From Father Steven - March 17, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • March 15, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

Every Easter Christ makes himself present in a special way, through his death and resurrection. The Jews celebrate the Passover feast not as a reminder of what happened in Exodus. Rather, they celebrate their own personal passage from slavery to freedom. We know that on the Passover night, the Hebrews were ready to leave Egypt. Now with Easter approaching, we need to ask ourselves, are we ready to do Passover? Are we ready to leave the slavery of our own sins to be able to join in the Resurrection of Christ?

 

In Theology we believe that grace is not magic. It requires the person to be open to it, to desire it, and to leave behind whatever is blocking it. God wants to bestow on us many graces. God wants to give His infinite love that we long so much without realizing. However, in order to do that, it is necessary to realize that we need these love/graces. This is the reason why God at times allows us to go through some sufferings, precariousness, difficulties. We need to be convinced that we need His help. The Jews believe that this is the reason why God hardened the heart of Pharaoh and sent him the ten plagues. Once the Israelites saw that, they were convinced that God was the only one that could help them in their sufferings. Then they cried out and God heard them. The first step of receiving God’s graces is to be open to it. Then, realizing our needs, we can cry out, that is, to desire to receive them. The third and last step is to remove whatever impediments that block God’s grace to reach out to us. This is the renunciation and rejection of sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the consequence of sin as turning away man from God. Then we need to turn back to God. Ultimately is a choice of our own (distorted) desire instead of doing God’s will. Thus, we need to reconnect with God, and reestablish the desire to do His will. The way we know for sure that God forgives sins is through the sacrament…because he said so.

 

Once I heard that God is always pouring graces upon us like the rain that drops from the sky. We are like containers that collect them. However, what is collected is according to the size of the recipient. If we have a small cup, we will collect very little. However, if we have a swimming pool size tank, imagine how many graces we could collect. There is a small “if” in there. If there are holes in the containers, as big as they can be, it won’t hold any water. Confession then comes to cover the holes created by sin. The sacraments and our will/desire for God are like enlarging the containers. Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters to seek the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) before Easter. To accommodate everyone, we will have three evenings of Penance Services (confessions) next week. These services will begin with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, scripture readings, and a brief reflection, followed by confession times. We will have additional priests to assist. The schedule is as follows:

 

· Monday: Spanish, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

· Tuesday: Portuguese, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

·  Wednesday: English, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM (following the 6pm Taize Prayer service)

 

St Paul urges us to be reconciled with God…[because] now is the day of Salvation (2 Co 5:20, 6:2). He adds that we are children of the light, and not of the darkness (1 Th 5:5). The night is far spent, and the day is approaching. Christ the new light is coming to save us from our sins and give us a new life through His death and resurrection. Finally, St. Paul says, awake you who slumber (those whose sins are seen as sleeping) (Rm 13:11). It is now the time for us to leave behind our slavery to sin, to live for ourselves, to be open to the graces that God wants to give us, to open our hearts to receive His infinite love. Let us not harden our hearts as Pharaoh did. Let us go to Christ. “He who is in Christ is a new Creation. The old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Co 5:17).

