All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

Every faithful Catholic goes through a season where prayer is difficult. Whether you’re unable to feel God’s presence, get easily distracted, or find yourself avoiding prayer altogether, Dr. Sri points out four reasons why we may struggle in prayer, and what we can do to persevere and build an ever-stronger relationship with God. 4 Reasons We Struggle with Prayer Sin - if we haven’t repented of our sins, it will be difficult to pray. The devil - the enemy knows how important prayer is for the faithful and he will do everything he can to get you to not pray. Humility - God may be trying to humble us. God wants to draw out our desire for him. Tips for Prayer Focus on the very beginning of prayer to set the tone. Say God’s name with reverence when you make the Sign of the Cross. Set an intention for your prayer time. Offer the prayer time up to God.

Catholics are often criticized for praying to Mary, but every part of the Hail Mary has biblical roots which reveal that the focus of this prayer is actually Jesus. St. John Paul II put it this way, “Although the repeated Hail Mary is addressed directly to Mary, it is to Jesus that the act of love is ultimately directed, with her and through her.” Dr. Sri unpacks the biblical roots of the Hail Mary to help us truly understand the significance of this powerful prayer. Snippet from the Show “Every time we pray the Hail Mary, we enter into the ecstatic praise of heaven and earth. Heaven represented by Gabriel, earth represented by Elizabeth. We’re entering into their words of praise, which are in Scripture and are inspired by God.” SHOWNOTES “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you … ” Luke 1:26-28 - In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” “ ... Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb … ” Luke 1:39-45 - In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechari′ah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit* and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” filled with the Holy Spirit - this language is used to describe someone who is given prophetic insight. “ … Jesus … ” Philippians 2:8-11 - And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow*, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. at the name of Jesus - there is immense power in the name of Jesus, and his name is at the very center of this prayer, making it literally a Christocentric prayer. St. John Paul II called it the “hinge” of the Hail Mary. He said, “The centre of gravity in the Hail Mary, the hinge as it were which joins its two parts, is the name of Jesus. Sometimes, in hurried recitation, this centre of gravity can be overlooked, and with it the connection to the mystery of Christ being contemplated. Yet it is precisely the emphasis given to the name of Jesus and to his mystery that is the sign of a meaningful and fruitful recitation of the Rosary.” “ … Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” Luke 1:8 - And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”* let it be to me - Mary’s Fiat, her yes to God, is exactly what we seek to emulate. This part of the Hail Mary is where we ask Our Lady to intercede for us, so that we may accept Jesus into our hearts as she did. RESOURCES Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Apostolic letter of St. John Paul II Praying the Rosary Like Never Before by Dr. Edward Sri How to Pray Like Mary by Sonja Corbitt

What gives the cross its redemptive value is not the amount of suffering or bloodshed, but the amount of love that was put into Christ’s sacrifice. The cross is less about taking on punishment and more about the total gift of love Jesus offered to the Father on our behalf. As the Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross this week, Dr. Sri takes us into the heart of the cross—which is ultimately the heart of God and his passionate love for his people.

We’re not called to be like the Amish, separating ourselves completely from the world. But we must be careful how much of the world’s influences we allow into our homes and into our hearts. How do we strike the right balance? Dr. Sri draws on wisdom from Blessed John Henry Newman to help us live a Christians in this world without being of this world.

Do you have family or friends away from the Catholic Faith? St. Monica’s example offers six practical things we can do to help bring our loved ones back to Christ and the Church. Too often we focus on how to change our son, sister or friend. But the first step in evangelizing our loved ones might involve changing our own heart and approach to evangelization itself. Are we willing to make the sacrifices necessary to reach them with the Faith?

Where is Mary’s Queenship in the Bible? Is this just Catholics exaggerating Mary’s role, trying to put Mary on par with Jesus the King, so they make her a Queen? In this episode Dr. Sri unpacks the rich Biblical foundation for the feast the Church celebrates this week - the feast of Mary’s queenship - and shows clearly that the Bible reveals Mary to be our Queen. Get a chance to win a free signed book from Dr. Sri by taking the short survey on the podcast at edwardsri.com/podcast

Did Mary experience death before she was assumed into heaven? Or was she preserved from death because she did not have original sin? You might be surprised about what the Catholic Church actually teaches on Mary's Assumption.

