From Father Steven - February 23, 2025

Father Steven Clemence • February 21, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

This week’s readings urge us to love our neighbors. It is certainly not easy, but not impossible either. Let us reflect on what God is asking us and how we can do it.

 

The greatest and most important tenet of our faith, and the first commandment is to love God and Him alone. The other day someone came to my office asking how we can love God. There are many ways to love God, talking to Him, listening to what He has to tell us, and putting into practice what He revealed to us. Another way we have to love God is to love everything that he created and to love Him in other people. Sometimes we don’t see God in other people. We forget that every single person was created in His image and likeness. Therefore, God can be seen in each person. Surely if we look at a person’s actions, we might not see God. However, He is present in that person in one way or another. Then, it flows from there what Christ will tell us what the other commandment is, “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt22:39)

 

One important observation is that these are not merely laws or suggestions which we can follow or break. The Jews see the 10 commandments as the “words of Life.” That is, these are the words that give us (eternal) life. Sometimes we understand only the legality of the law. We don’t understand the spirit through which it was passed onto us. A father does not have to create a law for his children saying that it is wrong to stick the finger into a power outlet. He teaches his children that it will hurt them if they do that. God in his pedagogy with the people of Israel and by extension with ourselves, he also teaches us what to do and what to avoid. These teachings that are meant to help lead us to heaven are handed down to us through the optic of the legal/judiciary mentality of the Roman Law. It is no longer a matter of doing the will of God or following the path to holiness, but rather to follow the dictate of the law.

 

Returning to the original topic of our reflection, we can now read that through a different way. The love of the other person, it is no longer a matter of personal preference, but rather, it is a path to salvation. It is interesting to observe that Christ will say to “love” one another. He never said that we have to like other people. Then he adds on, love “as I have loved you.” (Jn 13:34). Here we qualify what kind of love we are to give, that is, the same that we have received. Then the moment that we understand that by loving each other is the path to salvation, why should we not do it? What could prevent us from loving the other? Of course, to love the people that love us is easy, and to love the ones that are good to us is also natural. However, what about loving the people that persecute, hurt, and despise us? Let us look at St. Stephen while he is being stoned, or St Paul as he writes to the persecuted Christian community of Rome “bless those who persecute you.” (12:14). There are so many other testimonies of countless Christians that showed love to their executioners. Then, again, why should we not follow their example? One may add that he does not have the graces or he is not a saint like them, which is a valid response. I insist on asking the same question, what prevents us from being like them? We were all created in the same image and likeness of God. We all received the same Holy Spirit. We all received the same blessings through the sacraments.

 

In this Jubilee year, God wants to give many special graces. These graces are all means to help us to go to heaven by putting into practice that which God has called us. That is why we will be doing many activities this year to help flourish the graces in us and reject sin and the disordered desire for worldly things. I would even dare to say that God allows difficult people in our lives as a way to help us, not the contrary. In the life of St. Therese of Lisieux, we learn how challenging her mother superior was and how providential she was to make her a saint. Then, starting in Lent, we invite you to come to adoration and take advantage of the sacrament of confession Monday, Wednesday, Friday in English, Tuesday in Spanish, Thursday in Portuguese (Monday to Friday 6-7pm). We are also preparing talks every week where everyone is welcome to attend.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - November 30, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • November 26, 2025
Dear Brothers & Sisters, I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving with your loved ones! Please see the letter below from Fr. Victor about Advent. God Bless, Fr. Steven —————————————————————————————————- Growing up I have always associated ADVENT with Christmas with all the Christmas carols, food, gifts and family reunions. It was much later that I understood that Advent is the month-long preparation for that much awaited day. If we have 4 seasons throughout the year: winter, spring, summer & fall; the Church has 6: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Paschal Triduum, Easter and the Ordinary time. And Advent is the first season that ushers the first day of the Church’s liturgical year. It is like New Year, like January 1. Advent comes from the Latin word, adventus, meaning coming or arrival. A Father of the Church speaks of Jesus’ three comings. First, we all know that Jesus Christ was born more than two thousand years ago in that town called Bethlehem. Second, when he ascended to his Father, he promised to remain with us always, but will come again at the end of time. As to when, we do not know. That is why, he tells us: 'be vigilant and ready anytime as he may come at a time and hour we do not expect.’ That is why, advent fills us with so much hope and expectation. Finally, there is also his third coming. The first one was in the past. The second will happen in the future, but his third coming is today, in the daily events of our life. The book of Revelation presents this very well. ‘He is outside, knocking at the door of our heart, if we let him in, he will come and dine with us.’ What a gift, to be graced by the presence of our Lord. This year 2025, Advent coincides with the feast day of St. Andrew, November 30. Each week has its theme: the anticipation of Christ’s second coming - the first week; then John the Baptist tells us “prepare the way of the Lord.” on the second Sunday; then we switch to a joyful note, the Gaudete Sunday for the Lord is to come; and the fourth Sunday, Mary & Joseph leading us up to the nativity. The date when Advent was first observed is hard to determine as this evolved over time in several places. In its earliest form however, it may be traced back to the church in France in the 4th century. It was a time of preparation for the Feast of the Epiphany when converts were baptized. In the 5th century it was officially introduced into the church calendar. But its character was similar to Lent but later became more joyful in anticipation for the birth of Christ. The Advent we know today began in Rome. Pope Gregory I in the late 6 th and early 7th century, composed many prayers, psalms, and themes. And by the 10th century the season of Advent included 4 Sundays & weekdays leading to Christmas as we have today. Like Lent, Advent has some elements of penance in preparing, quieting and disciplining our minds & hearts for the full joy of Christmas. Its liturgical color is purple, except on Gaudete, meaning “rejoice” Sunday, where the priest may wear the rose color vestment. The late Pope Francis reminds us: “Advent is a journey towards Bethlehem,” and that memory directs us with eager longing for the second coming of Christ at the end of time.” Advent comes at the dark[est] time of the year, when the day is short and night is at its longest. Yet it is during this time when Jesus Christ, the true light comes to cast away our darkness. Truly advent is a hopeful season that keeps pointing towards the eternal light that shines in the ‘night of our life’ to show us our way back home to the Father. God Bless, Fr. Victor

