From Father Steven - December 1, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • November 29, 2024

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 
















Please see the letter below from Fr. Gabriel about Advent and our upcoming festivities.






















God Bless,










Fr. Steven








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Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

 

While it has been nearly six months since my ordination, it still feels like it took place just yesterday. How quickly the time has flown by! Please take a moment with me to ready ourselves for the approaching festivities.

 

In order to better prepare for the coming season of Advent, we have to recover its original meaning by taking a closer look at just what it is we are celebrating.

 

Too often the arrival of Advent comes only as a reminder to put up decorations and shop for gifts. More than preparing for the arrival of the holidays, Advent is really a preparation for the arrival of a person, Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, the word advent is derived from the Latin meaning “to come” or “approach.” The book of Revelation sums up the spirit of Advent best when our Lord says, “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega…’ who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” 

 

Throughout the first part of Advent, lasting from the first Sunday of Advent (Dec. 1st this year) up until December 16th, the Church has us prepare for Jesus as the one “who is to come.” All of the readings point to Jesus’ second coming that will happen suddenly and may catch us by surprise if we are not prepared; one of the oldest prayers of the Church is “Come, Lord Jesus,” because we are called to expect his return with the loving eagerness of a bride who awaits the bridegroom that seeks to be with his beloved. 

 

The second part of Advent starts on December 17th, counting nine days until the celebration of Christmas, with special prayers to ready our hearts to celebrate that Jesus is also the one “who was;” rejoicing because the Lord has been made flesh, he has come to dwell among us and to save us. This celebration does not end on Christmas day, but continues for twelve more days, expressing just how overjoyed we are at the sight of God’s love for us, shown by His coming into the world.

 

And the Church always sees Jesus as the one “who is,” because everyday he comes to us when we listen to the Word of God, when we meet with our neighbor, but most especially, in his abiding presence in the Eucharist. 

 

Along with the coming of Advent, I would also like to take the time to cordially invite you to the Feast of our parish and our Patroness, The Immaculate Conception. This year Father Steven has kindly asked me to prepare the three talks for our Triduum leading up to the Feast. Since we belong to the same Church, our community shares one mind and one heart, that is why in the Gospels Mary shares with us her memories of Jesus so that we may be evermore united to her and to him. And so for this year's theme, I will be preaching on Mary’s Memories, drawing on three instances from her memory given to us in the Gospels. Each night we will have the opportunity to reflect and meditate together, so as to experience the nearness of our mother.

 

The Triduum will begin on THURSDAY DECEMBER 5TH, AND WILL CONTINUE ON THE 6th AND 7th. WE WILL GATHER IN THE UPPER CHURCH EACH NIGHT AT 6:00PM. Leading up to our big Trilingual special mass on Sunday at 6:00pm which will be the eve of the Holy Day. This mass does not count towards our Sunday obligation so we will go twice this weekend to mass. Since the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is so important, even though it will be on Monday, it is still a day of Obligation. Besides Sunday, we will have our normal day of obligation schedule on Monday at 7:30am, 12:10pm, 6:00pm in English, 7:30pm Portuguese and 7:30pm Spanish in the lower church.  Feel free to invite friends and family to our celebrations, as all are welcome.

 

Thank you for all of your support, I am happy to be your priest.


 

God Bless,











Fr. Gabriel






















 


