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 - March 22, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • March 20, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, As you may be aware, we are starting our next Bereavement Ministry on March 31st. This is the third session we are offering to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one. The loss can be a recent one or one from years ago. We will be following the Catholic program called Seasons of Hope. I encourage you to participate to find support and comfort within our faith-filled community. God Bless, Fr. Steven ——————————————————————— Bereavement Ministry: Seasons of Hope to Begin As we mourn together, our parish bereavement team of Nancy Papp, Mark Vital, and Nancy Wells would like to personally invite anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one to attend Immaculate Conception’s next bereavement session which will begin on Tuesday evening, March 31st at 6:30 pm in the Lower Church and continue for six consecutive Tuesday evenings ending on Tuesday, May 5th. There are no stages to grief. We all experience grief in our own unique way, and healing is an intentional process, where we gather as a community of faith to become disciples of hope. It is through prayerful reflection, practical learning, and personal fellowship that we mourn. We will be following the Catholic program called Seasons of Hope . It is a 6-week program based on Scripture that focuses our faith on the spiritual side of grieving. Our mission is to support and accompany those going through the grieving process through Scripture, prayer, reflection, and simple activities. The program centers on Jesus Christ and is founded in the wisdom, traditions, and practices of the Church. It provides an opportunity for those who are grieving to be together, share their experiences, listen to God, and to each other, and be heard and comforted. St. John of the Cross, a Carmelite and Doctor of the Church, said: “In sorrow and suffering, go straight to God with confidence, and you will be strengthened, enlightened and instructed.” Fr. Mike Schmitz (many of you know him from his Bible in a Year podcast) was asked in an interview once about suffering. He responded: “God doesn’t always take the pain away. God doesn’t take the grief away. God doesn’t undo your loved one’s death. But with hope, our faith in God can console us.” Once again, we warmly invite those mourning to “come and be comforted.” Please call Lee Ann at the parish office to register. This program has helped hundreds of people mourn the loss of a loved one. We are delighted to bring this ministry to you again and hope and pray you will consider attending. Thank you and please keep us and those we serve in your prayers. The Bereavement Team: Nancy Papp, Nancy Wells, Mark Vital

From Father Steven - March 15, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • March 13, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Last week we heard the terrible news from the Diocese of Providence regarding the abuse of minors by clergy. Any form of abuse of minors is always despicable. In this particular case, not only is there the problem of the priests themselves, which would be unacceptable, but it seems that there were also problems in the hierarchy/administration as well. Once I heard an expression that portrays well this issue: one is way too many. Every victim counts. It is very unfortunate that so many cases of abuse happened in the past, and even worse when they happened in the Church, where it should be a safe place for every person. For many years, anything related to abuse was always a big taboo that no one ever spoke about, much less reported. In 2002, the Boston Globe reported the systematic abuse that happened in the Archdiocese of Boston for decades. The Church has failed its people. Even if there were only one single case, one is too many. With the arrival of Cardinal Sean O’Malley, many rules and procedures were adopted to guarantee the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops also changed their protocols to never allow any sort of omission of abuse. Mandatory training for all volunteers who have contact with children and yearly background checks for all volunteers are some examples of what was adopted. There was also some support offered to victims. However, there are more out there who have never reached out. The problem is far from its resolution. Although many changes have taken place in the Church, we must remain vigilant. Abuse remains a terrible reality in many parts of society—from schools to sports and other institutions—and the Church must always strive to be a place where children and vulnerable people are protected and safe. Nowadays, there is also a call to protect vulnerable people, such as the elderly and anyone with special needs. Although there is a policy that requires certain people to report any form of abuse to the authorities (mandated reporters), it is the duty of every person to protect their neighbor. I would like to plan a day or evening to offer training from the Archdiocese to everyone who would like to participate. There we can also explain all the efforts that are being made in the Church to promote a safe environment for anyone who comes to the parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston. On a related topic, for anyone who has suffered any sort of abuse, we also want to offer help. There can be a stigma that pushes victims away because of shame. A person can even feel guilty for having allowed such a thing. God is there to help us take things off our chest and from our souls. This can be expanded to other kinds of traumas that we keep only to ourselves. How many times have we heard in the past that people bring such things to their tombs? God is here to help us carry our burdens. We priests are also available to listen and offer whatever resources may assist anyone who is suffering. There is help that can be offered, whether through professional counselors, victim assistance, or independent resources. On the spiritual side, we do know that God heals our wounds, accompanies us in our journeys, and helps us carry our crosses. In moments like this, when human failures are so evident, we are reminded that our hope ultimately rests in Christ. Only He can help us live by His grace. Only He can console us when we are tired and burdened. Only He can bring us to green pastures to refresh our soul. Only He is the way, the truth, and the life. Let us then follow Him up to the Cross, because if we die with Him, we shall also live with Him. And if people need our help, let us not neglect their needs. Let us be there for them, to listen, or even hold their hands in their journey. No one should be left behind…no one.  God Bless, Fr. Steven