All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

Jesus wants to meet us in our uncertainty, our fears, and our disappointments. He wants to do something in our souls. In all of this, he’s inviting us to rely more on him and not on ourselves. On today’s special edition podcast, my wife Beth joins me to address unique challenges Catholics are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. We respond to listener questions about financial fears, the dangers of working outside the home when one has vulnerable family members, discernment without time before the Blessed Sacrament, and diocesan recommendations to receive Communion on the hand. We then give you tips to help you respond with openness to the graces the Lord wants to bring to you during this time. For full episode shownotes, visit AscensionPress.com or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777. Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

Today’s special episode reflects on the escalating climate around COVID-19 and provides three concrete actions to take when faced with Sunday Mass cancellations in your area. What should you do on Sunday if your diocese has been affected by the novel coronavirus or your health requires you to self-isolate? Tune in for a step-by-step guide to keeping the Sabbath holy and trusting in the Lord during these times of great uncertainty. For full episode shownotes, visit AscensionPress.com or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777. Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

We celebrate the Transfiguration as we inch closer to Christ’s Passion, but it’s easy to forget that the two events are closely related. During the Transfiguration, God tells Peter, James, and John, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” What does God mean when he says “listen to him”? Dr. Sri explains the hidden message embedded in this command. For full episode shownotes, visit AscensionPress.com or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777. Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

Society preaches three seemingly innocent phrases: “Be true to yourself;” “You be you;” and “You do you.” They all communicate the same philosophy: everyone should unapologetically do what he or she wants, because that’s the path to freedom. Dr. Sri argues how much more freeing and incredible it is to follow the call of the Christian Gospel, which shows us how we are most true to ourselves when we die to ourselves and “put on Christ.” Snippet from the Show The world tells us “you be you,” but Jesus didn’t die so that I could just be “me”... he died so that I could become like him. For full episode resources, text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

A device of torture, shame, and suffering, the image of the cross struck fear into the hearts of first century Jews. Against this backdrop, Jesus tells his disciples, “Pick up your cross and follow me.” And he doesn’t just say to pick it up once; he says we must do this daily if we want to be his disciples. To pick up our cross, we must accept and embrace the sufferings that God has allowed in our lives, knowing that they can sanctify us. It's not easy, but the paradox is that we will find joy by picking up our cross and following the savior who took up his own cross for our sake. For full episode shownotes, text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777. Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

What are the three essential practices that all Catholics are called to embrace during the Lenten Season? What does the desert have to do with these practices? This Lenten season, let's commit wholeheartedly to the three disciplines of fasting, prayer and almsgiving. By doing so, we go into the desert of our hearts to encounter our Lord and hear his spirit prompting, challenging, and encouraging us. Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

Peace in the present moment doesn’t come easily. It’s part of human nature to fixate on disappointments of the past, and if we’re honest, the self-talk can be brutal: “How could I ever have said that?” “Why did I make that horrible mistake?” “Will everyone remember me for this?” Worries about the future can be overwhelming, too: “Will everything turn out OK with this relationship?” “What if I make the wrong choice?” “What if we don’t have enough?” Today’s episode focuses on how to gain peace by inviting Christ’s presence into all these moments of anxiety. By totally surrendering and entrusting your past, present, and future to the Lord, you can rest in his love, here in the present moment. Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

On Candlemas, Catholics celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus and bless the candles that will be used in the Church's liturgical life throughout the following year. Reflecting on the prophesy of Simeon that we read in Scripture on this great feast, Dr. Sri explains how Jesus’ Presentation marks a climactic moment in all of Salvation History. Today’s episode draws amazing connections between God’s “glory” in the Old Testament, Jesus’ incarnation in the New Testament, and Christ’s continued real presence in the Holy Eucharist. Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

Pontius Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, but he didn’t have the courage to stand up for truth. So, he allowed Jesus to be crucified. While literal crucifixions don’t happen today (at least not in our society), that’s figuratively what happens when we don’t stand up for truth—people suffer. Standing up for truth is often incredibly uncomfortable, especially when we’re facing today’s hot-button issues. But Jesus tells us that the truth will set us free. Only by trusting in that promise will we find the courage and the fortitude to do what’s right—and say what’s true—in the face of criticism. Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

St. Mother Teresa's chapel was bare, austere, and simple, yet two simple words were written on the wall where a large crucifix hung: “I thirst.” What do you think these two words meant to Mother Teresa? Is this phrase simply a statement of God’s collective love for mankind, or did Mother Teresa understand it to mean more than that? Today’s episode begins by reflecting on this simple, yet amazingly profound phrase that reminds us of how much Jesus longs for love from each one of us. It ends with the reminder that the way to quench our Lord's thirst is by making time to encounter him in prayer.  Snippet from the Show Jesus thirsts for you. He thirsts for your soul, your love, your time, your attention, your surrender. The infinite God begs for your whole-hearted love—how often do you make time to quench his thirst? Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity If you’ve ever had the chance to visit a chapel of the Missionaries of Charity, you’ll notice that they are marked by three characteristics: simplicity, devotion, and austerity. However, in every chapel the sisters have a large crucifix, with the words “I thirst” painted next to it. These words are among the last words said by Jesus before dying on the cross, and they acted as a constant reminder to St. Mother Teresa about the Lord’s love for each one of us. The Theme of “Thirst” The word “thirst” can be found several times throughout the Bible and within the writings of the saints, but Mother Teresa had a special way of understanding this phrase. Often times, when people think of thirst, they think of people’s thirst for God, such as in Psalm 42: “As a heart longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” And in the writings of St. Augustine when he says: “...our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” However, another way we can look at thirst is through God’s love for each of us, and further, his thirst for souls. St. Mother Teresa takes this even further, explaining that it’s not just God’s thirst of souls in general, but a thirst for her soul, for my soul, and for your soul. She makes this thirst incredibly personal, saying: “At that most difficult time on the cross, Jesus proclaimed “I thirst.” People thought he was thirsty in an ordinary way and gave him vinegar, but it was not for that thirst, it was for our love, for our affection, that intimate attachment to him. He said “I thirst” instead of “give me your love.” “I thirst.” Let us hear him saying it to me, and saying it to you.” Putting This Into Practice Mother Teresa would often encourage her sisters to picture themselves as the subject of the Lord’s thirst, and we can do the same. Take some time to sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament and prayerfully imagine Christ calling out your name and saying, “I thirst.” For example, I’d pray, “Edward, I thirst.”  Mother Teresa gives further advice on this prayer, saying: “Just put yourself in front of the tabernacle, don’t let anything disturb you, hear your own name, and “I thirst.” I thirst for purity, I thirst for poverty, I thirst for obedience, I thirst for that whole-hearted love, I thirst for that total surrender. Are we living a contemplative life? Jesus I thirst for that total surrender.” What should be our response? How should we respond to this overwhelming thirst Jesus has for each one of us? Mother Teresa was in awe of this thirst—that the Lord, who’s so great a being, wanted her, little tiny her.  “[How bewildering] that God, who is so big, needs something from me. That he wants my love, he thirsts for my love, he begs for my love. I cannot understand it, I cannot understand it, I cannot understand it." Have you ever been overwhelmed by God’s love? The saints realized how profound God’s love was and how he craves our love and attention. The Woman at the Well If you look at this story under the original Jewish context, Jesus’ meeting with the Samaritan woman becomes much more powerful. Back then, Samaritans were seen as great sinners for their separation from Israel, intermarriage with pagans, and idolatry of pagan gods. Because of this, Jews did not have any relations or contact with the Samaritans. So Jesus spending time with a Samaritan, let alone a Samaritan woman who’s had several impure relationships, was wildly shocking.  Despite her past, however, Jesus seeks to give her a future with him. In John 4 we read that Jesus, for some reason, has a strong urge to go to Samaria, and no doubt to meet this woman. In fact, in John 4:4, Scripture tell us Jesus had to take this route to get to his destination of Galilee, saying: “He had to pass through Samar′ia.”John 4:4 Yet, it’s easy to see on a map that there are other routes Jesus could have taken to get to Galilee. In fact, going through Samaria would have been one of the tougher and more rugged paths to take, as he would have had to go through mountains and rocky terrain, not to mention through a city as hostile as Samaria. But Jesus “had to pass through Samaria” not for geographic reasons, but because he was on a mission. Love is what drove him to that well. And what does he say to the woman when he sees her? “There came a woman of Samar′ia to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”John 4:7 This theme of thirst again! The Lord needs something from this woman, this woman that everyone views as sinful and as someone with nothing good to offer. Yet, Jesus longs for her, he needs something from her, he thirsts for her. The Catechism points out that we become the woman at the well in our prayer. When we pray, the Lord reaches out to us, and expresses his need for us, even though we’re sinners.  Dying of Thirst Mother Teresa spent most of her ministry serving and aiding the poor and suffering of Calcutta. There were often times when she would encounter a person dying of thirst, and would do anything she could to get them water. Taking this practical example, Mother Teresa challenges us to ask ourselves, “Do I react the same to God’s thirst of me as I would a man dying of thirst?” How do we react when we feel God is calling us to do something? How do we prioritize our prayer? Do we view it as a chore or do we value our time of encountering God’s thirst? Mother Teresa says this about spending time with God: “Jesus longs for you. He misses you when you don’t come close. He thirsts for you.” Don’t think of prayer as an obligation, think of it as a response to the thirst the Lord has for you. Let’s make time to come close to him, to quench his thirst. Resources God with Us: Encountering Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew by Dr. Edward SriSubscribe to our show by texting allthingscatholic to 33-777 Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri