Explore every episode of the podcast Reflections from St. Ann DC

Would you rather be poor with Christ than rich without Him?

During communion, the celebrant says, "Pray my brothers and sisters that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to the Lord our God." Sacrifice is essential to our participation in celebrating the life and death of Christ. One way to fulfill our part of the sacrifice is to contribute to the annual appeal, which helps Catholic charities across DC.

This is why we can trust God when our life leads us "into the deep end."

Fr. Ivan emphasizes the significance of the Word of God and how we can better incorporate His Word into our lives and hear God's voice.

Meditate with us on Jesus' first miracle.

Msgr. Watkins reflects on the Church's role over 2,000 years in helping the faithful to understand what the Apostles witnessed in the time of Christ.

In this week's homily, meditate with us on God's words to His beloved Son Jesus: "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

What does the Baptism of the Lord mean to us?

Sometimes we imagine the Holy Family to have never suffered anxiety or problems - but that's simply impossible. They faced trials most of us will never face: Here's how they dealt with it.

What does Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer have to do with Jesus?

This Sunday, Monsignor Watkins reminds us to remember that Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birthday. We should celebrate the HOLY-day the way Christ would want; and give Him the gifts He would like to receive: for us to know Him, love Him, and Serve him.

This Sunday, Monsignor reflects on how blessed we are that our God humbles himself to become man so man may share in the divinity of God.

Fr. Ivan Pertine speaks about the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in the hearts of the holy, the Catholic Church, and the greater world on the Solemnity of Christ the King.

Fr. Maximo Stock describes how Jesus's teachings about the end of the world should bring with them a greater amount of seriousness in our lives.

This Sunday, Monsignor James Watkins reflects on beginnings and ends. He discusses the end of the liturgical year and the tendency of people to focus heavily on endings and beginnings. He remembers the departed souls and commemorates their life and new life in heaven.

In this week's homily, Fr. Maximo challenges us: No one is so poor that they have nothing to give. God will be generous with you.

This Sunday, Monsignor James Watkins invites us to reflect and be grateful towards those who have and continue to be incredibly generous towards us with their time, talent, and treasure; and invites us to find ways to bestow onto others the generosity we have received from Christ.

Fr. Ivan Pertine discusses what it takes to love the Lord with your whole heart, intellectual capacity, and personal will—wow!

Today Fr. Ivan Pertine speaks with us about learning from the saints and responding to Christ's call to holiness.

Miracles can happen! Hear a powerful testimony from longtime parishioner John Piunno on his healing journey from lymphatic cancer.

The month of October is dedicated to evangelizing in the Catholic Church. We are called to continue this vital mission of the Holy Spirit. Sooner or later, we are confronted with one obstacle: Is Christianity actually Good News, especially those who are doing well in this life, or for the young rich man in last weekend's Gospel? Yes, and here's why.

Why evangelize the young, rich man? Let's find out in this week's homily with Fr. Maximo Stock.

Fr. Ivàn Pertiné explores the good news about Jesus's teaching on matrimony and how to be open about it in the modern world.

Msgr. Watkins talks about how God's love is absolute, and how that is demonstrated through the unity of the Holy Trinity. He also discusses how marriage unifies 2 people into one body who exemplify God's love for humanity.

Jesus has different messages for outsiders and His disciples. Disciples are called fight harder against sin because they have received the fullness of the Gospels.

Just how important is memory?

Msgr. Watkins discusses the importance of not keeping focus on the substance of faith, even when when our attention may be drawn elsewhere.

Although some listeners thought Jesus was speaking metaphorically, He makes clear that His followers will literally eat his flesh and drink his blood. When we consistently do so, we become part of His sacrifice.

Sacrifices for atonement are universal throughout history and the world, but in Christ that sacrifice is made in its most perfect form.

Jesus wanted to give us the perfect gift. So He gave us Himself.

Jesus’ miracles point the crowds to his identity as the Son of God. We must interpret Jesus’ signs through faith, or we will not understand them.

Jesus is the one who can ultimately satisfy our desires, even as the world promises to feed us in other ways. As the world mocks the Christian faith, we are called to prayer and renewal.

What do we ultimately want? To be known and loved by God.

An attempt to find balance can prevent us from truly living in the way God calls us to. Jesus and the saints did not live with balance, but with radical love, passion, and ambition.

We are guaranteed to fail in a broken world, but God calls on us to try again and not be intimidated.

If we are truly attempting to live out our vocations, we will repeatedly fail. However, God calls on us to keep pushing through our failures.

This Sunday, Msgr. James Watkins reminds us how Jesus still performs miracles today, 2000 years later.

Msgr. Watkins reflects on the history of the incarnation, when Jesus becomes man. Jesus gets his human nature from Mary, and Mary gets hers from her parents Ann and Joachim. Let us reflect on this together, and take His humanity seriously.

"There are a lot of people in this congregation who are suffering right now," Msgr. Watkins said. "Don't dismiss it. Don't try to deny it. Don't try to make it go away. Give it to Him, right now, and He will take that faith through your weakness, and give you strength."

"He is moved by your faith if you're suffering."

Jesus' sacrifice, offered in every Mass, is infinitely greater than the sacrifices offered before Him.

This week, Msgr. Watkins tells a story recounting the innocence of our parish altar server, Joseph, connecting his childhood innocence to the trust and innocence Adam and Eve exhibited to God before their fall into temptation.

This week, for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Msgr. Watkins discusses misconceptions about Christianity regarding the Holy Trinity and the importance of all three Persons.

Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. In this Pentecost homily, Msgr. Watkins discusses the chance that such anniversaries offer us for reflection in our own lives, what the Lord's wish is in our lives, and the works of His Church.

This Sunday Msgr Watkins reminds us and the children receiving their First Holy Communion that God wants to be close to us. The Eucharist brings God so close, that He is within us.

Msgr. Watkins speaks on our need for a Good Shepherd who knows us and whose voice is known to us. A recent convert shares his experience encountering that Shepherd.

Christ expresses His resurrection in our lives by sharing with us authentic, pure joy.

The primary fact of Easter is that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, and we have lots of time to contemplate how it changes our lives. But first we have to believe in the resurrection.

We wish you a blessed Divine Mercy Sunday! Learn from St. John Paul II and St. Peter about the incredible mercy of God and the Resurrection of Jesus.

We are called to forgive not for the other person's sake, but for our own.

God the Father's blessing gives us the freedom to serve others without self-consciousness or shame.