From Father Steven - December 15, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • December 13, 2024

 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

The third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudette Sunday. It means “Rejoice.” It comes from the mass antiphon which quotes where St. Paul exhorts to the Phillipians, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice.” However this season is not necessarily joy for some of us for different reasons. 

Every holiday we miss our departed loved ones in a special way. We remember that person used to host Christmas dinner, bring their special recipe or say those famous jokes and no longer is with us. It is ok to miss our loved ones. It means that we still love them, and St. Paul says that love never ends. Maybe someone is struggling during this time with illnesses, family issues, or personal difficulties. It is extra hard to feel sad while everyone is jolly happy. It is also a stressful season with all the preparations, last minute shopping, anxiety about Christmas dinner and relatives, and traveling. Then, how can we rejoice? 


This Sunday the Lord comes to fill our hopes. The difficulties in life that weigh us down often brings a sense of failure. As if we were not good enough or were not able to fulfill our obligations. In a world that we are taught to succeed, failure can be devastating. That is why St. Paul invites to REJOICE IN THE LORD. Only in God there is hope for everything!!! The world only brings us anxiety and stress, while Christ, King of Peace, brings us comfort. In the first reading we hear how the people of Israel, while in exile, saw a glimmer of hope. The hope of the coming of the Messiah. In the song, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” which I invite you all to carefully look at the lyrics, calls for the people to rejoice, because the Lord is coming. Today I say the same to you! If you are struggling for whatever reason, Rejoice, because the Lord is coming to save you! He is coming to rescue us from our failures, sins, frustrations, sadness, and everything else that makes us lose hope or despair. 


The color ROSE, not pink, wore this weekend, signifies that the sun is almost out. It is the sign the Messiah is almost here we say. However, if we carefully look at the rise of the sun, it is already here. We just cannot see it yet. The same is with the Lord. It is not a matter that the Lord will come. THE LORD IS HERE! We just can’t see him in his fullness just yet. The announcement of the coming of the Messiah at the end of times speaks of his triumphant return. However, He is with us. Then we can rejoice, because the help that we had for so long is here. We are no longer alone in our struggles. This is the reason for us to rejoice. THERE IS A WAY OUT OF ALL THAT TROUBLES US. The Lord announces that our captivity in this sadness is conquered. It is only a matter of time. Even the pain of the separation of our loved ones that cannot be with us for Christmas for whatever reason, the Lord announces that soon will be over. We shall be reunited with our loved one soon, whether in this world or in eternal life. Do not look at your pain right now, but rather look up to the Lord. The pain passes, but not the Lord. 



I invite you this week to say a special prayer for our brothers and sisters who are struggling these days. May the Blessed Mother console them and strengthen them on their journey. 

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven


From Father Steven - May 17, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • May 15, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This weekend we celebrate the ordination of Father Javier! It is always a great privilege for us to witness the transformation of a young man into a priest, a servant of God configured to Christ. This weekend, I would like to reflect with you on the different vocations to which God calls His people. The first vocation, as we see in the Book of Genesis, is matrimony. We hear that God created man and woman to complement one another. “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Therefore, it is natural for a man and a woman to be united in marriage. However, marriage is not about seeking the satisfaction of one’s own needs in another person. Rather, the sacrament of matrimony is a sacrament of self-giving and service. Husband and wife are called to serve one another in love. Matrimony is defined as “the covenant by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, and which is ORDERED TOWARD THE GOOD OF THE SPOUSES and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament” (Canon 1055 §1). Marriage, then, is a path by which God sanctifies us through self-giving love, just as Christ gave Himself for us. Spouses become a gift to one another, and it is in this gift of self that true joy is found. Some people receive a different call. If it is natural for a man and woman to be united to one another, then it is supernatural for a person to be united entirely to God. The religious vocation anticipates the reality of heaven by seeking union with God already in this life. One can be called to become “eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven,” living celibacy for the love of God and His Kingdom. This includes consecrated virgins who live in the world while dedicating their lives entirely to the Lord and those who do not get married. Others are called to religious life as sisters, nuns, brothers, or monks. There are many religious communities and institutes through which a person is consecrated to God according to a particular charism or mission. Some are called to serve through teaching, serving the poor, caring for the sick or children, immigrants, or those most in need. There are also contemplative communities whose principal work is prayer and total dedication to the Lord, often lived in cloistered monasteries. Finally, we also have the priestly vocation. This call invites men to act in the person of Christ the Head ( in persona Christi capitis ) in the world. Through ordination, a man is configured in a profound way to Jesus Christ. This does not mean that the individual ceases to be himself; rather, by the grace of God, he is united to Christ in a unique and sacramental way. The priesthood is not only for a select few. Many saints throughout history have spoken about how God calls many men to this vocation. Sometimes there is hesitation because a person feels unworthy or inadequate. Yet throughout Scripture we see that God often chooses ordinary people with weaknesses and imperfections. The Apostles and the saints were not extraordinary because of their own abilities, but because they allowed God’s grace to work through them. As the saying goes, God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called. As you can see in Fr. Gabriel, Fr. Victor, and myself, we are very ordinary and imperfect men. It is the grace of God that enables us to do what we do. A man may feel incapable of becoming a priest or discouraged by his sins and limitations. Yet, just as Peter told Jesus, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man,” we remember that it is not we who choose Christ, but Christ who chooses us. Ultimately, our primary vocation is holiness. We are all called to become saints. The particular path we take—whether marriage, religious or single life, or priesthood—is secondary to the greater call to holiness. Those called to matrimony are called to holy matrimony, to become holy husbands and holy wives. Those called to religious life are called to become holy sisters, brothers, monks, and consecrated virgins. Those called to the priesthood are called to become holy priests. Each vocation is not an end in itself, but a path by which we are led to heaven and united more fully with God. 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