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The great gift of growing older is a cherished treasury of memories, memories of family and friends, memories of joyful celebrations and difficult moments, memories that make us laugh and smile, memories that bring a tear to our eyes, memories of a long life most of which has filled decades of our past and which sustain us in the present, for the future. Some of the people closest to us have gone home to God while many others continue to surround us with love. We pray for them all. Today is a celebration of all our memories and of the God who gave us all the gifts that have filled our lives. Today is a celebration of the faith that joins us all together in the present and of our gratitude for that faith.

When we encounter evil in the world --- and there is plenty of it --- our response might be to turn away from God, to reject God, even to doubt God’s existence. We may think or ask ourselves, “How can God exist if he lets such terrible things happen?” Murder. Assault. Rape. Drug abuse. Gang violence. Burglary. Rampant disregard for life at all its stages, hatred for other people, for property, for the environment? These are just some of the things that the women and men in law enforcement face each day and the experience can be, often is, very dark.

We begin again. The season of Lent begins with the imposition of ashes on our foreheads in the sign of the cross. The ashes are a “mark of our repentance,” the Liturgy tells us, a sign of blessing upon the “sinner who asks for God’s forgiveness.” We are surrounded by reminders of the journey that lies ahead of us in the next 40 days: vestments changed to purple, the color of penance; the Mass stripped of “alleluias;” readings focused on conversion; fasting and abstinence are required today and on the Fridays of the season. These are all signs that help us as we “begin again,” as we seek to “be reconciled to God.”

The theme of our conference today has been “Fearless 365.” It’s been pointed out that the words “do not be afraid” appear in the Bible 365 times. That’s an interesting coincidence since there are 365 days in the year. But what does it mean to be “fearless?” To know the answer, to be “fearless,” you have to know what “fear” is.

I want to engage your imagination for a moment. Suppose the Lord God appeared to you in a dream and said to you what he said to young Solomon in the First Book of Kings (1Kgs3:4-13), Ask something of me and I will give it to you. What do you think you would say? Does a response come to mind immediately? There were no conditions or boundaries attached when the Lord God spoke to Solomon … there wasn’t a lot of time either. Ask something of me and I will give it to you.

The tragedy of abortion has continued to repeat itself millions of times in the last 45 years since the United States Supreme Court rendered its decision in its landmark case, “Roe v. Wade.” Today, the anniversary of that wrong-headed judicial pronouncement is a day tinged with sorrow and regret. It is an example of the fact that what is legal is not always moral. It is not opinion or emotion that makes it so. It is the cold and sobering reality that what is ethically and morally wrong does not always find support in what a judicial body claims to be right and true. The silent voices of over 53 million souls in the United States alone make the case.

Memories are part of our lives as human beings. They bring us back to experiences that have formed and shaped us into the people we have become now … today. Christmas is one of those experiences that create many happy memories from our earliest years. We relive those memories every year as we celebrate Christmas again and again.

Every year, the entire world pauses on December 25 to remember the birth of a Child —- not just any child but the Christ Child, the Chosen One of God, the Messiah who had been prophesied and foretold from the beginning of human history.

Good morning everyone and welcome to our Co-Cathedral. This is the first time we celebrate Catholic schools together in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral. Our beautiful Cathedral is in Trenton but last year the Vatican gave me permission to name a second Cathedral --- a Co-Cathedral --- right here in the middle of our Diocese.

Consecrated life is a call to perfection ... but not a call to the perfect.

A homily by Bishop David M. O'Connell, C.M., Sept. 17 in the Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine, Freehold.

Following is Bishop David M. O’Connell’s homily from the Mass at the gazebo on Silver Lake in Belmar celebrated the morning of Aug. 13.

As Christians, we are all people of the Word: the Word of God; the Word Made Flesh in our Lord Jesus Christ.  The Word of God, the Word Made Flesh brings us together and addresses us — Bishop, priests — diocesan and members of religious orders — deacons, consecrated religious women, lay faithful of the Diocese of Trenton — at this Chrism Mass in our Co-Cathedral.

In his day, Jesus was a wonderment to the people who surrounded him. 

A few moments ago, we heard these words from the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy:

St. Gregory the Great Church, Hamilton Square | March 4, 2017

From St. Mary Cathedral, the Mother Church in Trenton, north to St. Joseph Parish in Keyport, south to St. Theresa Parish in Little Egg Harbor, west to St. George Parish in Titusville along the Delaware River, east to the parishes along the Jersey shore, the Diocese of Trenton rejoices in the elevation of St. Robert Bellarmine Church in Freehold to the dignity of a Co-Cathedral for our Diocese!

St. Luke’s Gospel today begins with the sentence: “The people stood by the cross of Jesus, watching” … watching.  What were they watching?  They were watching the final, dramatic moments of the Lord Jesus Christ as he hung on the Cross.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.  He is, perhaps, the most well known and popular saints of the Catholic Church.  We see him in paintings, pictures and statues dressed in his brown robe, with a rope belt around his waist, usually with his arms joyfully raised up in prayer, surrounded by birds and other animals.  It is easy to love and admire him.  And we do.  He is loved and admired so much, that even the Pope took his name, Pope Francis, the same way we take the names of saints when we receive confirmation.