Bishop Joseph Strickland @ Pillars of Faith
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Bishop Joseph Strickland @ Pillars of Faith
@BishStrick
Bishop Emeritus of Tyler, Texas. Ordained November 28, 2012. Host of “The Watchman’s Lamp.” Founder of the Pillars of Faith Apostolate. https://t.co/TQAYFNyQ3f
Texas, USA Katılım Ağustos 2025
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Bishop Joseph Strickland @ Pillars of Faith retweetledi
Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity St. Joseph, the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster-father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Guardian of the Redeemer, and Patron of the Universal Church.
St. Joseph was an ordinary manual laborer although descended from the royal house of David. In the designs of Providence he was destined to become the spouse of the Mother of God. His high privilege is expressed in a single phrase, "Foster-father of Jesus." About him Sacred Scripture has little more to say than that he was a just man—an expression which indicates how faithfully he fulfilled his high trust of protecting and guarding God's greatest treasures upon earth, Jesus and Mary.
The darkest hours of his life may well have been those when he first learned of Mary's pregnancy; but precisely in this time of trial Joseph showed himself great. His suffering, which likewise formed a part of the work of the redemption, was not without great providential import: Joseph was to be, for all times, the trustworthy witness of the Messiah's virgin birth. After this, he modestly retires into the background of holy Scripture.
Of St. Joseph's death the Bible tells us nothing. There are indications, however, that he died before the beginning of Christ's public life. His was the most beautiful death that one could have, in the arms of Jesus and Mary. Humbly and unknown, he passed his years at Nazareth, silent and almost forgotten he remained in the background through centuries of Church history. Only in more recent times has he been accorded greater honor. Liturgical veneration of St. Joseph began in the fifteenth century, fostered by Sts. Brigid of Sweden and Bernadine of Siena. St. Teresa, too, did much to further his cult.
At present there are two major feasts in his honor. On March 19 our veneration is directed to him personally and to his part in the work of redemption, while on May 1 we honor him as the patron of workmen throughout the world and as our guide in the difficult matter of establishing equitable norms regarding obligations and rights in the social order. (Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch)
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WHEN THE WORLD DEMANDS COMPROMISE
In these days of great confusion, many faithful Catholics are feeling unsettled – some even shaken – by the intensity of political pressure, public accusations, and the growing hostility toward those who simply hold to the perennial teaching of the Catholic Church.
Let me speak clearly, as a shepherd of souls:
“If you feel that the ground beneath you is shaking, it is not because the truth has changed – it is because many have unknowingly anchored themselves to things that cannot hold.
Political parties cannot save us. Governments cannot define truth. And no earthly movement – no matter how powerful – can replace the Kingship of Jesus Christ.
Our foundation is not found in Washington, nor in any administration, nor in any political identity. Our foundation is Jesus Christ.
As Our Lord Himself declares: “Every one therefore that heareth these my words, & doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock.” (Matthew 7:24)
That Rock is not a party. That Rock is not an ideology. That Rock is not a geopolitical agenda. That Rock is Christ – and Christ alone.
ON FALSE ACCUSATIONS AND CONFUSION
We are now witnessing a troubling trend: faithful Catholics are being labeled as “anti-Semitic” simply for refusing to adopt certain theological or political positions – particularly those tied to forms of modern Christian Zionism.
Let me be absolutely clear:
The Catholic Church rejects hatred of any people, including the Jewish people. Anti-Semitism is a sin. It is unjust. It is contrary to the Gospel.
But it is equally unjust to accuse Catholics of hatred simply because we do not accept theological positions that are foreign to the Catholic faith.
The Church does not teach that the rebuilding of a temple or adherence to a particular political program is necessary for the return of Christ. Our Lord has already fulfilled the covenant.
The People of God are not defined by ethnicity, nor by political alliances, but by faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His will.
ON WAR, SUFFERING, AND HUMAN DIGNITY
The Catholic Church does not cheer for war. She does not sanctify violence. She does not ignore the suffering of innocent people – anywhere. Whether in Gaza, Israel, or any part of the world, every human life is sacred.
To speak of suffering, to mourn the loss of innocent life, to call for justice – this is not hatred. It is the Gospel. Our Lord said: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
A Catholic conscience must never be silenced by political pressure or fear of accusation.
OUR POLITICAL IDOLATRY
Many Catholics today are experiencing turmoil because their identity has become too closely tied to a political party or movement. This is a dangerous mistake. No political party fully represents the truth of the Gospel. No administration is the Kingdom of God.
When we anchor ourselves to politics, we will eventually be shaken – because politics always shifts. But when we are anchored in Christ, we remain firm, even when the world trembles.
A WORD TO THE FAITHFUL
If you feel uncertain …
If you feel pressured …
If you feel accused or misunderstood …
Hear this clearly:
You are not on shaky ground if you stand with Christ.
You are only shaken if your foundation is elsewhere.
Return to Him. Remain in Him. Stand firmly in the truth of His Church.
FINAL EXHORTATION
This is not a time for fear. This is a time for clarity. We must reject hatred. We must reject false accusations. We must reject every attempt to force the Church into conformity with worldly ideologies.
And we must proclaim, without compromise:
JESUS CHRIST IS LORD.
Not Caesar. Not any party. Not any movement. Christ alone.
Therefore, stand firm in Him. Do not be shaken, do not be silenced, & do not be led astray. Remain faithful, remain rooted, & hold fast to the truth – no matter the cost.
+Joseph
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As we celebrate St Patrick, the great missionary of Ireland, may humanity heed these words from the prophet Joel.
“Joel 2:12-13
Return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the Lord, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.”
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St Patrick pray for us…
Fr Matthew P. Schneider, LC@FrMatthewLC
St. Patrick's Breastplate in honor of his feast day today.
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I refer the Archbishop to Matthew 5:17, but then again I suppose he would advocate for changing these words also.
The Catholic Herald@CatholicHerald
The Archbishop of Vienna has suggested the Catholic Church should remain open to changes even to its commandments and laws if pastoral care is to lead people more deeply towards God. 🔗 ow.ly/gLZX50YuYwc
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I will offer Mass for Sister Briege tomorrow March 16.
Fr Grant Ciccone@UrbanHermit15
Request for prayers: For Sr. Briege McKenna, who is in hospital in a critical state.
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“The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,” The beautiful message of the Angelus is that the Archangel Gabriel has announced to Mary of Nazareth that she would conceive and bear a son and name Him Jesus. Thus she becomes the Blessed Mother of God.
While it is true that many no longer know “why the bells ring” there are many who DO KNOW and they are a faithful remnant that will never forget this Annunciation that forever changed human history.
Jesus Christ is the Lord of history and those who know Him as Lord and Savior and that His Immaculate Mother will “crush the head of the evil serpent” are full of hope and joy on this Laetare Sunday.
Robbert Leusink@robbertleusink
In 1857 Jean-François Millet painted two peasants in a field, heads bowed, tools at their feet It became one of the most reproduced paintings in history What most people don't know: they are praying the Angelus For 700 years Europeans stopped everything three times a day: fields, markets, and workshops The same prayer at 6AM, noon, and 6PM The Church bells still ring But nobody knows why anymore...
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“The joy offered here is not the joy of favorable optics. It is the joy of belonging to something no modern prelate can confiscate.”
This article from Chris Jackson reminds us of the reason for our hope.
open.substack.com/pub/bigmoderni…
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I found these words from St Augustine especially important for these days.
“The Lord tells us: I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. In these few words he gives a command and makes a promise. Let us do what he commands so that we may not blush to covet what he promises and to hear him say on the day of judgment: “I laid down certain conditions for obtaining my promises. Have you fulfilled them?” If you say: “What did you command, Lord our God?” he will tell you: “I commanded you to follow me. You asked for advice on how to enter into life. What life, if not the life about which it is written: With you is the fountain of life?”
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Let us be full of hope in Jesus Christ… pillarsoffaith.net/podcasts/hope-…
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This portion of Fr Ripperger’s interview is very important, he quotes St John Eudes who comments on a sinful people reaping a sinful hierarchy as a chastisement from God.
Matt Gaspers@MattGaspers
FR. RIPPERGER ON THE CRISIS IN THE CHURCH A little over halfway through his appearance on @ShawnRyanShow, Fr. Chad Ripperger mentioned how demons have revealed during exorcism sessions “the very specific rituals and crimes that people in the hierarchy have committed.” In other words, they have revealed “the full complexion of what’s going on in the Church and the fact that it’s authority structure has been spiritually compromised,” i.e., infiltrated by wolves in sheep’s clothing (cf. Matt. 7:15). He also alluded to @rachelmastro85’s book, The Devil in Rome, which was released last December: liberchristo.org/liber-christo-… After they had moved on to a different topic, @ShawnRyan762 circled back to “the hierarchy and the occult within the Church.” He asked Fr. Ripperger, “Is there anything else you want people to know about that?” In response, Fr. Ripperger emphasized the need to “pray for the Church’s protection and pray so that God will give us holy leaders, a holy magisterium — we need to pray for it.” “The second component is, you get the leaders you deserve,” he said, noting that “a vast majority of the Catholics in the Church are leading habitual lives of grave sin, and they’ve got to stop it, because until we stop that, we can’t expect this to get cleaned up.” Source: youtube.com/watch?v=I2p_cf… On this sobering point, Fr. Ripperger is merely repeating what St. John Eudes (d. 1680) famously wrote in his book, The Priest: His Dignity and Obligations (pp. 9-10): liberius.net/livres/The_Pri… “The most evident mark of God’s anger and the most terrible castigation He can inflict upon the world are manifested when He permits His people to fall into the hands of clerics who are priests more in name than in deed, priests who practice the cruelty of ravening wolves rather than the charity and affection of devoted shepherds. Instead of nourishing those committed to their care, they rend and devour them brutally. Instead of leading their people to God, they drag Christian souls into hell in their train. Instead of being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, they are its innocuous poison and its murky darkness. … “When God permits such things, it is a very positive proof that He is thoroughly angry with His people, and is visiting His most dreadful anger upon them. That is why He cries unceasingly to Christians, ‘Return, O ye revolting children…And I will give you pastors according to My own Heart’ (Jer. 3:14-15). Thus, irregularities in the lives of priests constitute a scourge visited upon the people in consequence of sin.” The truth sometimes hurts, but Lent is the perfect time to face the reality of sin and its devastating consequences. Now, this doesn’t mean that God positively wills the corruption which bad priests, bishops, and popes have wrought in His Church (He “permits” it, as St. John Eudes says); nor does it imply that the faithful are responsible for the individual sins and crimes of the clergy. What it does mean is that our personal striving for sanctity — or lack thereof — has a real effect, for better or worse, on the overall spiritual health of the Mystical Body of Christ. The best thing the average Catholic can do for the Church, then, is to take his own spiritual life seriously, strive for sanctity, and help others to do likewise, beginning in our own families. In due time, this will produce the good “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22) in our own hearts and lives, which in turn will contribute to “the edifying of the body of Christ…in charity” (Eph. 4:12, 16).
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Bishop Joseph Strickland @ Pillars of Faith retweetledi
Wisdom, because when you know Christ is King, you have NOTHING to fear.
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This mockery of the King of Kings harkens back to Christ’s passion on His way to Calvary and His sacrificial death on the altar of His Cross. It must be protested vigorously by all who know that Jesus Christ is God’s Divine Son and King of the Universe.
George Galloway@georgegalloway
This is your Israel. Enjoy it, “Christians”…
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