments that we just completed.

[2] And then we talk about his tweets and with the tweets are dealing with issues in the church.

[3] Bishop Strickland, welcome to another hour.

[4] Thanks, Terry.

[5] Thank you for coming again and sharing the gospel with us all.

[6] Bishop Strickland, you wrote a letter and I'm going to talk about that in a little bit.

[7] But to all of your diocese, but I think it's so beautiful, it could be really to all of us who are listening on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[8] But before we get to your letter, one of the tweets that really got my attention, well, actually two of them, I have to ask you, was the vaccine issue, because that's in the news right now, that there's two different vaccines that are for the COVID -19.

[9] but one, Fitzer uses these K -562 cell in protein expressions.

[10] And you said that this vaccine does not contain aborted fetal cells.

[11] And people are always wanting to know because they don't want that.

[12] But you said, sadly, it was tested on an immoral cell line.

[13] Can you share what you mean by that with that tweet?

[14] What does that mean to that sadly it was tested on immoral cell lines?

[15] What's that mean?

[16] Yeah.

[17] Well, it's very complex, but also, I think, pretty clear.

[18] And my bottom line is, as I tweeted once, I'm not going to accept a vaccine that has the DNA of aborted children in it.

[19] Amen.

[20] That is the good thing about the Pfizer vaccine.

[21] It does not.

[22] It does not contain the DNA of aborted children.

[23] What did happen was it was tested on a cell line that did include the aborted children.

[24] So, you know, it's very complicated, and I certainly don't claim to understand all the science.

[25] But the bottom line for me is does it actually contain the markers, the DNA of aborted children?

[26] If it does, I'm not going to accept it.

[27] And I would encourage anyone who believes that that child was created by God, conceived in the womb of their mother, and they died before they could ever be born.

[28] And then to use their body for spare parts, basically, is just diabolical.

[29] And people say, oh, well, the baby's dead anyway.

[30] Why not use?

[31] It's just, we're so broken in that area.

[32] We talk about it probably every time, you know, we have one of these.

[33] sessions.

[34] And it needs to be talked about.

[35] I agree.

[36] But the technicality there is the actual vaccine does not contain the DNA of a child.

[37] It was used to, or it was tested on vaccine or cell lines that did include aborted children.

[38] So it was tested on, for whatever reasons, They tested it on some of these corrupt cell lines, but the actual vaccine does not include that.

[39] For people looking for more information, and we're actually working to try to boil it down to something that people of faith that just want the right answers, we're trying to work on providing that.

[40] But to get probably more information than people can handle, but children of God for life, their website, COG4Life .org .org .org gives you lots of information.

[41] And it lists the vaccines that are ethically produced that do not contain the DNA of children and the vaccines that do.

[42] And all kinds of vaccines.

[43] We're really working here locally in this small diocese, but we've got some great people working on really helping people understand.

[44] And it goes way beyond vaccines, all kinds of medications, all kinds of products use.

[45] That's what Planned Parenthood does.

[46] Part of their industry is to sell these body parts of children.

[47] It's just it's just atrocity on top of atrocity.

[48] It needs to be exposed and people need to come to understand just how systemic it is in our society today.

[49] and we need to put a stop to it.

[50] Well said, Bishop Strickland, I agree totally on that.

[51] You also have one more tweet.

[52] I couldn't let it get away.

[53] It's a Fulton Sheen.

[54] You said, more wisdom from the good Archbishop.

[55] Let us remember to be in the world but not of the world.

[56] Our destiny is eternity with God.

[57] The world is passing away.

[58] Now, that's what you said.

[59] Now, here's what Bishop Sheen says in another way.

[60] He says, if the church marries the mood of the current age, it will become a widow in the next.

[61] Bishop Strickland, I agree with the good bishop.

[62] What made you tweet that today?

[63] Well, I believe that's exactly what we see happening in the church worldwide.

[64] Often coming from the Vatican, these initiatives that have nothing to do with Jesus Christ, have nothing to do with the good news of the gospel.

[65] and they're accommodating the world.

[66] You know, we have politicians around the world and even bishops around the world who are saying that, you know, same -sex marriage is okay.

[67] We need to just get out of our antiquated ideas and update.

[68] It's just wrong.

[69] And it's accommodating to the world.

[70] And sadly, I mean, Christ said, be in the world but not of the world.

[71] That's right there in the scriptures.

[72] But we're definitely in the world in the church's becoming of the world.

