From Father Steven - February 23, 2025

Father Steven Clemence • February 21, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

This week’s readings urge us to love our neighbors. It is certainly not easy, but not impossible either. Let us reflect on what God is asking us and how we can do it.

 

The greatest and most important tenet of our faith, and the first commandment is to love God and Him alone. The other day someone came to my office asking how we can love God. There are many ways to love God, talking to Him, listening to what He has to tell us, and putting into practice what He revealed to us. Another way we have to love God is to love everything that he created and to love Him in other people. Sometimes we don’t see God in other people. We forget that every single person was created in His image and likeness. Therefore, God can be seen in each person. Surely if we look at a person’s actions, we might not see God. However, He is present in that person in one way or another. Then, it flows from there what Christ will tell us what the other commandment is, “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt22:39)

 

One important observation is that these are not merely laws or suggestions which we can follow or break. The Jews see the 10 commandments as the “words of Life.” That is, these are the words that give us (eternal) life. Sometimes we understand only the legality of the law. We don’t understand the spirit through which it was passed onto us. A father does not have to create a law for his children saying that it is wrong to stick the finger into a power outlet. He teaches his children that it will hurt them if they do that. God in his pedagogy with the people of Israel and by extension with ourselves, he also teaches us what to do and what to avoid. These teachings that are meant to help lead us to heaven are handed down to us through the optic of the legal/judiciary mentality of the Roman Law. It is no longer a matter of doing the will of God or following the path to holiness, but rather to follow the dictate of the law.

 

Returning to the original topic of our reflection, we can now read that through a different way. The love of the other person, it is no longer a matter of personal preference, but rather, it is a path to salvation. It is interesting to observe that Christ will say to “love” one another. He never said that we have to like other people. Then he adds on, love “as I have loved you.” (Jn 13:34). Here we qualify what kind of love we are to give, that is, the same that we have received. Then the moment that we understand that by loving each other is the path to salvation, why should we not do it? What could prevent us from loving the other? Of course, to love the people that love us is easy, and to love the ones that are good to us is also natural. However, what about loving the people that persecute, hurt, and despise us? Let us look at St. Stephen while he is being stoned, or St Paul as he writes to the persecuted Christian community of Rome “bless those who persecute you.” (12:14). There are so many other testimonies of countless Christians that showed love to their executioners. Then, again, why should we not follow their example? One may add that he does not have the graces or he is not a saint like them, which is a valid response. I insist on asking the same question, what prevents us from being like them? We were all created in the same image and likeness of God. We all received the same Holy Spirit. We all received the same blessings through the sacraments.

 

