From Father Steven - March 30, 2025

Father Steven Clemence • March 28, 2025

 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

This weekend, we will hear the story of the prodigal son—a story familiar to us all. However, I would like to share a few insights with you as we reflect on this powerful parable.


A few years ago, while meditating on this passage, I began to wonder why the father would give his money to his son. Perhaps the natural reaction would be to refuse or to send the son away empty-handed. If we were in his shoes, we might think, "Who does this rebellious son of mine think he is, demanding the money I earned through hard work and leaving us behind? If he wants to leave, he knows where the door is." However, that is not the attitude of this father. It took me a while to understand how the father could so gently give his money to his son and allow him to leave.


I am no philosopher or theologian, but it seems the father understands that love cannot be forced. Love is an act of the will, and without freedom, there is no love. This principle underlies the gift of free will that God has given us. Despite everything God provides—a world we did not create, families given to us, and the gift of salvation through Christ—we remain free to take our blessings and walk away. In the face of our stubbornness, God can do nothing but love us. Just as the father left the door open for his son's return, God always leaves a door open for us to return to Him.

Another element to consider in this story is that the son may have been deceived. We are quick to judge him, but we often fail to understand what led him to make such a drastic decision. What might have influenced him to leave everything behind? Was it the persuasion of friends turning him against his family? Did the allure of worldly pleasures make him believe he would find greater happiness elsewhere? Or perhaps he felt useless in his father's house—comparing himself to his brother or believing he was such a disappointment that he no longer belonged. These inner struggles are difficult to understand, and I realize it is becoming increasingly challenging to comprehend the thoughts of today's youth. Their understanding of reality often differs greatly from our own, making them more vulnerable to feelings of exclusion. The pressures they face—to act or appear a certain way—can become overwhelmingly burdensome.


This parable also invites us to be less judgmental of others. If you knew the prodigal son and his family, what would you have said to him as he walked away? Many of us might have spoken harshly or dismissed him. Yet, how would we react if we only encountered him on his return? It is the same person, but our responses would likely be very different. This story reminds us to approach others with compassion and understanding, no matter where they are on their journey.


Finally, I would like to reflect on the pivotal moment when the son decided to return home. He endured great suffering and lost everything he had. The weight of shame must have been immense. Yet, nothing prevented him from returning to his house. Deep within, he knew his father would welcome him. I hope we all share this same trust in God's mercy. There is always an opportunity to confess our sins and return to the Father's house. Like the prodigal son, let us rise, leave behind the land of darkness, and speak to the Father. We know how He will receive us—with open arms and the joyous feast of the fattened calf, which ultimately points to the gift of His only Son, Jesus Christ. May we never hesitate to return to the loving embrace of our Heavenly Father.


Please consider attending one of our Wednesday Jubilee talks, as we will be covering some of these topics in our upcoming talks. We also have adoration everyday 6:00pm-7:00pm with the opportunity to go to confession with various priests as well.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - July 13, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • July 11, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This weekend we will hear the story of the Good Samaritan. We all know the story—but do we act as the Good Samaritan? There are some stories in the Bible that we are so familiar with that we could almost recite them backwards. The danger of becoming too familiar with a story is that it no longer impacts us. We can become numb to the message of Jesus. I would like to offer three thoughts to help us meditate on this Gospel passage. First , the geography is very important. The story takes place on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Therefore, all the characters had just been in the presence of God in the Temple in the Holy City. To bring this into our daily context, it would be as if people had just left Mass. After praying to the Lord, they encounter a victim. Can you imagine—after listening to the commandment of love, they are given the opportunity to put it into practice, but they bypass it? Second , the characters in the story are not horrible people. According to Jewish precepts, if someone touched a corpse, they would become ritually impure. Perhaps they didn’t want to defile themselves. Maybe they didn’t have time to return to Jerusalem to go through the rite of purification. Or perhaps they thought the victim was already dead, or they were simply in a rush. In other words, there could have been a “reasonable” or “justifiable” excuse not to help the needy person. Third , the Samaritans were not on good terms with the Jews. Due to a historical event long ago when the Israelites were taken into exile, their rivalry had deep roots. It would be like the Red Sox and the Yankees, or Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland—they really didn’t like each other. That is why the Samaritan is called “good.” Since Samaritans were generally viewed negatively, this one stood out as “good.” However, this hostility did not stop our Samaritan friend from helping his neighbor. Though they all believed in the same God, not all acted like God. Jesus tells us that all the Law is summed up in love of God and neighbor. We can all know what is right and wrong, like the characters in the Bible. The real question is: do we excuse ourselves like the priest and the Levite, or do we act like the Samaritan? As we approach the Lord at Mass this weekend, let us not be mere consumers. Quite the opposite—let us be re-energized and do what the Lord has done for us. As we witness Christ giving His life for us in His Body and Blood, let us do the same. “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34). This command “is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out,” as we hear in the first reading. Finally, I would like to highlight a couple of things. This Sunday, 7/13 , some parishioners will be holding a fundraiser for a group of 50 pilgrims who will attend the Youth Jubilee in Rome this summer. They will host a ticketed Spanish Rock Concert at 3 p.m., either in Meehan Hall or in the parking lot (donations can also be sent to the parish office). We are also promoting the Catholic Fest event next weekend. There will be food and games in the parking lot. We’ll also have Sean Forrest, a singer and missionary, sharing his amazing witness from 2–3:30 p.m. (in the church). I hope you can stop by on Saturday, July 19th , from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Let us not miss these opportunities to support our parish—and to love one another! 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
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