From Father Steven - March 23, 2025

Father Steven Clemence • March 21, 2025

 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

Have you ever felt the weight of past mistakes pressing down on your heart, leading to sadness or hopelessness? The sacrament of confession, also known as reconciliation, offers a transformative path toward healing and renewal. As a priest, I assure you, our focus in confession is not on remembering your sins but on offering God’s forgiveness and guiding you back to the light. I want to share with you how to prepare for and experience the grace of confession.

 

The first step is recognizing that Christ entrusted His apostles, beginning with Peter, with the authority to forgive sins. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them” (Jn 20:23). This power, given to Peter and passed down through the bishops, has been entrusted to us priests. We act in Christ’s name to offer forgiveness. As St. Augustine reminds us, “The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works” (Sermon 13.1). St. John Chrysostom also teaches, “Let us not be ashamed to confess our sins, but let us be ashamed of our sins” (Homily 3 on Matthew). This sacrament invites us to acknowledge our failings, that God may heal and renew us.

 

Preparing for confession is an act of humility and grace. As we approach the sacrament, we should ask the Holy Spirit for help. The Holy Spirit comforts us, dispels our fears, and leads us back to God with hope. Like the prodigal son returning home, we too can experience the embrace of our Heavenly Father. Sin separates us from God, but reconciliation through confession restores us to Him. This sacrament is aptly named because it heals the rift caused by sin and restores our relationship with God.

 

The process begins with an examination of conscience. Reflect prayerfully on your actions since your last confession. You can use guides available on our website under the sacraments section to help recall your sins. Whether you focus on the Ten Commandments or the Seven Deadly Sins, the goal is to remember your sins as best as you can. As St. Ambrose said, “Confession is the way to freedom.” Reflecting on our sins is not an exercise in shame, but an opportunity for growth. It’s natural to feel remorse, but we should also be grateful for the grace of recognizing our faults and the opportunity to be forgiven. With a resolve to abandon sin, we are then ready to approach the sacrament.

 

If you have not confessed in a while, I recommend scheduling an appointment. This will give you time to reflect and prepare. When you come to confession, begin with the sign of the cross and say, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been ___ amount of time since my last confession, and these are my sins.” You may also share your marital status and whether you have children living with you, so the priest can best serve you. When confessing, there is no need to go into explicit detail—simply name the sin and its frequency. If you have forgotten any sins, say, “For these sins and the ones I don’t remember, I am sorry.”

 

The priest will offer words of encouragement and may assign a penance. This penance is not a punishment, but a way to heal spiritually and undo the damage caused by sin. It strengthens you to resist sin in the future. Afterward, you will 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.” As St. Teresa of Avila reminds us, “The one who has been forgiven much loves much.”

 

Finally, the priest will pronounce the words of absolution in the person of Christ: “I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” With this, your sins are forgiven, and you are made new, filled with joy and peace. As St. John Paul II said, “Confession is the door through which we enter into the embrace of God’s mercy.”

 