[73] And bishops are charged with being apostolic.

[74] We're successors of the apostles.

[75] What happened to the apostles?

[76] They died for the faith.

[77] All of them were martyred except for John.

[78] And he, of course, right?

[79] wrote the gospel, wrote letters, and the book of Revelation.

[80] Most scripture scholars agree.

[81] He was the author.

[82] And John didn't die, but the rest of them died.

[83] And many martyrs, I mean, we're always celebrating martyrs in the faith.

[84] St. Leo the Great was a pope and martyr.

[85] There have been numerous popes that died in the early years of the church.

[86] we've got to really remember who the church is, the body of Christ.

[87] We are supposed to speak to the culture, but not get caught up in it.

[88] And right now there are too many voices that are very much caught up in the culture, ignoring the message of Christ.

[89] One of the things that I've really focused on recently is something I'm sure you're aware of.

[90] well -catechized Catholic and what's going on in the world, the bracketing of scripture, frankly, Terry, we could have a whole hour on that phenomenon that is woven into so much, but we can't delete some of the word of God.

[91] We've got to listen to all of it.

[92] Some of it, yeah.

[93] I mean, for all of us, it's challenging.

[94] It may poke us in different way.

[95] to say, oh, I don't want to hear that.

[96] We can't delete it.

[97] And that's a phenomenon that's been happening in our lifetime, really, a tendency to just say, well, let's not pay attention to this part because it doesn't correspond with what we want.

[98] That's plain God.

[99] We need to listen to what God is revealed to us.

[100] Well, said, Bishop Strickland, it reminds me of a YouTube video of Archbishop Sheen.

[101] I used to have it on cassette tape when I published it.

[102] CD.

[103] It was Fulton Sheen talking about the crisis in the church.

[104] And it says every 500 years, the church goes through a purification.

[105] And he said the purification of the church is going through right now is that we want to be one with the world.

[106] And I thought, wow, that's so apropos for what we're seeing right now in the church.

[107] But we'll get through it through our fidelity to Christ and this church and just the perennial teachings of the church.

[108] And that's why I've asked Bishop Strickland every week to come on and teach the faith to us because it's refreshing to hear a bishop talk more about my soul than my, you know, put a mask on, wash my hands, be careful about your physical health.

[109] Bishop Strickland, I appreciate you praying for my physical health, but I would ask you to pray for my spiritual health a lot more.

[110] And that's what you.

[111] what you're doing, and you wrote a letter recently to your flock, and you have 10 points that you're hitting on, and it's not just for Catholics, it's not just for our Protestant, for everyone, you know, in your diocese and outside, and that's when I read it, and I said, why don't we do a show on these 10 points?

[112] Because I think it'll, if it affected me in a positive way, I think it'll affect the listener.

[113] So everybody put your seatbelt on, because we're going to go through 10 points that will be a little uncomfortable some of the things you're saying, Bishop Strickland, but they're true.

[114] Now, Bishop Strickland, why don't you start with your dear flock of the northeast Texas?

[115] You know, you're writing to not just Catholics, but there's a million and a half people it looks like in your diocese.

[116] That's a lot of people in your area.

[117] So tell us why you wrote it, and then let's get right to it.

[118] Well, I thought it was important to speak to every soul in these 33 counties that make up the Diocese of Tyler.

[119] The church's vision, as Christ says, I mean, we celebrate the apostles.

[120] They were sent out to the world to bring the good news.

[121] At the end of Matthew's Gospel, that's exactly what Jesus is, go out to all the world, baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, go out to all the world.

[122] So my little chunk of the world is 33 counties.

[123] And the vision of the church is, I'm the pastor of all of those people, those who don't believe in God, those who don't believe in Jesus Christ, those who are very committed to a religion other than Catholic, it really doesn't matter to me. They're all my children.

[124] And just like you as a father, you love all your children.

[125] Absolutely.

[126] We're going to take a quick break with Bishop Strickland's letter to all of us on helping us fall deep love with Jesus Christ and His Bride the church.

[127] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland hour.

[128] We're talking about Bishop Strickland's letter to his diocese in Tyler, Texas.

[129] That's the northeastern part of Texas.

[130] And Bishop Strickland, you were just sharing why you wrote this letter and who this is going to.

[131] So I'm all ears because I think your 10 points are just outstanding.

[132] So let's get in to finish your thought.

[133] And then let's get into those 10 points.

[134] It's the good news of Jesus Christ.

