From Father Steven - March 2, 2025

Father Steven Clemence • February 28, 2025


Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

Church is not about “me”…it is about “us”…at least it should be. In a recent conversation this topic came up. We all know about it, however, we don’t do anything to change it. We walk into church, we smile to those around us, and we sit, we say our prayers, and leave. Maybe when we leave, we smile back at that person and that’s it. Look how many people have been sitting next to you for years and you still don’t know their names. You know who they are, but you don’t KNOW them. Isn't that true? If so, what can we do to change it? Maybe it is time to come out of our comfort zone. Maybe this would be a good Lenten practice. 


In 1979 Pope Saint John Paul II visited the US shortly after becoming pope. In one of his speeches, he said that in the modern world, especially in cities, there is a tendency to anonymity. There is no longer a community, but rather a collection of individuals. He opposed that view urging the Church to become a community where individuals are not just faceless members of society, but are known, loved, and valued by God. The only way to accomplish this is through getting to know each other. There are many new faces in the Church recently that I’m afraid are not welcomed by those sitting next to them. It is not only a matter of social ethics, but why wouldn’t we welcome someone new who comes to our house? I just hope they don’t dare to sit on your spot. But, again, why wouldn’t we give our place to someone who feels a bit lost and afraid of taking someone’s seat. Let us welcome them and help them to make IC their new home.


I would like to share a story with you of how this happened here at the parish. There was a man who always came by himself and sat at the same pew next to a couple who also came by themselves. One day this couple reached out to him and asked his name. Since then, they became “pew-mates,” and there a friendship was formed. This couple also reached out to the family sitting in front of them, and more friendships were formed. So much so, that they became almost a big family, participating in each other’s important moments. Recently, he passed away. He was not a stranger or anonymous. Them, along with a couple of other people were the only ones who showed up at his funeral. Isn’t that sad? Shouldn’t more people have participated in his life? This is one story, but I dare to assume that this is the case with most of us. 


Let this be our Lenten Mission here at IC. Let us get to know our pew-mates and beyond. Starting this week, WHEN YOU COME TO CHURCH, GREET AND INTRODUCE YOURSELVES TO THOSE AROUND YOU even if you have to slide a couple of feet to talk to the person at the end of the pew. Let us no longer be a collection of individuals who come to the same place to do the same thing. Instead, let us become a community of brothers & sisters and not strangers. You never know what kind of friendships would be formed. Maybe you get to know a person who one day will be the governor, a nun, the pope, or even a saint. And you can contribute to their journey fulfilling their mission.


Lastly, I would like to encourage you to take advantage of the upcoming Jubilee talks we will have this upcoming year. We will begin on Wednesday March 12th 7-8pm. Check the website for more updates! We will have a tab with the information about Jubilee activities. 

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

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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