From Father Steven - December 25, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • December 23, 2024

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

As we approach the joyful season of Christmas, we are invited to pause and reflect on the great mystery of God becoming man. Saint John Paul II reminds us that "Christmas is not merely a day of festivity and rejoicing. It is a day of reflection and renewal, a day in which we should re-examine our lives and strengthen our faith.” The Feast of the Nativity is not just a historical event; it is the very heart of our faith, where heaven and earth meet in the person of Jesus Christ. In this holy season, we celebrate the incredible love God has for each one of us, a love so deep that He sent His only Son to live among us, suffer for us, and redeem us.

 

As we gather with family and friends, sharing meals and exchanging gifts, we are reminded that Christmas is more than lights and decorations. It is about the light of Christ, the true Light that "shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5). This is the Light that guides us through life's challenges, offering us hope, joy, and peace. In the words of St. John Paul II, "The birth of Christ is the beginning of the fullness of time. We are called to live in this fullness, in the light that comes from Bethlehem."

 

It is easy, especially in the busyness of the season, to forget that the true gift of Christmas is not found under the tree, but in the manger. In this season of giving, we are invited to remember that God gave us His Son as the ultimate gift. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son," (John 3:16), so that we might have life and have it abundantly. The Catechism reminds us that "the Son of God became man so that we might become God" (CCC 460). This is the true miracle of Christmas: that God, in His infinite love, wants to share His divine life with us.

 

Yet, in our busy lives, it can be easy to forget this profound truth. In a world that often emphasizes materialism and fleeting pleasures, we can lose sight of the eternal gifts that come from Christ alone—peace, hope, and everlasting joy. Christmas calls us to refocus our hearts on these divine gifts, and to rekindle our relationship with the Lord.

 

St. Teresa of Calcutta once said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” Christmas is a time to remember our shared bond as members of the Body of Christ. It is a time to heal broken relationships, extend forgiveness, and embrace the love that Christ has shown us. We are reminded that the Christ Child came not only for us individually but for all of humanity. In the spirit of Christmas, let us open our hearts and hands to those in need, whether through material help or spiritual support. Let us remember that in serving others, we serve Christ Himself.

 

In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul tells us to "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4). As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, let this joy overflow from our hearts. Even amidst trials, let us remember that we are never alone. The God who became a child in the manger is with us always, and His love will never fail. It is this love that will carry us through every difficulty, every trial, and every moment of doubt.

 

This Christmas, let us also remember that our faith is not just for the Christmas season, but for every day of the year. The infant Jesus calls us to live out His love every day, to witness to His truth, and to serve those around us with compassion and mercy. The Catechism reminds us that the Christian life is a call to "love one another as I have loved you" (CCC 1825). This love is not just for our family and friends but for all people—especially those who are lonely, hurting, or far from the faith. In this season, let us rekindle our zeal to live as disciples of Christ and to share the light of His love with the world.

 

As we approach the manger, let us all ask ourselves, “What can I give to the Christ Child?” The answer is simple—our hearts. In giving Him our hearts, we are also giving Him our lives. This Christmas, let us renew our commitment to live the Gospel with joy and to carry the light of Christ with us into the New Year.



May the peace, joy, and love of Christ fill your hearts and homes this Christmas and always.


Merry Christmas

Fr. Steven

 


From Father Steven - January 25, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • January 23, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, As we come to the end of January, it is certainly a good time to have a deep sense of gratitude in recognition that we are truly loved by God and that we are called to spread that love to everyone. Perhaps today we could take some time to think about God’s goodness to us and how He invites us to share our faith with those who have not yet heard the Good News. For our annual Mission Appeal for 2025 (sorry for the delay!), Sister Lisa Valentini, MSC, a Missionary Sister of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, is coming here to Marlborough next weekend to share with all of us about the Missionary endeavors of her Sisters in Mission around the globe. Right now, the MSC Sisters who are serving in a place called Kurugodu in the Bellary area of Karnataka State in India, have a specific project for which they are in desperate need of support: They need to build an addition onto their elementary school. When Sister Lisa was in India six years ago, there were 550 students in Sacred Heart of Jesus School. Now, there are 1,400 students and the school continues to GROW. Sister Lisa will share with us how the children in Sacred Heart are coming to know about Jesus because the MSC Sisters are there. There are two ways of being a Missionary: One is to GIVE by GOING – which is what the MSC Sisters do… the other is to GO by GIVING. . . This Mission Appeal gives us the opportunity to “GIVE” so that we can be a part of the Missionary work of the MSC Sisters. We will be having a second collection next weekend to help them in their mission. We always invite you to be generous to them as God has been generous to us! On a separate but related topic, I would like to highlight that here in the parish, we also have 2 women who are missionaries. Jackie Chung is currently serving the college students of University of Rhode Island in Providence through Focus. Along with other missionaries, they evangelize other young adults who are studying at URI. They try to touch their lives and rekindle God’s love by offering them opportunities to encounter Jesus, either by bible study groups, retreats, or peer to peer conversations. This is her second year. The other person is Janet Guzman. She is in her third year in mission in Turks and Caicos through the Neocatechumenal Way. Although the surroundings are beautiful, she is currently serving the underprivileged local population in a school that the local parish opened a few years ago. The whole school is run by women who have heard the call from the Lord to serve. Some are trained professional teachers while others serve in other capacities. Janet is very happy working with the children and teaching them about the love of God and a few other things. We also have 5 seminarians from the parish. We have one parishioner in a seminary and 4 seminarians that were adopted by the parish. Leonardo Orellana after discerning his vocation, desired to follow the call to be a missionary priest and was assigned to a seminary in Washington, DC. Then we have the guys that you usually see around, Deacon Javier, Alex, Henry, and Michael (that is currently in mission in California). There are a few young people who are also discerning their vocation. Some have felt called to serve God as priests, others as nuns, missionaries, or holy couples. It is very important that we pray for them EVERYDAY! It is not easy to be young these days. There are many challenges that we didn’t face when we were young. We priests also ask for your prayers so that we can continue serving the people and doing God’s work! There is much hope for the future! Although the news and politics seem to paint a gloomy picture, the future is very bright!!! Let us never lose hope! God Bless, Fr. Steven 

From Father Steven - January 18, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • January 16, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week I would like to share with you some news from our parish. We had a great year during the Jubilee, with many wonderful events. There are also some updates on other things that are happening that people may not be aware of. Lastly, we have a few upcoming events that I would like to bring to your attention. In the past fiscal year (July 2024–June 2025), many people accepted the grace of receiving the sacraments. We had 65 baptisms, 95 confirmations, and 82 First Communions. Some of these were received by adults, others by teenagers, and most by children. We also had 29 couples married during this time. Another statistic worth noting is the number of funerals celebrated. We honored the lives of 76 brothers and sisters who were called home to the Lord. Looking back on the year 2025 as a whole, there were many beautiful moments in our parish life. A few are worth highlighting. In January, we took 56 pilgrims to the March for Life, and we will be doing so again this week. We were also blessed to be designated a Jubilee Pilgrimage Site for the Jubilee Year. After forming four planning groups, we began offering Adoration and Confessions Monday through Friday from 6:00–7:00 p.m. Countless people experienced the mercy of God during this time. We also offered talks three times a week—one in each language—with excellent speakers covering a wide variety of themes. Throughout the year, we hosted 11 retreats and welcomed special guests for various events, including Immaculée Ilibagiza and Sean Forrest. We also held our annual Corpus Christi procession and Parish Festival, both of which were very well attended. We began a bereavement ministry and launched a new parish group, Friends in Faith. In addition, we enjoyed several social events, such as fish fries, bingo, Spanish Family Night, and other dinners. We conducted a parish-wide 33 Days Consecration to Mary and celebrated the Marian feasts of Our Lady of the Rosary, Our Lady of Aparecida, the Immaculate Conception, and Our Lady of Guadalupe. This last celebration marked the first visit of our Archbishop, Richard Henning. This is a very brief summary of the 45 events we held in 2025. Looking ahead, we will have 24-hour Adoration this Sunday, taking advantage of the holiday. (If you are able, please sign up online so we can ensure all hours are covered.) Then, on Thursday, 55 youth will travel on pilgrimage to Washington, D.C., to participate in the March for Life. On the weekend of January 31–February 1, Sister Lisa, MSC, will be with us for the Mission Appeal. On February 15, after the 11:00 a.m. Mass, we will hold the annual Anointing of the Sick in observance of the World Day of the Sick. As noted on our cover page, we will host a couples’ retreat on February 21. This will be a wonderful opportunity for couples to rekindle their love for one another. Lent will begin on February 18 with Ash Wednesday. Finally, on February 28, Sister Olga will visit the parish to give two talks: one for women and young ladies on vocation, and another open to the public (topic to be determined). One more novelty, we are very happy to introduce you to Ms. Gabriella Lindhurst as our new Music Director. She got her music degrees from Assumption College (Bachelor) and Notre Dame (Masters). She comes from Southborough and has sang and performed in many different places for the past 10 years. Please make sure to welcome her as you see her this weekend.  There are many other things happening in our parish, but I wanted to share just some of them with you. These events are inspired by the Holy Spirit to fill us with grace and bring us closer to Jesus. I understand that some events may feel challenging or even intimidating, but I encourage you to ask yourself, “Is God calling me to attend this?” If you have any questions or need clarification, please feel free to contact the parish office. As John the Baptist pointed Jesus out to those around him, so do we. Hopefully, one day we can all say, “Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” God Bless, Fr. Steven