From Father Steven - January 26, 2025

Father Steven Clemence • January 24, 2025

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

Please see the information below about the Jubilee Year 2025 which officially opened on December 24, 2024, with the rite of Opening of the Holy Door of the Papal Basilica of St. Peter by the Holy Father, who then presided over the celebration of the Night Mass of the Lord's Birth inside the Basilica. The year will end in Rome on January 6, 2026. Archbishop Richard Henning officially opened the Jubilee Year in Boston on December 29, 2024 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. The year in Boston will end on December 28, 2025. Our parish has been selected as a place of Pilgrimage for this Jubilee Year! We have a lot of exciting things planned so please stay tuned.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

What Is the Jubilee Year and How Can We Embrace Its Graces? Every so often, the Catholic Church invites us to celebrate a special period of grace and renewal called a Jubilee Year. This tradition, deeply rooted in Scripture, is a time of spiritual growth, mercy, and renewal, offering us a chance to draw closer to God and one another. But what exactly is a Jubilee Year, and how can we participate in its blessings?

 

The idea of a Jubilee comes from the Old Testament. In the Book of Leviticus (25:8-13), God instructed the Israelites to observe a Jubilee every 50 years. During this time, debts were forgiven, slaves were freed, and land was restored to its original owners. It was a time of liberation, justice, and renewal—a way for God’s people to start fresh, trusting in His providence. The Church has adopted this concept in her own way. The first Christian Jubilee was proclaimed in 1300 by Pope Boniface VIII, and since then, the Church has periodically declared Jubilee Years, sometimes every 25 years or for special occasions. The most recent Jubilee was in 2015-2016, called the Jubilee of Mercy by Pope Francis.

 

A Jubilee Year is meant to help us experience God’s boundless mercy and love. It often includes:

 

• Opportunities for reconciliation: Special emphasis is placed on the Sacrament of Confession, where we can encounter God’s forgiveness in a profound way.

• Holy Doors: During a Jubilee, certain churches (often cathedrals or basilicas) have Holy Doors that are opened for the faithful. Walking through these doors is a symbolic act of leaving sin behind and entering into a new life of grace. (This year the Pope designated Holy Doors only in Rome. However the bishops have chosen parishes and shrines to be places of pilgrimage where pilgrims can receive the same blessings/indulgences).

• Indulgences: The Church offers indulgences during a Jubilee Year, which are special graces that remove the temporal punishment due to sin. These graces can also be offered for loved ones who have passed away.

 

The Jubilee Year isn’t just a historical or theological concept—it’s a real opportunity for each of us to encounter God in a deeper way. Here are a few ways we can take advantage of the graces offered during a Jubilee Year:

 

1. Seek Reconciliation: Make time to go to Confession. This sacrament is one of the greatest gifts of the Church, allowing us to start fresh with a clean heart and renewed spirit.

2. Visit a Pilgrimage Site: If a church in our area has a designated a Pilgrimage site (like ours and others), go there on a pilgrimage. Reflect on this as an act of spiritual renewal and commitment to living in God’s grace.

3. Deepen Your Prayer Life: A Jubilee is a time to reconnect with God through prayer. Whether it’s attending daily Mass, praying the rosary, or spending time in Eucharistic Adoration, these practices help us grow in holiness.

4. Perform Works of Mercy: Use this time to care for others, especially those in need. This can include visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the sorrowful, or simply offering kindness to those around you.

5. Offer Indulgences for Loved Ones: Pray for the souls in purgatory and offer indulgences for them. This act of charity connects us with the communion of saints and reminds us of our shared journey to heaven.

 

A Jubilee Year is an open invitation from God to experience His mercy in a deeper way. It’s like a spiritual reset button, a chance to leave behind the burdens of sin, forgive others, and live in greater harmony with God’s will. As we embrace the Jubilee, let us remember the words of Jesus: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). May this special time be one of renewal for our parish, our families, and our own hearts. Let’s take full advantage of this holy time and draw closer to the One who loves us more than we can imagine.

