From Father Steven - February 11, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • February 9, 2024

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

This week, we will have the blessing of participating in Ash Wednesday. Not only does it mark the beginning of Lent, but it also holds significance from a very long tradition. This week, I would like to reflect with you on the meaning of the celebration of Ash Wednesday and how it helps us during Lent.

 

The imposition of Ashes as a sign of contrition is a practice that dates back to the Old Testament. We hear that when Jonah preached repentance to the people of Nineveh, they put on sackcloth and sat on ashes. We also hear that Mordecai put on ashes when the king decided to kill all the Jews in the book of Esther. The ashes remind us of the words that are often associated with Ash Wednesday, “you are dust and unto dust you shall return.” In front of a problem or a wrong doing, we remember it can be our end. Therefore, the ashes also serve as a reminder of our mortality. The Jews would put on ashes on their heads to help them repent from their wrong doings, lest God would allow them to die as a consequence.

 

The Catholic Church, already from the very beginning, has adopted ashes as a sign of repentance. The difference is that it was reserved only for the public sinners who had committed some serious sins who were starting a time of penance. On Ash Wednesday, the community would gather and during a celebration, the penitents would put on a sackcloth and the bishop would impose ashes on their head (not on their foreheads as we do today at mass). Then they would be removed from the parish community to contemplate on their mortality and the consequence of their sins. It is similar to a “time-out” that parents give to their children to reflect on their actions. Then on Holy Thursday, at the end of Lent, the Bishop along with the community would receive these brothers back as a sign of charity and love towards them. Slowly the whole church began to embark on this journey of repentance during lent, marked by the sign of the imposition of ashes. The Lenten practices of prayer, almsgiving and abstinence (fasting) were ways to help the people to reflect on their actions, and by the help of God, confess their sins and change their ways. With this slight change of meaning of the sign of the ashes, there was another phrase added to the imposition of ashes, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” More than to be reminded of our mortality and how sin kills our souls, the ashes added this dimension of repentance from our ways of life. Furthermore, while the ashes symbolize penance and contrition, they also remind us that God is gracious and merciful to those who call on Him with repentant hearts. His Divine mercy is of utmost importance during the season of Lent, and the Church calls on us to seek that mercy throughout the entire Lenten season with reflection, prayer, and penance.

 

This Lent, we will offer different moments to help us in this journey to return to the Father's house (from the parable of the prodigal son). Every Friday, we will have Stations of the Cross at 6:00pm in English and at 7:00pm in Portuguese and Spanish. Next Sunday, we will have our 24Hr Adoration starting after the 5:00pm Mass through 6:00 pm on Monday (President's Day). Confessions will continue on Tuesdays from 5:00-6:00pm and Saturdays from 1:00-3:00 pm. In case those times don’t work for you, please call the office to schedule a different time. In March, we will have a 3-Day Parish Lenten Mission, starting on Tuesday, March 12th through Thursday, March 15th at 7:00pm. There are other initiatives that we are working on to help us receive the graces that God wants to give us. As we will be fasting and abstaining from meat on Fridays, on Friday, February 23rd and March 15th, we will have our Fish Fry (tickets will be sold at the end of Masses and at the office). We invite you to purchase ahead of time to help us calculate how much fish to get. The options of dine-in and take-out will still be available.

 

Remember that on Ash Wednesday, we mourn and do penance for our sins. We again convert our hearts to the Lord, who suffered, died, and rose for our salvation. We renew the promises made at our baptism, when we died to an old life and rose to a new life with Christ. Finally, be mindful that the kingdom of this world passes away, we strive to live the kingdom of God now and look forward to its fulfillment in heaven.

 

I wish you all a Holy Lent. 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

From Father Steven - April 26, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • April 23, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, The fourth Sunday of Easter is known as the Good Shepherd Sunday, as we hear each year a part of chapter 10 from the Gospel of John. We all know by heart Psalm 23 that speaks of the Lord as our Shepherd. This weekend I would like to reflect on the role of this Shepherd in our lives. I don’t know if anyone grew up in the countryside or has had experience out in the fields. There are many threats to the flock or herds. They can be stolen by other shepherds, eaten by predators, or even get lost or hurt by the terrain. Therefore, it is imperative that the shepherd is watching the flock the whole time in order to protect them from these external dangers. That is why he will bring the sheep to a place that is secure and has an abundance of food and water. It is almost equally important that the shepherd keeps an eye on the sheep. They are known to be extremely docile and not very smart. They can easily be deceived and go on their own or even ignore the voice of the shepherd. Then, he constantly keeps going after the sheep that does not listen to his voice or decides on its own to venture to other places. Often, they don’t find food or water, and in that danger of death, the shepherd finds it and brings it back to the fold. In Israel, it is very hard to find sources of water and pasture. Only a well-trained shepherd knows where to find it. However, it can be an arduous journey which can also be challenging to get there. It is very similar in our lives. There are many dangers to our souls out there. Whether external by the temptation to sin, or we can also make the wrong choices. Only Jesus knows where our nourishment can be found and where we can truly rest. However, it is not an easy journey there. The path to salvation can be very difficult, but not impossible. Jesus himself encourages us to strive to enter through the gate of salvation that is small and the road is narrow. We can find it too difficult for us, we can give up very easily, especially when the road to perdition is broad and the gate is wide. When we start heading to that direction, Jesus calls us by name as we hear this weekend. His voice is very distinctive from all the other voices. But he has to respect our freedom. Then, when we decide to leave his presence to seek a mirage, he comes after us to rescue us and brings us back to the fold. It is very important to understand that. First, Christ goes ahead of us to show us the way to salvation. The cross leads to eternal life. He is the only gate to salvation. While in Israel, the shepherds were known to be dishonorable people because of their lifestyle and vices. Jesus declares to be the Good Shepherd. That is, he is not like everyone else that in front of danger, they abandon the sheep or take advantage of the sheep. He instead lays down his life for us, as we just celebrated that in Easter. I don’t know what is happening in your lives. What are the hidden struggles or challenges that you are experiencing in the silence of your hearts? However, Jesus knows! He comes this weekend to call us to follow Him. If we are away from the flock, he calls us by our names back to his presence. And if someone is lost, he leaves the 99 in the desert and comes looking for the lost sheep until he finds them. Once he finds us, he does not give us lectures or scold us; instead, with great joy, he puts us on his shoulders and brings us home. Let’s reflect on what that means in our lives. Let’s pick up the pace, for the journey to heaven can be long and hard…but possible.  As I mentioned previously, the children of the parish will be receiving their first communion this weekend and the next. Along with them, let’s prepare our souls properly through confession. Let’s approach Christ with great reverence. Let’s not forget the priceless value of communion. If someone does not have the sacrament, or is in a condition that keeps you away from communion, come talk to us. Let nothing separate us from the love of God! He loves us so much, that is He is willing to do anything to save us, as long as we allow Him! So let’s open the doors of our hearts for him. Let’s listen to His voice, and follow His way. God Bless, Fr. Steven