18 Jul 23 – The Deposit of Faith: It’s Worth the Fight!

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] My name is Terry Barber, and if you can tell I'm excited, I'm always excited.

[2] You know why I get to talk about Jesus Christ and share the gospel with people.

[3] Bishop Strickland, thanks again for taking an hour out of your busy schedule to do likewise.

[4] Well, thanks, Terry.

[5] There's nothing better to talk about.

[6] I'm with you, man. I'm with you.

[7] Bishop Strickland, before we talk about your tweets, if you're a brand new listener, what we normally do is talk about the tweets from Bishop Strickland.

[8] talk about the catechism of the Catholic Church and teachings from that, and we try to inspire people to fall deeper in love with Jesus Christ.

[9] Well, there's another bishop who preceded you.

[10] His name is Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Venerable Fulton Sheen.

[11] And I wanted to read this poem to you, Bishop Strickland, because I wanted to get your take on it, because this poem was written by Bishop Sheen in the early 70s, and you and I were just youngsters at that time, so we really weren't aware of what was going on but people tell me that it's kind of similar to what's happening right now there's just a lot of crazy things happening in the church so here's this poem it says who's minding the store meaning who's minding the church and Bishop Sheen says I went to church the other day to free my soul from sin I was looking for the preacher but the preacher wasn't in the sexton there assured me there'd be no use waiting the preacher's gone away he said to do some demonstrating what i want to know i said and i will make myself quite clear while there's while they're all demonstrating who's running things down here who's taking care of sinners who's leading us in prayer hmm who's feeding all the lost sheep that wandered by right here who's baptizing babies and another thing i said who's looking out for the sick folk and blessing all the dead the sexton was a wise old man with a twinkle in his eye he looked at me and scratched his head and this was his reply son what i'm going to say to you might strike you kind of odd but since no one's here to help you put your question up to god so i asked him all those things last night and when i bent my knee in prayer oh lord i prayed please tell me who's running things down here.

[12] The Lord sent down an angel.

[13] It was enough to make me sob when the angel said, the devil, and he's doing a darn good job.

[14] Now, Bishop Strickland, I think of the folks that we hear down in Panama where a priest was for 40 years, a missionary, never baptized anybody, but he did all kinds of other things.

[15] He was demonstrating.

[16] I think Bishop Sheen nailed it, and this is 50 years later, it seems like more things change, the more things are the same.

[17] Am I on to something?

[18] I think you really are, Terry, and as usual, Archbishop Sheen was on to something.

[19] And I'm glad he's very intelligent, very smart, and very clever.

[20] Because one of the important things he emphasizes in that little poem is that it's not people.

[21] We don't need to go after.

[22] people.

[23] We need to pray.

[24] We're all children of God.

[25] Somebody thanked me for one of the things I said at Dodger Stadium that, as we've said before, you know, I don't know a smart guy, but I know the truth.

[26] And when you know the truth and you're sharing the truth, you say smart things.

[27] Not because you're smart, but because the truth is beautiful.

[28] And what this person was glad that I said was was that the people in the stadium, those dressed up in mocking terms, the people going there, all of us are beloved children of God.

[29] We need to remember that.

[30] And ultimately, that's our highest rank, and that is our greatest gift.

[31] What does Jesus tell us, be like children?

[32] If you don't have the faith of a child, you cannot be saved.

[33] That's what we all, that's what I need to remember.

[34] That's what all of us need to remember.

[35] We get angry.

[36] We get upset.

[37] We get just irate at the false messages being sent by governments and by the church, sadly, by too many people in government and in the church.

[38] But we pray for those people.

[39] Amen.

[40] I love the way that Archbishop Sheen reminds us.

[41] very in a very clever almost childish childlike way he reminds us that we're fighting the principalities and powers of evil and we need to we need to call it evil yeah we need to acknowledge that we don't need to call any person evil because all of us i mean there but for the grace of god goes terry barber and joe strickland yep we can all fall into false messages and temptations and sin.

[42] I'm a sinner, but as a sinner, if we work against it, I mean, you know, in that little poem, he talks about going to confession.

[43] I went to confession yesterday.

[44] Right.

[45] As I tell the kids at confirmation, I go to confession often, not because I'm holy, but because I'm not as holy as I should be.

[46] I'm a sinner.

[47] I need that grace.

