Why does Matthew start his Gospel with a genealogy? If you look at it from the point of view of a first century Jew, it’s completely captivating. These names reveal a lot about the history of God’s chosen people, and builds up to reveal the identity of the new king and Emmanuel, Jesus.

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“Jesus is Christ the King and Emmanuel, God with us.”

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“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.”

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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 lives.

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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 our shortcomings to him.

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Paradoxically, the real victory in the spiritual life comes from surrender. When you say, “Lord, I give this to you because I can’t do it on my own.”

SHOWNOTES

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Letter 243 - “As soon as God sees us convinced of our own nothingness — He stretches out His hand to us; but if we wish to attempt great things, even under the pretext of zeal, He leaves us alone. It is sufficient therefore to humble oneself and to bear our imperfections meekly: that is true sanctity.”

2 Ways to Surrender

1. Morning offering prayer
2. O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.

3. O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits ; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love.
   O my God! I ask Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in Heaven for all Eternity. Amen. (Offering Prayer by St. Thérèse of Lisieux)

4. Offer up your suffering.

5. Next time you face a trial or difficulty, use it as an opportunity to surrender your weakness to God. Say, “God, I give this to you.”

Resources
* Men, Women, and the Mystery of Love

• Story of a Soul

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4 Reasons We Struggle with Prayer

1. Sin - if we haven’t repented of our sins, it will be difficult to pray.
   
2. 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.
3. Humility - God may be trying to humble us.
4. 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.

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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

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