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Every now and then I pick up the book "Confessions", by St. Augustine, and reread parts that resonated with me, and there are many. I am drawn to the candor of his words and the hope and consolation that I derive from his writing. From the perspective of a sinner, I find it encouraging that a saint, bishop and Doctor of the Church struggled so profoundly with sin and then, through God’s grace and his mother’s prayers, overcame his struggles. From the perspective of a mother, St. Augustine’s poignant descriptions of his mother’s tender heart, unwavering faith and deep devotion to God offer solace to the weary of heart.

Lately, I feel like I have become one of the “older folk” I noticed at daily Mass throughout my life. Years ago I wondered why there were not more pressing things for them to do. Years later I realized that they were actually onto something and I was the oblivious one. They knew that Mass is the best way to start the day and the most important place to be on earth.

St. John Paul II asked women to consider Mary their inspiration for their special gifts, and a Seton Hall University professor elaborated on those gifts at the second annual Feminine Genius Brunch hosted by the diocesan Office of Human Life and Dignity.

I often hear that love is not enough for a relationship or marriage to work. Recently, I came across a popular podcaster who ran a whole episode based on that mistaken premise. “Love is not enough” has become a familiar cliché used to assuage a friend’s or one’s own relationship woes. Songs have even been written claiming, “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough,” as in the 1990’s hit single.

There was no shortage of fun and inspiration in St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Edison, April 20 as the Office of Youth and Adult Ministry held Diocesan Youth Day. Chika Anyanwu served as keynote speaker, and Bishop James F. Checchio issued a challenge to the youth to listen to God speaking.

My mother would often remind me that the key to her safety deposit box was in her sock drawer. When I looked in that drawer after she died, I discovered a little note card that she had left me. On the front was a picture of a sprouting flower and the words, “Where there is life, there is hope.” On the back she encouraged me to feel God’s peace in my heart, even amidst troubling times. That little card has given me much encouragement in hard times.

Though the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision was overturned, pro-life individuals must still testify to the value of life in all forms and at all stages, declared Bishop James F. Checchio at the annual diocesan Respect Life Mass held Jan. 21 in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen.

“The true goal of marriage is for each spouse to help the other get to heaven.” I heard those words in a Theology of the Body class some years ago. The teacher referenced an impactful homily given by Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, Preacher of the Papal Household since 1980. 

The diocesan Virtual Women’s Group has broadened their horizons and expanded their knowledge of the Church and its teachings without ever leaving home.  Through listening to the podcast “Catechism in a Year” by evangelizer Father Mike Schmitz, individual study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and weekly Sunday Zoom meetings, the group completed the program Jan. 1 of this year.

There are heavenly choirs of Seraphim and Cherubim, Thrones and Dominions, Virtues, Powers and Principalities, Guardian Angels and Archangels. And there is St. Michael the Archangel, fierce warrior against evil, conqueror of demons, chief of princes, defender of faith, and patron of soldiers, police and doctors. Hailed as “the great prince who has charge of [God’s] people” (Daniel 12:1), his name means, “Who is like God?”

The ancient truism, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,” was truly evident the weekend of the Eucharistic Congress held Oct. 20-22 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, N.Y. In spite of the wet, chilly weather roughly 8,500 people flocked to the holy grounds, once the 17th century Mohawk village of Ossernenon, where three of the eight Jesuit missionaries, today known as the North American Martyrs, gave their lives while spreading the Gospel to Native American peoples.

“Feminine genius,” a phrase coined by Pope St. John Paul II in his 1995 Letter to Women, speaks of how women possess God-given gifts – receptivity, sensitivity, generosity and maternity – and describes how women exhibit an “affective, cultural and spiritual motherhood” which has “inestimable value for the development of individuals and the future of society.”

A state-of-the-art marriage prep program with God as its center is engaging couples in the Diocese of Metuchen. “God’s Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage,” based upon Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body,” aims to provide couples a more complete understanding of God’s plan for marriage and the gift of human sexuality.

On June 16, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted overwhelmingly in favor of a 10-year plan to address the pastoral needs of Hispanic/Latino Catholics.

I happened to catch a news segment recently of a woman enthusiastically describing the events of her wedding… after marrying herself. Her vows consisted of the following: Do you promise to value yourself? Do you promise to give yourself grace? Do you commit to praying and finding the answers within yourself? After responding yes to all she then asked everyone present to marry themselves too. A bag with a ring in it had been placed on the chairs of all of her guests.