Latest / The Uncensored Catholic / Show 221: Confirmation

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Show 221: Confirmation · The Uncensored Catholic

0:51
Speaker 1: A Hey, y'all, welcome to this week's show. Today we
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are going to get into the sacrament of confirmation, which,
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as I have said many times, is the sacrament that
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changed everything for me. And I think I don't know, Well,
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how about I explain it. Every Christian can be baptized,
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only the Catholic can be confirmed. If we fully understood
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what happened at confirmation, and if we could convey that,
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I think every Protestant would convert immediately. Yes, the Eucharist
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is the heart of the Church, it's the main sacrament,
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but you can't receive the Euchristians who you've been confirmed.
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There is a change of heart and disposition, you know.
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Maybe I'll talk about a little as we go on,
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but basically, when I was confirmed, I became a completely
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different person. And that didn't happen when I was baptized.
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Of course, I was baptized when I was like three,
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so I don't know who I was before then. Maybe
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it did happen, maybe you know, who knows. But when
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I was confirmed, I essentially became a completely different person.
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Went from being sullen, angry, depressed, a lot of issues
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and problems, a lot of issues and problems that I
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probably shouldn't even get into, but I firmly believe had
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I not been confirmed, I would either be dead or
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in prison right now. That's the truth, that is the
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most likely outcome. So we'll get into confirmation first of all,
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As usual, we'll start with a few questions and answers
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from radio replies. The questioner asks the priests if a
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man really did the if a man really did the
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good work she ascribed to Christ, he would be popular.
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Yet the Jews crucified him, and they answer. Christ was
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not unpopular with all. Many believed him and followed him.
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But no man would be popular even today if, after
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all such evidence of power, he turned round and lashed
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the vices of men divorce, birth control, impurity, drunkenness, dishonesty, irreligion,
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and blasphemy. Men will take all the benefits they can get,
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and the one who offer benefits will always be popular.
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But if the same man starts to probe the conscient
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conscience of moderns and to and to interfere with their
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private vices and self indulgences, his popularity will soon go.
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Christ not only conferred physical benefits, he demanded morality and
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self denial. Egotism, rebelled and crucified him at the instigation
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of the Jewish leaders. Person asked, did Christ make a
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mistake when he said this generation should not pass to
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the end of the world or to the end of
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the world come the old way of saying it Matthew
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twenty four to thirty four, and the answer no. In
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that chapter of Saint Matthew, he wins prophecies concerning both
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the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world.
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Many who were then living witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem,
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And even as regards the ends of the world, the
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Christian generation will not pass away until it comes. In
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other words, the will still be Christians when the incomes.
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Many superficial readers confuse the two properties prophecies, forgetting that
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Christ had no intention of giving exact information concerning the
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final end of things of that day an hour no
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one knoweth, no, not the angels of heaven, but the
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Father alone Matthew twenty four to thirty six, And references
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this matter. There are three great generations to be considered.
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That of the unwritten law from Adam to Moses, that
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of the written law and the prophets from Moses to
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Christ and that of the Christian dispensation. God is not
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going to give any further revelation to man. All previous
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prophecies have been fulfilled and have been fulfilled in Christ.
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And Christ has declared that his revelation shall last to
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the end of time. This Christian generation should not pass
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away till Christ comes, and when he does come, it
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will be the end of the Christian era. We cannot
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complain that a thing has not happened before the time
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for it to happen has arrived. And the fella asks,
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if Christ were God, he could not be guilty of
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an unjust action. Yet when casting devils out of the
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possessed man, he accepted their suggestion that they should destroy
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the swine, which were the property of an innocent man.
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I recently wrote about this in one of my gospel reflections,
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And let me go ahead and read what the priest said,
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and then I'll take the advice of one of my
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readers and give a little clarification. They answer, the ordinary
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laws of justice which prevail between men could cannot be
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applied to Christ in this matter. It would perhaps be
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unjust for an ordinary man to do such a thing,
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granted that he were capable of such power. But God
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alone is capable of such things. And the very divinity
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of the power of Christ's exercise on that occasion is
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proof enough that he had the right to do what
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a hiver he did. God has diminuative, diminutive power over
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all that he has created, not only over vegetables and animals,
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but over men also. No man has rights against God,
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for all the rights are granted by God. Now Christ
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was God, and there is no more difficulty in this
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case than in any of the temporal afflictions God permits
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in life. He has supreme right to dispose his own
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creation as he pleases. If he permits a drought that
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ruins the farmers, he is within his rights, for he
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has no obligation to sin rain or to establish laws
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which will infallibly bring the rain when wanted. All this
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is viewing the question of absolutely. But in particular case,
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you select the temporal loss of those pigs, which deserved
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because the Mosaic law forbade the keeping of those to
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the Jews. They were unclean animals, and there was nothing
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unjust in this episode. Well, the man pointed out that
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this was actually a pagan town, and that it was
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Pagans who were keeping the pigs, and they were not
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under Jewish law, and of course that's an interesting point
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of history. But given that they were right there beside
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Jewish towns, they were most likely raising the port to
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be sold to Jews. So either way, still, God is
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God and he can do whatever he pleases. We are
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not guaranteed anything in this life. This is kind of
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where I have an issue with some of the teachings,
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like modernist teachings about social justice and environmental justice and
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all that. Yeah, God intends good for everybody, and it
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is moral and just to keep a clean environment and
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treat workers fairly and you know, give to charity. We're
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absolutely called to do that. But a lot of people
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take it too far and say that, you know, basically
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we all have to become socialists so that everybody gets
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a standard wage and that you know, there's some duty
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corporal when we say corporeal duty, like you know, to
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protect the world from climate change or whatever. Yeah, I
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know what the Pope says about that. You know, the
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pope's the pope, and he studies a lot of religious issues.