[135] it's supposed to go to every man, woman, and child.

[136] That's why I wrote it to every man, woman, and child in the part of the world.

[137] It's my responsibility.

[138] Yeah, I get it.

[139] Well, let me just ask this question.

[140] I like what you said here, where you quoted being a shepherd, and you mentioned a shepherd has manifested, you will obtain the unfading crown of glory.

[141] First Peter, chapter 5 verse 1 through 4 so you take your responsibility as a shepherd that you want to have all of your sheep get to heaven that's what i got out of that first paragraph now these 10 points that you have uh i thought you did it in a very beautiful way it wasn't like you got to do this or you're going to hell you share it in a way that is very attractive bishop strickland and i i would say that um people who do agree with this would say yes these are truths.

[142] Now, I'm going to say that not everybody's going to agree with you, and that's okay because they have free will to say no to it.

[143] But you're offering the truth about the gospel, and I think that it's refreshing because I'm going to be honest with you.

[144] I don't want to hear from my bishops political stuff.

[145] I want to hear stuff that's coming for my soul, and how do I get to heaven?

[146] And these 10 points really do cover a lot of living the life as a faithful Christian.

[147] So let's get to number one, the first number is one nation under God.

[148] Let's explain that to us.

[149] Go ahead.

[150] Well, I started there because we have just endured probably one of the most fractured, probably the most fractured election season.

[151] in the history of the nation.

[152] I agree.

[153] And if you study American history, a lot of times it's been bumpy, and there have been some controversies.

[154] People have compared our time to the presidency of Lincoln and, you know, the time of the civil war.

[155] But a lot of fracturing in the nation.

[156] And I believe, as a man of faith, that a huge part of it is that we've, as a nation, we have.

[157] rejected the idea that we are under God.

[158] Certainly, thankfully, a lot of believing people of all kinds of different denominations and even Jews and Christians.

[159] But the way the nation is operating is as if we have taken the under God part out.

[160] And we're just not one, and we're certainly not one nation.

[161] The divisions are tragic and the fracturing is very, it's scary at times.

[162] I mean, we believe in the light of Christ and the hope that he brings, but we need to remember what we say when we pledge allegiance to the flag, one nation under God.

[163] Whether we believe it or not, we know that we are under God, and we better remember.

[164] it.

[165] So that's why I wanted to start there.

[166] That's the foundation for building the best nation we can have.

[167] Well, what's so beautiful about that this Sunday, we're going to be celebrating Christ the King's Feast Day, which is the end of the liturgical year.

[168] And I was reading from the Holy Father, this was done in 1925, so it was a long time ago.

[169] But what he said was, we got to remember that the you know we talk so much about the rights of man what about the rights of god and i think christ the king this is very important for us right now because our culture has forgotten someone in my opinion they forgot god in the equation and without god look at chaos that's what we have right now so i appreciate your number one point number two point jesus christ god's divine son our risen savior wow that's a mouthful let's open it did you break that up well and as a as a roman catholic bishop yeah jesus christ is my lord and savior he is the divine son of god that is our faith and we have to listen to him amen many people even here in the 1 .5 million in these 33 counties many christians but many people are not people of faith, but he is their Savior as well.

[170] That is our faith and our belief.

[171] And for those of us who profess to be Christian, we need to remember he is the unifying person of Christianity, Jesus Christ.

[172] If you call yourself Christian, then you are saying you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, is our Savior and then the faith expands from there.

[173] And certainly there are many divisions within Christianity.

[174] But I think it's important, and that's why that's my second point, to remember if you believe in Jesus Christ, we are brothers and sisters in his life.

[175] Let's remember that aspect of our unity, whether the unborn child.

[176] or the toddler of whatever race or nation, whatever language they speak, and here even here in East Texas, we have many of the languages of the world represented, especially here in Tyler.

[177] It's the largest community.

[178] We're just over 100 ,000 people, which is small for a lot of the mega cities.

[179] But it's large enough that we have people from every continent and many of the languages of the world are represented here.

[180] And so all of those people have one Lord and Savior in our faith, Jesus Christ.

[181] He didn't come for this group or that group.

[182] He came for all humanity.

[183] And so that's the message.

[184] Calling people to Jesus Christ is what he asks us to do, to share the good news.

[185] So that's why he's the second point.

[186] And certainly, the Jewish people who are believers in God the Father, God, they call Yahweh.

[187] That's our heritage.

