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 - May 10, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • May 8, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Since leaving high school, I do not think I had ever opened the Britannica Encyclopedia again. Yet while preparing for this weekend’s theme, I came across a very interesting entry: Mother’s Day. I had never really wondered how this celebration began. After doing some research, I discovered how it developed through different cultures and times, including a tradition in England when the faithful would visit the church where they had been baptized — their “mother church.” The modern observance of Mother’s Day traces back to Anna Jarvis, who honored her mother, Anna Jarvis, in 1908. After the Civil War, Anna Jarvis promoted reconciliation between Union and Confederate veterans. One day, she offered a prayer during Sunday school that her daughter never forgot: “I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial Mother’s Day commemorating her for the matchless service she renders to humanity in every field of life.” Those words remained deeply in her daughter’s heart. After her mother’s death, Anna Jarvis began advocating for a special day dedicated to honoring mothers. In 1908, the first Mother’s Day service was held at her mother’s church in West Virginia. A few years later, every state celebrated Mother’s Day, until President Wilson declared it a national holiday. In many ways, the figure of a mother resembles Christ Himself, who “came not to be served, but to serve.” Mothers are often behind the scenes, taking the last place and putting the needs of others before their own. Much of their hard work and countless sacrifices may go unnoticed, yet God, “who sees in secret, will repay you.” Certainly, it feels good to receive recognition and praise, but our first calling is to please God. Jesus commands us to love one another as He has loved us, and He says nothing about seeking recognition. In fact, throughout the Scriptures, Jesus repeatedly avoids drawing attention to Himself. Many times, He even tells people not to speak about what He has done. In our digital age, when people often share everything publicly, Jesus reminds us of the beauty of doing good quietly and humbly. The Gospel also tells us that the Son of Man came to serve and “to give His life.” In a similar way, mothers are constantly giving their lives for others. The sacrifice of self-denial is among the greatest acts of love. Just as Christ died so that we might live, mothers often deny themselves so that others may flourish. Whether it is caring for the home, cooking, cleaning, gardening, helping the children, finding everything for everyone, or all of the above, their daily sacrifices make an enormous difference, even when they go unnoticed. Therefore, regardless of our age, let us take a moment to reflect on how often our mothers denied themselves for our sake. Let us remember all they have done in loving service to us. They may not have been perfect, but in most cases, they gave us way more than their best. Today, inspired by Anna Jarvis, let us honor mothers “for the matchless service [they render] to humanity in every field of life.” To all mothers — those here on earth and those already in heaven — THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.  God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - May 3, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • May 1, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, It is with great joy that today we celebrate our First Communion. I don’t know how much you remember from the day you received your First Communion. Unfortunately, I also remember very little. Last week, I asked one of the children who had received their First Communion how it felt, and more than the words they used, you should have seen the joy in their smile. Lucky for us, this weekend we can experience their joy as well, because each time we receive Communion it is just as amazing as the first time. When we do something so often in life, we can easily take it for granted, and it can become routine. However, we need to be careful that receiving The Body and Blood of Christ does not become routine. Each time is different. The other day, I was reading the reflections of St. Alphonsus Liguori on the Eucharist and thinking about the experiences that some of the saints had while receiving Communion. For instance, some saints had mystical experiences with Jesus after communion. St. Giuseppe of Cupertino would levitate at Communion. He also levitated at the mere thought of Jesus (even church bells would draw the saint closer to heaven). There are some people who lived being fed only by The Body of Christ. This miracle is called “inedia.” Some lived for more than 10 years solely on the Eucharist. Imagine how impressive that is. I have capitalized the “T” in “The Body of Christ” because it is The one and same Body that was born of Mary and was crucified on the Cross. When we receive Communion, we receive the very Body of Christ. It is not an image, a representation, or a symbol. There is a transformation of the substance of bread into The Body of Christ during consecration. We call it “transubstantiation.” In history, some people have failed to understand it, and this has caused great misunderstanding and error in other beliefs. For instance, Protestants do not believe that The Body of Christ is in the Eucharist. As the children have prepared themselves over the past two years, it is also important that we prepare ourselves to receive Communion. We often urge you to begin by preparing your souls by going to confession. Then, we should also dress up for such the special occasion. It would also be nice to arrive early, find good seats, and pray before the beginning of Mass. I understand that at times things happen as we come to church that delay us. However, as much as possible, it is important to arrive early, and prepare ourselves for this special moment. We hear in the Gospel that Jesus has prepared a place in heaven for us. He gives us His Body to strengthen us in that journey. Let us not miss this great opportunity. As the children receive their Communion for the first time, let us also have the same attitude and awe this Sunday! God Bless, Fr. Steven