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 - 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