In this Jubilee year, God wants to give many special graces. These graces are all means to help us to go to heaven by putting into practice that which God has called us. That is why we will be doing many activities this year to help flourish the graces in us and reject sin and the disordered desire for worldly things. I would even dare to say that God allows difficult people in our lives as a way to help us, not the contrary. In the life of St. Therese of Lisieux, we learn how challenging her mother superior was and how providential she was to make her a saint. Then, starting in Lent, we invite you to come to adoration and take advantage of the sacrament of confession Monday, Wednesday, Friday in English, Tuesday in Spanish, Thursday in Portuguese (Monday to Friday 6-7pm). We are also preparing talks every week where everyone is welcome to attend.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - April 27, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • April 25, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This weekend we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday—a feast that comes from Jesus’ own desire to make known the abundance of His eternal mercy, so that sinners may be reconciled with God and find peace in His love. At the same time, we are mourning the passing of Pope Francis, and praying for the Church during this time of transition. It is a moment both solemn and sacred, calling us to entrust our hearts to God’s providence. Back in 1931, a Polish nun named Saint Faustina Kowalska began receiving visions of Jesus. In one of these visions, He appeared clothed in white, raising His right hand in blessing while His left hand touched His heart. From His heart flowed two rays—one red and one white. Jesus instructed her to have this image painted and shared throughout the world. This now-famous image, which we see in many churches and homes, has deep meaning: the white ray symbolizes the water of Baptism, which makes souls righteous, and the red ray represents the Precious Blood of Christ, which is the life of our souls. Together, they proclaim the great truth of our faith—that Christ suffered, died, and rose again to forgive our sins and offer us new life. Yet, many do not ask for His mercy. Many live outside the grace God wants so eagerly to pour out. Jesus told Sister Faustina to record His messages in a diary, so the world would know how much He desires to give us His mercy. I once read that what saddens Jesus most is that so many reject His mercy here on earth, and so He cannot give it to them in eternity. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, if we choose to ask God for forgiveness, He will forgive us—completely and freely—because He is Mercy itself. But if we reject that mercy, God respects our freedom and allows us to keep our sins, which leads us to be judged by our own choices. Knowing this, Jesus asked that the Second Sunday of Easter be set aside as a day to honor His Divine Mercy, giving souls a special opportunity to return to Him. Scripture reminds us again and again that God’s mercy endures forever, and that He does not desire the death of a sinner, but that they be converted and live. This Sunday is a powerful reminder: Yes, we fall. Yes, we sin. But with God, there is always a second chance—a third, a hundredth, a millionth—if we only ask. God forgives as much as we are willing to ask for forgiveness. That’s why He gave us the Sacrament of Reconciliation as a concrete way to receive His mercy. In the Gospel this weekend, we hear Jesus say to Peter: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” With these words, Jesus entrusts the power to forgive sins to Peter and, through him, to the Church. Our bishops are the successors of the Apostles, and priests receive this sacred ministry at ordination. Confession, then, is not just a ritual—it is the ordinary way Christ offers us forgiveness. Now, a few words about the death of Pope Francis. Like every pope before him, he served the Church to the best of his ability. Some may have admired him deeply, others may have struggled with certain decisions he made. But if God entrusted him with the care of the Church, then we, as the faithful, are called to support and pray for our shepherd. I believe his papacy was necessary—especially for those who felt forgotten or left on the margins. Pope Francis was known as the “People’s Pope” he made people feel welcome and loved. As we await the election of a new pope, let us pray earnestly. A conclave will soon gather the cardinals under the age of 80 in the Sistine Chapel, where they will vote for the next successor of Peter. This is a sacred and serious responsibility. Let us all unite in prayer for this process, and for the one whom God is calling to lead His Church. Pope Francis began his pontificate by humbly asking us to pray for him. That request remains just as vital now—for his soul, for his successor, and for all those in Church leadership. Bishops and priests face many challenges in shepherding God's people, including their own human weaknesses and the demands of the world we live in. So I ask you: pray for us, but especially pray for the man who will become our next pope. He will not be perfect, and he may not always make the decisions we expect. But as our shepherd, he deserves our prayers, our support, and our attentive hearts. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - April 20, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • April 17, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, CHRIST IS RISEN, ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA!!! I pray that during these next 50 days of the Easter season, you may truly experience the resurrection of Christ in your life. The resurrection is not something magical, as though Christ waves a wand and suddenly we are converted. Lent is our preparation, a spiritual journey that leads us to the moment of Jesus passing through our lives at Easter. According to the Gospels, on Easter morning only Mary Magdalene encounters the Risen Christ. No one else does at first. Over the coming weeks, we will hear different Gospel accounts of others meeting the Risen Lord in a variety of places and situations—reminding us that Christ reveals Himself in many ways, often when we least expect it. We live in a world that doesn’t like to wait. We’ve grown accustomed to instant everything. It’s funny to think how different things were not so long ago—waiting through commercials on TV, or sending letters by mail that took days or weeks to arrive. Today, we can get deliveries within hours and watch any show, anywhere, anytime. Yet, when we read Scripture, we discover that God often calls His people to wait. Abraham waited most of his life for God to fulfill His promises. Then he waited again to hear His voice. The Israelites wandered 40 years in the desert. Clearly, God is in no rush. He could have created the world in an instant, yet He chose to take seven days. After our Lenten preparation, now we enter the season of hope and anticipation—waiting for the Lord to appear. We don’t know when or how, but we trust that He will come. Let us not be like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, who walked and spoke with Jesus without recognizing Him. Each year, Christ seeks to free us from the lies and chains of the enemy. We are often tempted to believe that we are not good enough, that we cannot forgive ourselves for past mistakes, or that a certain person will always remain a painful burden in our lives. The suffering we see around us can deepen that grief. The disciples, too, experienced this kind of “death” of the soul—sadness, confusion, even despair. But in the midst of this brokenness, Christ appears. He comes to reveal that those things no longer have power over us. He breaks the chains of darkness. A better image might be this: Christ has flung open the doors of our prison cell—but we must choose to walk out. The Holy Spirit comes to give us the strength to take that step into freedom. The freedom to forgive. The freedom to see how valuable and loved we truly are. It doesn’t matter if we are “good enough”—God loves us as we are. He knows we have our struggles. I like to say, respectfully and with humor, that we are sometimes God’s “high-maintenance children.” Yet He loves us just the same! So now that we have heard the news of the Resurrection—what do we do? Peter and John ran to the tomb. They left the place where they were and sought Christ. We are invited to do the same. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been coming to church regularly, or if this is your first time here in a while—the invitation is for everyone . This Jubilee Year is a special time of grace. Come out of fear and into the freedom of the Risen Christ! Encounter Him in the many opportunities offered in our parish: Daily Mass (Monday to Saturday at 7:30 AM), Adoration (6:30–7:30 AM and 6–7 PM), Confessions (6–7 PM), Jubilee Talks every Wednesday (7–8 PM), Tuesdays in Spanish, Thursdays in Portuguese Upcoming retreats: Unbound in English (May 24), Brazilian retreat (May 24–25), Spanish couples retreat (June 1), Join one of our many ministries—Cenacle, Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, Neocatechumenal Way, Bible Study, Friends of Faith, Bereavement Ministry—or serve at Mass as a catechist, lector, singer, or Eucharistic minister. Maybe the wait is over. The Risen Christ is already here, waiting to encounter you . He will free you. He will give you new life. Come and see! God Bless, Fr. Steven 
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