From Father Steven - March 1, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • February 27, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week we will hear how Jesus goes up the mountain and is transfigured before His apostles. God also wants us to be transfigured according to His image and likeness. However, how far are we willing to go? This weekend, we will see Archbishop Henning urging us to participate in the mission of the Church. It is not only a matter of helping financially, but also of serving with our own hands and feet. The Archdiocese supports the work of parishes in many ways. It also helps us priests in various times of need. Furthermore, it carries out many initiatives to serve the people of God, including the deaf and mute ministry, immigrants, seminarians, and those seeking a declaration of nullity (also known as annulments). Our contribution goes a long way. We are all called to be part of the mission of the Church. We are also encouraged, at the local level, to help in whatever ministry God calls us to—whether St. Vincent de Paul, one of the pregnancy help centers in the city, the community cupboard, or the bereavement ministry. It can be something as simple as inviting people back to church, bringing their prayer intentions to Mass, or helping those around you, beginning in your own home. The transformation that God wants to accomplish in us also affects our spiritual lives. Helping others is certainly a great start, but we also need help ourselves. God is a jealous God, as we hear many times in Scripture. He will not allow us to forget Him. Nor will He allow us to continue living in sin and vice. However, He cannot act unless we give Him permission. He wants to purify us from every stain of sin that may affect us. A little bit of pride, envy, laziness, or resentment cannot remain. Every sin is serious. It kills the divine life within us. It separates us from the love of God. As Jesus goes up the mountain, He reveals the glory that will be given to Him. However, this glory will come through His painful Passion. Are we willing to be purified through a similar purification? How far are you willing to allow God to transform your life? It is never too late to begin living with God. Perhaps we say our prayers and consider ourselves good people, yet we are not willing to go deeper. The Lord is patient and persistent. There are times when we feel called to go to confession, to attend adoration, or to participate in one of the Church’s activities, but we resist. It is time to let the Lord enter fully into our lives. As Pope Saint John Paul II said at the beginning of his pontificate, “Do not be afraid to open wide the doors of your heart to let Him enter.” We have about 30 people, between teenagers and adults, who will be baptized in our parish this Easter. Others will be receiving First Communion, and still others will be received into full communion. For one reason or another, they fell off the path and are now returning. There are also a good number of couples getting married who have lived together for many years. God is also calling us to follow His path. It is different for each one of us. So let us pray during this time and ask the Lord what He wants us to do and how to love Him with all our hearts. And let us not be afraid—He has conquered all our fears. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - February 22, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • February 20, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, We begin this holy and wonderful time of Lent with the image of the desert, as we will hear in the Gospel. The time of Lent is like a desert, or like the exodus of the people of Israel passing from the slavery of Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land. The image of the desert is very important for the people of Israel. In the Scriptures, it is a privileged place to meet the Lord. There is no food, no comfort, no distraction—only sand and more sand. It is in the desert that God reveals Himself. He speaks to the people. In the Hebrew tradition, it is in the desert that God marries His people. In our daily lives, we get lost with so many worries, projections, and expectations. In the desert there is nothing. We are forced to depend on God, even though we do not like to depend on others. We prefer to be independent. There, either you trust God, or you die. In this strange place, God provides food (manna and quails), shelter (the cloud that accompanied the people), and water (from the rock). As in marriage the couple becomes one, so it is with the Lord, who wants to be one with us. The time of Lent is a spiritual desert. We do not eat meat on Fridays, we fast, we abstain from electronics, we give up activities that we like, we become poor by giving alms—and only then can we see God more clearly. However, if we do not empty ourselves this Lent, we will not see the Lord, much less listen to Him. Like the people of Israel, we will be circling around for a long time. We began Lent with the imposition of ashes. We were reminded that we are dust and that we need to convert. Through vices, sins, and bad habits, we are not as free as God wants us to be. At times we do things only to please others, out of social pressure, or to keep up an image. In this way (and in other ways), we are enslaved in order to fit in. We are incapable of loving with 100% of our hearts. This Lent, God wants to make the journey of exodus with us. For that, we need to begin in Egypt. As Moses listened to God and did His will, so we are called to do the same. Therefore, we will need to silence the noise and the distractions around us. Like in the episode of the burning bush, we are called to draw closer to the Lord and “see the marvelous sight.” That is called prayer. It is not a matter of only reciting words; it is a dialogue with God. Which means that as we speak, we also need to listen. Today, no one teaches us how to contemplate what God is doing in our lives. Stop for 20 minutes each day and think or contemplate what graces you have received recently, what difficulties God has helped you overcome through these years. What is going to be the next step on your journey? In which direction is God pointing you? What will be your next mission? Unless we stop and simply listen to Him, we will be deceived by our own thoughts and by temptations, like Adam and Eve. We will also have a great opportunity to listen to Him during the one-day Lenten Mission that Sister Olga will lead for us on February 28th. She is a very inspired woman. It is a great privilege for us to be able to host her. It will be free, but we do ask you to register so that we can have an idea of how many people will attend. That morning, she will also have a special time with the women. Do not miss this opportunity. Last but not least, like last year, we will be giving out Lenten boxes to help us give alms. As Jesus says, “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” All the money collected will be given to St. Vincent de Paul to help the poor of the parish and of the city of Marlboro. Additionally, if you give up coffee or soda during Lent, put in the box the money that you are not spending. Be aware that there are a lot of people who need help, more than ever. So if you would like to make an additional contribution, you can use the poor boxes located at the exit of the church. May the Lord assist you in this holy campaign of Christian service as we take up the battle against spiritual evils, and may we be armed with the weapons of self-restraint. God Bless, Fr. Steven