From Father Steven - January 7, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • January 5, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

“WE THREE KINGS OF ORIENT ARE BEARING GIFTS WE TRAVERSE AFAR.” This is a well known song that we always sing and hear during this time. However, I’m not sure if we ever had time to reflect upon these words. As we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany this weekend, I would like to reflect three things about these men, they left their homes, traveled from far away, and returned in a different way.

 

There are many traditions and myths about who the wise men were. Were they truly kings? Were they astronomers? Where did they come from? What kind of gifts did they bring? When did they arrive in Bethlehem?  Some of these questions we can only assume different possibilities, but we do have a few things that we know for sure as we hear in the song. They are three men, who traveled from afar bearing gifts for Jesus. Maybe we imagine a modern day travel, in which three men got together at the airport and got on a plane to Israel, and either got a transfer or an Uber following the GPS location of the child. However, back in the day, these men risked their lives by embarking on such a trip. They had to face elements in the long trip crossing the desert, as well as all the perils that they could have encountered, whether wild animals, bandits, or something else. They had to renounce the comfort of their homes, and maybe even their thoughts to risk so much. But they were certain of the sign they saw in the sky. They were people waiting to hear a word from God that would point in the right direction. Pope Benedict XVI once said, “The Magi set out because of a deep desire which prompted them to leave everything and begin a journey. It was as though they had always been waiting for that star. It was as if the journey had always been a part of their destiny, and was finally about to begin”.

 

As their story is very pretty and inspirational, now let’s place ourselves as part of this story. What would have happened if we were one of them? Would we spend endless hours looking for a sign from God? Would we have renounced the comfort of our lives, leaving everything behind to begin this journey? What would we be willing to risk in order to see the Messiah face to face? These are interesting questions that we should ask ourselves from time to time, because God wants to reveal himself (have an epiphany) to us every day. But we have to decide, whether we want it or not, what we are willing to leave behind, and whether we are willing to face the challenges of that journey.

 
Each day we bring to God many intentions of our lives. There are certain situations that can expose our lack of charity, our pride, and other sins, which upon some examination of conscience, we ask God to help us with those things. The same can be said about any other vice or sin. But the same question comes again, what are we willing to do, or how far are we willing to go in order to be humble, charitable, etc? These three characters understood that without having the Messiah in their lives, everything else would become meaningless. Without having this personal encounter with Jesus, all the riches in the world would count for nothing, and we assume that they knew all of that. But do we know, or are we aware of that all the time? Once more Pope Benedict helps us by reflecting, "The better you know Jesus the more his mystery attracts you. The more you discover him, the more you are moved to seek him. This is a movement of the Spirit which lasts throughout life.”

 

We also know that the Magi “returned to their own country by a different way.” Their story does not end here, as they still had to travel back to their homes. Imagine facing all the same challenges and dangers of this journey once again. However, now they did not have the star to follow. This is because after seeing Jesus, the light was now inside them. Later in life Jesus will confirm that by saying that we are the light of the World. Even in our baptism, we receive the light of Christ. Pope Benedict refers to the new mission that the Magi had saying that, “Their task was to guard and nourish it in the constant memory of Christ, of his Holy Face, of his ineffable Love.” This is the same mission that all of us Christians have. Indeed, I would go one step further than that. Our mission is to guard, nourish the love of God, but WE ARE ALSO CALLED TO SPREAD THIS LOVE TO THOSE AROUND US!

