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From Father Steven - February 25, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • Feb 23, 2024


 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

Have you ever felt the burden of past mistakes weighing heavy on your heart, leading to sadness and hopelessness? Confession, also known as the sacrament of reconciliation, offers a transformative path towards healing and renewal. While some may have doubts about approaching this sacrament, I assure you, as a priest, our focus is not on remembering your sins, but on offering God's forgiveness and guiding you back to the path of light. This week, I'd like to share insights on preparing for and experiencing the profound grace of confession.

 

The first step is to recognize that Christ entrusted to Peter the power to forgive sins (Whose sins you forgive, will be forgiven them – Jn 20:23). Thus, establishing the sacrament of reconciliation (and baptism) as the means through which sins are forgiven. While some may choose to confess directly to God, it is through this sacrament that God has chosen to grant forgiveness. This authority given to the apostles was passed down to their disciples (nowadays bishops). We, priests, have the power to forgive sins, because we share in the ministry of the bishops.

 

Now that we have established the need to be forgiven through the sacrament, we move on to the practicality. In preparation to receive the sacrament, we should ask the help of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comforts us, dispels our fears, and gives hope as we decide to return to the embrace of our Heavenly Father, much like the prodigal son returning home. Just as sins separate us from God, the sacrament re-unites us to Him, hence the name of “reconciliation.” We begin with an examination of conscience. Prayerfully, we should reflect on our actions since our last confession. Various guides are available to assist with this process, which can be found on our website under the sacraments section. It should only be a help to remember certain things that we did and may have forgotten. Whether you reflect on the 10 commandments or the seven capital sins, what is important is that, to the best of our abilities, we remember our sins. You may write them down, just please be very careful with where you write them. While remorse for our sins is natural, we should also be grateful for the grace of recognizing them and the opportunity for God's forgiveness. With a resolve to abandon sin, we are then prepared to approach the sacrament.

 

 For those who haven't confessed in some time, I recommend scheduling an appointment to allow ample time for reflection. When confessing, begin by making the sign of the cross, and saying “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been ___ amount of time since my last confession, and these are my sins.” Next tell the priest your marital status and if you have children living with you (as the priest may not know you). Then you tell the priest your sins. When confessing sins, there's no need for explicit details; simply name the sin and indicate its frequency. Once you finish confessing with the best of your ability, you may say “for these sins and the ones I don’t remember, I am sorry.” The priest may offer words of encouragement and assign a penance, designed not as punishment but as a means of spiritual healing and growth. It is a medicinal exercise to undo the harm caused by sin or to strengthen you to not fall back again into the same sins. Finally, you will be asked to say the act of Contrition (O my God, I am sorry for my sins. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin…there are many variations of it.), or the priest can ask you as well. Then, in the person of Christ, the priest will pronounce the words of Absolution to forgive your sins making the sign of the cross. He will dismiss you, allowing you to begin anew with the fire of the Holy Spirit rekindled in your heart full of joy and renewed hope, free from the weight of sins on your shoulders. Confessions are available here at the parish on Tuesdays 5-6pm Saturdays 1-3pm, or by scheduling an appointment at the office.

 

God Bless, 

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - April 28, 2024

By Father Steven Clemence • 26 Apr, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This Sunday and the following one we will be having our first communions here in the parish. In preparation for that, I began reading some testimonies about receiving communion that were very beautiful. Here I would like to share with you a conversation that Pope Benedict XVI had with some children regarding receiving communion. Dear Pope, what are your memories of your First Communion day? I would first like to say thank you for this celebration of faith that you are offering to me, for your presence and for your joy. I greet you and thank you for the hug I have received from some of you, a hug that, of course, symbolically stand for you all. I remember my First Communion day very well. It was a lovely Sunday in March 1936, 69 years ago. It was a sunny day, the church looked very beautiful, there was music.... There were so many beautiful things that I remember. There were about 30 of us, boys and girls from my little village of no more than 500 inhabitants. But at the heart of my joyful and beautiful memories is this one - and your spokesperson said the same thing: I understood that Jesus had entered my heart, he had actually visited me. And with Jesus, God himself was with me. And I realized that this is a gift of love that is truly worth more than all the other things that life can give. So on that day I was really filled with great joy, because Jesus came to me and I realized that a new stage in my life was beginning, I was 9 years old, and that it was henceforth important to stay faithful to that encounter, to that communion. I promised the Lord as best I could: "I always want to stay with you", and I prayed to him, "but above all, stay with me". So I went on living my life like that; thanks be to God, the Lord has always taken me by the hand and guided me, even in difficult situations. Thus, that day of my First Communion was the beginning of a journey made together. I hope that for all of you too, the First Communion you have received in this Year of the Eucharist will be the beginning of a lifelong friendship with Jesus, the beginning of a journey together, because in walking with Jesus we do well and life becomes good. In preparing me for my First Communion day, my catechist told me that Jesus is present in the Eucharist. But how? I can't see him! No, we cannot see him, but there are many things that we do not see but they exist and are essential. For example: we do not see our reason, yet we have reason. We do not see our intelligence and we have it. In a word: we do not see our soul and yet it exists and we see its effects, because we can speak, think and make decisions, etc. Nor do we see an electric current, for example, yet we see that it exists; we see this microphone, that it is working, and we see lights. Therefore, we do not see the very deepest things, those that really sustain life and the world, but we can see and feel their effects. This is also true for electricity; we do not see the electric current but we see the light. So it is with the Risen Lord: we do not see him with our eyes but we see that wherever Jesus is, people change, they improve. A greater capacity for peace, for reconciliation, etc., is created. Therefore, we do not see the Lord himself but we see the effects of the Lord: so we can understand that Jesus is present. And as I said, it is precisely the invisible things that are the most profound, the most important. So let us go to meet this invisible but powerful Lord who helps us to live well. What good does it do for our everyday life to go to Holy Mass and receive Communion? It centres life. We live amid so many things. And the people who do not go to church, do not know that it is precisely Jesus they lack. But they feel that something is missing in their lives. If God is absent from my life, if Jesus is absent from my life, a guide, an essential friend is missing, even an important joy for life, the strength to grow as a man, to overcome my vices and mature as a human being. Therefore, we cannot immediately see the effects of being with Jesus and of going to Communion. But with the passing of the weeks and years, we feel more and more keenly the absence of God, the absence of Jesus. It is a fundamental and destructive incompleteness. I could easily speak of countries where atheism has prevailed for years: how souls are destroyed, but also the earth. In this way we can see that it is important, and I would say fundamental, to be nourished by Jesus in Communion. It is he who gives us enlightenment, offers us guidance for our lives, a guidance that we need. God Bless, Fr. Steven 