[188] It is the Judeo -Christian tradition that the nation is founded on.

[189] People tried to deny that, but that's just historical reality.

[190] And so one nation under God and then embracing Jesus Christ joyfully and sharing his good news, that's my job as a bishop.

[191] And to not try to accommodate the idea that, Well, people don't want to hear about Jesus Christ because they don't believe in him.

[192] If they don't ever hear about him, they're not going to believe in him.

[193] But it's our obligation to joyfully share his message.

[194] He asked us to do that.

[195] I love it.

[196] Political correctness out the door.

[197] Just give them the good news of Jesus.

[198] And that's what the church's mission is to evangelize.

[199] So thank you.

[200] Number three, I love this one.

[201] Sanctity of Life, you're cateaizing us on that.

[202] can you share a little bit why you put number three down well it's it's one of those foundation planks of living in a society that is fruitful and in flourishing and is god intended it's under god through his son jesus christ and that's the the common denominator that we need to get back to many people even within the church will say oh you shouldn't be a one issue Catholic and and I'm not but the sanctity of life is not an issue it's a fundamental character of who we are and when we forget that certainly the sanctity of the life of the unborn is the preeminent issue because that's when we show up on the planet when we're conceived in the womb of our mother.

[203] And if we, as a society, say, oh, well, between conception and birth, we can eliminate you.

[204] That's what we're saying as a society.

[205] Then why not say, well, from, you know, we could logically, tragically, but logically, you could extend that to say, well we've decided from conception to your second birthday you're you can be eliminated if if someone chooses that's as arbitrary really as it is to say well you're still in the womb if you're a conceived child of god you exist you've been given life by god through your mother and father um it still takes a sperm and an egg it takes a man and a one woman, to create a child, to procreate with God.

[206] And, you know, we live in a society where we're trying to play God.

[207] So the sanctity of life is a foundational plank of living as God intended.

[208] Bishop Strickland, well said, I know you've said this so many times, if we don't have a right to life, what are the other rights about?

[209] You can't get to anything after that if you're not, if you're dead so well said the fourth point god made us male and female that's pretty obvious but i'm not so quite sure it's that obvious today well again um as i was putting this together terry it uh i kept thinking well it goes back to genesis one god goes to genesis his son jesus christ the the second person the word as we know the word that was spoken over creation Jesus Christ the the sanctity of life God made us God created humanity and then male and female it all comes out of Genesis I mean you don't have to read much of the Bible to get this basic truth and people people are you know this is one of the most broken areas of our current society and we need to just get back to how did God make us?

[210] God made us male and female with a beautiful complimentarity that gets into later on.

[211] But if we could all just take a breath as a nation and as humanity around the world and just say, get over it, you're either male or female.

[212] Stop this gender ambiguity of people not wanting to be binary and organizations being founded on.

[213] We need to eliminate this idea of a binary sexuality.

[214] It's just reality.

[215] You're either male or female.

[216] And to, I think that is essential to eliminating some of the darkness that's encroaching on every aspect of society.

[217] again because we're ignoring what's God's plan we're saying we want to have our own plan we want to be God we're not very good at it and we can see the suffering that is growing more and more the more we play God and forget to humbly be the children of God created male or female two options that's it it's a binary choice get over it pretty simple straightforward Catholicism here with Bishop Strickland.

[218] I love it.

[219] Love it.

[220] You know, there's a song they sing in heaven.

[221] I did it his way.

[222] And there's a song they sing in hell.

[223] I did it my way.

[224] This is simple.

[225] Do it God's way.

[226] Your happiness, your joy will be only when you do the will of God, not the will of you.

[227] That's the message I'm here for Bishop Strickland.

[228] We come back.

[229] We'll continue to talk on these 10 points that will help you fall deep in love with Jesus Christ.

[230] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland hour, it's so refreshing to hear a bishop, just give a straight talk Catholicism.

[231] There's no spin on this.

[232] It's just this is what the church teaches, and you have the free will to say yes or no, and you're offering that.

[233] And I think it's refreshing for me to hear that, Bishop Strickland.

[234] Number five, your fifth point, lifelong marriage between one man, one woman who are open to children.

[235] What a great definition.

[236] Explain that one.

[237] Well, it's a, what I tried to do with this was kind of build one truth on another.

[238] We accept God.

[239] We accept Jesus Christ.

[240] We accept who we are.

[241] What do those, what do men and women do they marry?

[242] I didn't.

