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METUCHEN — Rosemary Kern has spent more than three decades involved in God’s gift of sexuality; the Church’s teaching about and what role it plays in people’s lives from youth to adult. To Kern, the retired manager of the Project Respect Ed program at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick, the lessons she has taught have been more than just teaching sex education to youth.

What does it mean to live a moral life? Most of us would immediately answer by invoking the name of Jesus and stating that following in the footsteps of Christ is to live a moral life. This includes, among other things, that we must make sacrifices if we want to be followers of Jesus. In the Gospel of Luke, we read: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk 9:23). That doesn’t mean we have to do something so big that it makes it onto the evening news. Neither do we have to fast all of the time or pray most of the day into the night.

Curiously, the Jews have no feast for any of the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac or Jacob. They have no special festival in honor of Moses. There is nothing prescribed on the Jewish religious calendar to pay tribute to the three great kings: Saul, David or Solomon. They do however, have a yearly observance of the life of a great queen.

January is a month when we take time to reflect on the sanctity of human life at all stages and in all conditions. I recently had the privilege of joining with more than 100,000 people from across our country standing up for life in Washington, D.C., including hundreds from our own diocese — from our parishes, the Catholic Center at Rutgers University, home school families and our high schools. The opening vigil Mass at the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, along with the Mass the morning of the March at the Capital One Arena were so moving. The Mass at the Shrine had about 10,000 in attendance while some 17,000 youth and young adults filled the Capital One Arena. After Mass, many young people filled the streets of Washington as the March began. It was such a sign of hope for our country and encouraging for all who attended. Many people are willing to stand up for life!

This past Sunday, Feb. 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the Church celebrated World Day for Consecrated Life. Hearts were lifted in prayer and gratitude for all those who have dedicated their life to Christ. Pope Saint John Paul II instituted this day in 1997 to recognize nuns, monks and hermits who lead a contemplative life, as well as to show appreciation to religious sisters and brothers, and consecrated virgins who live an apostolic life.

Pope Francis has declared this coming Sunday to be the “Sunday of the Word of God,” a special annual celebration reminding us that “the word of God can enable the Church to experience anew how the risen Lord opens up for us the treasury of his word and enables us to proclaim its unfathomable riches before the world” (Aperuit Illis, 2).

Article 132 - Catechism of the Catholic Church Series Paragraphs 1730 -1742 Did you know that it is a capital offense to practice the Catholic faith in places like Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia? It is no exaggeration to say that “freedom,” a gift given to us by God, is something that citizens of certain countries are prohibited from exercising, especially with regard to their religious faith. In fact, some national leaders insist that freedom is not a right that people have, but a privilege given to them by the state. There is no real semblance of “freedom” in these countries nor in others like them, especially regarding the practice of Christianity.

Early in my priesthood, the late Bishop Edward T. Hughes asked me to head the Commission for Ecumenism and Interfaith Affairs. This made sense to me since I had written my Master’s thesis on “Dialogue between Lutherans and Catholics on the Eucharist.” My enthusiasm about the subject matter, perhaps due to the proximity of the Lutheran seminary in Gettysburg, Pa. to my seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. enabled me to delve into some productive and contemporary research. It was not long after I received the position that antisemitism reared its ugly head in New York, in Crown Heights in particular. So, WWOR in Seacaucus asked if I would tape a public service announcement about the relationship between these bias crimes and what I perceived to be the best way to squelch this problem, I agreed to cooperate with enthusiasm.

As Bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen, one of my great joys is to be able to spend time with the young people of our Diocese in many different settings. Each weekend, as I visit our parishes, I have the opportunity to see many families and hear from the children on any number of topics! They are always filled with questions! My visits to our Catholic schools are always a great gift that brings me joy and hope for our world.

Editor’s note: The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Jan. 18-25, has been celebrated for more than 100 years. In observing the week, Christians move toward the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper “that they may all be one” (cf. John 17:21), according to the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Among the poems my dad would often recite from memory was a poem called “Trees” by New Brunswick, New Jersey native Alfred Joyce Kilmer. I fondly recall the opening line: “I think that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree;” and the final line would always bring a smile to my face: “Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.”

(Editor’s note: Father Sirianni, pastor, St. Helena Parish, Edison, recently spent three days with Catholic Extension in the United States Virgin Islands in one of the poorest dioceses in the United States. Since Catholic Extension was founded in 1905 by Father Francis Clement Kelly in Lapeer, Mich., the now Chicago-based Papal Society has contributed more than $500 million — $1.2 billion in today’s dollars — to poor mission dioceses in the U.S. where the faith is thriving but the resources are scarce. Below is an excerpt from a message from Father Sirianni to his parishioners about the visit.)

WATCHUNG – Bishop James F. Checchio issued the newest pastor of St. Mary-Stony Hill Parish a loving challenge at his installation Dec. 8, saying his task would be “to help us open our hearts more widely to Jesus so that his presence may fill us and all those we encounter each day.”

Did you ever wonder: “Why did Jesus ask to be baptized?” After all, the Church teaches that Christ shared in our humanity in all ways but sin. So, if Jesus was without sin, why would he ask for something that he really did not need?

METUCHEN – With a worshipful mix of prayer, song, veneration and reverent pageantry, Catholics of Filipino descent honored the Virgin Mary Dec. 15 during the opening Mass of a nine-day novena known as Simbang Gabi.

On the Solemnity of the Epiphany, I started a week retreat together with the bishops of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Be assured that I am praying for you during my retreat, but I also ask that you pray for me, too. The Epiphany was a great day to begin a retreat, a longer period of intense prayer.

This Sunday, we celebrate the great feast of the Epiphany, the manifestation of Jesus’ glory. Like Christmas itself, the Epiphany is one of the most ancient feasts in Christendom, having been observed as early as the mid 300's in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire. Actually, immediately after the legalization of Christianity, the Church borrowed the pagan festival known as the “Birthday of the Unconquered Sun” and baptized it as the Epiphany, the feast of God’s Son gloriously shining among his people. By doing so, the Church was able to re-direct people’s allegiance from the pagan deities to Jesus Christ.

EASTON, Pa. ­­ — The concept of retreat can have a negative connotation. It usually brings to mind a situation where an army or another group is forced to move back or withdraw after a defeat. But in the context of the Catholic spiritual practice, the withdrawal is not because of a defeat but to allow a period of reflection and renewal to strengthen an individual or a group in a desire to follow Our Lord’s command to “Take up your cross and follow Me” (Mt 16:24).

METUCHEN — Standing before a banner of Our Lady of Guadalupe bedecked with fragrant roses, Bishop James F. Checchio issued a challenge to the faithful seated within the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi Dec. 12: their work had only just begun.

Article 130 - Catechism of the Catholic Church Series Paragraphs 1699 -1709 As Director of the Propagation of the Faith for the Diocese of Metuchen, I often make appeals for the poor in missionary lands. I once made this suggestion in an appeal talk: “Imagine as you place your monetary gift into collection basket that you are really placing it into the pierced hands of Jesus, who died on a cross to save you...”