From Father Steven - July 14, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • July 11, 2024

 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

 

I came across a very interesting article about Resting on Vacations. It is often very difficult to rest properly. I hope it helps you and your family.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

————————————————-

The school holidays can often lead to conflicts within families as they struggle to balance the children's desire for fun with the parents' need for rest. This is especially true for families who cannot synchronize their vacations with those of their children. Additionally, teenagers often find their parents' plans boring and prefer to make their own arrangements. So, how can families find rest and leisure together? This article will not provide a "vacation itinerary" or suggest games or activities for children. Instead, it will draw upon the Word of God and the Magisterium of the Church to offer a teaching on rest that can provide a foundation for families to plan their own leisure time within their own realities and possibilities.

 

The need for rest is something we can all feel in our bodies and minds, but we don't always have a clear idea of what it really means to rest. Some people rest simply by sleeping, others by looking at a landscape, while others, with more active temperaments, come up with such complicated ways to rest that they end up getting more tired than before. Rest, in fact, is something that deeply touches our desire for happiness, well-being, and the restoration of the "lost paradise." In the biblical "paradise," before sin, human work meant caring for the work of creation in submission to God. We can find this call directed to us in the command: "fill the earth and subdue it" (Gn 1:28). According to the narrative of the book of Genesis, God blessed the seventh day and consecrated it, for on that day he had ceased from all the work that he had created (cf. Gn 1:3). Saint John Paul II, in the Letter "Dies Domini" (Day of the Lord), teaches that here the day of rest was created, the day set apart for the praise of the Creator.

 

Sin distorted everything! Man was called to live in an orderly way: administering the earth in submission to the Lord and, on the seventh day, resting in God. And everything he would do, both in work and in rest, would always be in honor and praise of God. Still in the book of Genesis we can read that, after the sin of man, God walked in the garden of paradise in the afternoon breeze in search of the man and the woman, who hid from him! (cf. Gn 3:8-11) - It is clear that these narratives were written in a symbolic language, to refer to much deeper realities. From the moment of sin, we would eat bread with the sweat of our brow (cf. Gn 3:19) and hide from God, avoiding walking with Him in the afternoon breeze. The meaning of work and rest was lost. However, Jesus came to redeem the true meaning of these realities. The Gospels show us in Jesus - the model of man - the order restored between work and rest; how often we see him setting aside some of his time from his intense work of healing and evangelization, of spreading and establishing the Kingdom, to withdraw and rest with his friends! Rest is not an escape from work or irresponsibility, but a need that the human being has to interrupt a series of productive activities to enjoy activities in which there is no tension for results. Leisure, therefore, is not a period of simply staying inactive, but of "occupying oneself" in activities that do not generate any of the inner demands that tire the mind and body.

 

In this way, finding the dreamed-of rest becomes not a matter of choosing the most beautiful place, the most fun companions, or the favorite games. Although all of this can even be found, true rest requires much more of an inner disposition: to abandon all the activism we have been living in our daily lives, which generates so much disunity and murmuring, to find ourselves again through loving interpersonal relationships and a true spirit of charity, which is the praise that God expects of us.

 

In light of all that we have seen, it becomes clear that families need to come together to pray and listen to what God wants to provide for them on that Sunday, on that vacation, on that holiday. This will involve giving up on each of us pulling in the direction we believe is the best leisure option. Again, in the Letter "Dies Domini," the Holy Father says that Jesus came to redeem Sunday, through our recreation as new men and women who submit their whole lives to Him and find in Him true joy and authentic rest. Here are our prayers that together, as a family, we may truly live the rest that the Lord has won for us. Let us, as families, seek to find true rest together. 

 