[243] I gave that up to be married to the church, to take care of all the people.

[244] So I have time and the responsibility to teach like this, to be a father, a spiritual father, to 1 .5 million people.

[245] You thought you had a big family.

[246] But that most of humanity is intended to marry.

[247] Yeah.

[248] A man and a woman.

[249] They find each other.

[250] They commit their lives to each other.

[251] They enter into a beautiful intimacy that is open to children.

[252] For really all humanity, and it's interesting, the whole issue of contraception, I remember as a kid, you know, because I have older brothers and sisters, so I heard things.

[253] You know, that's one advantage of family is that the little kids hear the older ones talking about stuff.

[254] They don't understand fully, but I remember conversations between my parents and my older siblings about, you know, the reality that the Catholic Church and my parents were very clear that we believe contraception is immoral, just like in the document.

[255] from 1968, Humane Vite.

[256] Many people, including Catholics, have rejected that, but it's a basic truth.

[257] And that's what open to children means, that you don't use contraception.

[258] You don't forget about God being part of that relationship when it comes to the intimacy of marriage.

[259] So I think it's essential in the whole, you know, I'm just sort of jumping over the idea that is essential I mean, it's a shame that it needs to be so clearly defined one man and one woman.

[260] I mean, when we were, you know, just starting grade school, people would have laughed us out of the room to say, marriage is between a man and a woman.

[261] It's like, of course, what are you talking about?

[262] Exactly.

[263] But sadly, it's something that's being forgotten in up for debate, and many people violently opposed to the idea of what marriage is.

[264] and they want to be able to redefine marriage.

[265] And it just doesn't work.

[266] So it is essential to say marriage is one man and one woman committed for life.

[267] It's not a temporary arrangement.

[268] It's for better for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do its part.

[269] Those are the basic vows that people enter into marriage with.

[270] And marriage is essential.

[271] as another building block of society.

[272] And when marriage is fractured, then we're going to have problems.

[273] Look at the news.

[274] Look at your neighborhoods.

[275] Look at where the nation is and the world is.

[276] These issues are not just a USA problem.

[277] These are worldwide.

[278] And I was just talking to a man in Canada this afternoon.

[279] He called me to thank me for speaking the truth.

[280] I mean, I'm from Canada, near Toronto.

[281] and people are hungry for the truth I've got no corner on it it's right there in the catechism it's in the word of God it's in the beautiful deposit of faith of the Catholic Church but people aren't hearing it and what people are hearing is a lot of fractured false message that needs to be counteracted with the truth Bishop Strickland just to confirm what you're saying and I've said this statistic as I have it in my head.

[282] In America, with the breakdown of the family, we have one out of three people walking in America with an STD, a sexually transmitted disease.

[283] Now, you don't get that if your lifelong marriage between one man, one woman, who are open to children.

[284] Through the grace of God, and the only way, my wife and I have been faithful to each other for 30 -some years, and we don't have an STD.

[285] Now, we spend $16 billion, America, does, taking care of people with sexually transmitted diseases.

[286] Can you imagine what that would do if we didn't have to spend that money, what it would do to our premium for our insurance, for our family, medical insurance?

[287] It would knock it way down.

[288] So the Catholic Church has the answer.

[289] It's not Bishop Strickland's answer.

[290] This is what the perennial teachings of the church is.

[291] Lifelong marriage between one man, one woman, who are open to children, and our country would be changed for the better if it would just live that Catholic teaching and like I say would save a whole lot of money absolutely and just to focus on that for a momentary you hear worldwide the UN yes too many people in the Vatican yeah people talking about oh we need to be worried about reproductive health yeah and what what's built into that is abortion and contraception.

[292] Yep.

[293] Six.

[294] This number five is talking about the greatest reproductive health for humanity following God's law.

[295] And like you said, as a celibate man, I need to be chased and not have sexual interaction with anyone.

[296] Absolutely.

[297] That's what keeps me. Chastity keeps me safe from any disease, from any problem that comes from not living.

[298] God's law of one man and one woman.

[299] If you're married, then that's how you protect yourself.

[300] That is reproductive health.

[301] Abortion and contraception and all the things that they're pushing are broken and harmful and immoral, and they're not reproductive health.

[302] Like so many things, like Planned Parenthood, is not about plans or parenthood at all.

[303] Reproductive health is not found in abortion and in contraception and in having all these medications to deal with the sexually transmitted diseases that people get.

[304] Reproductive health is found in God's plan for the man and the woman.

[305] If you're not married to that one woman, don't have sex.

[306] If you're not married to that one man, don't have sex.

[307] it's really pretty clear.

[308] People don't like the clarity.

[309] It's not complicated, but yeah, it's challenging to live, and God's mercy is there when we fail and repent, but too many people are failing and ignoring the repent part of what they need to do.

[310] Well, said, and Bishop Strickland, this is a biblical view of life is what you're giving us.

[311] You're giving us the scriptures, and that's what the church has been giving for 2 ,000 years.

[312] And I keep saying this, and you could correct me if I'm wrong, But if you said something that was against the perennial teachings of the church, I would say, excuse me, Bishop Strickland, that sounds like your opinion.

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

[314] Please give us what the church teaches.

[315] And I think you would have to say, okay, am I right?

[316] Absolutely.

[317] Well, as we've said a number of times as we've been talking over these months, please correct me. Yeah.

[318] I don't think you've had to correct me once.

[319] No, I haven't.

[320] But please do.

[321] If I say something stupid that you say, say, that's not what scripture says.

[322] That's not what the catechism says.

[323] Then correct me. But thankfully, I know the basic truth that God is revealed.

[324] You got it.

[325] And boy, and you need to proclaim it like you're doing in this letter.

[326] And if I have anything to do with it, I want this letter to be read to every Catholic, every person on the planet, because it's really a message of hope in Christ.

[327] And that's what we want to see.

[328] Bishop Strickland, the next one is followed right up.

[329] Number six, family is the prototype of civilization.

[330] I remember St. John John Paul, too, wrote that letter in 1994, the way the family goes is the way the culture goes.

[331] So it sounds like you're on the same page.

[332] Absolutely.

[333] And you refer to St. John Paul II, some beautiful writings.

[334] And let me just make it very clear.

[335] None of this is thought up by me. None of this.

[336] I'm not an expert in any of it.

[337] I'm just giving you some basic points that I've learned as a Catholic, as a person.

[338] priest and now as a bishop, I continue to learn and learn more deeply the wonder of the love and life of Jesus Christ.

[339] But the family is the prototype of civilization.

[340] And you, we've talked about it before.

[341] You can look at the violence that happens, the brokenness, the fracturing of our nation, of our world, of our church.

[342] Many of those people, if you, sat down and interviewed them, you're good at interviewing people, if you had the chance to just say, please, let's just have a nice, calm conversation, you would talk to those people very often that get caught up in violence.

[343] They're children of God.

[344] They're not to be just cast aside, but we need to evangelize them.

[345] We need to bring them the good news.

[346] And even though maybe they never knew their dad or maybe they never knew their mom maybe they were were homeless for a good chunk of their childhood you will talk to those people very i would say virtually all the time yeah um and certainly living in a healthy family like your kids that doesn't make them saints no hopefully it moves them along the way to at least pursuing that yes but no family's perfect i mean what's what the reality is of our broken human reality, even if every single person on the planet suddenly said, okay, we believe this.

[347] Family is the prototype of civilization.

[348] We're still sinners.

[349] That's right.

[350] Families are going to get broken.

[351] Things are going to happen.

[352] Things fall apart.

[353] Children are harmed.

[354] Spouses don't love each other the way they should.

[355] But when you've let go of the basic component of family, you know, all bets are off.

[356] I mean, the people that are caught up in violence that are, you know, involved in some of these hate groups that we see roaming around and attacking people, you could interview those people and you would find out, I would say virtually all the time, that they're from a broken family situation.

[357] And it doesn't mean their parents, their mother or their father, or both were bad people, but we're in a time where family is very weak and where the families that are trying are not getting much support.

[358] There's a lot of the culture that is putting pressure on even your family.

[359] I'm sure through the years you've seen many different episodes where the pressures of the culture made it tough to be dad and for your wife to be mom and for the children to grow according to God's plan.

[360] So without the prototype of the family, we're in big trouble.

[361] Well said, Bishop Strickland.

[362] We'll come right back with more on the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[363] Welcome back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[364] We're going through a 10 -point letter that Bishop Strickland sent to his diocese of Tyler, Texas, but I read it and I said, why don't you share it with all of our listeners in the entire world?

[365] Because all these points really relate to everyone.

[366] and there's no, nobody that should be alienated from hearing this.

[367] Bishop Strickland, we're on number seven, and that says the Constitution of the USA is our civic guide.

[368] Can you explain that?

[369] Well, all of these have come from the Word of God, basically, up until number seven.

[370] But I love this country.

[371] I was taught by my parents to be proud of being an American.

[372] Amen.

[373] Many people have died.

[374] We just had Veterans Day.

[375] Many people have given their lives, either given their lives and died or given their lives in tremendous service, sometimes really desperately wounded after that sacrifice.

[376] Many people have sacrificed tremendously for this nation to be what it is today.

[377] And to squander that is a travesty.

[378] We've got the Constitution, we've got the Bill of Rights, we've got the basic fabric of the nation is still with us.

[379] But as we've, I think we've talked about it before, I know I've mentioned it to others.

[380] For us as Catholics, people haven't learned the catechism.

[381] Amen.

[382] For us as Americans, people haven't learned the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

[383] And there are forces, just like people attacking the Catholic Church, there are forces attacking this nation because they don't want the sovereignty of the United States to continue because it's a threat to their global agenda.

[384] I think that one of the key elements, it's not, I don't believe it's directly mentioned in the Constitution, but the Constitution is basically built on what we've talked about before the idea of subsidiarity.

[385] As individual men and women, those only two options that God created us, every man and woman has to make their decisions with subsidiarity.

[386] And then it builds from there to the couple, you and your wife making decisions for your family, and then the family, and then the community that that family's in.

[387] The Constitution guides that.

[388] We've had over 200 years as a flourishing nation where the American dream was still possible, maybe slipping away, but many people want to squander that and destroy it for their own nefarious agenda that is not rooted in God.

[389] It's not rooted in care for humanity.

[390] It's rooted in a godless, amoral, or immoral society that they want to create.

[391] So we need to get with it as Americans.

[392] learn what our Constitution says, learn what the Bill of Rights is all about, learn those basic pillars of civic society.

[393] I mean, you know, we've heard all from this summer on, we need to defund the police.

[394] If we understand the Constitution, we absolutely need a police force that, yes, needs to be just and needs to be constantly called back to a deeper justice.

[395] but it is not of the Constitution to eliminate a police force because that lends itself to chaos.

[396] The constitution of this nation has made it possible for us to avoid the chaos that other nations have gone through and we need to wake up to how important it is just as human beings living in a nation.

[397] Certainly the law of God is embedded in the Constitution, the best of basic freedoms come from God.

[398] They're not granted by government, but we're in a very fractured time where too many people don't know the Constitution and they are not paying attention to its basic principles.

[399] Yeah, you nailed it when you said our rights come from God.

[400] That's a unique position of any constitution, of any country.

[401] We acknowledge that they don't come from the state.

[402] They come from Almighty God.

[403] Bishop Strickland, number eight's my favorite thing to talk about.

[404] And that is death, judgment, heaven and hell.

[405] You got number eight in there.

[406] Boy, I'm all ears, because I want to hear about that.

[407] Well, it's the reality.

[408] Of course, many people today don't believe in heaven or hell.

[409] But just because you don't believe in it doesn't mean it's not the basic format for living this human life.

[410] One thing that no one.

[411] I mean, there are lots of efforts to hold it off and to pretend to ourselves that we're not going to die, but everyone will die.

[412] And if you just agree with that and recognize everyone's going to die, then what happens after that?

[413] Judgment by God that Jesus clearly talks about.

[414] He talked about who he alluded to it in last Sunday's gospel, where he said those who were not, really following God's plan, using the parable that Christ shared.

[415] He said there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

[416] That's basically a reference to being without God, and that's the definition of hell, without God for eternity.

[417] So death, judgment, heaven, and hell, classic Catholic theology, that people need to really ponder the four last things and be ready at any moment your life can end.

[418] Are you ready for that judgment?

[419] And have you chosen the path to everlasting life with God or to everlasting life without God?

[420] That's with all the imagery of heaven and hell, that's what it comes down to.

[421] Heaven is rejoining our creator in everlasting life.

[422] Hell is being without our creator for eternity.

[423] that's scary if you think about it and we need to pay attention thank you bishop strickland i always think of fulton sheen saying that that we don't uh go god doesn't send us to hell or to heaven we send ourselves because we make that decision to accept him or reject him and as bishop sheen always said the only value in saying yes to god is you have the freedom to say no so four last things study it it's very very because i always like to say life is short eternity is forever.

[424] Bishop Strickland, let's get to number nine.