[48] And we all need to be on a path seeking more and more grace and less and less sin.

[49] But we're not hearing that from the church as an organization.

[50] And let me emphasize, I mean, that poem, we could talk about that poem for the right of the hour, but it talks about the priest.

[51] There are wonderful priests that are there here in confession, celebrating masses reverently, counseling people, bringing consolation, anointing people that are sick, bringing the sacraments, baptizing.

[52] There are a wonderful priests at work, but too many in the hierarchy are pushing other agendas where they're telling people, oh, don't bring people to Jesus, we just want to all come together.

[53] That's not our faith.

[54] That's not the gospel.

[55] That's not the mission of the church.

[56] that's contrary to everything we're about.

[57] Beautiful to bring people together.

[58] But the end of the church, the only reason for us to bring people together is to bring them to Jesus Christ.

[59] And the church seems to be putting a stop sign where when it comes to bringing people to Jesus Christ, he's the Lord of Truth.

[60] I mean, just in today's gospel.

[61] Jesus names the twelve and gives them authority to cast out demons he has the authority he gives it to the to the apostles he still does that through holy orders bishops are given the authority but we have to use it for the truth so that little poem of archbishop shen she really captures what we're facing yeah i agree somebody um sent a message that i read somebody not a priest just a i don't think even a catholic but just a person with a brain yeah that said you know all of this agenda is of people that are getting old and and losing what i mean if you're just clinging to the world, I can understand the panic that I think we're seeing that panic of people who have no faith who are pushing a false message.

[62] And they're trying to just push it to the limit because if they don't get this message to overtake the world and eliminate the truth, then they're lost because they're facing the reality that they haven't followed the truth.

[63] They've followed the world.

[64] We need to pray for them.

[65] And, you know, we're both aware of many people in history.

[66] They've talked about deathbed conversion.

[67] That's a reminder that until our last breath, God is loving us through his son and the power of his spirit.

[68] and God's pulling for us.

[69] God's hoping that we will use our free will to wake up.

[70] Thankfully, many people do, but it's really dangerous to say, oh, well, I'll convert on my deathbed.

[71] You may not have a deathbed.

[72] You may die in a way that you don't have that last -minute opportunity.

[73] We can't rely on that.

[74] That's presumption.

[75] That's right.

[76] And that's a sin to presume, oh, I can do what I want.

[77] I'll convert at the last minute and I'll be okay.

[78] The fallacy in that is not just the salvation, but the fallacy of that is we're losing the happiness and fulfillment that this life can bring if we will only deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus.

[79] I know I'm getting pretty preachy just about a poem, but we need to be fired up.

[80] We do.

[81] We need to have that audacity of faith that I talked about at Dodger Stadium.

[82] No matter who opposes us, no matter who shouts us down, no matter what happens, we don't attack anyone.

[83] Right.

[84] We use the energy that maybe we get a little angry or we get upset.

[85] We should.

[86] but we need to channel that energy into prayer and into speaking the truth with clarity and charity, as we always say, and recognize that as Archbishop Sheen reminded us so well, it's not people that we're fighting, it's Satan and his minions.

[87] That's right.

[88] well said and i want to remind everybody bishop strickland always says we should become first century christians you said that at dodger stadium also and um and that's what we're dealing with right now we've got to dig deep right now with our faith live holy lives and because at our exit interview much of what's going on really is not going to be irrelevant to us as long as we're staying in the state of grace when we come back we'll have more here on virgin most powerful radio with the bishop strickland hour stay with us family we'll be right back now back to the bishop strickland hour yes indeed we are back bishop strickland we're talking about his tweets i i really like edward penton i've had a good conversation with him over the years he seems like just a wonderful um catholic man he's a there's a there's all kinds of writing and books he's got a book out who's the next pope and he uh you you ended up tweeting a interview uh that archbishop Fernandez expressed in openness to same -sex blessings if they don't feed confusion over the meaning of marriage between a man and a woman.

[89] And, you know, it's, again, it's confusing.

[90] Now, this is someone who is from Argentina.

[91] He's had a lot of controversy in his own life.

[92] God bless him.

[93] But this is just adding more confusion.

[94] And I like your tweet, Bishop Strickland.

[95] it's nice, it's straightforward.

[96] Archbishop Fernandez needs to read Genesis 19, 15, and 29.