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - July 6, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • July 3, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This weekend we celebrate the Independence of the United States of America. With this Jubilee year that we are currently celebrating one can’t help but think that the following year the United States will celebrate a jubilee of its own, 250 years! Let this earthly liberation remind us of a much older spiritual liberation that took place some 2,000 years ago with the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. After the Fall of Adam and Eve we were at the mercy of the world, and the prince of this world who is Satan. The title prince comes from the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John to reference the real but limited power the devil has over this world and us who dwell in it. Christ, however, won us back through the shedding of his blood. Even when he was still with his disciples, already the kingdom of darkness was being destroyed as we hear in today’s Gospel, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.” “He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” (Col 1:13) Just in our parish alone we are from many different countries but we all belong to the same heavenly kingdom by virtue of the Lord’s crucifixion. Let this weekend remind us that we should always keep our eyes fixed on this heavenly Kingdom because ironically, although the war has been won, the battle is still very much present in our own lives. That is why St. Peter exhorts us, “stay sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, solid in your faith.” Today, July 6th is the memorial of St. Maria Goretti. Although the Sunday takes precedence over her feast day, nevertheless we can see someone who was solid in her faith. Born in 1890 Corinaldo, Italy, Maria was the third of seven children. When she was just eleven years old a man named Alessandro made advances on her but she refused. As a result of her unwillingness to sin she was stabbed fourteen times. On her death bed, Maria said that she forgave Alessandro, “I forgive him, and I want him with me in heaven!” Alessandro was sentenced to thirty years in prison and after several years in a dream he saw Maria handing him lilies. It was at this moment that he realized that he could be forgiven. Knowing that Maria forgave him, he began to accept the forgiveness of God. After twenty-seven years in prison he was released and went directly to Maria’s mother. To his astonishment, Maria’s mother forgave him and she said that it was because her own daughter had forgiven him. Alessandro became a Franciscan where he remained for the rest of his life. Maria was canonized in 1950 in the presence of her family and Alessandro. As we can see, we are still in the midst of a battle where the devil can lead us to sin. However, God’s mercy and love is far greater than what we can imagine and he can lead us from slavery to sin to the freedom belonging to the children of God. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - June 29, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • June 27, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I was deeply edified to see all three of our communities come together to celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi! It was an amazing day—celebrating Mass as one family and processing shoulder to shoulder behind our Lord Jesus Christ, present in the Blessed Sacrament. The beautiful carpet prepared for the Lord’s arrival at our church was truly astonishing! Many of our parishioners came at 3:30 a.m. to begin working on it. Needless to say, the dyeing of the sawdust alone took days of effort by many dedicated people. Seeing everything come together left us speechless. If you missed it, mark your calendar now: next year’s celebration will be on June 7th, 2026 (rain or shine)! This week, we had another wonderful experience: an appreciation dinner for all our catechists. Over 70 people from all three communities joined us once again. When we say “it takes a village,” it truly does. During the dinner, we presented highlights from all the events that took place at IC over the past year. Our Faith Formation program served 402 students, and 39 adults received sacraments—bringing the total to an incredible 441 people! Speaking of sacraments, we celebrated 74 First Communions and 81 Confirmations this past month. Nearly 20 retreats were held over the course of the year. At our Lenten retreat for children alone, we had 242 attendees ! Our Jubilee Talks—currently on pause for the summer—had an average weekly attendance of 155 people across three nights: Tuesday in Spanish, Wednesday in English, and Thursday in Portuguese. We also had an average of 250 people coming to confession each week. Offering confessions daily has truly been a blessing for our parish. If you haven’t come yet, there is still time. We will continue offering daily confessions! This year, in honor of the Jubilee Year , and because we believe God wants to pour out many blessings on all people, we are excited to host a new event for the entire parish—and for the greater Marlboro community: CATHOLIC FEST ! This all-day event will feature delicious food, games for children, and a powerful talk by Sean Forrest , an incredible speaker and musician with an inspiring conversion story. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. , and everyone is welcome ! Believe it or not, many people in town still don’t know where the Catholic Church is—we have a real opportunity to open our doors and show God’s love to our neighbors. Food and entertainment will be ticketed, but we’re working hard to keep everything affordable. We’re currently seeking event sponsors—if you own a business or your family would like to help, please contact the parish office. Yes, we know it’s summer and you may already have plans. But consider adding Catholic Fest to your summer schedule. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to come together as a community and be inspired. Finally, as we wrap up the year, I want to thank all our countless volunteers who make everything happen. Some may not be “official volunteers,” but they contribute greatly—whether by maintaining the parish, supporting various ministries, or praying faithfully for our community. Nothing can be done without love and the help of God. Please continue to pray earnestly that our parish may fulfill its mission to be the light of the world . God Bless, Fr. Steven
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