[425] God's will is our eternal salvation.

[426] Amen.

[427] And I think that I wanted to emphasize that.

[428] Yeah.

[429] Because it is good news.

[430] It is a joyful message that God's soul of the world that he gave us his only begotten son.

[431] He wants to save us from ourselves, from our sin, from eternal death and from the destruction that comes from living a sinful path.

[432] So I think it's important to emphasize God is love and his love desires deeply.

[433] I mean, he sacrificed his own son.

[434] Amen.

[435] His son prayed in Gatsimony.

[436] Father, if this cup can pass me by, but your will and not what my will be done.

[437] The son of God said that.

[438] And so it's, we need to emphasize, God's plan is a loving plan of joy and full, fulfillment and human flourishing, even in this world.

[439] If we went down the Ten Commandments as we did and watched the seven deadly sins and avoided all of those sins, the world would suddenly be a much happier place.

[440] God intends for us to be joyful in this world and to be eternally joyful with him.

[441] So our eternal salvation is God's will, and that needs to be emphasized.

[442] Well, I love a book.

[443] I'll just give a recommendation by Pierre de Cassad.

[444] And it's the adorable will of God, but God's will is manifested moment by moment as long as we're staying faithful to our duties in our state and life.

[445] It's pretty simple.

[446] Be holy.

[447] That's what the Second Vatican Council calls us, the universal call to holiness.

[448] Bishop Strickland, the final few minutes, your final points are specific to Roman Catholics and your diocese.

[449] But let's hear what they are.

[450] Well, living the sacraments, living the Word of God, turning from sin, seeking to live the virtues of the gospel, basic, like I like to say, meat and potatoes, Catholicism.

[451] we're sinners we're called to repent we have the word of god the new testament that really the the catholic church is the font of the new testament we as catholics need to treasure that and embrace that we have four gospels in the new testament we have the letters of paul we have other letters in the book of revelation we have the acts of the apostles all of that was compiled in the living church that began to reflect on those writings in what we call the Mass. And then it was codified and canonized, put into a canon of Scripture, to what we know today is the New Testament books accompanying the Old Testament books that the church received from our Jewish ancestors in the Judeo -Christian tradition.

[452] So what number 10 talks about is live your Catholic faith joyfully, be people of the Word, be people of sacraments, and especially emphasizing Jesus Christ, who is really present in the Eucharist.

[453] For us as Gatholics, it doesn't get explicitly into it, but we need to know that Jesus is really present and be nurtured by him.

[454] It goes all the way back to the second point of 10.

[455] Jesus Christ, God's divine son, our risen Savior, and he is with us in every tabernacle.

[456] he comes to nurture us to feed us at every mass as Catholics we need to wake up to his real presence he's really there and he is really calling us to turn from sin and to live the truth of his gospel wow repent and believe in the gospel that's the message i'm hearing from bishop strickland of the diocese of tyler i love it bishop strickland i want to just say that it's refreshing again to hear you speak so clearly about what Holy Mother the church is offering anyone who will follow Jesus Christ and his bride the church, salvation, that's what you're offering.

[457] And I want to thank you for that.

[458] Can you give us a blessing and that we will pray for the graces that our Lady of Fatima talked about, that souls are going to hell because no one is there to pray and make sacrifices?

[459] We all have siblings that aren't practicing the faith.

[460] Let's pray that through our good example and through our prayers that they will come back to Holy Mother the Church.

[461] Could you lead us in a prayer, please?

[462] Yes, and before that, I just wanted to mention, I intend to send this to every elected representative in this diocese, the 33 counties.

[463] And I would encourage anyone who can to send it to their elected representatives.

[464] All of them need to read this, whether they're Catholic or not.

[465] Well, said, and I'll have that on our website at Virgin Most Powerful for people to pick it up our diocese of Tyler.

[466] How about a little prayer and a little blessing for all of our listeners, Bishop Strickland?

[467] Sure.

[468] The Lord be with you.

[469] With your spirit.

[470] Almighty God, we give thanks for all your goodness, the love that you have for us, the light you've shared with us through your son.

[471] May your Holy Spirit continue to guide us and may the Blessed Virgin Mary inspire us with her intercession to follow you to say yes to your will, to say that fiat that she started the gospel with what she said yes in the name of the father the son he looks for her amen bishop stricklandauer join us it's on our website all the other shows too at virgin most powerful radio may god richly bless you and until next week this is terry barb we're signing off god love you