[97] The Lord God rained down a syphilis fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and also reading Romans 1, pray that he returns to the Catholic faith.

[98] Now, I think that's charity, and I'll tell you why, Bishop Strickland.

[99] The worst thing we can do is let someone wallow an error.

[100] And this is not the Catholic Church teaching and I don't see a lot of his brothers and sisters going to his aid and saying no that's not right and so what was the purpose of your tweet I mean I don't think it was a trying to ridicule the man I want you just trying to help him absolutely the truth sets us free the truth yeah gives us life um and you know I mean he's an archbishop yeah soon to be a cardinal cardinal designate and We need to pray for them.

[101] Everyone can get off track and get confused.

[102] Yeah, I do.

[103] But like you said, the greatest, we've said it many times, the greatest charity is sharing the truth.

[104] Amen.

[105] And I think what we're dealing with in church and state, in every aspect of society these days, is, you know, as Pope Benedict predicted, long before he was Pope.

[106] But the relativism where, you know, to me, I keep going back to Punch's pilot talking to Jesus Christ, truth incarnate, what is truth?

[107] That's the question of our age.

[108] It's like everybody is Punch's pilot.

[109] And the answer that's given is, oh, well, it's your truth, it's his truth, it's her truth, and it changes, and it's all relative.

[110] That's not truth at all.

[111] Yeah.

[112] It becomes really a strange world.

[113] If you logically carry that through, if truth is just relative to what you decide today, you can change your mind tomorrow, and then the next day it's different again, then what anchor do we have?

[114] And the reality is there is truth.

[115] Amen.

[116] We know, if you know Jesus Christ, you know there's truth because he's truth incarnate.

[117] Beautiful truth.

[118] Amen.

[119] And that's why I think we need to emphasize over and over again.

[120] The truth is not some burden that we need to cast off.

[121] It's not shackles.

[122] It's not chains.

[123] It is the treasure.

[124] It's the pearl of great price.

[125] It's everlasting life.

[126] It's our, you know, we live in a. very electronic world.

[127] I mean, you're dealing with electronics where we're able to do this through electronics, which can be a blessing.

[128] But there have to be the connections.

[129] You have to have, I mean, you know, I have a cell phone.

[130] You got to plug it in to get power.

[131] And, you know, using that analogy, when we unplug from God, we're doomed.

[132] We're simply doomed.

[133] And that's, that's what society is done.

[134] And sadly, even within the church, leaders in the church are unplugging from God and saying, well, we'll just decide ourselves.

[135] And that's no more plugged into God than people who have no faith and aren't part of the church.

[136] So we have to, you know, be charitable.

[137] We have to be full of compassion.

[138] But we have to stand.

[139] for the truth.

[140] You see these posters all the time.

[141] Be calm and do whatever.

[142] I thought, you know, I don't produce posters, but if I did, I would produce one that said, be calm and stay Catholic.

[143] But stay Catholic with the truth of the deposit of faith.

[144] That's what we've got to hang on to, to hold tight, and let no one, as St. Paul says, so beautifully in so many ways, we can't let go of it.

[145] We have to be like the apostles who were told, stop using the name Jesus.

[146] We can substitute for Jesus.

[147] Stop speaking the truth.

[148] Because he is truth.

[149] And to not speak of Jesus is to not speak of the truth.

[150] What did the apostles do?

[151] They spoke all the louder.

[152] and yeah they were martyred they lost their lives in this world but they began a church that still exist two thousand years after they lived how many people have done something that had that kind of lasting value and really it's not about two thousand years in this world but it's eternal value that we have to stay plugged into that's right well said bishop strickland I appreciate that frankness because it was in the early 90s when my local parish priest, which I won't say his name.

[153] We pray for him.

[154] He ended up being nominated a bishop here in California.

[155] And we were at the party, a goodbye party.

[156] And I heard him talking with us.

[157] We were in a conversation, and he actually said something similar to Pontchus Pilate.

[158] What is truth?

[159] We're still developing truth.

[160] And I thought, you're going to be a bishop?

[161] I was probably in my 30s.

[162] when this happened, maybe even younger, and saying to myself, how in the world is this man going to be the bishop, a successor of the apostle, when he doesn't believe in objective truth?

[163] And, you know, as a layman, it concerns us.

