From Father Steven - April 14, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • April 12, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

The world today is very confusing. Everything is polarized between the extremes. The TRUTH has disappeared and we are left with sociological constructs of what “most” people agreed to be the common view on different subjects. Although this new “truth” is decided by a few people, we are thrown into all this confusion. However, where do we stand in all of it? Do we agree with society or are we ready to make a stand?

 

The very first thing we need to do is to read the context in which we live. The Judeo-Christian society in which we grew up that held morals and had a pretty good grasp of what was right and wrong has almost disappeared. Many values were rewritten and spread so far and wide that has convinced us that bad things are “not so bad.” The content on TV and movies have brainwashed all of us to a new order of life. The consequence of consumerism is to desire what we don’t have, as if having it, it would make us happy. Putting all these elements together, it makes it very difficult for us to navigate in this world.

 

The second step is to become aware of what is happening in our surroundings and look back to Christ. He is the only TRUTH. However, we cannot look at Christ with the mentality of the world. Much less can we look at him with the projects and desires of our lives in our heads. Otherwise the Christ that we find is not the one of the Gospels, but rather the one of our imagination. Jesus invites us to love God with ALL our hearts, minds, and lives. It means that we are called to leave behind our personal desires, the projections that we have for our families, and accept with open arms what He gives us.

 

All these ideas bring us to the conclusion that we almost prefer to live the life of the world instead that of God. The main reason behind that is because we all like comfort and pleasure, and run away from any sufferings. We cannot understand or accept the sufferings, much less the cross. We forget about heaven and only look for our life on earth. It is a similar situation in which the apostles find themselves in the Gospel this weekend. They are blinded with the suffering of Jesus. The Messiah was supposed to throw the Romans out of Israel. He was supposed to be a ruler like David, strong and powerful. Instead, they find themselves confused with the image of the humble Christ who came to serve and not to be served. They cannot understand why Jesus had to suffer on the cross. Although the risen Christ appeared to them multiple times, they were still blind. We will hear this weekend, like the disciples of Emmaus, how Christ opened their eyes to understand the scriptures, “that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead…for the forgiveness of sins.” It is only by the crucifixion that Christ can love his Father with all his heart, mind, and life. It is by His suffering that He redeems all our suffering. It is by His death that we can have life everlasting. It is by his cross and resurrection that we can go to heaven. Therefore, we are called to step out of the world, of our thoughts and projects, in order to understand Jesus. He will say at the end of the Gospel that we the apostles (and us) are witnesses of all of it. Suffering, as inconvenient as it may be, is redemptive. There is a new way of living. Christ is not a ghost or a utopian. He comes to give us life, and life to its fullness/more abundantly (Jn 10:10). I hope you all have experienced that in some capacity. And if we have experienced that, then we are also called to be witnesses in the world. It is not a matter of politics and protests. Rather a new way of life that becomes attractive to the people around us. This is how the apostles evangelized. That is how the Roman Empire converted. This is the only hope that we have for our families and for the world. CHRIST IS RISEN AND HE DIES NO MORE, ALLELUIA.

 

Do not be afraid, brothers and sisters, to look and defend THE TRUTH. In the midst of all the confusion in the world, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He makes our path clear, and enlightens everything for us. This is the treasure that is buried in the field from the parable of Jesus. When we find it, we are called to sell all that we have to buy that field. This is what the saints have discovered and witnessed to us. This is nothing crazy. Remember, crazy is not to do that!

 

God Bless,

Fr Steven

 

