From Father Steven - March 9, 2025

Father Steven Clemence • March 7, 2025

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — I’m so excited for Lent this year! Lent is more than just a time when we give up our treats; it’s an opportunity to fall in love with the Lord all over again. It’s a time for deepening our relationship with Him and with one another. The traditional Lenten practices of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving are meant to help us do just that. But how do we live them out? What do each of these practices truly mean?


Every Christian is called to follow in the steps of Jesus, which means that, like Him, we will experience both passion and resurrection. Included in this journey is the experience of temptation, just as Jesus faced temptations. The first temptation we hear about in the Gospel this Sunday is the devil’s offer for Jesus to turn stones into bread. According to the Fathers of the Church, this temptation is about avoiding suffering. After fasting for 40 days, Jesus was hungry. The devil took advantage of this by offering Jesus the chance to end His suffering by filling His belly with bread. But we know that bread is not the true source of life. While it satisfies us for a time, we will hunger again. I often think of how children sometimes fill up on junk food and then have no appetite for their main meals. The solution is to resist the snacks, and in time, real hunger will return for what nourishes us. In the same way, Lent is a time for us to fast and discover our true hunger for the Lord. Whatever source of comfort, peace, or joy you turn to outside of God, consider fasting from it. This could be something like coffee, chocolate, gossip, or complaining. Jesus invites us to hunger for Him — to discover that He is the TRUE BREAD FROM HEAVEN! Instead of spending time on screens, playing games or watching shows, take time to read and meditate on the Passion of Christ. Read the Bible. If you don’t know where to start, consider using the free subscription to Formed.org (just sign up as a parishioner, then enter the Marlboro ZIP code, and our parish name will appear). This site offers a wealth of resources, from audiobooks to movies about saints, meditations, and even content for children.


The second temptation in Matthew’s Gospel is idolatry. I once heard a definition of idolatry that helped me understand it better: “Idolatry is anything outside of God where we seek happiness.” This could be affection from family members, money, possessions, sports, drinking, or anything else. The devil tries to deceive us, offering to fill what’s missing in our lives and make us happy. But Christ responds that only God is worthy of our worship and adoration. We, too, are invited to adore the Lord. Starting this week, we will have daily adoration — from 6:30-7:30 AM in the Lower Church and 6:00pm-7:00 PM in the Upper Church. God wants to give you what will truly make you happy — Himself. After adoration, we will also offer talks and confession from 7:00pm-8:00 PM in the Upper Church on Wednesdays.


In the third temptation, the devil tries to convince Jesus that He could be different from the way God made Him. He could achieve fame and power instantly, but Jesus chooses to remain faithful to God’s plan for His life. He puts God first, accepting the fragility of His own earthly existence. We, too, can follow Jesus by putting God first in our lives. One way to do this is through almsgiving. Almsgiving isn’t just about giving away spare change; it’s about choosing God over worldly comforts. For instance, instead of buying that coffee, you could give the money away to someone in need. Here in Marlboro, many people are struggling, and we’re giving out piggy banks this weekend at church to help you collect money for those in need. All the proceeds will go to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP), which desperately needs support to provide for those suffering. Almsgiving can also involve giving your time and talent. Consider greeting people at church or reaching out to others in your life. Take time to pray for them. Let us all choose to put love of God and our neighbor as top priority in our lives. Lastly, I encourage you to participate in our Trilingual Bingo on Saturday, March 22nd. It will be a wonderful opportunity for the whole parish to come together and show love for one another.


Let’s make this Lenten season a time of deep transformation as we draw closer to the Lord.