From Father Steven - November 23, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • November 21, 2025
Dear Brothers & Sisters, This week we have the opportunity to gather around our loved ones to give thanks! Eukariston in Greek… if it sounds familiar, it is because the Eucharist—Mass—is a great thanksgiving! I’m sorry for the turkey and stuffing lovers… but the Lamb of God is the one who truly satisfies us! However, how often are we grateful to God and to our loved ones? How often do we stop to give sincere thanks for all their hard work? How often do we return their goodness to us? Unfortunately, not enough… so let’s change that script. Let’s take this opportunity to voice our inner gratitude to those around us and to Jesus! Even though there can be some tension when getting everyone together under the same roof, let’s not forget what we are doing and why we are doing it. There is nothing better than to love… even when that love is not returned! The following day is known as Black Friday—deep discounts and great sales everywhere. In the past, people lined up in front of stores in the middle of the night. Now stores begin their sales almost a week before Friday. Online retailers have also kept people from waking up in the middle of the night. Here in the parish, this Friday there will be a great opportunity to score wonderful deals… and we won’t need to wake up so early! Starting at 8:00 a.m., we will have another 24-hour adoration. We thought that these days would be perfect to give people the opportunity to come and give thanks to God as well. He has been so good to us! How could we not return His infinite love through finite means? As we come together on Thursday and acknowledge what our loved ones have done for us, let us also do the same for God. I invite all of you to come and take a moment to think and contemplate all the good things God has done for us throughout our lives. Instead of having Black Friday, we shall introduce Adoration Friday! Next week will be First Friday, and I invite you to learn more about it—how the Sacred Heart of Jesus manifests itself on the First Friday of each month. As we know Friday to be a penitential day for the Church, it is also a day full of graces for those who do not miss out! I would like to take this opportunity to give you some updates regarding upcoming events. Archbishop Richard Henning has asked all the parishes in the Archdiocese to pray a Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe in preparation for the upcoming 500th anniversary of her apparition to St. Juan Diego. He will be visiting parishes and presiding at this very important moment for us. We will begin the novena on Thursday, December 4th, at 7:00 p.m. It will be trilingual so that the whole parish can participate. Each day, different parish groups will be responsible for leading the novena. We will conclude it with Mass on December 12th, with the presence of our shepherd, Archbishop Henning! It will be very important for him to meet part of his flock. It will also be a great moment for our parish to welcome him into our spiritual home! We are still planning it. We also decided that, in this Jubilee Year, we will have a Christmas Concert on December 21st at 3:00 p.m. All the parish choirs will come together to sing Christmas carols. We are very excited to gather everyone once again! I mentioned before, but I remind you again, that we also have our parish feast in the middle of all this. The Immaculate Conception will be celebrated on Monday, December 8th. We will have the regular holy day of obligation schedule 07:30 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. as well as our traditional trilingual Mass at 7:00 p.m. We will pray the novena before Mass, and then proceed with the celebration. There are many good things coming up… and many more that we cannot imagine! Let us give thanks, for God’s love is everlasting (Ps. 136). God Bless, Fr. Steven