From Father Steven - April 21, 2024

By Father Steven Clemence • 19 Apr, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters, On the fourth Sunday of Easter, we celebrate the Good Shepherd. Every year we hear a passage from chapter 10 of John, which speaks of the essence of the shepherd. In the Eternal City of Rome, this weekend is marked by the ordinations of new priests, those chosen to follow Christ’s footsteps as shepherds for God’s flock. This weekend I would like to reflect on the vocation to the priesthood. St. John Bosco says that most men are called to the priesthood, yet some may not answer the call due to various reasons. Perhaps they were not raised in a faith-filled household, denied the opportunity for devotion to Mary and the Eucharist, or were afraid to choose a different vocation than their parents expected. The allurements of the world may have also dimmed their interest in the things of God. We often encounter young boys who manifest a profound love for Jesus, delighting in play-acting the mass, whose dream is to be an altar server, or even who are fascinated about Jesus (even those who are not Catholics or have not received any sacraments). Such signs are not to be dismissed as mere childishness, but rather as potential sparks for a vocation. Pope Saint Leo the Great says that the mere thought of a vocation is already a sign of it. Just as one may never consider becoming a librarian (with due respect), so too do those who are not called to the priesthood never wonder about that possibility. Many of the youth at some point ask themselves what if God calls him to be a priest. However, fear of failure, inadequacy, or lack of worthiness may prompt them to dismiss it. Yet, becoming a priest requires only a willingness to surrender to God’s will. Jesus declares, “The shepherd is the one who lays down his life for the sheep” (similar to the vows of marriage). Nowhere He suggests that a priest must be pious, holy, smart, or possess any extraordinary abilities. When Christ calls his apostles, He does not measure them up or test their abilities and worthiness. He simply calls them. It is our solemn duty as parents, grandparents, godparents, friends and fellow believers to encourage the young people to think about their vocation. For those who do, we must urge them to act upon it. Fear is an inevitable companion, but it must not paralyze them. Otherwise, the devil will whisper more doubts and will convince them that they are not called to be a priest. Personally, I felt many of these feelings. I was never an altar server, I didn’t know how to pray, I wanted to get married and have children. Faith played a very small part of my childhood, and no one ever mentioned to me about becoming a priest. As my brother entered the seminary I began to question my calling, wondering “what if God calls me too to become a priest?” I was certain that it was not for me nor was I cut out for it…but we are not the ones to decide. Then, how can we help children, youth and men to discern their vocation? First of all we need to pray for them, as Jesus teaches, “ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Mt 9:38), Second, speak to them. Third, we will have a meeting on Tuesday, April 30th at 7:00pm-8:00pm in the church for any youth, young adults, or any man (ages 13+) who would like to inquire about, learn more about it, or has ever considered becoming a priest before. It will be an informal conversation. I invite the parents to talk to your children. Even those who have once expressed interest but no longer feel the same should come. I will also arrange a meeting for younger boys in the future as well as for women who may feel the calling to religious life. Life with God is awesome, too bad that we are afraid of risking it. Sometimes a glimpse into the religious lives can expand our horizons and reveal the boundless possibilities that God has in store for us. As an example, can you believe that two nuns just ran a half-marathon (in their habit) in Naples, FL, and are very happy? St. Paul says in the second reading today, what we shall be has not yet been revealed. Therefore, do not be afraid of following the voice of Jesus our shepherd. God Bless, Fr. Steven 
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