All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

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.

It’s not enough to be open to God’s will. We must allow him to act in our lives.  A true Christian disciple doesn’t put parameters around God’s will. But when we truly surrender to His plan and give our “Fiat,’ He begins to act in us and through us in amazing ways.

What was Mary’s life like before the annunciation? Before that day when Gabriel announced she would become the mother of the messiah?  The Bible itself doesn't tell us a lot - only two verses about the pre-annunciation Mary. But Edward Sri unpacks them for all their worth to give us a truly Scriptural picture of Mary's early years.  

What are the stigmata? Why do some saints receive them? And what difference do they make for my life? Look beyond the bodily marks and discover something deeper: a soul totally conformed to Christ’s self-giving love.   

Do you ever feel your world is turned upside down? “Where is my life going?…Where is God?” Mary is right there with you. God drew her many times to step into the darkness and encounter Him there. In your darkness, turn to her, Our Lady of Sorrows.

You've heard of her care for the poor. But do know about her extraordinary interior life? “I have been burning with a longing to love Him as He has never been loved before.” - St. Mother Teresa.  

What does one do when the Pope is accused of being associated with covering up abuse in the Church?  On one hand, one must avoid rash judgment and jumping to conclusions. At the same time, Cardinal DiNardo (president of the US Bishop’s Conference) calls for a “thorough examination” of the questions surrounding Archbishop McCarrick. DiNarco wrote: “The questions raised deserve answers that are conclusive and based on evidence. Without those answers, innocent men may be tainted by false accusation and the guilty may be left to repeat sins of the past.” The Church needs heroes who will pursue the truth, wherever it leads. The Church needs heroic saints to guide us through this crisis. Will you do the heroic in your life?    

Many Catholics are feeling bewildered in the wake of horrific revelations about clergy abuse. We must, however, go deeper spiritually and theologically to face the present challenges. In times of sorrow and crisis, Scripture and the Catholic Tradition have always pointed to the three crucial acts of penance as a source of healing and hope.  But can my prayer, fasting and almsgiving really make a difference? Can these practices really help the Church through these troubled times and comfort the victims, their families and the wider community of believers and even unbelievers alike who have been effected by these atrocities?  Discover a Biblical response to the recent scandal in the Church.

Where do Catholics get the idea that Mary was assumed into heaven? Is there any Scriptural basis for this doctrine? Or is this just a Catholic exaggeration of Mary’s role in the Christian life?

When it comes to romantic relationships, people often question whether they should follow the head or the heart.  But what about our friendship with God?  Is the head or the heart more important in the spiritual life?   The two, of course, go together. If you want to love Jesus more, it's absolutely crucial that you form your mind with his truth. For every new thing you learn about God is another reason for loving him.  

How do you respond when you feel stretched: overwhelmed, in-over-your-head, drowning, not sure you’re up for the task?  Jesus reminds us to turn to him. He can make up for our deficiencies, just as he did that day when he fed 5,000 with only five loaves of bread.  

Do you know the one verse that gives the framework to the entire Gospel of Mark?  Edward Sri unpacks the opening of this Gospel, which the Church is focusing on this liturgical year.   

God wants to meet the real you - as you are - with all your weaknesses, wounds and faults.  As St. Therese of Lisieux once told her sister Celine, "You want to scale the mountain of sanctity. But God wants to meet you down low, in the fertile valley of humility." Only when we allow God to encounter us as we really are, can we be fully lifted up by his grace and transformed.

How do I experience the transformation God wants to work in my life? How do get my spiritual life from where it is now to where God wants it to be? It’s not enough to go through the motions of the faith and believe the right things. We must learn to follow Jesus each day as a disciple. Only then will we be "changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another" (2 Cor. 3:18). This presentation is based on Edward Sri's newest book, Into His Likeness: Be Transformed as a Disciple of Christ.

You become a Tabernacle when you receive Holy Communion—a holy dwelling place for the presence of God.  You also become like Mary: Just as Mary carried Jesus in her womb for nine months, you carry the Body and Blood of Jesus sacramentally within your soul in those moments after receiving the Eucharist. So when we sit down after Communion, this is not the time to look around and see who is at Mass or to develop your "parking lot exit strategy." This is the most intimate time we have with God. Edward Sri reflects on this mystery and offers three things we can do to make the most of this sacred time with Our Lord.

Love wants to be near the one it loves. That’s why Jesus remains close to us in the Eucharist. He gives us his very Presence in all the Tabernacles throughout the world - And He longs for us to draw near to him.  Do you make it a priority to meet him? To visit him in the chapel? To spend time resting in the presence of the One who loves us so much? Encounter the blessing and power of Christ's presence in the Eucharist for your daily life.  

Catholics talk about "The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass." But how was the Mass like those Biblical sacrifices of old - violent rituals with animals being cut up, set on fire and their blood being poured out on altars? The Mass I attended each week didn't look like that! But if we can understand Jesus' words at the Last Supper the way a first century Jew would, we'll come to see that Jesus didn't just give us his Body and Blood when he instituted the Eucharist. He gave us a way to encounter and enter into his sacrificial offering of himself on Calvary. Indeed, his sacrifice on the Cross is made present in every Mass. If we want to grow in sacrificial love, we want to participate more fully in the sacrifice of the Mass where we encounter sacrificial love Himself transforming our hard hearts a with his perfect love.

"He's a great guy, BUT...."   Many Christians have fallen into the sin of gossip with statements like this - statements that begin with a compliment but end with criticism.  Yet, sins of speech fall under the 5th Commandment, "Thou shall not kill." For when we gossip, we kill a person's reputation, which lives on long after they have died.  In this week's episode, Edward Sri shows how our speech can be used to build others up or tear them down.  Do we talk about others in an edifying way that gives life? Or do we tend to fall into complaining, negative humor and gossip?   

The emerging generation brings many gifts and energies. But fear of discipleship may keep many from being the best they can be. In this episode, Edward Sri traces how the Enlightenment and the 20th century psychology of self-esteem movement have shaped a generation of parents, educators and young people - making it harder for people to receive the tradition of the virtues and the "art of living." Dream big dreams - for your career, friendships & family. But root those big dreams in the little way of humility.

Do you take the Eucharist for granted? Yes, we know it's the Real Presence and that we "have to go" to Mass each week, but do we long for the Eucharist like the early Christians did? As we approach the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, Edward Sri reflects on three ways we can rise above the routine and deepen our devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist. Recorded in Rome, he sums up three reflections based on the early Christian devotion to the Eucharist that he shared with his pilgrims this past week in Rome.