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. Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

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 Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

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.Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

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.Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

  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?  Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

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/podcastSupport All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

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.Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

“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.comSupport All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

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.Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

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.Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri