All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

Do you live your life with confidence in God? This can be incredibly hard to do, but fortunately we have great examples to follow, especially St. John Paul II. As the feast day of St. John Paul II approaches, Dr. Edward Sri shares some lesser-known stories of him and lifts him up as an amazing example of courage. Snippet from the Show Even amidst relativism, secularism, and the sexual revolution, St. John Paul II courageously called people to the truth. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Is Mass simply an opportunity to come together as a community? Is music the focus of Mass? While those things are good and important, the purpose of Mass is even greater. Dr. Edward Sri discusses the significance of the Mass and its ancient roots that go far back into the Old Testament. Snippet from the Show There is nothing more fulfilling than worshiping God. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

St. Francis of Assisi loved nature and talked to birds, but is there more to him than that? Of course there is! The life of St. Francis of Assisi is filled with incredible examples of doing God’s will and emptying oneself for God’s sake. There is so much we can learn from St. Francis and Dr. Edward Sri outlines four of those lessons in this episode. Snippet from the Show It is essential that we set aside our feelings as we strive to do God’s will because more often than not, it will be difficult to do God’s will. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Do you ever feel like you are failing or coming up short in the different areas of your life? Perhaps, you are struggling at work or in your marriage. In this episode, Dr. Edward Sri uses the wisdom of St. Therese of Lisieux to reveal the goodness that can come from acknowledging our failings and shortcomings. Snippet from the Show When we encounter our weaknesses and shortcomings, it reminds us, “Lord, I need you.” For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

We are fallen human beings. As a result, sometimes we hurt one another. How should we address conflict in our friendships, families, workplace, and community? Dr. Sri breaks down the importance of fraternal correction and how we can effectively communicate with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Snippet from the Show God wants to write his love on our hearts. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

“I want to pray but I’m not sure how.” This is a challenge many people face when it comes to the spiritual life. How do you start? Using examples from The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila, Dr. Edward Sri explains how to progress in the spiritual life. Snippet from the Show If we don’t have daily meditation, we cannot progress in our spiritual lives. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Surrendering to God is difficult. Even the holiest men and women struggled to surrender to God. Fortunately, we can learn from them how to give our lives completely to God. Dr. Edward Sri shares in this episode Mother Teresa’s struggle to surrender to God’s will for her life. He reveals how we can follow her example. Snippet from the Show God will help you do the things you cannot do on your own. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Do you struggle to get over bad habits or to choose the right thing? St. Augustine did. Dr. Edward Sri shares about the life of St. Augustine and his struggle with the virtue of chastity. Dr. Sri explains the importance of chastity and what true love looks like. Snippet from the Show When we lack chastity, we are not free to truly love others. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Why aren’t things going your way? Perhaps, you have been facing a lot of challenges or disappointments lately and you can’t help but wonder why. Today, Dr. Edward Sri and his wife Beth Sri talk about the struggles of life and how to discern their origin. Is the devil attacking us? Or do we need to work on something within ourselves? Snippet from the Show When we over-spiritualize the problems we are facing, it can keep us from an opportunity to work on ourselves and to grow as individuals. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Does reading the book of Revelation intimidate you? As an apocryphal text, it can be difficult to read. However, this book of the Bible has much to teach us about our faith. In fact, it teaches us something about Mary. Dr. Sri explains some of what we can learn about Mary from the book of Revelation. Snippet from the Show It is a great gift that Christ gave us Mary to be our spiritual mother. She intercedes for us before the throne of her Son. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

What does it mean to have heroic virtue? Today, Dr. Sri is joined by Dr. Andrew and Sarah Swafford to discuss their new book Gift and Grit: How Heroic Virtue can change your life and relationships. Together, they talk about the challenges young people are facing spiritually and socially. Snippet from the Show Chastity liberates love from use. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

What are the most important virtues? How do you attain them? Dr. Sri explains what the most important virtues are and how they bring us into deeper union with God. He also shares how we can attain these virtues and live them out in our everyday lives. Snippet from the Show If I want to see reality clearly, I must have faith. Faith is a light for our feet. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

What’s the point of a pilgrimage? Is it just about sightseeing? Today, Dr. Sri explains the reasons it is good for any person to go on a pilgrimage. He also shares ideas on how to make pilgrimages without even leaving your own diocese. Finally, Dr. Sri offers four tips to follow when preparing for a pilgrimage. Snippet from the Show We need to step out of our normal routines and see the whole of our lives. We need to see where we’ve been and to see where God is leading us next. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Have you ever set out to do God’s will, but later experienced confusion or discouragement? On location in Rome, Dr. Sri shares the story of St. Camillus and some of the significant challenges he faced. Dr. Sri also points to the examples of many other saints who overcame discouragement, disappointment and other challenges as they pursued the will of God. Snippet from the Show When you dare to boldly trust God with your life, anticipate that the devil is going to come and try to rattle you. But remember, you are not alone. The Lord is with you. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

How do you change the world? How are we supposed to influence the people in our lives so that they can know Christ? Dr. Sri shares the story of St. Benedict and encourages us to follow his example in seeking interior renewal so that we can renew the world for Christ. Snippet from the Show If you want to be someone who influences the world, someone who makes a difference for Jesus Christ, you have to be willing to pull back from the world. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

In this second part of Dr. Sri’s interview of Fr. Mark-Mary, they continue their discussion of growing in holiness. Fr. Mark-Mary shares more wisdom from his book, Habits for Holiness: Small Steps for Making Big Spiritual Progress. Snippet from the Show Caring for the poor is an essential component of our faith. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

No matter where we are in life, we are able to grow in holiness. Today, Dr. Sri sits down with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR to discuss his book, Habits for Holiness: Small Steps for Making Big Spiritual Progress. Snippet from the Show The spiritual life is real life. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

How do you deal with the struggles you have in prayer? It can be very easy to become discouraged in prayer. Perhaps you are experiencing dryness in prayer or loneliness. Maybe you are being attacked with doubts. Today, Dr. Sri addresses some of the challenges we may face in prayer and how we can respond to those challenges. Snippet from the Show It is in the moments of dryness and darkness in prayer that God is inviting us to take that next step in our relationship with him. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Prayer is essential in the Christian life…but why is it so hard sometimes? Dr. Edward Sri shares insights from the Saints about where God is in the midst of our struggles and how we are called to respond. Snippet from the Show It’s the Devil who wants you to think that your prayer isn’t worth it. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

What does it mean to radiate Christ and how do you do it? Dr. Edward Sri shares what is most essential in order to radiate Christ: personal prayer. He explains how some of the most important things in our lives are affected by whether or not we have a personal prayer life. Snippet from the Show The people around us are depending on us to have a daily prayer life. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Are some apologies better than others? Knowing how to apologize is an essential part of life. But do you know what a good apology is? Today, Dr. Edward Sri is joined by his wife Beth Sri to discuss what makes a good apology and why it is so important. Snippet from the Show Do not underestimate the power of forgiveness. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Dr. Edward Sri continues his conversation with his wife and Fr. Mike Schmitz. They continue their conversation on marriage and how to best prepare yourself for this vocation. They also discuss some of the challenges of marriage and why God is so essential for a good marriage. Snippet from the Show The goal of marriage is for our hearts to change and become more like Jesus’ heart. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Join Dr. Sri and his special guests Beth Sri and Fr. Mike Schmitz to hear their thoughts and opinions on preparing for marriage. Fr. Mike Schmitz offers his perspective as a spiritual father and his experience of walking with couples as they prepare for marriage. Dr. Sri and his wife Beth share the wisdom and advice they have acquired from their own marriage. Snippet from the Show True love wants to promise forever. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Can we love like Christ loves? This is what Christ commands us to do, but is it possible to do on our own? Dr. Sri explains the importance of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, when it comes to loving others as Christ loves us. Snippet from the Show If we want to love as Christ loves, we must ask for the help of the Holy Spirit. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Are we giving Mary too much attention as Catholics? Will a devotion to her take away from my relationship with Jesus? Dr. Sri discusses these questions in light of the Church’s invitation to honor Mary throughout the month of May. Snippet from the Show _ _ For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Have you ever connected what we do at Mass to Sacred Scripture? Dr. Sri shares a glimpse into this by explaining the “Sanctus” or “Holy, Holy, Holy” and its Biblical roots. By understanding the Biblical roots of the Mass, we can more fully participate in the Sacred Liturgy. Snippet from the Show The words and small gestures we do at Mass are profound ways that we can profess our ardent love for Jesus. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Are you experiencing a conversion right now? Conversion is something that should be ongoing, but may look different for each person. Using the story of the Prodigal Son, Dr. Sri explains some of the different types of conversion. Dr. Sri provides encouragement so that we can continue turning back to God. Snippet from the Show Whenever you are not feeling worthy, know that the Father says to you, “You are my beloved child.” For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Do you really believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Perhaps, you have asked this question or maybe someone has challenged you with this question. Either way, it can be difficult to answer. In this episode, Dr. Sri shares many good reasons to believe in the resurrection and how we can respond to arguments against it. Snippet from the Show “If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14). For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Why did Jesus die on the cross? How does the suffering of an innocent man fix anything? These are good questions and Dr. Sri shares the answers given to us by the Church. Dr. Sri helps bring an even deeper understanding of Christ’s passion and death. Snippet from the Show God doesn’t just want to pardon us. He wants to rescue us and heal us. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Why does Jesus ride a donkey into Jerusalem? Is it significant? Dr. Sri provides the answer to this question in today’s episode. Dr. Sri also offers encouragement in being faithful to Christ both when life is good and when life is difficult. Snippet from the Show Even when it is not apparent what you might get out of it, be faithful to what the Lord is asking you to do. Especially, be faithful to him in your suffering. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Perhaps you have heard the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, but do you know how connected it is to Christ’s Passion and Resurrection? Today, Dr. Sri explains the significance of Christ raising Lazarus from the dead and how it helps prepare us in a particular way for Christ’s Passion. Snippet from the Show Each of us must strive for confidence and humble abandonment when we speak to Christ in prayer. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Offer it up! Carry your cross! These aren’t bad things to do, but our response to suffering can be even greater. There is so much that can come from our suffering, from carrying our crosses. Dr. Sri describes what fruit can come from not just bearing our crosses, but embracing them. Snippet from the Show In your suffering, do not miss the opportunity to encounter God and experience his deep healing. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

It is always important to spend time meditating on the Passion of Christ, especially during Lent. But why is it important and what is the best way to meditate on Christ’s Passion? In this episode, Dr. Sri shares about the Stations of the Cross. He describes how, when, and why you should pray them. Snippet from the Show God became man so that we could know what real love looks like. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

What does the moment of the Transfiguration have to do with me? In today’s episode, Dr. Sri draws a parallel between this weekend’s Gospel, the Transfiguration of Christ, and the transformation that God wants to work in all of our lives to become more like him. Saint Peter ties everything together, teaching us to let His light in. Snippet from the Show Let tha moment of Christ’s presence in your past be the light of His presence for your now. _ _ For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Do you trust that God the Father will provide for you? The Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent is about Jesus being tempted in the desert. Dr. Sri walks through these passages as well as passages from the Old Testament to help us understand the importance of trust in the Father. Dr. Sri reminds us of all that God has done to provide for us. Snippet from the Show When you feel discouraged or anxious, surrender to the Father. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Lent is just around the corner and in this episode, Dr. Sri offers guidance in preparing for the Lenten season. He describes four different characteristics that each of us should strive to attain in our penances. He also offers ideas for what might be good goals in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to strive for this Lent. Snippet from the Show Prepare your heart to meet God in the unexpected. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

There are so many questions when it comes to intimacy within marriage. Each marriage faces its own challenges, especially when it comes to the different stages of life. Dr. Edward Sri with his wife Beth Sri answer listener questions on intimacy in marriage. Snippet from the Show Every couple needs to spend dedicated time enriching their relationship. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Do you want to be able to discern God’s will in your life? Do you want to have the strength to trust God? Dr. Sri explains how the best example in doing these things can be found in Mary. Primarily, we must seek to know Scripture as Mary did. Snippet from the Show If we want our thoughts to be more attuned to God’s thoughts and our desires to be shaped by his desires, then we must bring Scripture more into our lives. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

What does it mean to live like Jesus? What does it mean to love as he loved? The answer can be found in the beatitudes. In this special episode, on location in the Holy Land, Dr. Sri examines the story of Jesus sharing the beatitudes. He explains the context of the story and what it teaches us about how we are meant to live our lives. Snippet from the Show You will be a light to the world by imitating the radical love of Jesus. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

What is the feminine genius? In this episode, Dr. Sri talks with special guest Lisa Cotter about her new book Reveal the Gift. They discuss the feminine genius, the unique gifts of women, and some of the women featured in Lisa’s book. Snippet from the Show No woman is meant to live the Christian life alone. Together women can be a loud voice for the good and for the truth. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Do you want to be healed? Maybe this sounds like a silly question, but for many it really is hard to accept healing from Christ and his Church. We would rather do things on our time and do them our way. Today, Dr. Sri shares how and why we need healing from Jesus Christ through his Church. He explains what it means to be healed through "earthen vessels." Snippet from the Show If you want to be healed, you will follow a standard outside of yourself that comes from Jesus through his Church. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

We know that we need forgiveness. However, do we also recognize our need for healing? Dr. Sri shares that Jesus is ready to give us both. He explains our need for healing and how we can follow the examples of the saints as we pursue it. Snippet from the Show Jesus doesn’t just pardon us like a judge. He heals us like a physician. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

With his family, Dr. Sri shares a special Christmas message. He also shares the musical talents of his son Paul. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Dr. Sri has shared about scheduling prayer and four keys to prayer. Now, he shares about two popular forms of prayer. Dr. Sri also offers his thoughts on why prayer is important and how it impacts our daily lives. Snippet from the Show It is always important to end our prayer with some sort of resolution. We want our time in prayer to spill over and shape our lives. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Are you looking for a simple, straightforward approach to prayer? Dr. Sri shares about the 4 keys that ought to be incorporated into our prayer each day. He explains why each one is important and beneficial to our prayer. Snippet from the Show When we adore God, we are acknowledging that he is the creator and we are his creations. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Do we depend on God as much as we depend on oxygen? In the first installment of this two-part miniseries, Dr. Sri shares basic principles of how to prepare our hearts for prayer in order to fully receive what God desires to give to us. Snippet from the Show If we realize how important daily prayer is, we are going to make it a top priority no matter the circumstances. _ _ For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

How much does your phone have control over you? We might not realize it, but the devices we use can have great control over our minds and hearts. In this week’s episode, Dr. Sri uses a prayer from St. Ignatius of Loyola as a roadmap to keep us focused on the world around us instead of the digital world. Snippet from the Show We feel the pull to engage with our devices. Why don't we also feel the pull to engage with God or with those around us? _ _ For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

To support Ascension’s free media, please click here! To find out more about how your gift will be used, please click here! As we approach Advent, are there areas of your life that seem empty? This week, Dr. Sri connects our longing for the Lord to the longing of the first century Jews, who inspire us to look deeply into the disposition of our hearts, to weed out fruitless distractions, and to invite God into the areas of life that we long for him to fill. Snippet from the Show During this Advent season, may I never stop longing for a God who never stops longing for me. _ _ For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

"I love Jesus...do I really need a Church? Why do we need religion?" In this episode, Dr. Sri reveals how the history of the Kingdom of God is woven with the thread of the inseparable bond of Christ and his Church throughout the Old and New Testaments. Snippet from the Show You can't love the king and ignore his kingdom. _ _ For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Is God like ice cream? We live in a culture where people just think God is kind of like ice cream, purely based on my own personal taste. In this special episode recorded on location from Mount Carmel in the Holy Land, Dr. Sri tells us the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal and reminds us to conform our hearts and minds to the truth and reality of the power of God. Snippet from the Show It's here on Mount Carmel that we really remember what God did, and we ask him to come and shine his light in the darkness in the world once again. _ _ For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.