Fr. Ivan Pertine explains this difficult Gospel that tells us to "hate" our family by hitting on three key points in his homily:

1) Put God first. Above everything. Everything.

2) Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Sacrifice.

3) Give Jesus everything. Turn it over to Him. If you can't, ask Him for the grace to eventually.

We hear from Jesus in today's Gospel in Luke 13 that some people will hear "I do not know you; depart from me..." when attempting to enter heaven. How can we be sure that Jesus will "know" us when we want to enter His Kingdom at the end of our lives? How can we develop a personal relationship with Christ here and now? Msgr. James Watkins explains in today's homily on the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time.

This Gospel message sounds weird to our ears. Msgr. James Watkins explains in this homily on the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time what Jesus is trying to tell us in the Luke 12 Gospel, verses 49-53:

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.’”

Msgr. James Watkins explains what it means to "be ready" and the precious gift of time.

Gospel of Luke 12:

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Gird your loins and light your lamps

Beginning with a prayer for the victims of the mass shootings this weekend in El Pasos, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, Msgr. James Watkins explains today's readings - "Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!" (Ecclesiastes 1) - in light of our own struggles with busyness, exhaustion, and making people, places and things "deities," when they possess us more than we possess them.

After visiting us and serving with us for three weeks, Fr. Deo has returned to Uganda. He gave these touching remarks at all Masses last weekend, thanking St. Ann’s parishioners for their generosity, prayers and kindness. #StAnn150

In this episode, meet St. Ann, the grandmother of Jesus. Hear about the history of art depicting this great saint, prayers and devotions to invoke her intercession, and popular pilgrimage sites that honor her. We even tell the story of a mini miracle that happened here at St. Ann's: Parish patroness, pray for us!

Speakers (in order of appearance):

We hear first of St. Ann in the non-biblical gospel of James. Childless after 20 years of marriage, Anna (as named in the book of James) and St. Joachim begged God for a child. An angel appeared separately to the two parents saying they would conceive a child to be called Mary, who was to be dedicated to God. Mary's parents were obedient and we have so much to learn from them and their daughter.