God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - October 12, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • October 10, 2025
Dear Brothers & Sisters, I write to you this week to share a powerful and life-changing devotion that has brought countless blessings to individuals, families, and entire communities throughout the centuries—the Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary . This spiritual practice is more than a simple act of piety; it is a profound commitment to grow closer to Jesus through His Mother, Mary. Why consecrate ourselves to Mary? As Catholics, we believe that Mary plays a unique role in the plan of salvation. She is not only the Mother of Jesus but also our spiritual Mother, given to us by Christ Himself as He hung on the Cross (John 19:26–27). Just as she nurtured and guided Jesus in His earthly life, she desires to nurture us in our spiritual lives, always pointing us to her Son. When we consecrate ourselves to Mary, we are not worshiping her—we are entrusting ourselves to her motherly care and guidance, allowing her to form us into better disciples of Christ. As St. Louis de Montfort, one of the foremost promoters of Marian consecration, beautifully put it: “To Jesus through Mary.” He taught that by giving ourselves entirely to Mary, she gives us entirely to Jesus, in the most perfect and pleasing way. This consecration is a voluntary act of love. It is a renewal of our baptismal promises, made with Mary as our model and advocate. Many saints and popes, including St. John Paul II, who took “Totus Tuus” ("Totally Yours") as his papal motto, have emphasized the transforming grace that comes from Marian consecration. St. Maximilian Kolbe called it “the quickest, easiest, surest and most perfect way to become a saint.” Practically speaking, consecration involves a period of preparation—traditionally 33 days—during which we reflect on Scripture, Marian devotion, and the call to holiness. Various methods exist. One of the most famous is by St. Louis de Montfort. Here in the parish we will use Fr. Michael Gaitley’s 33 Days to Morning Glory which is spiritually enriching and accessible. There is a book which we will encourage people to purchase that will guide us through this process. If someone has any difficulty in acquiring this book, please contact the parish office. I encourage every member of our parish family, whether young or old, to prayerfully consider making this consecration. Whether you are seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus, struggling in your spiritual life, or simply looking for a way to grow in faith, turning to Mary is a sure path. She is a gentle, powerful intercessor who will never lead us astray. One could do this consecration by oneself. However, we are planning to begin a parish-wide preparation for Marian Consecration next month, starting on Wednesday November 5 th . All three communities will do this consecration together. It will conclude with an Act of Consecration during the Trilingual Mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Dec 8 th . Additionally, Bishop Reed has also invited us to serve as one of the host churches for a special “Day of Prayer for Harmony in Our Nation and Peace in the World.” On Wednesday, October 22, from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Immaculate Conception will be open for Eucharistic Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. What a blessing it is to welcome such a day of prayer! In a time marked by deep division in our nation and turmoil across the world, we are called to bring everything before Jesus, the Prince of Peace. As we sit in silence before the Eucharist, we are reminded that true harmony and reconciliation are possible—not through our efforts alone, but through Christ, who tears down walls of division and unites us, when we open our hearts to Him. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed on the altar throughout the day, concluding with Benediction at 7:00 PM in the Upper Church. Morning Mass will be held as usual in the Lower Church. In order to support this day of Adoration, we ask that at least two adorers be present for each hour while the Eucharist is exposed. I encourage parishioners to consider committing to one hour of prayer during this sacred time. To help coordinate coverage of 2–3 people per hour, an online sign-up is available through our website via Signup Genius, or you may call the parish office directly. While all are welcome to come and pray at any time, we rely on scheduled commitments to ensure continuous presence before the Blessed Sacrament throughout the day. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - October 5, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • October 3, 2025
Dear Brothers & Sisters, From time to time, it is good to pause and reflect on all that God is doing in our lives. This is what I would like us to do together this weekend. In our personal lives, God pours out countless graces upon us each day—some we recognize, others we may overlook. But when we take a moment to reflect, we can clearly see His hand guiding and sustaining us in so many ways. Looking back on our past, how many blessings has He given us? How many gifts have we received from Him? The same is true in our parish. Before the summer break, our Director of Faith Formation, Cecilia Melo, presented me with a report of all the activities that took place this past year. It was truly moving to see the abundance of retreats, pilgrimages, and sacraments celebrated in our community. Cecilia highlighted the growth in Mass attendance and in the number of children enrolled in CCD. Last year alone, we welcomed 441 students into our program, along with 39 adults in the OCIA (formerly RCIA). Throughout the year, about 10 retreats were offered for children, youth, and adults. In addition, we launched two new ministries: the Friends of Faith group and the Bereavement Ministry . Since January, we have also received the immense grace of being named a Jubilee Parish. This has allowed us to expand opportunities for confession and adoration. Now, confessions are offered almost daily (except Sunday), and adoration is available both mornings and evenings. Each week, Jubilee talks are held in our parish communities, drawing an average of 50 participants per night. If you have not yet attended, I encourage you to join us. Upcoming topics include “Consecrated Hope” by Sister Bernadette (10/8) and “Walking through Loss with Hope” presented by members of our Bereavement Group (10/15). As part of our Jubilee celebrations, we have also hosted major events such as 24-hour Adoration, a Mass with Bishop Reed, a Mass at the Cathedral followed by a Blessed Sacrament procession through the streets of Boston, two Ordinations, Catholic Fest, the Corpus Christi Procession, and more. These are just a glimpse of the many graces God has poured into our parish life. Behind each event are beautiful stories that cannot be measured, and more blessings are still to come. Of course, with so many wonderful things happening, a few inconveniences may arise—such as crowded parking, long lines for confession, or limited meeting spaces. But aren’t these good problems to have? Another challenge is that at times it may seem the priests are not available. In truth, that is usually because we are ministering to those most in need. Still, we are here for you, and most of the time we are available. Please never hesitate to reach out. I do ask one special favor: if you or a loved one becomes sick, hospitalized, or faces difficulties, please let us know. We already pray for all of you daily, but knowing your needs allows us to pray more specifically and serve you more directly as your priests. There is so much good happening in our parish and in our lives. Let us not get discouraged by small inconveniences or daily irritations. Instead, let us keep our eyes fixed on heaven. As our newest Saint, Pier Giorgio Frassati, used to say: “Verso l’alto—towards heaven!” God is good, all the time. Let us never forget that! God Bless, Fr. Steven