When I was a parish priest I wrote a short article for the bulletin each week.  Then, you know, people read the bulletin, at least the ones who read it during the homily. 

Most people still enjoy reading. Sitting down to read not so long ago was a very ritualized thing.  A book, maybe a favorite chair, maybe a favorite cup of tea.  Now words come at us from every side at every moment.  Most words now are electronic on various devices.  They make it so much easier for words on the run. I still like that encounter with a good book, sitting down the old-fashioned way. 

With words coming so fast and furious it is important to listen to the words in light of The Word, Jesus Christ.  Many of the voices are not of God.  The news we hear from so many different media outlets is often biased against the Church. 

Our values are counter-cultural; some of our teachings are a struggle to follow. Perhaps, most importantly, we must remember that the words we use should always be used in love, particularly when they are challenging.

If you have read this far, you must be a regular reader of The Monitor.  In print and online this is an invaluable resource that I hope we are using to the fullest.  February is Catholic Press month, so we have a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the value that good Catholic press can have for us individually and as a diocese. 

Looking at each issue of The Monitor I see a great deal of teaching taking place. The catechetical value is reflected in the teaching done by our chief teacher, the bishop, as well as the many articles that proclaim the truths of our faith with clarity, the content presented to deepen our relationship with our Blessed Lord through prayer and the Sacraments, and our shared witness to justice and peace. 

Perhaps the greatest value the paper has is that it teaches us who we are, that is, that we are a diocese lived out through our parishes, but embracing a common vision. We see articles about the many ways we live our life in our Mother Church, St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral in Trenton. We see that we are united in supporting and caring for all of our works of outreach to the suffering, the vulnerable and the marginalized.

We see in the words and images presented that our faith is being taught and lived with enthusiasm in our four counties, and that we are beginning to focus on reaching out to inactive Catholics.  In word and image we see that there is a very different Church than the one portrayed in the secular press. 

In The Monitor, we see words that remind us that we are speaking the truth, with love, as we care for and lead others to Christ.