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - March 1, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • February 27, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week we will hear how Jesus goes up the mountain and is transfigured before His apostles. God also wants us to be transfigured according to His image and likeness. However, how far are we willing to go? This weekend, we will see Archbishop Henning urging us to participate in the mission of the Church. It is not only a matter of helping financially, but also of serving with our own hands and feet. The Archdiocese supports the work of parishes in many ways. It also helps us priests in various times of need. Furthermore, it carries out many initiatives to serve the people of God, including the deaf and mute ministry, immigrants, seminarians, and those seeking a declaration of nullity (also known as annulments). Our contribution goes a long way. We are all called to be part of the mission of the Church. We are also encouraged, at the local level, to help in whatever ministry God calls us to—whether St. Vincent de Paul, one of the pregnancy help centers in the city, the community cupboard, or the bereavement ministry. It can be something as simple as inviting people back to church, bringing their prayer intentions to Mass, or helping those around you, beginning in your own home. The transformation that God wants to accomplish in us also affects our spiritual lives. Helping others is certainly a great start, but we also need help ourselves. God is a jealous God, as we hear many times in Scripture. He will not allow us to forget Him. Nor will He allow us to continue living in sin and vice. However, He cannot act unless we give Him permission. He wants to purify us from every stain of sin that may affect us. A little bit of pride, envy, laziness, or resentment cannot remain. Every sin is serious. It kills the divine life within us. It separates us from the love of God. As Jesus goes up the mountain, He reveals the glory that will be given to Him. However, this glory will come through His painful Passion. Are we willing to be purified through a similar purification? How far are you willing to allow God to transform your life? It is never too late to begin living with God. Perhaps we say our prayers and consider ourselves good people, yet we are not willing to go deeper. The Lord is patient and persistent. There are times when we feel called to go to confession, to attend adoration, or to participate in one of the Church’s activities, but we resist. It is time to let the Lord enter fully into our lives. As Pope Saint John Paul II said at the beginning of his pontificate, “Do not be afraid to open wide the doors of your heart to let Him enter.” We have about 30 people, between teenagers and adults, who will be baptized in our parish this Easter. Others will be receiving First Communion, and still others will be received into full communion. For one reason or another, they fell off the path and are now returning. There are also a good number of couples getting married who have lived together for many years. God is also calling us to follow His path. It is different for each one of us. So let us pray during this time and ask the Lord what He wants us to do and how to love Him with all our hearts. And let us not be afraid—He has conquered all our fears. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - February 22, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • February 20, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, We begin this holy and wonderful time of Lent with the image of the desert, as we will hear in the Gospel. The time of Lent is like a desert, or like the exodus of the people of Israel passing from the slavery of Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land. The image of the desert is very important for the people of Israel. In the Scriptures, it is a privileged place to meet the Lord. There is no food, no comfort, no distraction—only sand and more sand. It is in the desert that God reveals Himself. He speaks to the people. In the Hebrew tradition, it is in the desert that God marries His people. In our daily lives, we get lost with so many worries, projections, and expectations. In the desert there is nothing. We are forced to depend on God, even though we do not like to depend on others. We prefer to be independent. There, either you trust God, or you die. In this strange place, God provides food (manna and quails), shelter (the cloud that accompanied the people), and water (from the rock). As in marriage the couple becomes one, so it is with the Lord, who wants to be one with us. The time of Lent is a spiritual desert. We do not eat meat on Fridays, we fast, we abstain from electronics, we give up activities that we like, we become poor by giving alms—and only then can we see God more clearly. However, if we do not empty ourselves this Lent, we will not see the Lord, much less listen to Him. Like the people of Israel, we will be circling around for a long time. We began Lent with the imposition of ashes. We were reminded that we are dust and that we need to convert. Through vices, sins, and bad habits, we are not as free as God wants us to be. At times we do things only to please others, out of social pressure, or to keep up an image. In this way (and in other ways), we are enslaved in order to fit in. We are incapable of loving with 100% of our hearts. This Lent, God wants to make the journey of exodus with us. For that, we need to begin in Egypt. As Moses listened to God and did His will, so we are called to do the same. Therefore, we will need to silence the noise and the distractions around us. Like in the episode of the burning bush, we are called to draw closer to the Lord and “see the marvelous sight.” That is called prayer. It is not a matter of only reciting words; it is a dialogue with God. Which means that as we speak, we also need to listen. Today, no one teaches us how to contemplate what God is doing in our lives. Stop for 20 minutes each day and think or contemplate what graces you have received recently, what difficulties God has helped you overcome through these years. What is going to be the next step on your journey? In which direction is God pointing you? What will be your next mission? Unless we stop and simply listen to Him, we will be deceived by our own thoughts and by temptations, like Adam and Eve. We will also have a great opportunity to listen to Him during the one-day Lenten Mission that Sister Olga will lead for us on February 28th. She is a very inspired woman. It is a great privilege for us to be able to host her. It will be free, but we do ask you to register so that we can have an idea of how many people will attend. That morning, she will also have a special time with the women. Do not miss this opportunity. Last but not least, like last year, we will be giving out Lenten boxes to help us give alms. As Jesus says, “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” All the money collected will be given to St. Vincent de Paul to help the poor of the parish and of the city of Marlboro. Additionally, if you give up coffee or soda during Lent, put in the box the money that you are not spending. Be aware that there are a lot of people who need help, more than ever. So if you would like to make an additional contribution, you can use the poor boxes located at the exit of the church. May the Lord assist you in this holy campaign of Christian service as we take up the battle against spiritual evils, and may we be armed with the weapons of self-restraint. God Bless, Fr. Steven