From Father Steven - July 12, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • July 10, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week I would like to bring to your attention a very important matter. Recently, electronic cigarettes were developed, and they have become widely popular among teenagers today. Also known as vaping, they can have all sorts of shapes and colors, but they are nonetheless nicotine-based cigarettes that are immensely harmful to consumers. Here in town, there is a petition to ban the sale of nicotine products to the younger generation (the ban would be for anyone born after Jan. 1, 2010). Vaping is like smoking cigarettes; however, vapes are odorless, widely accessible, and very discreet. The electronic device can be as small as a USB drive. You may have seen people with a pen-like device that produces a white smoke, at times with a sweet smell. Many of the flavors come in fruit and candy flavors that appeal to youth. E-cigarettes produce an aerosol, which users inhale from the device and exhale. The aerosol can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including: nicotine; ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs; flavoring such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious lung disease; volatile organic compounds; cancer-causing chemicals; and heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, e-cigarettes are not safe for youth, young adults, pregnant women, or adults who do not currently use tobacco products. E-cigarettes have not been approved by the FDA as a smoking cessation device, and additional research is needed to help understand the long-term health effects of e-cigarette use. Furthermore, e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. According to the Surgeon General, because the brain isn’t fully developed until the mid-20s, youth and young adults are uniquely at risk for long-term effects of exposing their developing brains to nicotine. These risks include nicotine addiction, mood disorders, and permanently lowered impulse control. Nicotine also changes the way synapses are formed, which can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning. Another danger is that other substances may be used with vaping, such as cannabis/marijuana or other CBD or THC products, which could cause a person to become high. The latest reports from the CDC from 2024 show that 43.6% of students (both middle and high school) report current use of vaping. Another study reports that 63.9% of students who currently use e-cigarettes reported wanting to quit or having tried to quit. I have seen firsthand the destructive power of vaping among our youth. Unfortunately, many parents are not aware of their use. They even hide and use them in their schools. They are too young to understand the harm caused by vaping and the future consequences it can have. Nicotine pouches are increasingly more popular among youth. Therefore, in order to help them, we are supporting the Nicotine-Free Generation program that is currently being revised by the Board of Health, and it will be presented to the mayor. The idea behind it is to aid those already using nicotine products. The city will offer robust smoking cessation programs, ensuring adolescents and adults alike have the resources to quit. Additionally, by restricting access to nicotine products, we can deter adolescents from starting to use these harmful substances, significantly reducing the risk of lifelong addiction and potential cancer.  Therefore, at the end of the Masses for the next two weeks, we will be collecting signatures from those who would like to support this petition. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - July 5, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • July 2, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States, I would like to reflect with you on the words, “One Nation under God.” I am not sure how much these words have meant in your life. They can be one of those expressions that we hear all the time but never stop to reflect on their meaning. I confess that I did not have time to research their historical origins as I usually do. However, these words have always impressed me because they are proclaimed publicly as part of the foundation of this country. To be ONE nation requires a unity that does not come from men alone. Unfortunately, because of original sin, there is always mistrust among people. There is also the temptation to take advantage of one another for personal gain. God inspired the Founding Fathers to live the apostolic life, that is, in communion with one another. Only Christ is capable of changing the human heart so that we may truly love one another. Therefore, whenever suspicion arises, only love can overcome it. It is the love of Jesus, who, though He is God, made Himself the Lamb in order to give us His life. He taught us that the true way is not to reign through power. Rather, true victory comes through the humility and love manifested on the Cross. While hatred and jealousy condemned Christ to the Cross, His love forgave and redeemed us. Finally, if we are to be ONE nation, love must reign in our hearts. At this moment, when politics and ideologies have polarized and divided our people, we are called to be signs of Christ's love, like the Lamb who is capable of uniting one person with another.  The second part of the sentence is also very important. To be “under God,” we must submit ourselves, our plans, and our expectations to Him. The moment we surrender everything we have to God, He can transform it according to His design of mercy. As much as we may desire holy things, God says through the prophet Isaiah: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Is 55:8–9). Yet, there are times when we hold on to our own plans for dear life. We believe that we know what is best for ourselves and for those around us. How many discussions have we heard in which people passionately defend what should or should not be done? And how many conversations have we heard about people sincerely discerning God's will and asking Him for wisdom to understand and accept His plans? I do not mean any disrespect, but even Jesus, in His humanity, struggled to accept the plan of God in the Garden of Gethsemane. Yet, in the end, He desired not His own will but the will of the Father. The Lord invites us to love Him with ALL our heart, strength, and life. In other words, He invites us to live under God with everything we are and everything we have. As Americans, we are also called to entrust our country and everything that is happening to God. Only He knows what is best for us in the long run. Only He sees the whole picture of what lies ahead. Therefore, He alone can prepare us for what is to come, so that His love may reign forever and His will may be done on earth as it is in heaven, beginning with us. As the Gospel tells us this weekend, we are also called to be grateful and thankful that God has revealed His mysteries to us, the little ones. If today you feel burdened and tired by everything that is happening in the United States—and throughout the world—then listen to His voice: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Finally, let us learn from Him, who is meek and humble of heart. If anything is ever going to change, let it begin with us! God Bless, Fr. Steven