From Father Steven - March 24, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • March 22, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

As we commemorate Palm Sunday, we reflect on Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. There are a few elements I wish to reflect with you.

 

The individuals who greeted Jesus were not Jerusalem's residents but rather a "crowd of people who had come up for the festival" (John 12:12-13). These pilgrims, departing from their homes to seek God in Jerusalem's Temple, recognized Jesus as the Messiah because they were receptive to God's grace. Their pursuit of God led them to abandon worldly desires and comforts.

 

The word "Hosanna" originates from Hebrew and signifies a cry for salvation or deliverance. It can be translated as "Lord, please come to save us" or "come to deliver us, I pray." When the people acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, they cried out for deliverance from oppression.

 

It has an undertone of the prayers of the Hebrews when they were enslaved in Egypt asking God to free them from the oppression of the Pharaoh. Today we use that expression in the mass right before consecration. The meaning behind is to ask the Lord who is about to be present sacramentally in His Body and Blood to be delivered from our slaveries. It is a cry to be delivered from our sins. Easter comes to rescue us from the slavery of the Devil through sin and pass over to the freedom of Christ by grace.

 

Christ's choice to ride a donkey, rather than a white horse, is significant. Horses symbolize worldly power and oppression; both the Romans and Egyptians employed horses to instill fear. The people anticipated a Messiah who would lead Israel militarily, like a new King David. However, Christ's donkey ride signifies that His kingdom transcends worldly power; His strength lies in redeeming humanity through His death and resurrection. St. Paul writes to the Philippians, [Christ] humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross (2:8).

 

Upon Jesus’s arrival Jerusalem was “shaken”/”the city was in turmoil.” (Mt 21:10) This is a very interesting detail that often is overlooked. When the Magi came to Jerusalem at the birth of Jesus, the Gospel of Matthew says that Herod and the whole city of Jerusalem were “greatly troubled.”(2:3) They wanted to defend their kingdom. As they felt threatened then by a baby, so now again by a man riding a donkey. Yet, Christ's purpose was not to disrupt but to offer abundant life. His resurrection promises eternal life and the capacity for love, even amid suffering. Not as the world sees it, maybe with its comfort, nice and quiet. Jesus on Easter offers us Eternal Life. It means that man is only capable of love. The only response that comes from the heart of the redeemed man is to love, even in the darkest moments. This is what the saints experienced, and why they were able to forgive those who would torture them. St. Maximilian Kolbe’s only response, in the concentration camp of Auschwitz, was love and forgiveness.

 

The same Sunday that we proclaim the triumphant entrance of Jesus in Jerusalem we also proclaim the first account of his Passion (Matthew, Mark or Luke). Christ enters Jerusalem knowing His mission—to suffer and die for humanity's salvation. Multiple times He announces to his disciples the need for the Son of Man to be delivered in the hands of the elders, to suffer, and die in order to save us. Nothing will deter Him from doing the will of the Father. Scripture will say that it was the people of Jerusalem who will condemn him to die, not the pilgrims. Sometimes we hear that the people who welcome Jesus later will crucify him. It is those who reject Christ or pursue their own will may ultimately crucify Him. Those who encounter Christ, like the pilgrims return home transformed as their attitudes change, and their behaviors are different.

 

As we enter this Holy Week, let us prioritize God above all else. Let us participate fully in Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday, even if it requires taking time off. May we follow Christ's example, walking in His footsteps, sharing in His Cross, and ultimately rejoicing in His Resurrection and life. “Let us commemorate the Lord’s entry into the city for our salvation, following his footsteps, so that, being made by his grace partakes of the Cross, we may have a share also in his Resurrection and in his life.” (Opening Prayer of Palm Sunday).