From Father Steven - May 17, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • May 15, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This weekend we celebrate the ordination of Father Javier! It is always a great privilege for us to witness the transformation of a young man into a priest, a servant of God configured to Christ. This weekend, I would like to reflect with you on the different vocations to which God calls His people. The first vocation, as we see in the Book of Genesis, is matrimony. We hear that God created man and woman to complement one another. “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Therefore, it is natural for a man and a woman to be united in marriage. However, marriage is not about seeking the satisfaction of one’s own needs in another person. Rather, the sacrament of matrimony is a sacrament of self-giving and service. Husband and wife are called to serve one another in love. Matrimony is defined as “the covenant by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, and which is ORDERED TOWARD THE GOOD OF THE SPOUSES and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament” (Canon 1055 §1). Marriage, then, is a path by which God sanctifies us through self-giving love, just as Christ gave Himself for us. Spouses become a gift to one another, and it is in this gift of self that true joy is found. Some people receive a different call. If it is natural for a man and woman to be united to one another, then it is supernatural for a person to be united entirely to God. The religious vocation anticipates the reality of heaven by seeking union with God already in this life. One can be called to become “eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven,” living celibacy for the love of God and His Kingdom. This includes consecrated virgins who live in the world while dedicating their lives entirely to the Lord and those who do not get married. Others are called to religious life as sisters, nuns, brothers, or monks. There are many religious communities and institutes through which a person is consecrated to God according to a particular charism or mission. Some are called to serve through teaching, serving the poor, caring for the sick or children, immigrants, or those most in need. There are also contemplative communities whose principal work is prayer and total dedication to the Lord, often lived in cloistered monasteries. Finally, we also have the priestly vocation. This call invites men to act in the person of Christ the Head ( in persona Christi capitis ) in the world. Through ordination, a man is configured in a profound way to Jesus Christ. This does not mean that the individual ceases to be himself; rather, by the grace of God, he is united to Christ in a unique and sacramental way. The priesthood is not only for a select few. Many saints throughout history have spoken about how God calls many men to this vocation. Sometimes there is hesitation because a person feels unworthy or inadequate. Yet throughout Scripture we see that God often chooses ordinary people with weaknesses and imperfections. The Apostles and the saints were not extraordinary because of their own abilities, but because they allowed God’s grace to work through them. As the saying goes, God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called. As you can see in Fr. Gabriel, Fr. Victor, and myself, we are very ordinary and imperfect men. It is the grace of God that enables us to do what we do. A man may feel incapable of becoming a priest or discouraged by his sins and limitations. Yet, just as Peter told Jesus, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man,” we remember that it is not we who choose Christ, but Christ who chooses us. Ultimately, our primary vocation is holiness. We are all called to become saints. The particular path we take—whether marriage, religious or single life, or priesthood—is secondary to the greater call to holiness. Those called to matrimony are called to holy matrimony, to become holy husbands and holy wives. Those called to religious life are called to become holy sisters, brothers, monks, and consecrated virgins. Those called to the priesthood are called to become holy priests. Each vocation is not an end in itself, but a path by which we are led to heaven and united more fully with God. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - May 10, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • May 8, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Since leaving high school, I do not think I had ever opened the Britannica Encyclopedia again. Yet while preparing for this weekend’s theme, I came across a very interesting entry: Mother’s Day. I had never really wondered how this celebration began. After doing some research, I discovered how it developed through different cultures and times, including a tradition in England when the faithful would visit the church where they had been baptized — their “mother church.” The modern observance of Mother’s Day traces back to Anna Jarvis, who honored her mother, Anna Jarvis, in 1908. After the Civil War, Anna Jarvis promoted reconciliation between Union and Confederate veterans. One day, she offered a prayer during Sunday school that her daughter never forgot: “I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial Mother’s Day commemorating her for the matchless service she renders to humanity in every field of life.” Those words remained deeply in her daughter’s heart. After her mother’s death, Anna Jarvis began advocating for a special day dedicated to honoring mothers. In 1908, the first Mother’s Day service was held at her mother’s church in West Virginia. A few years later, every state celebrated Mother’s Day, until President Wilson declared it a national holiday. In many ways, the figure of a mother resembles Christ Himself, who “came not to be served, but to serve.” Mothers are often behind the scenes, taking the last place and putting the needs of others before their own. Much of their hard work and countless sacrifices may go unnoticed, yet God, “who sees in secret, will repay you.” Certainly, it feels good to receive recognition and praise, but our first calling is to please God. Jesus commands us to love one another as He has loved us, and He says nothing about seeking recognition. In fact, throughout the Scriptures, Jesus repeatedly avoids drawing attention to Himself. Many times, He even tells people not to speak about what He has done. In our digital age, when people often share everything publicly, Jesus reminds us of the beauty of doing good quietly and humbly. The Gospel also tells us that the Son of Man came to serve and “to give His life.” In a similar way, mothers are constantly giving their lives for others. The sacrifice of self-denial is among the greatest acts of love. Just as Christ died so that we might live, mothers often deny themselves so that others may flourish. Whether it is caring for the home, cooking, cleaning, gardening, helping the children, finding everything for everyone, or all of the above, their daily sacrifices make an enormous difference, even when they go unnoticed. Therefore, regardless of our age, let us take a moment to reflect on how often our mothers denied themselves for our sake. Let us remember all they have done in loving service to us. They may not have been perfect, but in most cases, they gave us way more than their best. Today, inspired by Anna Jarvis, let us honor mothers “for the matchless service [they render] to humanity in every field of life.” To all mothers — those here on earth and those already in heaven — THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.  God Bless, Fr. Steven