All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

Sometimes we think our intercession for others will work only if we say enough prayers or say the right ones, but the power of intercessory prayer lies in the love we put into the prayer and the love of our God who hears them. Dr. Edward Sri records this week’s episode from a place on the Sea of Galilee near Capernaum--where Jesus healed the paralyzed man who was lowered through a roof by his frie...

Purgatory often gets treated like a time out—the place you go because you did something bad—but it’s much more than that. Dr. Sri uses biblical images of fire and an analogy from St. John of the Cross to illuminate the Catholic teaching of purgatory. This episode will leave you with an essential truth about the all consuming love of God, motivation to continue your own spiritual growth, and severa...

Which biblical figure showed the most trust in God? Dr. Sri makes a good case for a man from the Gospel of John whose son is dying and explains how we can use his example to trust God more. Snippet from the Show “We can’t experience God’s providence unless we let go, unless we have confidence in his promise, unless we are willing to jump.” SHOWNOTES John 4:46-54 - So he came again to Cana in Galil...

What does the Bible say about praying to saints? Are there biblical foundations for the Catholic tradition of asking saints to intercede for us? Oftentimes we’re challenged by our protestant brothers and sisters with the question, “Why pray to saints when you can just pray to Jesus?” You’re not alone if you believe there’s a good answer to that question but struggle to explain it yourself. As All...

If you’re stressed or anxious, you will find great comfort in Pope John Paul II’s famous phrase: “Be not afraid … Open wide the doors to Christ!” In this episode of All Things Catholic, Dr. Sri explains the meaning behind Pope John Paull II’s words and shares a simple way you can begin bringing your fears and anxieties to Christ in prayer. Once you surrender those fears to Christ, you might be sur...

Do we really need a church? Why can’t we just be spiritual instead? Dr. Edward Sri explains not only why God gave us the Church, but why it is a gift for us and a necessity to be brought into a familial relationship with him. Snippet from the Show “God sent his son, Jesus Christ, and he set up a church. He gave his authority to the apostles and their successors to pass on his teaching.” Go to asce...

We’ve talked about the Biblical roots of the Hail Mary, but what about the Rosary? What makes this prayer so powerful that St. Padre Pio called it “the weapon for these times”? Dr. Edward Sri explains why the Rosary is not “vain repetition”, points to the Biblical source of each prayer in the Rosary, and gives practical advice on how we can better incorporate this impactful prayer into our daily l...

When we fall short, it’s easy to despair and berate ourselves for our failings. We’re tempted to turn our focus inward, and that’s exactly where the enemy wants us. Using the theology of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Dr. Sri explains how this is the opposite of what God wants us to do. When we fail, instead of navel-gazing, we can recognize our littleness and let the Lord into our hearts by surrendering...

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 ou...

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 Mar...

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—whic...

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...

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...

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 b...

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 pr...

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 K...

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 t...

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...

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. &...

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 ev...

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 ev...

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.