A Shepherd's Voice

Bishop Joseph Strickland, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, on Intersections of Heaven and Earth: The Incarnation

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel - Lk 24:13-35 - That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus Himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to Him in reply, “Are You the only visitor to Jerusalem Who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” And He replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to Him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, Who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed Him over to a sentence of death and crucified Him. But we were hoping that He would be the One to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find His Body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that He was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but Him they did not see.” And He said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them what referred to Him in all the Scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, He gave the impression that He was going on farther. But they urged Him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while He was with them at table, He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, but He vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the Eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. Bishop Strickland and Terry discuss the Particular Judgment, General Judgment, and Baptism

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel - MT 7:6, 12-14 - Jesus said to His disciples: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets.“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.” Bishop Strickland and Terry discuss whether the Church is God's Instrument of Salvation or just a social club

Bishop Joseph Strickland, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas on The Intersection of Heaven and Earth, the vertical and the horizontal, where God meets man

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel - Mt 5:17-19 - Jesus said to His disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven." Bishop Strickland and Terry discuss the courage needed for bishops to proclaim the Truths revealed by Christ and His Church, the importance of repentance, conversion and reparation, and the Sacrament of Penance

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel - Mk 12:13-17 - Some Pharisees and Herodians were sent to Jesus to ensnare Him in His speech. They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are a truthful man and that You are not concerned with anyone’s opinion. You do not regard a person’s status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?” Knowing their hypocrisy He said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” They brought one to Him and He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They replied to Him, “Caesar’s.” So Jesus said to them, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” They were utterly amazed at Him. Bishop Strickland and Terry discuss and explain the Universal Call to Holiness

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel - Mk 10:32-45 - The disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, He began to tell them what was going to happen to Him. "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and hand Him over to the Gentiles who will mock Him, spit upon Him, scourge Him, and put Him to death, but after three days He will rise." Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to Him, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You." He replied, "What do you wish Me to do for you?" They answered Him, "Grant that in Your glory we may sit one at Your right and the other at Your left." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" They said to him, "We can." Jesus said to them, "The chalice that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at My right or at My left is not Mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many." Terry discusses the truth of the Holy Eucharist, which IS the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus, Eucharistic Adoration, Holy Mass Summit and Source, Eucharistic revival, preparing for Holy Communion

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel - Mk 10:28-31 - Peter began to say to Jesus, "We have given up everything and followed You." Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for My sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first."

Bishop Joseph Strickland, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas on The Eighth Commandment: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel - Jn 17:11b-19 - Lifting up His Eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: “Holy Father, keep them in Your Name that You have given Me, so that they may be one just as We are One. When I was with them I protected them in Your Name that You gave Me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to You. I speak this in the world so that they may share My joy completely. I gave them Your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that You take them out of the world but that You keep them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate Myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.” Memorial of Saint Isidore, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Saint Isidore, pray for us! Bishop Strickland and Terry discuss the need to model the fourth century Saint Athanasius, a Bishop who suffered great persecution by those in the Church because he spoke the truth in defending the Deposit of Faith