“How can we stay with a Church that has so many problems?” Dr. Sri unpacks key insights from Bishop Barron’s recent book “A Letter to a Suffering Church” - a book that takes a hard look at the clergy abuse scandal and offers hope and some practical ways forward. If you don't have time to read it, listen to this brief summary of the many gems in this helpful book. Shownotes: Learn more about this book by Bishop Barron https://www.sufferingchurchbook.com

Why would Catholics build a whole basilica dedicated the Blessed Virgin Mary? Isn’t this distracting from Jesus? Shouldn’t we be building churches in honor of Jesus, not Mary? And why would the Catholic Church have a special liturgical feast day celebrating the dedication of this Marian basilica? In this special edition, we go to the principle church dedicated to Mary all the world, as we prepare to celebrate on August 5 the memorial of the dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major’s - one of Dr. Sri’s favorite churches in all of Rome.

Our marriage began with JP2 blessing it in Rome on our honeymoon. So for our 20th wedding anniversary last week, we wanted to do a special marriage pilgrimage to Krakow and walk in the footsteps of this great saint. In this episode, Beth and Edward Sri discuss the importance of couples getting time away and share from their experiences at the sites of JP2's youth and years a priest and bishop in Krakow where he poured his life into university students, battled the atheistic Communists, and guided young couples in their marriages. They also share their experiences at Auschwitz and the shrine to Our Lady of Czestochowa as well as inside stories from locals who lived through Communist Poland and saw their country transformed through the interventions of Pope John Paul II.

Every detail of the Gospels is there for a reason: to show Jesus fulfilling all the ancient prophecies from the Old Testament. More than any other Gospel, Matthew is constantly alluding to Jewish hopes and expectations to demonstrate how God has been preparing humanity for the Savior and how Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah. Do you know the two main ways Matthew shows prophecies coming to fulfillment in Christ?

Why does the Catholic Church hold up Matthew’s Gospel as so crucial for passing on the Faith--whether as a parent, teacher, catechist or friend? And why does Matthew stand out in times of evangelization and renewal in the Church? Matthew’s background as a tax collector gives an important clue into how he gave his Gospel a beautiful structure - a structure that is the key to understanding the story of Jesus as the climax of the history of the world.

When the saints die, they don’t get cut off from the Body of Christ. They’re closer to Jesus and thus even closer to us, able to hear our prayers and intercede powerfully for our needs. In this episode, Edward Sri answers listeners questions on a range of topics, including Mary, the Saints, Purgatory, and responding to our teen and young adult children’s questions about the Catholic Faith. You can send your questions to Dr. Sri at edwardsri.com/contact

Mercy is the highest expression of God’s love. But His mercy is not like that of a judge who merely pardons our violations of the law or a demanding boss who one day decides to overlook the mistakes in our work. This week’s Solemnity of the Sacred Heart invites us to ponder the Biblical truth of God’s mercy - a mercy rooted in God’s amazing unconditional love, a love that remains faithful even when we are unfaithful.

How can Catholics believe the Eucharist is really the Body of Christ? ‘It’s just a piece of bread! It’s just a symbol of Jesus, not his real presence,’ some would say. But there’s one Biblical passage that offers the richest theology of the Eucharist and most clearly demonstrates how much Jesus wanted to give us his very Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the total gift of Himself in every Holy Communion. This special edition of All Things Catholic was recorded on location in Capernaum in the Holy Land at the remains of the Synagogue where Jesus gave his famous ‘Bread of Life Discourse” in John’s Gospel, chapter 6. You can learn more about pilgrimages with Dr. Sri to the Holy Land at edwardsri.com/pilgrimages

Do you want your heart to have more space to receive God’s Love in your life? Learn from one of Dr. Sri’s favorite saints in Rome, St. Philip Neri, who is a patron saint for the New Evangelization. This special edition was recorded in Rome outside Chiesa Nova, where St. Philip Neri is buried.

“Holy Spirit, inspire me in all my actions….guide me in all my decisions….” After Pentecost, the Apostles were transformed men. We can experience that same transformation in the Spirit today - if we grow in deeper relationship with the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.

Mary isn’t just open. She actually allows God to act in her life - even when it’s hard and unclear and when all she can do is walk by faith and not by sight. How can we be more like Mary, living trustful surrender as she did? For more on this topic, see Edward Sri's book "Walking with Mary" (Image Books).

Mary’s "Yes" was not a one-time "Fiat" in Nazareth. She had to renew her trustful surrender to the Father’s plan repeatedly throughout her life. Will we, like Mary, always be on the lookout for the next step God is asking us to take?

“What makes the Bible different from Muslim, Hindu or other sacred texts from the world’s many religions? Can a modern serious thinker really believe that God inspired human beings to write his Scriptures? Doesn’t that sound like fairy tales?” In this episode, Edward Sri addresses these and other questions about the divine inspiration of Scripture.

Does your mind wander when you pray the Rosary? Discover five keys to help you overcome distraction and encounter Jesus and Mary more in this powerful prayer. May is Mary’s month and a good time to reinvigorate our devotion to Mary. In this episode, Edward Sri draws on insights from his book "Praying the Rosary Like Never Before"

Why do the Gospels never mention Jesus appearing to Mary on Easter? Does that mean it didn’t happen? Actually, the Risen Jesus probably appeared to Mary first - eagerly rising from the dead as early as possible on Easter morning so he could be reunited with his mother.

Can a serious thinker in the 21st century really believe in the resurrection of Jesus? When people die, they stay dead. How can Christians claim Jesus was different? The resurrection of Christ seems like a fairy tale—a Christian myth, invented by the apostles. That’s what many people in our secular age might think about Easter. How would you respond? Gain the clarity and confidence to explain our belief in the resurrection to others in this week’s episode.

The Cross is not Christ's defeat. It's his moment of triumph. Discover the Biblical meaning of the last three sayings from the Cross: "I Thirst"...."It is finished"....and "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." For example: "I Thirst." Jesus isn't just thirsting for something to drink. He thirsts for you—for your love, time and attention..for your total surrender to him. Will you make more room for him in your soul this Holy Week?

Was Jesus abandoned by his Father on Good Friday? What is the meaning of his words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It's far from a cry of despair. It's actually a cry of confident hope amid great darkness. And the Biblical background to Jesus’ words gives us a roadmap for facing our own trials today.

Shortly before he dies, Jesus gives us one last gift: the gift of Mary as our spiritual mother. Indeed, this scene of Mary and the beloved disciple at Calvary is one of the most crucial Biblical passages for demonstrating Mary’s important role in the life of every Christian. In this episode, Edward Sri walks through the Biblical foundations for Mary's spiritual motherhood as he considers the third of Jesus' last words on the Cross: "Woman, behold your son...Behold, your mother."

Did you know that the Good Thief was blaspheming Jesus at Calvary, joining the others in their mocking of Christ? What made him suddenly have a change of heart and encounter God’s amazing love and mercy? Edward Sri unearths the Biblical background of this last minute conversion and Jesus' final words to him: “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

Imagine being at Calvary with Jesus looking you in the eye and speaking these Seven Last Words personally to you. In this episode, Edward Sri unpacks the Biblical meaning of Christ's Seven Last Words. But don’t think of these merely as words spoken to the world in general. Jesus was thinking of you on Calvary. He know what you’d be going through this year, this month, this day—and He spoke these Seven Last Words personally to you—to comfort you, challenge you, and encourage you today.

“God loves us with all the passion of a true love,” says Pope Benedict. Discover how the theological background of the word ‘passion” can help us encounter God’s love for us in a deeper way this Lent. Special give-away in this episode. To enter a drawing for a signed copy of Edward Sri's new book "No Greater Love," email topic ideas for future episodes to: [email protected]

Enter the very heart of Lent this year - not just Lent’s devotions and sacrifices. For Lent isn’t about simply giving up something like chocolate. It’s more about creating space in our souls to encounter God at a deeper level.

Does love really exist? Am I worthy of love? We hunger for a deeper love than what the secular world has offered us. This week, Edward Sri interviews Frances Hopkins of the Culture Project in Sydney, Australia, who shares how God’s amazing love can still penetrate the thickest darkness in our secular age.

“I should be free to decide for myself my own spiritual values and make up my own morality. I don’t need a pope telling me what to do!” How would you respond to these challenges? This week is the perfect time to ponder these questions as the Church celebrates the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, remembering the teaching authority Jesus gave Peter and his successors, the popes. Edward Sri unpacks six Biblical keys for explaining the papacy.

We all sin and fall short. But in those moments of unfaithfulness, will we be faithful at least in repentance? Faithful in admitting our faults, saying sorry and intentionally trying to be better next time? Though Peter denied Jesus three times, he models true repentance - and the path to new life.

Was Jesus having second thoughts & thinking of backing out when he prayed, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass?" Jesus goes on to model how to respond when God invites us to do what's difficult - when we face our own Gethsemane moments. In this episode, Edward Sri shares from his new book, "No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk through Christ's Passion" (Ascension Press)

What was Mary thinking when she heard Simeon say to her, “A sword will pierce your soul also”? Edward Sri unpacks the Gospel account of Christ's Presentation in the Temple and helps us enter into this feast this week.

