From Fr. Steven - September 1, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • August 30, 2024


Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

 

I hope you are enjoying these last days of summer! Please see the letter below from Fr. Gabriel.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

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I remember being a child and talking to my father about the mass; I had some understanding of how it related to Jesus’s life, the Last Supper, and his sacrifice on the cross. And I remember turning to my father seeking clarity by asking, “so the mass is like a symbol of what Jesus did, right?”

 

My dad responded firmly saying, “it’s not a symbol! You are really there!”…I was terribly confused. But he kept repeating it to me, “it’s not a symbol, when we celebrate the mass we are there with Christ, his sacrifice is made present. We are united to that moment.”

 

It was something that I would come back to study when I was in the seminary, that Christ is truly present in his body and blood, it’s not a simple commemoration of the past; that when we priest’s say “do this in memory of me” we really are brought into Christ’s sacrifice.

 

This brings me to ponder how God is so great that his “memory” is capable of really drawing the past into the present. It’s not just nostalgia of a sweet moment that’s gone by and we reminisce about. When we celebrate the mass we are really there with Jesus Christ.

 

On the other hand what has also been striking to reflect on is the power of the Lord’s forgetfulness. Recently I came across a story I had heard sometime ago about Saint Margaret Mary, who would receive visions of Jesus Christ. And Jesus once told her to seek out a certain priest to be her spiritual director. When she told the priest about her request, he was skeptical and asked her to prove that she was really having visions of Jesus by having him divulge to her the last mortal sin that he had confessed. Later on the two met again, Margaret Mary told the priest that she did as he requested and that Jesus responded saying, “I can’t remember.”

 

Such is the mercy of God. He no longer remembers the sins we confess. But this truth runs even deeper. In the sacrament of confession we get a real taste of our Lord’s forgetfulness. His amnesia is so powerful that what he forgets is totally erased. That is to say that when God forgets our sins they no longer exist, they are totally gone.

 

Often times we return to the sins committed in the past and dwelling on them we fall back into shame and regret. And while it is important to be sorry for what we have done it is not for us to go back and scratch at the wounds of sins that the Lord has already forgiven and healed. It may be quite difficult to believe that the Lord has forgiven us because of the gravity of our sins, but Christ has promised that all sins will be forgiven and that we are called to forgive each time, because he forgives us every single time.

 

If you are doubting of the Lord’s forgiveness I challenge you to come to confession during our weekly hours or to set up an appointment with one of us priests, because God seeks to heal you, restore you, and quickly forget whatever it is you have done.

 

In Christ,

Fr. Gabriel Hanley

 

From Father Steven - March 8, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • March 6, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week I would like to share with you a reflection of Pope Saint John Paul II from 2002. It is a beautiful reflection that allows us to dive deeper in the mystery of this weekend’s liturgy. "Lord ... give me this water, that I may not thirst " (Jn 4,15 ; cf. Gospel Acclamation). The request of the Samaritan woman marks a crucial turning-point in her long and intense conversation with Jesus that takes place at Jacob's well, near the city of Sychar. St John recounts it in today's Gospel. Christ asks the woman " Give me a drink " (v. 7). His material thirst symbolizes a far deeper reality: it expresses his ardent desire that his dialogue partner and her fellow-citizens will open themselves to faith. The Samaritan woman, when she asks Christ for water, is basically revealing the need for salvation present in every heart. And the Lord is revealed as the one who offers the living water of the Spirit, that satisfies forever the infinite thirst of every human being. The liturgy for this Third Sunday of Lent presents a splendid commentary on the Johannine episode when it says in the preface that Jesus " so deeply thirsted" for the salvation of the Samaritan woman that " he set on fire in her the flame of God's love ". The episode of the Samaritan woman charts the journey of faith that we are all called to pursue. Even today Jesus continues " to thirst ", namely, to desire humanity's faith and love. From our personal encounter with him, if we recognize and receive him as the Messiah, come our attachment to his message of salvation and the desire to spread it in the world. This is what happens in the rest of the Gospel passage. The bond with Jesus totally transforms the life of the woman who hurries without delay to proclaim the good news to the people in the nearby village: "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ? " (Jn 4,29). Revelation received with faith asks to become a word proclaimed to others, witnessed in the concrete choices of life. This is the mission of believers, coming from and growing in their personal meeting with the Lord. "Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us " (Rom 5,5). The words of the Apostle Paul in the second reading refer to the gift of the Spirit, symbolized by the living water, that Jesus promises to the Samaritan woman. The Spirit is the "pledge" of the definitive salvation that God has promised to us. Man cannot live without hope. Many hopes go down when they crash against the rocks of life. However Christian hope "does not disappoint" because it is based on the solid foundation of faith in the love of God revealed in Christ. To Mary, Mother of hope, I entrust your parish and the Lenten journey towards Easter. May Mary, who followed her Son Jesus to the Cross, help us all to be faithful disciples of the one who makes well up in our hearts the water for eternal life (cf. Jn 4,14). God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - March 1, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • February 27, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week we will hear how Jesus goes up the mountain and is transfigured before His apostles. God also wants us to be transfigured according to His image and likeness. However, how far are we willing to go? This weekend, we will see Archbishop Henning urging us to participate in the mission of the Church. It is not only a matter of helping financially, but also of serving with our own hands and feet. The Archdiocese supports the work of parishes in many ways. It also helps us priests in various times of need. Furthermore, it carries out many initiatives to serve the people of God, including the deaf and mute ministry, immigrants, seminarians, and those seeking a declaration of nullity (also known as annulments). Our contribution goes a long way. We are all called to be part of the mission of the Church. We are also encouraged, at the local level, to help in whatever ministry God calls us to—whether St. Vincent de Paul, one of the pregnancy help centers in the city, the community cupboard, or the bereavement ministry. It can be something as simple as inviting people back to church, bringing their prayer intentions to Mass, or helping those around you, beginning in your own home. The transformation that God wants to accomplish in us also affects our spiritual lives. Helping others is certainly a great start, but we also need help ourselves. God is a jealous God, as we hear many times in Scripture. He will not allow us to forget Him. Nor will He allow us to continue living in sin and vice. However, He cannot act unless we give Him permission. He wants to purify us from every stain of sin that may affect us. A little bit of pride, envy, laziness, or resentment cannot remain. Every sin is serious. It kills the divine life within us. It separates us from the love of God. As Jesus goes up the mountain, He reveals the glory that will be given to Him. However, this glory will come through His painful Passion. Are we willing to be purified through a similar purification? How far are you willing to allow God to transform your life? It is never too late to begin living with God. Perhaps we say our prayers and consider ourselves good people, yet we are not willing to go deeper. The Lord is patient and persistent. There are times when we feel called to go to confession, to attend adoration, or to participate in one of the Church’s activities, but we resist. It is time to let the Lord enter fully into our lives. As Pope Saint John Paul II said at the beginning of his pontificate, “Do not be afraid to open wide the doors of your heart to let Him enter.” We have about 30 people, between teenagers and adults, who will be baptized in our parish this Easter. Others will be receiving First Communion, and still others will be received into full communion. For one reason or another, they fell off the path and are now returning. There are also a good number of couples getting married who have lived together for many years. God is also calling us to follow His path. It is different for each one of us. So let us pray during this time and ask the Lord what He wants us to do and how to love Him with all our hearts. And let us not be afraid—He has conquered all our fears. God Bless, Fr. Steven