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 - September 20, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • September 18, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, The first reading today begins with the words: “Seek the LORD while he may be found, call him while he is near.” St. Paul exhorts the community of Corinth saying, “Today is the day of salvation!” (2 Cor 6:2). Now is the time to be one with the Lord. Our lives change every day. So does the world around us, and so do our problems. However, God is always constant and always at our side. It does not matter when a person comes to faith, as we will hear in the Gospel this weekend. What matters is that he does come to faith. The later a person comes to faith, the more he may have to suffer along the way. God wants to help us in so many ways, but we are not always ready to accept a different plan for our lives—God’s plan instead of ours. I would like to share with you something from my own family. When I was growing up, a banner very similar to the one announcing the catechesis for adults was hanging on the side of the church near my house. My mom would drive in front of it every day and feel a call to be part of it. It was a time in her life when she was soul-searching. She tried different religions and different practices, and, funny enough, there was the answer to her prayers right in front of her. Although she was intrigued and wanted to participate in the talks, she never attended. I apologize if you have heard this story before. A year later, my brother and I had to leave the state with my mother because of the sudden death of her father. That separation of our family was very difficult for my dad. So he went to Mass in that same church. He had not even received his First Communion at the time. There, he heard a similar invitation to the one you will hear at Mass this weekend. Without realizing that our lives were about to change completely, he listened to the call of God and went looking for Him. He attended the talks, received his sacraments, and began going to Church every weekend. When we were reunited, I was shocked to see my dad at church. I myself also attended the talks and later joined the group. That was the beginning of my own journey of faith. You can figure out how it ended! I wanted to share this story because we do not know what God has in store for us. I am sure that you have heard many beautiful things in life and have experienced great moments as well. But what if God is calling you now? Do not be like my mother, who heard the call but left it for another day. Each day I thank God for having brought my father into that church, because there I was also found. This is not magic, and it is not about feeling butterflies in your stomach. It is about having an encounter with the Lord and beginning a journey of faith with Him, just like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and so many others throughout salvation history. God is calling us into His vineyard. He is not checking who is worthy to come. He is not looking for perfect people. He is calling you! Maybe you have been away from the Church for many years. Maybe you have questions about your faith. Maybe you received your sacraments but never had the opportunity to go deeper in your relationship with God. Maybe you are doing well in your faith, but you know that you could go deeper. Or maybe you simply do not know why you feel that you should come. What if God is calling you now? Maybe, like my father, other people will also follow you. And perhaps your decision to come will become important not only for you, but for someone else. My father was that person for me and for many other people even to this day. We say that in the Church there are no coincidences, but providence. Fr. Gabriel, Fr. Victor, and I have all experienced this way of Christian initiation that is now being offered to our parish. Everything begins with a series of talks that will take place on Mondays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. in Meehan Hall, the building by the parking lot. The talks are about one hour long. We will have babysitters available, free of charge. There is no registration. There is nothing you have to prepare. The sessions are independent from one another, so if you miss one, there is no problem. You simply have to come and listen. The team giving the talks is made up of parishioners who have been on this journey for some time and who now want to share what they have received with our parish. And this year, the invitation has the image of the Annunciation. Today, the angel Gabriel comes also to you. He comes into your life, into your struggles, into your questions, and perhaps even into your desire to follow God. And the first words of the angel are: “Do not be afraid.” Why? Because THE LORD IS WITH YOU. Maybe you have been waiting for the right moment. Maybe you have told yourself, “I will go another day.” Maybe you have been thinking about coming but have never taken the step. Today is the day of salvation. “Seek the LORD while he may be found, call him while he is near.” Do not wait for another day. Come and listen. Maybe you do not know what God has in store for you. Neither did my father. Neither did I. But maybe this invitation will be the beginning of something that will change your life—and perhaps the lives of others through you. All are welcome. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - September 13, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • September 11, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, The other day, I was talking with a priest about the need to evangelize within the parish. Usually, when we speak about evangelization, we imagine going out to reach people who are not coming to Church. Besides that, there is also a need, at times, to catechize the folks who are already in the Church. The primitive Church, especially during the first centuries, lived among small communities. For a person to be baptized, there was a long and serious period of preparation and training in the faith. However, with Constantine coming into power and Christianity becoming recognized by the Roman Empire, the Church became full of people who received the sacraments but were not necessarily deeply initiated into the faith. They were “sacramentalized,” but not necessarily catechized. In other words, people were initiated into the Church, but did not necessarily have deep roots in their faith. This reminds us of the parable of the Sower (Mt 13:18-23). When people receive the Kingdom of God, there are different reactions. One does not understand it; another receives it with great joy, but when trouble or persecution comes, quickly falls away. Still others hear the word, but worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word, and it bears no fruit. Finally, there are those who hear the word and understand it, bearing much fruit—thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold. Maybe those first reactions are familiar to you. Then one can ask himself: If you are not part of the last group, then, How can you be in it? Please understand that this is not simply a matter of the moral character of each person. Rather, it has to do with the type of soil and the surroundings that can either help or kill the Word of God in one’s heart. Therefore, we might need help cultivating the seed that we have all received in Baptism and protecting it from the dangers that can prevent it from growing. Sometimes I get asked: Where should a person who is rediscovering the faith, or someone who is new to the Church, start? There is so much material out there. Even for those who stopped their faith formation at the age of 15, with Confirmation, where can one continue their Christian formation? The Catholic Church has approved an itinerary of Christian formation that is focused on this. Pope Saint John Paul II called it “valid for society and for today’s times.” The world has changed dramatically in these past decades. Many of the values that we grew up with have been put aside and ignored by many. Besides relativism, one of the greatest dangers that we are facing is individualism, especially with the development of cellphones, screens, and social media. The Virgin Mary has inspired this Christian initiation to be lived as a group, as a community of people coming together—not online, but in person—as we have always done since the very beginning of the Church. Technically, even before that, the people of Israel came together under the tent in the desert. On Monday the 21st, we will begin this Christian initiation with catechesis for adults and youth (13+) on Mondays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. at the building by the parking lot, Meehan Hall. Everyone is invited to come. We will have babysitters available to help for free. One does not need to register or to come to all the sessions. Since the catechesis are independent from one another, if someone can only make one of the days, that is also okay. Even if you are not interested, or you are already engaged in another activity in the parish, maybe you know someone who could benefit from it. The presenters will be parishioners, together with myself. So please, pray for us!!! You know I need lots of help. The final consideration I invite you to reflect on is whether this comes from God or not. If it does, then the invitation is not just from me, but from God. How many times do we not want to do something? Here, it is not about what we want or do not want. Rather, it is about asking what the will of God is for us. You may have seen the cards or the banner with the picture of the Annunciation. Today, God also comes to you, inviting you not to be afraid and to allow Christ to be born in you. Maybe this is the time to take another step in your faith. Maybe this is the time to allow the seed that was planted in you at Baptism to grow deeper roots. Do not be afraid. Come and listen. Come and see what God may be preparing for you.  Please pray about it, and I hope to see you there. God Bless, Fr. Steven