“Anyone can say, ‘I love you.’ Some people might sincerely mean it. Few people, however, have the virtue to truly seek what is best for you and be a committed friend.” This week, Edward Sri unpacks Aristotle’s three kinds of friendship—and why knowing the difference can make or break our friendships, communities, dating relationships and marriages. For more on this topic, see the free articles on virtue at edwardsri.com

Marriage is hard. But it’s right there in the hard that God wants to bring out something beautiful. Join Beth and Edward Sri with International TOB speaker Damon Owens for a conversation about the deeper love that can be found in the real struggles of marriage. Learn more about Damon’s ministry at joytob.org Learn more about Beth’s ministry at borntodothis.org

“I said to her, ‘What if we stopped having sex?’ It wasn’t a serious proposal. But she started to cry. It tapped into something deep in her heart. I saw in her eyes that she saw me as a man that I wasn’t yet, but a man that I wanted to be.” International TOB speaker Damon Owens shares how his relationship with his wife was completely transformed when they realized the emptiness of the world’s view of sexuality - and found joy in God’s plan. Learn more about Damon’s ministry at joytob.org

Mary's world was turned upside down: a Roman census, an unexpected move in her last trimester and giving birth in such poor conditions. How could this be the King? She might have been wondering where was God in the midst of all this suffering?

What was that first Christmas really like? Was Joseph really a carpenter? Was Jesus born in a stable, a house or a cave? Join Edward Sri on location in Israel as he discusses the Christmas story from an ancient Jewish perspective. He interviews his favorite Jewish guide - a man full of faith and passionate about helping Christians see their own faith through ancient Jewish eyes.

The goal of Advent isn’t checking off boxes: I did this devotion, made this sacrifice, did this activity. The goal is becoming like the child Jesus we await at Christmas, who is the Jesus of the Cross. Edward Sri explores the many Biblical connections between Christmas and the Cross and how those insights can help us finish our Advent well. A successful Advent is about becoming more like Christ, even in one small way: more patient with our kids, kinder to our spouse, more generous with our friends, more humble with our coworkers.

Everything Catholics believe about Mary is not meant to focus primarily on her. It’s meant to help us understand and love Jesus more. That’s especially the case with her Immaculate Conception. Edward Sri unpacks the Biblical foundations for the Immaculate Conception as he shares insights from his newest book on every key New Testament reference to Mary: Rethinking Mary in the New Testament (Ignatius Press)

Beth & Edward Sri share from their successes…and failures in living Advent well. Personal devotions, family traditions and a spirit of sacrifice are key to keeping a spiritual focus on what matters most in this season.

Do you have the virtue of gratitude? With your spouse? With your friends, family and God? Not just saying “thank you” every once in a while, but the consistent disposition to first recognize the blessings others bestow on you and then express thanks to them. St. Thomas Aquinas offers three key aspects for living the virtue of gratitude.

Your friend says, “I can make up my own truth…What’s true for you may not be true for me!” How do you respond? How do you engage people who embrace Pilate’s relativistic philosophy of ‘What is Truth?’

The devil attacks us with voices of discouragement, self-condemnation, and rationalization to keep us from facing the truth about ourselves and experiencing God's mercy and healing power. Learn how to recognize these false voices of the enemy and learn how to rebuke them. This episode is based on Edward Sri’s recent filming in Jerusalem for his new series, “No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk through Christ’s Passion” filmed on location at the sacred sites from Good Friday. https://shop.ascensionpress.com/pages/no-greater-love-optin

Men and women are different. Discover how that impacts almost everything marriage, including conversation, emotional connection & sexual intimacy. This special edition is Part 2 of Edward Sri’s presentation featured in last week’s episode.

A young mom once said to me, “No one every told me how hard marriage would be!” But it’s through the challenges and messiness of marriage that God wants to shape us the most.

Engagement. Listening to God’s voice in prayer. Marriage troubles. The PTSD of Cubs fans. These are some of the topics Beth & Edward Sri address as they answer listeners’ questions in this week’s podcast.

Ever feel you’re just going through the motions at Mass? Distracted? Your heart not in it? The start of the Eucharistic Liturgy wakes us up with rituals and prayers that inspire us to “lift up our hearts” to God as we approach the sacred mysteries of the Mass.