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He doesn't study a lot of climate science, which I've
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had to do because I used to work in politics,
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and the temperature of the world has changed dramatically from
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century to century or millennium or millennia over time, and
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for the most part it's out of human control. I mean,
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when Mount it was Pinatubo erupted in the eighties, it
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put more gases and green so called greenhouse gases and
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real ash and smoke into the air. Then all that
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had been created from the history of mankind to that point,
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and all would ever be created for the next like
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ten thousand years after, in one burst. It was just
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I mean, it filled the atmosphere with more greenhouse gases
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than mankind ever has or ever can create. And what happened, well,
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global temperature went up about one no, three tenths of
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one degree, there were a few storms, probably caused by
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ash in the air atmosphere, and within a year six
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months to a year, everything was back to normal. So
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I certainly respect the Pope's of opinion on climate science
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so called. That being said, he's not infallible in matters
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other than faith, in doctrine, theology and such as that
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his opinion on global warming is really of no more
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weight to me than Joe Biden's opinion on global warming
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or Donald Trump's opinion on global warming warming all have
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been men in authority, and I respect the authority of
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their office, but frankly, when they're full of crap, I'm
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going to say they're full of crap. You may say, well,
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it's the consensus of all these global climate scientists, well great, great,
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but looking at the evidence, I am unconvinced. So when
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the church says you have to do this and this
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and that for climate justice environmental justice, I'm like, you know,
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how about just going back and doing what Jesus said
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to do the original mission of the church. You know,
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maybe try to tend to your own house, pick the
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speck out of your own eye before you go getting
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the log out of your neighbor's eye, and maybe talk
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about how abortion's wrong, and divorce is wrong, and contraception
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is wrong, and communism is evil and entirely opposed to
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everything Christian, and maybe tell you know, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi,
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they don't need to take communion so long as they
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support abortion and actually not fund charitable organizations that facilitate
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human trafficking and child rape and prostitution and slavery, and
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just let God take care of the the atmosphere until
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here or less. They can prove to me that mankind
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can produce more environmental toxins and gases and ash and
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you know whatever pollution than one volcanic eruption. I say,
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how about sticking to the things you can change? What's
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the old alcoholics prayer, the accept the things you can change? Whatever, No,
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accept what you can't change, change what you can, and
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have the wisdom and of the difference or something. That's
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not the right words. But I was never an AA,
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so I don't know. I read it once or twice.
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I thought, you know, that makes sense. Change what you can,
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accept what you can't, and then what the serenity and
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of the difference that may be it? Anyway, Yeah, so
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I have wandered far afield once again. I've actually lost
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the threat. I don't even know why I started down
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that road. But let's go ahead and talk about confirmation.
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As I mentioned, confirmation to me was the most dramatic
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of all the sacraments because it changed my life in
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an instant. In an instant, I became essentially a different person. Now,
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it took a few years to you know, transform and
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develop and and really live that change that happened in me.
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But something really dramatic happened, and I don't As I said,
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I think if we could convey to Protestants the fullness
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of the Holy Spirit, they absolutely change of a person
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in confirmation, they'd want it. They desperately want it. Maybe
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because you know, a lot of Catholics are pretty young
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when they're confirmed. I mean, hopefully you an infant baptism,
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that's ideal, and then you're confirmed, what about nine years
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old or so? I don't know. I mean, I didn't
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go to Catholic school. Frankly, if there's one mass out
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of the year, I'm going to absolutely avoid. It's the
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Sunday Visual Mass, which goes on for what I mean,
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the visual Mass of Easter Sunday, the Easter Sunday Visual Mass,
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it goes on for like four or five or six hours.
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I mean, it's it's just wow. Yeah. So I'm not
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around a lot of confermands. Let's they say, and I
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don't have kids. I don't know, but I think, what
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around nine years old or so, and then you know,
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that's that's great. The earlier the sooner the better. But
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if you're confirmed in your twenties, and you've already lived
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a very colorful life, and you've got a lot of
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a lot of issues with childhood, trauma and different things.