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - July 19, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • July 17, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, As you may remember, Fr. Gabriel and I were away on a retreat in Italy these past few weeks. I would like to share a bit of my experience with you. Hopefully, in the near future, he will be able to share his experience as well. You may know that the three of us priests were formed in a missionary-diocesan seminary called Redemptoris Mater , which is a seminary that was first created by Pope Saint John Paul II in Rome. His desire was to have priests who belonged to the diocese and, at the same time, were missionaries (either outside the diocese or within it) to assist in the new evangelization born after the Second Vatican Council. Also, the vocations to this seminary come from the Neocatechumenal Way, which is an itinerary of Christian formation that is present all over the world. This way, those who feel called by God to this specific mission can also continue the growth of their faith in this reality. From Rome, other bishops also desired to have such priests in their own dioceses. In 2005, Cardinal Seán requested that this seminary begin here in Boston, and that's how we all ended up here. Well, this retreat we attended was for all the priests ordained in the approximately 40 Redemptoris Mater seminaries present throughout the Americas (North, Central/Caribbean, and South). We were about 800 priests who were able to be there. It took place in Porto San Giorgio, which is on the Adriatic Sea. The initiators of the Neocatechumenal Way were there to give us a word of encouragement, to help us convert, and to rest. We were given a special place in St. Peter's Square for the Pope's Audience, and later we celebrated Mass inside the Basilica, at the Chair of St. Peter. We also went twice to Loreto, which houses the walls of the house of Mary in Nazareth. We also had the opportunity to be sent throughout all of Italy to announce the Kingdom of God two by two for four days, like the Apostles, without money, a cellphone, extra clothes, or a place to sleep... no securities, except God. We only took the Bible and the breviary. I was assigned to the city of Trent, where the famous council took place 500 years ago. After the retreat, I was able to visit the house of St. Maria Goretti, her tomb, and the place where she died. On my way back, I had a 24-hour layover in Barcelona, where I got to visit the Basilica of the Holy Family and the Shrine of Montserrat. What impacted me the most was being reminded of what God has done in my life. There were a few old friends from my childhood and people whom I have met along the way (Fr. Adriano sent his greetings to everyone). At every step of the way, He was there leading me, comforting me, and lifting me up when I fell. It was good also to rest in the Lord. No, I did not watch the World Cup games, but I had something much better: a time of intimacy with God. Running around all day, every day sometimes takes the focus away from my mission. Like Martha, we can tend to important things and leave the Lord behind. If anything, it is by being close to Christ that I will be enabled to help some people. Lastly, we were also presented with a beautiful symphony performance. In it, they sang the words of St. Victorinus of Pettau, who is an impressive saint from the early Church: "Having come as the Lion to conquer, He became the Lamb, taking upon Himself the wickedness of man, so that He might lead him from death to life."  The mission of the priest is to be Christ to the people. As we heard last week, Jesus is meek and humble of heart. The only answer to the suffering of people is to become a lamb and die for them out of love, just like Christ. The Lion came to conquer and was made the Lamb to die because He loves me. In the retreat, I see that God gives me His Spirit to (hopefully) be a lamb who dies for others. Please keep praying for me and be patient, as I still have a long way to go! God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - July 12, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • July 10, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week I would like to bring to your attention a very important matter. Recently, electronic cigarettes were developed, and they have become widely popular among teenagers today. Also known as vaping, they can have all sorts of shapes and colors, but they are nonetheless nicotine-based cigarettes that are immensely harmful to consumers. Here in town, there is a petition to ban the sale of nicotine products to the younger generation (the ban would be for anyone born after Jan. 1, 2010). Vaping is like smoking cigarettes; however, vapes are odorless, widely accessible, and very discreet. The electronic device can be as small as a USB drive. You may have seen people with a pen-like device that produces a white smoke, at times with a sweet smell. Many of the flavors come in fruit and candy flavors that appeal to youth. E-cigarettes produce an aerosol, which users inhale from the device and exhale. The aerosol can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including: nicotine; ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs; flavoring such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious lung disease; volatile organic compounds; cancer-causing chemicals; and heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, e-cigarettes are not safe for youth, young adults, pregnant women, or adults who do not currently use tobacco products. E-cigarettes have not been approved by the FDA as a smoking cessation device, and additional research is needed to help understand the long-term health effects of e-cigarette use. Furthermore, e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. According to the Surgeon General, because the brain isn’t fully developed until the mid-20s, youth and young adults are uniquely at risk for long-term effects of exposing their developing brains to nicotine. These risks include nicotine addiction, mood disorders, and permanently lowered impulse control. Nicotine also changes the way synapses are formed, which can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning. Another danger is that other substances may be used with vaping, such as cannabis/marijuana or other CBD or THC products, which could cause a person to become high. The latest reports from the CDC from 2024 show that 43.6% of students (both middle and high school) report current use of vaping. Another study reports that 63.9% of students who currently use e-cigarettes reported wanting to quit or having tried to quit. I have seen firsthand the destructive power of vaping among our youth. Unfortunately, many parents are not aware of their use. They even hide and use them in their schools. They are too young to understand the harm caused by vaping and the future consequences it can have. Nicotine pouches are increasingly more popular among youth. Therefore, in order to help them, we are supporting the Nicotine-Free Generation program that is currently being revised by the Board of Health, and it will be presented to the mayor. The idea behind it is to aid those already using nicotine products. The city will offer robust smoking cessation programs, ensuring adolescents and adults alike have the resources to quit. Additionally, by restricting access to nicotine products, we can deter adolescents from starting to use these harmful substances, significantly reducing the risk of lifelong addiction and potential cancer.  Therefore, at the end of the Masses for the next two weeks, we will be collecting signatures from those who would like to support this petition. God Bless, Fr. Steven