[164] And so this is why I think it's refreshing to have you, Bishop Strickland, just frankly say, look, it's not about me. It's about Jesus Christ, the incarnate truth.

[165] In other words, Jesus is the truth.

[166] we know what that truth is and it's refreshing to hear it from a successor of the apostle so thank you Bishop Strickland I love when you quote scripture and I also want to make sure the tweet that you talked about the martyrs I want to have that one I don't see it in front of me but let's bring that up after this this is July 6th tweet Rejoice always that you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior I love it you know some people say that's Protestant no it isn't that's Catholic he is the truth incarnate.

[167] He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

[168] He is unchanging as the truth he proclaims is unchanging.

[169] Strive to know him more deeply and you will come to see the truth more clearly.

[170] Let me just say this.

[171] This is what we need to hear.

[172] See, this confirms me in my Catholic faith that I have the fullness of the truth.

[173] And so I thank you for that.

[174] Bishop Strickland, one of the quits you mentioned was in regards to the saints and the martyrs and what they died for.

[175] Can you talk a little bit about that if it's still on the tip of your tongue?

[176] Sure.

[177] Basically, the gist of it was the martyrs, beginning with the very first called the Proto martyr, St. Stephen, had just become a deacon, gave a beautiful, there are two chapters of him talking about the Jewish faith, the people of Israel.

[178] where Christ is the culmination of that.

[179] Stephen basically catechises the people and then stone him to death for it.

[180] But he died for that truth as the proto -martre, the first martyr recorded in scripture.

[181] I mean, I like to think of John the Baptist as the first, but the tradition, at least as far as the church forming, he died even before Christ.

[182] but the first martyr to die after Christ had risen was St. Stephen, the deacon.

[183] And from that martyr all the way till the martyrs that have died in the, even in this century, the 21st century for the faith, what did they die for if we can change the truth?

[184] And if truth, I mean, that's really philosophically, theologically, what it all comes down to, is, is there objective truth that is unchangeable or not?

[185] If there's not, then whatever Senate is going to change 10 truths of the church, if that's valid and that can happen, which we know it can't.

[186] But if in a world where isn't our world, isn't our world, world that we can imagine where that can happen, then in a few years, another Senate can change those back or change some more truth.

[187] It becomes a meaningless world that I don't want to live in.

[188] And thankfully, it's not a reality.

[189] Reality is that there is truth, and we've got to continue.

[190] people talk about the development of doctrine.

[191] It develops in the sense that we understand more clearly.

[192] I mean, let's use the Trinity, for example.

[193] I mean, I don't claim to understand how one God can be three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but that's what God is revealed to us.

[194] We will be able to understand that great mystery of God fully in what we call the beatific vision in heaven when we encounter God.

[195] That's what we all hope for.

[196] That's what we're working for to be fully united with God.

[197] None of us can achieve that here, but we have an obligation as a church and individually to continue to move closer to that mystery that is deeper than we can ever fathom.

[198] And we can.

[199] I mean, both of us, I mean, like you said, in the 60s, when Archbishop Sheen was writing that poem or whenever he wrote it, we were kids.

[200] We didn't know what was going on, really.

[201] We didn't.

[202] But we've discovered more and more truth.

[203] Not because we're smart guys, but because of the grace of God and hearts that were open to the truth.

[204] That's all any of us need.

[205] Some of the saints were tremendous intellects.

[206] and some of them weren't, but they're saints.

[207] Yep.

[208] I'm not a tremendous intellect, but I want to be a saint, and it's achievable by the grace of God and by humbly acknowledging my need to turn from sin and to live the truth more deeply.

[209] It's a beautiful journey, and I think we need to emphasize that, especially in this time, because we have forgotten that the church is the font of the true and the good and the beautiful and that's what we have to share with the world the world needs it desperately we always need to remember that this is a beautiful truth that brings joy it's not some sort of burden that we need to cast off amen we come back i want to give a plug to sound of freedom i think it's a 20 million weekend.

[210] They out did all the Disney movies.

[211] And I want to give a plug to Jim Caviso, who used to come to our family conference.

[212] We'll have much more when we come back.

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

[214] Welcome back indeed.

[215] Bishop Strickland, I love when you tweet movies or anything that's going on with other groups that are doing good work for the salvation of souls and to try and alert people to some of the evils that are going on.

[216] Jim Caviso's new movie, movie, Sound of Freedom.

[217] I love his quote, God's children are no longer for sale.

[218] And basically, it's about child trafficking.

[219] And what's interesting about this movie, maybe you know this, it was completed in 2018.

[220] But it was difficult to get into the theaters.

[221] And even the reason it was difficult is because many of the people were involved in child trafficking saw this movie as an indictment on themselves.

[222] I believe, they didn't want this to get out.

[223] And it finally got into the theater, and it's become a bestseller at the box office, and it's changing hearts.

[224] And so, Bishop Strickland, I know we've done shows.

[225] You have somebody who was in your own diocese about child trafficking, so I know this is close to your heart.

[226] Is that why you sent the text out or the tweet out to just tell people to go see the movie?

[227] Absolutely.

[228] We had a showing here in Tyler that a good crowd came to.

[229] People need to know the truth once again.

[230] And, you know, it's horrifying.

[231] It's not easy to watch the children suffering the way they are.

[232] I mean, it's not a graphic movie at all, but if you're watching, you know what they're referring to and you know what these children have gone through.

[233] And what occurs to me, I love that quote from the movie and the character that Jim Caviesel plays as well.

[234] God's children are not for sale.

[235] And it goes back to what we were talking about earlier.

[236] They're God's children.

[237] They're beloved of God.

[238] That's why the sanctity of life is something that we harp on all the time.

[239] And people get tired of it.

[240] But sorry, they're just going to have to be tired because we've got to continue to speak.

[241] about the sanctity of life.

[242] Amen.

[243] And this trafficking of children, as I mentioned at the showing, I talked a little bit before the movie, and I said, we need to make the connection that abortion is devastating for the sanctity of life because children of God are being murdered.

[244] This movie points to children of God being treated like a commodity for sale and used and abused and destroyed because someone wants to do something with them that is truly diabolical.

[245] That's right.

[246] I mean, these children are from toddlers on up.

[247] So as I mentioned, and I think it's hard truth to be aware of, but we need to be aware of it.

[248] As we, both of us, I mean, we do everything we can for the sanctity of the life of the unborn.

[249] But these children managed to be born, and then their lives are attacked.

[250] And sometimes they die.

[251] And, you know, the terrible things they go through, they're at risk of having their hope, their soul extinguished.

[252] extinguished because, I mean, just the horrific things that are done to them, they're, they become like zombies.

[253] And this is just, you know, it's hard to face all this, but across the spectrum of life, this is mainly, I mean, you know, I think human trafficking happens with all kinds of ages, both men and women, boys and girls, but I think that most of this is, as you would expect.

[254] I mean, they're more attractive.

[255] They're beautiful children of God.

[256] And so sinister forces want them for their beauty and their attractiveness.

[257] So they're young.

[258] From young children, four years old, all the way to 24 -year -old, beautiful young women, young men.

[259] are being abused and in a life that is just destructive of their soul and destructive of the person who's abusing them.

[260] But what we have to remember that as people continue, if we don't have the sanctity of life from conception to natural death as part of the bedrock of who we are as people of God, then the next threat comes of people that are older.

[261] And then you get to the end of the spectrum where, you know, this child trafficking movie really exposes the truth that we need to know about that threat to the sanctity of life.

[262] But we've also, we need movies that depict how elder abuse is, how people are being hurried off the planet because they're considered, you know, not because they're attractive.

[263] anymore, but because they're considered a burden, or they don't have a quality of life.

[264] All that language is used.

[265] And sometimes, sadly, people even within the church will use that kind of language.

[266] The quality of life of any child of God is sacred because they're a child of God.

[267] We, as I mentioned, we don't know the mystery of God, and we really don't know the fullness of the mystery of God.

[268] every person.

[269] We can say, oh, we know this about a person.

[270] I mean, someone can analyze your life and say, oh, yeah, he's in his 60s.

[271] He's still in pretty good shape.

[272] He has a beautiful wife and grandchildren.

[273] Maybe you meet the quality of life criteria that society says, oh, yeah, okay, Terry Barber can continue to live for a while.

[274] But let's say that something tragic happens and your life is significantly diminished.

[275] There'd be some that say, oh, well, Terry Barber has no quality of life anymore.

[276] We might as well euthanize them.

[277] It's happening right now.

[278] And people are pushing laws that caused that to happen.

[279] Again, it's all connected.

[280] The spectrum of the sanctity of life, from conception to natural death, the wisdom of the Holy Spirit that guided the church to simply say it, that clearly, in that way, we can't let go of that truth.

[281] And we've got to fight hard for the sanctity of life and to recognize that this child trafficking is one more way that life is threatened, life is abused, and the beloved children of God are being used as a commodity.

[282] I'm glad to join Jim DeVissel and the character in the movie.

[283] he portrays, God's children are not for sale.

[284] And we can't allow that.

[285] We can't turn a blind eye to any way that monetary reasons or power reasons or corrupt reasons of any kind cause sacred children of God of whatever age to be denied their sacred life.

[286] Well said, you know, you've already talked about that the church doesn't have the power over divine law, but it's nice when you hear Bishop Sheen, we played this about two months ago, this clip on YouTube about 60 days before Bishop Sheen was called home, so he's 83 years old, and he was interviewed, and the woman asked Bishop Sheen, can the church change its teaching on abortion or women priests?

[287] And his answer says, no, the church has no power over divine law.

[288] And I like the term that the Pope is the vigor of Christ, not the superior of Christ.

[289] So his job is not to come up with new things that replace what the gospel teaches.

[290] It's to confirm us in the faith.

[291] And I just think it's nice to hear Bishop Sheen say that.

[292] And Bishop Strickland, you've got another quote from another great prelate of the church.

[293] And it's Cardinal Burke, Raymond Burke.

[294] He says, when I died, I think this can be applied to you and to me, all of us.

[295] I die, I will appear before the Lord to give an account of my service as a bishop, me as a father, okay, not before the conference of Catholic bishops.

[296] And I say that because each of us are going to be judged individually.

[297] So I know you said amen to your eminence, but I just think that this doesn't just apply to people dressed like you, bishops, to all of us.

[298] In other words, Here's the thing that I wanted to say, and you tell me I'm all wet.

[299] I'm convinced that all this baloney that's going on in the church where you get all these crazy ideas that are not consistent with the positive faith is irrelevant for me when I meet God.

[300] Because what's really going to be important is my relationship of living in a sacramental life in the state of grace.

[301] Because if I die in the state of grace, all is well.

[302] Am I honest something?

[303] That's what it comes down to.

[304] And that's, you know that because you have faith and you know Jesus Christ.

[305] Amen.

[306] And that's the mission of the church, the mystical body of Christ, which is the church.

[307] The mission is as clear and should be as strong as ever.

[308] Sadly, for too many, it's not.

[309] Because they've lost what the church is.

[310] is about.

[311] We pray and we trust that I mean as Christ said the gates of hell will not prevail and to me what you know as like I said I'm no great scholar but I believe yes and I know the truth and I know Jesus Christ through prayer I mean every day I need to know him better but I know him and I know that he is the wondrous Lord of truth that truly does set us free and we have to share that good news in every way we can and we have to pray for the conversion of hearts for everyone and I pray for my heart to be converted more deeply.

[312] Every day every day more and more.

[313] Bishop Strickland will we come back from the break I know this sounds very controversial but we want to go back to a writing from St. John Paul I want to call him the Great but St. John Paul Call him the Great.

[314] I mean for me he is the Great because his time came into my life in 1979, 78 I was just a young man and he influenced me and I think you're a priest actually who ordained in the mid -80s so John Paul too was very instrumental in your life, correct?

[315] Well, absolutely.

[316] Still is.

[317] Still is, yeah.

[318] So I want to quote him on something that is being challenged today in the church, which he is giving the perennial teaching of the church, and I think that we need to be consistent at 2 ,000 years because we can't change what divine law, as Bishop Sheen said.

[319] Stay with us, family.

[320] We'll be right back.

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

[322] Welcome back, indeed.

[323] Bishop Strickland, you tweeted St. John Paul II's letter as apostolic exhortation regarding family life and marriage.

[324] And, you know, I just think it would be a good idea for all of us.

[325] I have his writings to just kind of review his writings because he wrote a lot on the faith.

[326] And this one really speaks loudly today because there are some of the church and high officials who want to see this compromise regarding divorce and remarriage and communion.

[327] Here's what the Holy Father, St. John Paul II, had to say in his apostolic exhortation, and I'll have you comment, anyone, husband or wife, who has obtained a civil divorce from the spouse to whom he or she is validly married and has contracted a civil marriage with some other person during the lifetime of his legitimate spouse and who lives in a marital way with the civil partner and who chooses to remain in this state with full knowledge of the nature of the act and with full consent of the will to that act is in a state of mortal sin.

[328] Very precise language.

[329] And therefore, cannot receive sanctifying grace and grow in charity.

[330] Therefore, these Christians, unless they are living as brother and sister, cannot receive holy communion.

[331] Now, Bishop Strickland, there are some in the church, high officials who say, no, they need the grace of God because they are living, you know, away from God, that it wouldn't be right not give them Holy Communion, but they're forgetting what the Bible says about condemnation being receiving Holy Communion unworthily.

[332] So this statement you put out, it seems, is really an important statement in today's church today.

[333] that's my thought my why is that why you did it absolutely as as usual yeah pope st john paul the second pope john paul the great that's who i call it does it very clearly yeah very and really that logic applies to any state of life where you're not in the state of grace to receive the body of christ right who is grace incarnate right body and blood soul and divinity of god's divine son yeah it's you're putting yourself in peril you're you're already in a lacking the state of grace yeah and then you're you're you're receiving grace incarnate uh it it it just it isn't even logical oh it isn't and that is what we've got to keep telling people yeah i mean it's very clear there with john paul Paul II.

[334] And it applies to any mortal sin.

[335] Yeah, it does.

[336] And I think a lot of people don't believe in mortal sin anymore, even within the church.

[337] But whether you believe in it or not, I mean, what really John Paul II is getting at is, again, the reality of truth.

[338] Yeah.

[339] The reality is God's grace is real.

[340] Yeah.

[341] Sanctifying grace is not just some thing that the Catholic Church came up with.

[342] It's our human language to talk about the reality of being in union with God through the sacraments that's been made possible through God's son, Jesus Christ.

[343] Prior to Jesus Christ, there were good people and there were bad people, but there were no sacraments to allow us to have.

[344] that beautiful connection with God that we can have even in this life.

[345] Right.

[346] I mean, it all fits together.

[347] Yeah, it does.

[348] The church speaks of an indelible character given to us in baptism.

[349] I was blessed to have a baptism just last Saturday.

[350] Awesome.

[351] When you back, when I baptize a child, then that child is given God's sanctifying grace until they commit a sin personally, their original sin has been washed away.

[352] That's what we need to emphasize with the beautiful gift of baptism and encourage parents to have their children baptized as soon as possible.

[353] I was baptized at about 10 days old, probably about the same for you.

[354] Because that was the norm back then, as it should be.

[355] My mother used to tell us, She wasn't there for our baptisms because mothers after childbirth stayed in the hospital longer and they were baptized earlier.

[356] But she didn't say, oh, I can't be there for the baptism.

[357] That's terrible.

[358] I mean, she wanted us baptized.

[359] Exactly.

[360] She wanted us to have original sin washed away, given the sanctifying grace, that's the original gift of sanctifying grace that we receive in our baptism.

[361] That's right.

[362] really, when we go to confession, as I did yesterday, if we make a good confession, we're renewing that sanctifying grace.

[363] And that's what we have to keep renewing, because we sin, hopefully not in moral ways all the time, but any sin is detrimental to that life in God, and it chips away at the sanctifying grace.

[364] The longer we don't go to confession, the more vulnerable we are to mortal or serious sin because the sins pile up and we get weaker and weaker.

[365] So really, that's what we've got to keep preaching to people and helping Catholics and helping people know that what the Catholic Church offers is what Jesus Christ offers.

[366] Yes.

[367] The church didn't invent it.

[368] The church is the font of it because Christ is tabling.

[369] the Catholic Church as his bride, the mystical body of Christ.

[370] It all fits together.

[371] The Word of God, the sacramental journey of our lives.

[372] And if we all fail, we all stumble, we're sinners, but we can always get back on the path and continue to grow deeper in understanding that truth.

[373] That's why we've got to use all the energy we have.

[374] with compassion, never attacking anyone, but we have to attack sin.

[375] We have to attack the false messages, and we have to say no. All of these messages that are being promulgated around the world by, certainly by secular people, we have people in our government that are pushing abortion and calling it a good, murdering unborn children.

[376] there I go getting back on that soapbox but oh we got to we need to constantly remind it's not just the church but sadly the church isn't doing her job of calling people away from sin and away from everything that's false we need to do a better job of doing the church's job i think father frank Popevone, former Frank Pervone used to say, we can't be a quiet church.

[377] We have to be speaking up for the truth.

[378] And something about Bishop Strickland that you quoted a week ago, you know, we've got to be prepared to be persecuted for speaking the truth in the environment we're living in right now.

[379] And that is what you said earlier about the martyrs were willing to die.

[380] You said this, I'll just give it to you.

[381] You said throughout the ages, countless martyrs have died for the truth.

[382] that is presently under attack.

[383] The agenda the Senate is pushing seeks to render their sacrifice meaningless.

[384] If the Senate can change these truths, then any future Senate can change others and the church is irrelevant.

[385] That's what's at stake.

[386] And I think this is something I think we can leave people on that's very important.

[387] That you said, to be persecuted for speaking the truth is an honor every Christian should be willing to embrace.

[388] Don't be afraid to be persecuted.

[389] that's how Christianity began and you said it is walking with Jesus Christ who is truth incarnate do we believe that then you said if we know Jesus it is easier to speak his truth no matter what forces oppose us and I like the last statement the opposition who condemn us for speaking the truth or whether they're inside the church outside the church neighbors friends family it's temporary Jesus is forever so I always say it this way Bishop Strickland life is short eternity is forever so I just think the idea of the truth and fighting for the truth it's worth it because it is the truth it's something we can count on and it is outside of Bishop Strickland and Terry Barber because God revealed it to us in his word and nobody has the power to oversee and overturn the truth So thank you for speaking so clearly on those topics.

[390] Thanks, Terry.

[391] And I need to say, you know, we're living through crazy times.

[392] I know I am.

[393] I am too.

[394] And there is information.

[395] I've seen people who sent me a blog that I won't even, I don't want people to even know about it, but people are learning about it where this man claims that I've rejected the Catholic faith and that I've said things about Pope Francis that I've never said.

[396] Pope Francis is the Holy Father, he's the Pope.

[397] I have concerns about the questions, the confusion that's there.

[398] But I pray for Pope Francis very sincerely at every mass that I celebrate because it's built into the Eucharistic prayer.

[399] And beyond that, we pray for Pope Francis and all the bishops of the world during the Mass. But I have to be very clear that hopefully people who know me at all or have heard anything I've said, they know that, but this blog is putting it out as a statement that I made.

[400] I mean, this is really something that I felt like I needed to address because absolutely, I believe in Jesus Christ.

[401] Amen.

[402] I believe in the Catholic Church.

[403] I'm willing to die for my Catholic faith.

[404] Amen.

[405] I'm not volunteering, but I'm willing, if it came to that, I'm willing to be abused in whatever way for the Catholic faith and for the truth.

[406] And I stand for the Catholic Church.

[407] I promise to guard the deposit of faith.

[408] And I promised respect and obedience to the Petron office.

[409] Amen.

[410] And I stand by those promises and all the other promises I made as a bishop.

[411] So hopefully people know that anything they see that's claiming to be authored by me, if it's not authentic to Catholic faith, and if it's not loyal to the church and her hierarchy, then it's not by me. Yes, I've got the challenges are there, but we always go back to the truth and we pray for Pope Francis and all the Cardinals and all the bishops of the world.

[412] Amen, amen, amen.

[413] How about a blessing, Bishop Strickland?

[414] Sure.

[415] Almighty God, we ask your blessing for all of us continuing to live the faith.

[416] We ask your blessing for those participating in our ladies' power hour.

[417] That it be a place to always strengthen us in the name of the Father, the Son, of the Holy Spirit.

[418] Amen.

[419] And if people want to get a T -shirt that's on our website, which says, I support Bishop Strickland because of what he teaches, Christ's teachings.

[420] You can go to vmpr .org and pick it up there.

[421] And all of the other shows, if you're a brand new listener, you can listen to all the podcasts of not just Bishop Strickland's show, but all the other shows that Virgin Most Powerful Radio put together.

[422] And I want to thank you for taking the time to visit with us to care the gospel.

[423] And I hope you found it very edifying.

[424] May God richly bless you and your family.

[425] Thank you.