Confessions are available here at the parish Monday through Friday from 6 to 7pm (along with adoration), Saturdays from 1–3 pm (in the lower church), or by scheduling an appointment at the office. May you experience the peace and freedom that come with reconciliation, and may your hearts be filled with renewed hope as you begin anew.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - October 25, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • October 23, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, How fitting is the Gospel we have this weekend as we welcome the Marlboro Fire Department for Firefighter Sunday! As we continue our observance of Respect Life Month, it is important to remember that we are called to respect not only the vulnerable and those in need, but every single person. Throughout the years that I have served as chaplain of the fire department, I have always been impressed by their kindness and willingness to serve all those in need. Certain calls, such as house fires, accidents, and dire medical emergencies, make it easy to understand why they rush to the truck and are ready to rescue the victims. However, I have also seen them give their best in response to other calls, whether to help someone in a nursing home, provide lift assistance, or respond to a residential lockout, regardless of the time of day or the weather. They don't rescue cats from trees anymore, but if there were a call for such a need, I am sure they would be there. Now it is time for us to reflect on how often we respond to the call to help someone and what our attitude is when we do so. The call we have received is not simply to perform a task, but to do it out of love. We can help someone with kindness or do so begrudgingly, like teenagers taking out the trash. The Gospel this weekend is a call to love God and our neighbor. The call to love God is to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. The call to love our neighbor is to love our neighbor as ourselves. No one treats himself or herself with contempt, rolls their eyes at their own needs, or remains indifferent to them. Therefore, we are called to follow the example of the men and women who serve in our fire department as we fulfill our Christian call to love. Sometimes, love means responding to an ordinary need, even when it is inconvenient. To respect life is to respect the other person, regardless of their color, race, religion, or sex. God does not treat us as we deserve, nor is His love based on our merits. Rather, God has loved us with a love beyond all telling, even when we have misbehaved, been disobedient, or disregarded Him. In another passage of the Gospel of John, Christ commands us to love one another as He has loved us (Jn 13:34). To show us that this call is not impossible, next week we shall celebrate All Saints' Day! Since it falls on a Sunday this year, all the weekend Masses will celebrate this solemnity. The saints were not superheroes, nor were they special beings. They were ordinary people like you and me. I am sure that some of them had difficult personalities, some had a rough past, and others did not always walk a straight line. However, they all loved! They allowed God's grace to transform their lives and learned to love as Christ loved. In the Gospel, Jesus concludes that the whole law depends on loving God and our neighbor. Everything else is secondary. The moment we choose to act out of love, God will give us the necessary graces to bring that action to completion. Lastly, as we do every year, we invite all the children (and I would invite the adults as well!) to dress up as a saint for the 11 a.m. Mass. We shall have the procession of the saints during Mass. It will be both a fun moment and a special devotion to our favorite saints. I am sure this devotion will go a long way in helping us when we need their intercession. For All Souls' Day we shall have a trilingual mass at 6:00pm in addition to the regular 7:30am mass. We will honor all the deceased of the parish of this past year, and all of those you would like to include in the book located in front of the St. Joseph statue (on the right side altar). Please join me as we honor, acknowledge, and pray for our firefighters, asking God to always give them courage, protect them, and bless them and their families. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - October 18, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • October 16, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week, we continue our observance of Respect Life Month in October. This weekend, I would like to share with you the importance of caring for the sick and the dying. Facing an illness can be very difficult and full of fear. It does not have to be a life-threatening illness; even a simple medical exam that detects some levels that are too high or too low can already cause anxiety. That is why caring for the sick is so important, all the more so when there is a serious illness. Last week, I injured my wrist while playing soccer and found myself in the emergency room. Many things were going through my head as I contemplated the possibility of having a broken bone. I have broken many bones before, and it was never much of a big deal. However, this time, there was the possibility of surgery. Additionally, having my arm immobilized would make life very difficult. I cannot imagine what goes through the head of someone having open-heart surgery, a hip replacement, or some other more serious intervention. In light of the difficulties we can experience with our health, we are always invited to lean on the Lord. He is our strength and our consolation. For those facing a serious illness, especially when there is a risk to life, Christ has given us a special sacrament, namely, the Anointing of the Sick. It is meant to help the sick live through their illness with faith, sustained by the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, the sacrament has become known as the Last Rites or Extreme Unction. As a result, many people are afraid of receiving it, thinking that it means they are going to die. However, as its name indicates, the Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament for the sick, not only for those who are dying. It is best received when the person is still conscious and alert and can receive the sacrament with faith and devotion. Therefore, we encourage anyone who has a serious illness, or who knows someone who is seriously ill, to ask for this sacrament. Please do not wait until someone is at the point of death to call a priest. If you or a loved one is facing a serious illness or a significant decline in health, contact the parish office (or the local parish) so that we can offer the sacraments and spiritual support when they are needed. Moreover, in danger of death the Church mandates in Canon Law that the sick should be receiving Holy Communion more frequently while danger lasts. The strength of the Body of Christ can help the person remain strong in faith and trust in God. The Eucharist is also food for the journey home to the Father. Prayer for the sick is also very important. We earnestly ask that if you ever become sick or are admitted to the hospital, please call the parish office and let us know. An important part of our ministry is to pray for all of you, which we do daily before the Blessed Sacrament. However, it is especially meaningful when we can pray for a specific intention and a particular person. Although our resources are limited, the parish also has some ways to help those who are sick. Along with prayer, caring for the sick is very important, not only medically but also emotionally. We have all been sick before, and we know how frustrating and lonely it can be. It is easy to become sad when we feel weak, isolated, or dependent on others. A phone call, a flower, or some other gesture of kindness can go a long way in caring for the sick. I am always impressed by how gentle nurses can be with their patients. They understand that the way they treat and interact with a patient is one of the most important elements of care. We should do the same with those we know who are sick. Caring for the sick is not always about ending or removing their pain. Sometimes, it is about giving them the strength and love they need to carry their cross and follow in the footsteps of Christ on Calvary. By dying with Christ, they can also hope to rise with Him, as St. Paul teaches us. Finally, I would like to offer you a challenge for this week: reach out to someone who is sick, whatever the illness may be, and try to make a simple gesture of love toward that person. It does not have to be anything extraordinary. Sometimes, a small act of kindness can make a tremendous difference. Additionally, we must remember the caregivers. At times, caring for someone who is sick can be very difficult, demanding, and even overwhelming. Let us pray for them as well, reassure them that what they do is important, and let them know that they are not alone. As for my wrist, it should take six to eight weeks to heal. Hopefully, I will not need surgery! Your prayers are always welcome, as it is very difficult to keep up with the rhythm of parish life with only one hand. God Bless, Fr. Steven