 

 

From Father Steven - June 15, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • June 13, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Along with celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, this Sunday we also celebrate Father’s Day. The Saint that comes to mind when I think of this celebration is immediately Saint Joseph. His vocation as the Father of Jesus helps us understand the significance and beauty of fatherhood. The scriptures refer to Joseph as a just man and while none of his words are recorded in scripture his uprightness was shown in his actions that were written down. Whenever the angels came to communicate God’s will to him, he would always get up and do as the Lord commanded, but what is curious is that Joseph would be visited by angels while he slept. The slumber of Joseph could be understood symbolically as the slumber of prayer and it was in that rest that Joseph was able to discern what was good for his family, to accept Mary as his wife and to escape from the schemes of Herod. Joseph’s strength as a Father came from “sleeping” in prayer, setting aside the time for the Lord to speak to him and teach him just how to fulfill the vocation he had entrusted to him. This is important, because it is a reminder to fathers (both earthly and spiritual) that in order to be saintly fathers, we first must learn to be humble sons who seek to do the will of our heavenly Father. This is a great consolation, because it also reminds us that we are not alone in our responsibility. Sometimes the tension of decision making can be overwhelming and we feel tense and stressed as if everything is riding on our shoulders. Saint Joseph’s example teaches us to set apart that time to pray and exercise our trust in the Lord, confident that he will help us if we are disposed to listen to his voice. This day is also an opportunity to recall and put into practice the words spoken to Moses on Mount Sinai, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Ex. 20:12). Whether they are still with us or have already passed on, we remember our fathers, because it is they who have given us the gift of life and for many the gift of faith as well. We are also called to remember those, who although were not necessarily fathers in the flesh, that took up the role of being a father in guiding us and teaching us. And through Jesus Christ, the great gift that we receive is that by being united to him through the Holy Spirit, we also become adopted sons and daughters of God the Father in Heaven, who constantly works to convince us of His great love for us. On this Holy Trinity Sunday let us lovingly remember both the fathers that have served us here on earth and our Father who continually watches over us with great care. Happy Father’s Day! God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - June 8, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • June 6, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This weekend, we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. We often associate this great solemnity with the coming of the Holy Spirit, the apostles gathered in the cenacle, and the tongues of fire descending upon them. While all of that is true, there is much more depth to this feast. To better understand its significance, we must first look back to the Old Testament, in the Book of Exodus, and then reflect on how this celebration speaks to each of us personally. The Feast of Shavuot—also known as the Feast of Weeks—commemorates the manifestation of God at Mount Sinai, where He gave the Law to the people of Israel. Through the Ten Commandments, God handed them a Way of Life . According to Jewish tradition, this was an expression of God’s love for His people. The Law was never meant to limit us with a list of do’s and don’ts, but rather to guide us toward true happiness and eternal life. However, due to Original Sin, we often mistrust God’s ways. We see anything that restricts our desires as a burden, leading to thoughts like, “I have to do this,” or “I should do that, but I can’t.” The reality is quite the opposite: every law of God should be interpreted as, “This is what will make me happy.” Take for example: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Only by living this way can we be truly happy and saved. The Prophet Jeremiah foretold that, when the Messiah comes, God would reveal Himself again—not by writing the Law on tablets of stone, but by writing it on our hearts (Jer 31:33). And that is precisely what happened in Christ: the Law of God is now written by the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, who speaks directly to our hearts. Jesus promised that the Spirit would remind us of all He taught (John 14:26), and the heart of His teaching is love—for God and for our neighbor. The Holy Spirit gives us God’s love . This love, revealed in Jesus Christ, is new: it does not resist evil, but forgives; it prays for those who persecute; it loves those who are hard to love. On our own, we cannot love this way. At best, we can tolerate those who hurt us. But forgiveness? That’s divine. True forgiveness is not simply “letting go,” but praying for those who wound us—just as Christ did on the Cross: “Father, forgive them.” The Holy Spirit comes to give us this love. If we want to be Christians—Christ-like—we desperately need the Holy Spirit. On our own, we cannot love like this. St. Paul, in his Letter to the Romans, recalls Psalm 44, saying that we are like sheep led to the slaughter. And in truth, this happens every day. We all face moments, big or small, that cause us suffering. In those moments, we need God’s love, because we cannot carry the cross on our own. That’s why it is so important to ask for the Holy Spirit! St. Paul also writes, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed... struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” (2 Cor 4:8–10). In other words, this Pentecost , God wants to manifest His love for the world through us . So I invite you: ask for God’s help. Welcome the sweet Guest of our soul. Ask the Holy Spirit to renew the face of the earth through love. Ask for His fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, modesty, and chastity. Only with His help can we become holy .  God Bless you all, Fr. Steven
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