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And suddenly your whole mindset outlook, view of life, attitude
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changes and then there's some kind of new joy within
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you and a piece, a piece that surpasses understanding. Man,
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it's profound. You know. I named my book Confirmation and
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Autobiography of Faith because it was at Confirmation that my
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entire world changed. I mean I was always you know,
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pretty smart and pretty you know, intense when it came
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to studying and various subjects that interest me. I mean,
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that's why I had to become Catholic. You know. When
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I was I had been a Methodist youth minister. I
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was confirmed to the Methodist Church. That's symbolic. That's meaningless,
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by the way, that really is just meaningless and symbolic.
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To be confirmed in a Protestant church. There's it's not
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a sacrament. God's not in it. Really, it's mainly just
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putting your name in the book so they can done
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you for tithes every year. That actually is what it is.
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But anyway, I you know, so when I began to
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believe that Catholicism might be true. You know, various influences
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on that, certainly wiym F. Buckley Junior. Another reason my
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book has that title, Scott Han. You know, different people
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started reading, started reading the early Church Fathers and realizing
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that their interpretation of the Bible made sense and it
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was actually logical, and it wasn't what I was being
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taught in Protestant at a certain Southern Baptist university by
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any means. I came, you know, kind of obsessive the
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way I do about any topic that interests me. And
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I started reading and listening to everything and watching everything
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I could get on the subject, and you know, I
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was convinced I needed to become Catholic. But my outlook,
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my attitude did not change. You know, I was still
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actually very angry young man. I mean, you know, early twenties,
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still just full of angst and anger and self destructive,
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and you know, I could be violently angry. I was
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pretty unpleasant to be around, but always very intense, intellectually intense.
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And I think, you know, that was a grace from God.
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That was a gift that led me to become Catholic,
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because without that intellectual intensity. Yeah, I could have just said, okay, yeah,
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it's great to be Baptist, and I got a plenty
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of friends, and now I can just have a good
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time and get married and you know, have kids and
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go to the softball games and everybody's happy, and you know,
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we're all shiny, happy people. Couldn't do it. Couldn't do it.
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That intensity that led me to become Catholic was like
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a thorn in the side. You know, it's Saint Paul
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might have said, you know, it was an affliction. And
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it took a few years. You know, obviously you don't
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become Catholic every night. Two three years and that morning
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when I was confirmed, everything changed, I mean everything changed.
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Took a long time for old habits to wear off.
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It took a long time to adjust to the new
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way of life, the new man, so to speak. You know,
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you have habits of speech, you have habits of thought,
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you have habits of reaction, you have habits of I mean,
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how much you drink. I mean I remember when the
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day after I was confirmed. I mean I normally, you know,
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drank quite a bit of bourbon and went home, poured
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a drink and it was suddenly bitter. The taste of
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it changed. It's like whoa, you know, and something happened.
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I don't know. I mean, you know, I just to
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have a few drinks, you know, no big deal, but
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not like I used to, not like I used to.
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The everything changed. But yeah, there are habits of emotion.
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You know, if you've like whether you want to call
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it PTSD or you grew up in kind of tough times,
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you go back to a place that's comfortable psychologically. And
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it's different for different people. Some people become very anxious.
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They got used to being anxious, they know how to
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deal with anxiety. That's not me. Some people get very sad,
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and again, that's not me. I got to I survived
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by being angry and aggressive, and so for years after confirmation,
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when those emotions would be triggered, I'd go back to
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that place of you know, punching through walls and being
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violent and reckless and self destructive. But it wouldn't last
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more than a few hours, whereas before it was days
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and weeks and months and years at a time. And
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you know, thank god, things have gotten better over the years.
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Over time got my temper out of control. Unless somebody
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really pushes me. I mean, I am irish after all.
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You know, if somebody comes at me aggressively and it's
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threatening me or my family or you know, even somebody,
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I don't know. If I see somebody attacking an innocent,
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weak person, a child or an old person, I'm gonna
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be on him like white on rice. I mean, that's
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just there's no you know, forget it. I'm not even
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gonna think it through. I'm not gonna wait and pause.
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If I see somebody hurting a child or a little
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dog or something, yeah, I mean, I'm gonna start throwing
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hands as they say. I mean, forget it. I mean,
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and I don't even at the at that point in time,
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I don't care about the consequences. I remember a few
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years ago, this guy that was doing some work on
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my car. I mean he was just doing everything he
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could to push my buttons. I mean, he wasn't just
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ripping me off. It turns out he was like, you know,
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the child of an alcoholic, and he had this like
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whole thing going in his head how he had to
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bully people. He would like tell me my car was
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ready to get and I would either rent a car
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or get somebody drive me down there like yeah, I
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mean rent, I mean, you know, get an uber or something,
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or get somebody drive me down there. And I get
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down there and say, oh, your car be ready, about
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thirty minutes. Have you sitting there? Three hours? Four hours?
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I missed whole days of work. You know, he charged
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me more than he said. He did everything he could
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to push my buttons. And this guy, you know, good see,
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I'm six or four. He's about six feet tall, but
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he was a good three hundred pounds of solid muscle,
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like a gorilla. And you know I'm two ten. Apparently
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you know, good, good shape and everything, but not no mean,
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by no means, in his weight class, by any means.
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And he had jerked me around. This is about the
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third day he had caused me to miss work, and
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I was letting down my clients. You know, at the time,
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I was working in journalism, and it was costing me
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more than it would the average person are just taking
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a few, you know, hours off of work. It was
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really lost me contracts. And that's it. I mean, I mean,
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I'm five o'clock. They said, you're gonna have to come
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back tomorrow. Your car is still in the garage. We
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didn't get anybody to come up with. So they're saying
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it's ready, but they just didn't bother send anybody to
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get it. And I said, that's it. I slammed that
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counter and I said, call him right now. I'm gonna
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we're gonna talk about this person behind the counter goes
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why as a sheep. I mean, this was the end
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of my patience. I walk out there. Here's this gorilla
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white guy. I'm not making a racial statement. I mean
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he was built like a gorilla with about seven of
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his employees ready to kick my butt. And I walked
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up to him very calmly, put my hand in my pocket,
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on my pocket knife, didn't take it out, just put
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it on my put my hand in my pocket, and
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I said, one of two things things is about to happen. Well,
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actually I said two things are about to happen. How
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did I phrase this kind to think of? I said,
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one of us is going to the hospital and the
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other the other one's going to jail. And I don't
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give a bleep which one. And I stood him right
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down with about seven guys around, knowing that I was
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about to be sent into the hospital, but I was
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going to take out two or three of them before
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I did. I mean, when somebody pushes me that far,
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I don't back down. I need to work on being
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more meek, I suppose, but that's my nature. Now imagine
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that's me ten fifteen years after I was confirmed. Now
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imagine me before I was confirmed, having been really bullied
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and pushed around my entire life, abused by adults and
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people my own age. And you can imagine when somebody
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pushed me, there wasn't just a matter a pushback. I
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got mean, and I honestly to this day, if pushed
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too far, that's what I'll flat out, one of us
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going to the hospital and the others go in jail.
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And I don't care. Which that's my nature. That's that's
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the way my grandfather was. It's the way his father was.
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I can't do anything about that. But thanks to the
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sacrament and the graces given to me through the Holy
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Catholic Church by God in the sacrament of confirmation and
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through reconciliation and the Eucharist, I've kind of become this,
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you know, old softy. As someone said the other day,
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I mean, you can hear sometimes I'll just tear up,
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you know, while I'm reading a passage from the Bible
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or something, or talking about you know, the innocence of
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children or something. Heart changed and what one minute, just
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the application of oil on my forehead by the priest.
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My priest was my buddy, you know, not even you
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know one of these like really great cat. I mean, well,
26:20
what to say. He didn't give the best homilies, didn't
26:23
go into the most depth on anything. He liked to
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play basketball or just taught politics. And we got along fantastically,
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and then suddenly oil on my head and everything changed,
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Everything changed. I think I cried for a week afterwards. Yeah,
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all that toughness I had built up, I mean from
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literally having the crap beaten out of me for most
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of my life, literally been beaten so bad. I had
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broken ribs, certainly, broken hands, fingers, toes, I mean, you
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name it, just about being killed several times. And I
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mean I remember when I was at that Southern Baptist college,
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somebody compared me to John Wayne. And for a week,
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if not longer, after confirmation, I basically cried. So what
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does Father Sparago say about confirmation? Confirmation is so called
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from its effect, which is to confirm and strengthen in
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faith those who receive it. It is also spoken of
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as laying on of hands, such as an Acts eight seventeen.
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From the nature of the ceremony, Our Lord had given
27:59
the Holy Spirit to his apostles before his ascension. Yet
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they were timid and fearful, and did not lose that
28:05
timidity intil the day of Pentecost, when the plenitude of
28:07
the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them. So we
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received the Holy ghosts at our baptism, but not in
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all its fullness. It's another thing that needs to be mentioned.
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You know, there are Protestants, there's full of faith. They
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I mean, just paragons of faith, okay, And we don't
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take a single thing away from them by saying this.
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But you only received the fullness of the Holy Spirit
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when you're confirmed. You cannot truly how would I put it? Okay?
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So you got fifty thousand Protestant denominations, each of one
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believes something slightly different than the other, and all of
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them opposed the Catholic Church. None of the people in
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those Protestant nominations the fullness of the Holy Spirit that
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even a mentally handicapped Catholic hass the Holy Spirit is
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not teaching them what is meant in the Bible that
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forms their doctrine. They're hearing their own opinion. They're full
29:16
of faith and belief. They believe they're being led by God,
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and maybe who knows, one in a million times they are.
