How do you change the world around you? How are we supposed to influence the people in our lives so that they can know Christ? Dr. Sri shares the story of St. Benedict and encourages us to follow his example of seeking interior renewal so that we can renew the world for Christ.
Snippet from the Show
If you want to be someone who influences the world, someone who makes a difference for Jesus Christ, you have to be willing to pull back from the world.
Shownotes
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Story of Benedict
St. Benedict was born in Italy and eventually went to Rome for his studies. However, in Rome, he was exposed to the debauchery and immorality that existed in the city. He desired to be faithful to God but felt the difficulty to be holy amidst all of the evil. So, Benedict ran away from Rome and fled to Subiacho. He sought out interior renewal so that he could cause a renewal in the world.
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI chose the name “Benedict” because he saw us living in a similar world to the one that St. Benedict experienced. Pope Benedict XVI saw that we were no longer living in a Christian culture. It had been dismantled. Christian values had been diminished throughout much of the world. It was his desire to take the name “Benedict” so as to follow the lead of St. Benedict.
Quote from Alasdair MacIntyre
And if the tradition of the virtues was able to survive the horrors of the last dark ages, we are not entirely without grounds for hope. This time however the barbarians are not waiting beyond the frontiers; they have already been governing us for quite some time. And it is our lack of consciousness of this that constitutes part of our predicament. We are waiting not for a Godot, but for another—doubtless very different—St. Benedict.”
We Need St. Benedict’s Humility
The culture around him affected him and he admitted it. He did not underestimate the lures of the world. We too need to acknowledge the temptations that surround us. How much does the world have a hold on us? How tempted are we by wealth, notoriety, comfort? We must resist the temptations of the world and that starts with being humble and admitting that we are tempted.
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Resources
- Visit Dr. Sri’s website at www.edwardsri.com and to book online events with Dr. Sri email events.edwardsri@gmail.com
- Find more of Dr. Sri’s episodes at www.ascensionpress.com/allthingscatholic
- Ascension is pleased to offer our new and improved online bible study programs and sacramental preparation programs digitally to help you minister with flexibility. Go to www.ascensionpress.com to view all our offerings
Dr. Edward Sri is a theologian, well-known Catholic speaker, and author of several best-selling books. His work with Ascension includes study programs such as A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk Through Christ’s Passion and Mary: A Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother. Several of Dr. Sri’s programs were filmed on-site in the Holy Land, and feature immersive video explorations of the sacred sites where Jesus, Mary, and the Apostles lived and died.
Dr. Sri is the host of the acclaimed Ascension podcast All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri. Together with Curtis Martin, Dr. Sri is a founding leader of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), of which he serves as senior vice president of Apostolic Outreach.
Dr. Sri lives with his wife Beth and their children in Colorado.