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But anything they teaches that it's different, that they teach
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that is different than what the Catholic Church teaches, is
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in error, and it's not of the Holy Spirit. If
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for just once they could understand what would happen if
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they were confirmed, I think they'd run to it. I
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honestly do. I think they'd run to it. But anyway,
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on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost came down
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upon the apostles under sensible signs tongues as a fire
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and a mighty wind. So in confirmation, excuse me, let
29:56
me get say the water. So in confirmation, the visible
30:03
sign is the imposition of hands, and the audible sign
30:07
the prayers repeated by the bishop. At Pentecost, the apostles
30:12
receive seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, pre eminently, the
30:15
gift of received pre eminently, the gift of fortitude, and
30:20
the extraordinary gift of tongues very rare. It is the
30:24
same with us at confirmation, only the gift of tongues
30:28
is not now given exactly so, like you Pentecostal holiness
30:32
and such, they believe or your signs churches. It's like
30:35
a primitive Baptist kind of thing. They believe that the
30:39
Holy Spirit causes them to speak in tongues. That does
30:43
not happen anymore. That is probably either emotional excitement or
30:48
demonic possession. Really depends on if the person's been baptized
30:53
in the name of the Father and the Son of
30:54
the Holy Spirit. Anyway, well, tickle, sorry about that. One
31:03
more simple water here, ah, all right? What the day
31:11
Pentecost was the apostles. Confirmation is to the Christian. The
31:16
ceremonial of confirmation is as follows. The bishop lays his
31:20
hand upon the candidate and anoints each one severally with
31:23
Chrism upon the forehead with prayer, and those who are
31:27
so annoyed received the gift of the Holy Ghost especially
31:30
courage to profess their faith. The bishop extends his hands
31:34
over the person to be confirmed, while he invokes the
31:36
Holy Spirit with his sevenfold gifts to indicate that a
31:40
supernatural power is communicated to them. He then goes to
31:44
each one separately. Laying upon his head four fingers of
31:48
his right hand with his thumb of the same hand,
31:50
he makes the sign of the cross with the chrism
31:53
of the forehead on the forehead of the person to
31:55
be confirmed, giving him thereby to understand that he must
31:59
never be ashamed and profess himself to be the disciple
32:02
of the crucified Savior, saying, meanwhile, I sign THEE with
32:06
the sign of the Cross, and I confirm THEE with
32:09
the Chrism of Salvation in the name of the Father
32:12
and the Son of the Holy ghosts an Men or
32:14
Holy Spirit modern times. He gives him a slight blow
32:18
upon the cheek to teach him them, and he must
32:20
be ready to suffer persecution for the face, saying peace
32:23
be with THEE. In conclusion, the Bishop gives to all
32:27
his blessing. The chrism is composed of olive oil and
32:31
the Balm of Gilead. It is solemnly blessed by the
32:34
Bishop in the cathedral church on Mandy Thursday. Mandy Thursday. Remember, Southern,
32:42
I always say Thursday is Thursday. I cannot help it,
32:46
Mandy Thursday. That's a tough one for me. Souther just
32:50
ask him. The apostles administered confirmation as at Samari and Ephesus.
32:55
The Holy Apostles Peter and John lay their hands on
32:57
the Christians Samaria, and they see the holy ghosts. Acts
33:02
eight eleven through seventeen. Saint Paul did the same at Ephesus.
33:06
At that time, when confirmation was administered, it was generally
33:09
administered in the accompanied by extraordinary gifts of the Holy ghosts,
33:13
such as the gifts Italian Prophecy Acts nine to six.
33:19
At the laying on of hands, the Holy ghost was
33:21
want to manifest is coming by visible signs, so that
33:24
the apostles needed not to make use of chrism. Usually
33:28
oil long was employed. Not until the sixth century was
33:31
balm mingled with it. The oldest writers and the fathers
33:34
of the Church speak of the sacrament of confirmation. Pope
33:37
Urban in the third century said all the faithful aught
33:40
after baptism to receive the Holy ghosts by imposition of hands,
33:45
in order that they may become perfect Christians. Saint Augustine
33:48
remarks that it must not be concluded because the gift
33:54
of tongues is no longer given that the Holy ghost
33:56
is not communicated by imposition of hands. It was only
34:00
in earlier times for the more rapid propagation of the Bible. Yes,
34:03
the gift of tongues was the ability to speak and
34:05
understand all languages, not to babble like an insane person,
34:09
as happens in some Protestant churches, or a demon possessed person,
34:15
as is probably more often the case. Unfortunately, the Council
34:19
of Trent expressly declares confirmation to be a true sacrament,
34:22
not a mere rite, which formally was a pendentive baptism,
34:26
nor a public profession of faith in the presence of
34:28
the faithful. A supernatural effect of confirmation is similar to
34:33
the natural effect of oil. It creates within us a
34:35
spirit of meekness and increases that is, our charity toward
34:41
God and our neighbor, and enlightens our understanding, strengthens our will,
34:44
preserves our soul from corruption of sand, and fills us
34:47
up with a sweet odor of virtue. Oil softens what
34:51
is hard. It adds vigorous to the frame. It diffuses
34:54
an agreeable light. Okay, so oil softens you get that right.
35:00
Vigor to the frame. Oil actually strengthens, It gives your energy,
35:03
and it diffuses an agreeable light, meaning you can burn
35:06
it and light up a room. Old ways of writing
35:09
are not often understandable in modern time, so I try
35:13
Balm is a preservative against putrification. Bomb is actually an
35:17
urb and it does it prevents things from going bad,
35:21
and it's a fragrant smell. It also has disinfectant qualities.
35:25
Is good for wounds and various things. Confirmation increases our
35:29
charity toward God and our neighbor, or in other words,
35:32
it increases sanctifying grace and imparts to us the fullness
35:36
of the Divine Spirit. Hence, confirmation is a complement of baptism.
35:40
In baptism we are made temples of the Holy Ghost.
35:43
In confirmation, we receive Him in all his plenitude of graces.
35:48
In baptism we are made soldiers of Christ. At confirmation,
35:51
our weapons are handed to us. Those who have been
35:55
confirmed enjoy a greater degree of glory in heaven than
35:57
those unconfirmed. This is why in early times confirmation was
36:01
administered to infanants. The enlightenment of the mind consists in
36:05
giving menacence of the worthlessness of the goods and pleasures
36:08
of this world, and inspiring him with abhorrence of them.
36:13
By confirmation, our thoughts and aspirations are directed toward Heaven,
36:17
from earthly, from the earthly things, man becomes heavenly, from
36:21
sensual to spiritual, he becomes a perfect Christian. By confirmation,
36:26
timidity is dispelled and courage is imparted. Before the day
36:30
of Pentecost, the apostles were faint hearted as children. After
36:34
that day they were bold as lions. The Holy Spirit
36:38
produces a like change, and those are who confirmed, they
36:41
can say, I can do all things in Him who
36:44
strengthens me Philippians four thirteen. Saint Vincent is of the
36:48
opinion that at the end of the world Antichrist will
36:51
spare no effort to deter Christian people from receiving the
36:55
sacrament of confirmation, as in that case they would be
36:58
more readily upon hosticized from the faith. And since confirmation
37:03
confirms the will, it makes it easier for those who
37:06
have received it to resist semptation that thus avoids sin.
37:10
If such a one should fall into immortal sin, he
37:13
will incur a rigorous chastisement, like a soldier who deserves
37:17
to the enemy's camp. And the stronger the will, the
37:19
less difficult does the practice of virtue become confirmation tends
37:23
especially to render us humble and meek, as the oil
37:27
and balmb denote for bomb sinks into the liquid which
37:30
is poored, symbolizing humility, and oil always floats to the surface,
37:35
teaching man to rise superior to the vexations of life
37:38
by unfailing meekness. Scripture speaks of the virtue as a
37:43
good odor for Tewod Corinthians two point fifteen, because those
37:48
who are virtuous are as pleasing to God as a
37:50
sweet perfume is to us. My word, I'm suppressing a
37:54
cough like you would not believe. I got a tickle
37:56
going on here, and I just can't seem to get settled.
37:59
Dem sorry about that. Bear with me a little bit.
38:09
Christians ought to be confirmed at the age when they
38:12
pass from childhood to youth, because of that period, temptations
38:16
thicken around them, and they need strength of will to
38:19
resist them. It is not well to administer the sacrament
38:23
of confirmation before a child has attained the age of
38:26
seven years, and the use of reason, the most suitable
38:30
age is around twelve. It should not be deferred longer
38:33
than the age of fourteen, but it is impossible to
38:37
fix an exact time. As in large dioceses, the bishop
38:41
can only visit the more remote parishes along intervals. And
38:44
of course now a priest can do it. We don't
38:46
have to have the bishop because frankly, the church has
38:49
just gotten too big. Within the next one hundred years,
38:53
the Catholic Church would be the largest. Well, within the
38:56
next fifty years, there'll be more Catholic in the United
39:00
States then all other Christians combined, all Protestants combined. And
39:06
when the next one hundred years, if trends continue, we
39:09
will be a majority Catholic nation. Over fifty percent of
39:12
the people the United States will be confirmed Catholics. And
39:16
I believe things are going to be changed for the
39:19
better in this world like you cannot imagine. And I am,
39:23
I mean so grateful to be a Carol, you know,
39:27
Charles Carroll, And I mean, thank god we got that
39:33
honor of founding Catholicism in the United States, which will
39:37
soon be the largest Catholic nation in the entire world.
39:41
Not that I have anything to do with it, but
39:43
I mean, it's nice to have a few saints in
39:46
the family, you know what I mean. It's a grievous
39:49
sin willfully to omit to receive the sacrament of confirmation.
39:54
To do this is like a traveler who, having to
39:56
pass along a dangerous road, refuses to accept the means
39:59
of defense offered to him. And what wonder if he
40:03
have to pay a high price for his folly. Although
40:05
confirmation is not absolutely necessary to salvation, yet God punishes
40:10
contempt of the sacraments severely. In other words, Baptism's all
40:14
you really have to have, but if you refuse confirmation,
40:19
God's not happy. The followers of the church describe all
40:22
the misery of Nevadas, who became a teacher of heresy
40:25
and ended his days in wretchedness to his having neglected
40:30
to be confirmed. In early times, parents who did not
40:32
have their children confirmed had to do penance for three years.
40:36
Let it be enough for us to know that it
40:38
is Christ's will that all should be filled with the
40:41
spirit John seven thirty seven. The candidate for confirmation ought
40:46
previously to go to confession and, if possible, to Holy communion.
40:50
For to receive this sacrament, one must be in a
40:53
state of grace and well, now we have to be
40:56
confirmed before we receive Holy communion. But I guess it
40:59
was a little different in the eighteen nineties. I don't
41:00
know for anyone in mortal sin to receive confirmation is
41:04
if a precious and delicate substance were poured into an
41:08
unclean vessel. It is not obligatory on one who is
41:12
unquestionably a state of grace to go to confession before confirmation.
41:17
In early ages of the Church, it was the customed
41:20
to confirm very young children, as is now done in
41:22
Greece and Spain. In many dioceses, children are confirmed before
41:26
they make their first communion, provided they are eight years
41:29
old and have been to confession, or that they may
41:31
not lack the grace's confirmation parts on at the time
41:35
they most need them. Saint Charles Borromeo establishes rule throughout
41:39
his diocese the candid for confirmation must be well instructed
41:43
in the doctrines of the faith and prepare himself to
41:45
receive the Holy ghosts by retirement and prayer. He should,
41:49
in this respect imitate the Apostles who spent ten days
41:52
before Pentecost in persevering prayer Acts one fourteen. On this account,
41:57
several sides synods decreed that cannoncer confirmation should be placed
42:02
under instruction for a week. Previously, I think for me
42:05
it was like a year and a half, and each
42:07
day in that week they should repeat seven Our Fathers
42:11
and seven and Hell Mary's in honor the Holy Ghost,
42:14
and they should keep the eve of their confirmation days
42:17
a fast. Everyone must be provided by his parish priests
42:21
with a certificate certify that he is properly prepared for
42:24
the reception of the sacrament. Without this, the bishop will
42:27
not confirm him. Confirmation is usually administered about whitsun tide,
42:32
as the bishop visits the whole of the diocese at
42:35
intervals of a few years ago, not anymore. In the
42:38
first centuries it was an Eastern Pentecost, and I think
42:42
we've pretty much gotten back to that, so i'll skip it.
42:45
Had a little bit. The person confirmed sees the name
42:49
of a saint at his confirmation. When confirmation followed immediately
42:53
upon baptism, no other name was added to that given
42:56
in baptism. But in after years the convert got into
42:59
the habit of retaining his heathen name after baptism, and
43:03
he was made to take the name of some saint
43:04
and his confirmation. Mine is Jude. By the way, my
43:07
nickname is Judd.
43:08
Speaker 2: So, but Jude, the patron Saint of Los Causes, was
43:12
also the perfect pick for me. I think if you
43:17
listen to the show very much, you will know exactly why.
43:20
Speaker 1: And he whom he chooses for this pattern on earth,
43:24
was to invoke as his intercessor in heaven. Besides this
43:27
heavenly guide, the Christian has a confirmation and earthly guide.
43:31
Your godfather, godmother person be confirmed us have a godfather godmother.
43:36
I had did not. There were two other people in
43:40
the church at the time, and Father Gover said, hey,
43:43
could you come do this? And they filled in. I
43:45
don't even know their names to this day. So anyway, Oh,
43:50
Father Gover's great. I miss him. He's now. I think
43:53
he's up in Winston Salem. I haven't seen him in years.
43:55
Need to reconnect with him at some point. The gladiator
43:58
who was about to enter arena requires someone to instruct
44:02
him in swordsmanship and to assist him with his counsel.
44:05
So it is a confirmation. In all the difficulties of life,
44:08
the god parent ought to be raised, support and help
44:11
his godchild. He ought to do his utmost to induce him,
44:14
to keep him within the past of virtue and the
44:16
godchild ought to feel that he must not rely too
44:19
much of his own powers, but must seek counsel from others.
44:22
A spiritual relationship exists between the two, which constitutes the
44:26
ecclesiastical hindrance to marriage. The sponsor chosen. In other words,
44:31
your godparent can tell you can't marry somebody good meal, Yeah, seriously,
44:37
even to this day, they're supposed to agree. The sponsor
44:40
chosen ought to be one who has himself been confirmed,
44:42
a person who's a blameless life, older than the one
44:46
to be confirmed, and of the same sex, not, if
44:48
it can be avoided, the same who stood in sponsor
44:51
for him at the baptismal font. So I had neither
44:53
a sponsor it either, which kind of makes sense given
44:57
my life. Those who present themselves to the bishop to
44:59
be firm must be simply and suitably dressed, and I was.
45:03
The Holy Spirit does not take up his abode in
45:05
the heart that is enslaved by the pride of life.
45:08
God resisteth the proud first Peter five to five. Some
45:11
are going to be confirmed, think more of their dress
45:14
of the sacrament they're about received. It has no longer
45:16
required the candidate for confirmation that they should be fasting.
45:20
In fact, this would not be possible now this the
45:22
ceremony often lasts a long time. Yes, that night before Easter,
45:27
Oh my gosh, I avoid that at all costs. Adults, neil,
45:33
children stand or neil and receive the sacrament. Behind each
45:36
one stands a sponsor, his right hand on his shoulder
45:41
of his godchild. And all must be present in the
45:44
church before the bishop extends his hand over all in general.
45:48
After that the door is closed and no one else
45:50
is admitted, nor must anyone depart before the bishop give
45:53
his final blessing, although it does not constitute an integral
45:56
part of the sacrament. After receiving confirmation, one must be
46:00
careful not to drive away the Holy Spirit by feasting
46:02
in diversions. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God Ephesians
46:06
four thirty. The chief reason why the faith of the
46:10
Christian is so cold in the present day is because
46:12
so little now is thought with the sacrament of confirmation.
46:16
And I think that's true. But I will say, although
46:20
my confirmation was quite unorthodox, I was not confirmed at Easter.
46:26
I was confirmed. Gosh, when was it? Maybe like March
46:34
come in February. Anyway, my father knew that my work
46:39
was very dangerous. I used to work in politics, and
46:42
specifically what I did was unveiling covering public corruption. That's
46:48
under a different name than I used now, So I
46:51
actually had to basically change my name hide my identity
46:55
because so many people wanted to kill me. And I'm
46:57
not kidding you. The FBI, the State Bureau of Investigation
47:03
were all in contact with me regularly. There wasn't one
47:06
point of contract out of my life. I've found that
47:09
a congressman went to Congress with like one hundred and
47:14
fifty thousand dollars in his account and got out of
47:16
there with like six million dollars I think it was
47:19
fifteen million dollars in six years and was really doing
47:23
some corrupt stuff. That was one of about three or
47:26
four I went after and I exposed him all and
47:29
got him all but one out of office, and he's
47:32
now disgraced and out now. But yeah, I was in
47:36
a lot of danger, and so father said, you know,
47:41
we're gonna go ahead and get you confirmed. And he said,
47:45
I We'll see who shows up at mass this morning,
47:49
little tiny mountain resort town, not in the summertime. So
47:54
like the indigenous Catholic population was like fifteen people, you know,
47:59
and I think I have showed up from Asses that morning,
48:01
so so father good versus, you know, we're just gonna
48:06
go ahead and do it. He got permission from the deacon.
48:09
You know, he had already gotten permission I mean from
48:12
the bishop. I mean he got permission for the bishop.
48:14
He had already gotten permission to do r CIA or
48:18
whatever they call it now. Completely unconventionally, I did not
48:21
have to go to classes. Basically, I would just call
48:24
him or email him or show up every week or two,
48:26
and he'd ask me a bunch of questions to make
48:28
sure I was doing my reading and understood everything. And
48:31
he said, we're just going to go ahead and get
48:33
you confirmed. You know, we need to do this. You know. Okay,
48:35
something happens and I really appreciate it. And so he
48:39
calls over this older man and this older woman. I
48:42
think they kind of volunteered kind of as like a
48:46
groundskeeper and the church secretary, and introduce him and to
48:51
me and said, will could be you know, witnessing Godfather,
48:55
And they're like, uh, okay. He he did it, and
49:00
I received the Eucharist, and my wife was in instantly
49:06
entirely changed well, I'll say instantly and incrementally changed, because
49:11
after that I was to go through the worst times
49:14
of my life and be tested in every way imaginable.
49:19
And had I not received confirmation before then, I would
49:26
not be here today. There's there's no doubt. But by
49:32
the grace of God and the standing in personax Christie,
49:37
the priest who stood in the person of God, I
49:41
am still alive and still learning and still trying to
49:48
work out my flaws and deal with my natural inclinations,
49:54
which you know, definitely not the most innocent of people.
50:06
Were it not for confirmation, I wouldn't be here. So
50:19
y'all have a good one, and I talked to you next,
50:23
Sir M