From Father Steven - March 31, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • March 28, 2024




CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS ALIVE!

 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

Today is EASTER, the most solemn day of the year! We celebrate Jesus, who was crucified on Good Friday, and mourned on Holy Saturday. But today we celebrate with the angels that CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS ALIVE!

 

In the beginning, we read in Genesis, there darkness. But God created light. Today, sin may seem to reign over the earth, a new light appears. Christ's resurrection is like a new creation. St. Paul says, "the old has gone, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christ offers us new life! One of the hardest things about sin is the disappointment we feel when we fail again. Despite our promises and desires to change, we often find ourselves stuck in the same patterns. We hurt people we love and feel terrible about ourselves. We keep promising to change, but we fall back into the same sins. We feel defeated. We just accept it as a condition of our lives. But today is different! Jesus' death pays for our sins, and His resurrection gives us new life! He breaks the chains of sin that have held us captive. Jesus is Alive! He comes to meet us today!

 

The Gospels tell the story of women and disciples who find Jesus' tomb empty with Jesus’ burial cloths on the ground. A large stone blocked the entrance. In our lives, there may be big obstacles that keep us from living the life God wants for us. Whether it is a sin or a trauma, we cannot get past them. Instead, we adapt ourselves to live enclosed in a tomb. But today, God removes the stone! He offers us the chance to move from death to life with Christ. Like Jesus we can rise from darkness of sin to the light of love. What seems impossible for us is possible for the Risen Lord. Today Christ enters into our tombs, and opens the way for us. He conquers death, and comes to take us to Passover from death to Life, from darkness to light, from sin to grace. Courage Brothers and Sisters, Pharaoh was defeated, the Red Sea was opened, let us take the opportunity to leave behind all our slavery and fears!

 

Easter is a celebration of freedom! You are invited to join us in a special retreat on April 20th with Deacon Joe Cooley here in the parish. The "Unbound: Freedom in Christ" conference offers us an opportunity to experience true liberation and healing in areas of our lives where we still struggle. These sins, habits, trauma, and bondages are the devil’s door to tempt us to think and act as though we were still slaves held in bondage. Deliverance is removing the power of the lies so that we can hear the voice of our Father that has always been speaking deep within. Freedom is to live as a beloved child of God. It is where broken humanity is healed. This is what we celebrate on Easter! Join us on this adventure as we enter deeper into freedom together. It has changed the lives of many people beyond what words can express and I am confident the Lord wants similar for you! You can sign up at the parish office or directly at the website https://housesofmercy.regfox.com/apr-20-2024-unbound-freedom-in-christ-conference. The cost is $40 per person (second family member is $20, and third is free). You can also sign up using the QR code on the eighth page of the bulletin. Note that this conference is for individuals and families but may be too much teaching for small children. Parents can learn and teach their younger children. The prayer that you will learn is appropriate for all ages.

 

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - September 20, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • September 18, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, The first reading today begins with the words: “Seek the LORD while he may be found, call him while he is near.” St. Paul exhorts the community of Corinth saying, “Today is the day of salvation!” (2 Cor 6:2). Now is the time to be one with the Lord. Our lives change every day. So does the world around us, and so do our problems. However, God is always constant and always at our side. It does not matter when a person comes to faith, as we will hear in the Gospel this weekend. What matters is that he does come to faith. The later a person comes to faith, the more he may have to suffer along the way. God wants to help us in so many ways, but we are not always ready to accept a different plan for our lives—God’s plan instead of ours. I would like to share with you something from my own family. When I was growing up, a banner very similar to the one announcing the catechesis for adults was hanging on the side of the church near my house. My mom would drive in front of it every day and feel a call to be part of it. It was a time in her life when she was soul-searching. She tried different religions and different practices, and, funny enough, there was the answer to her prayers right in front of her. Although she was intrigued and wanted to participate in the talks, she never attended. I apologize if you have heard this story before. A year later, my brother and I had to leave the state with my mother because of the sudden death of her father. That separation of our family was very difficult for my dad. So he went to Mass in that same church. He had not even received his First Communion at the time. There, he heard a similar invitation to the one you will hear at Mass this weekend. Without realizing that our lives were about to change completely, he listened to the call of God and went looking for Him. He attended the talks, received his sacraments, and began going to Church every weekend. When we were reunited, I was shocked to see my dad at church. I myself also attended the talks and later joined the group. That was the beginning of my own journey of faith. You can figure out how it ended! I wanted to share this story because we do not know what God has in store for us. I am sure that you have heard many beautiful things in life and have experienced great moments as well. But what if God is calling you now? Do not be like my mother, who heard the call but left it for another day. Each day I thank God for having brought my father into that church, because there I was also found. This is not magic, and it is not about feeling butterflies in your stomach. It is about having an encounter with the Lord and beginning a journey of faith with Him, just like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and so many others throughout salvation history. God is calling us into His vineyard. He is not checking who is worthy to come. He is not looking for perfect people. He is calling you! Maybe you have been away from the Church for many years. Maybe you have questions about your faith. Maybe you received your sacraments but never had the opportunity to go deeper in your relationship with God. Maybe you are doing well in your faith, but you know that you could go deeper. Or maybe you simply do not know why you feel that you should come. What if God is calling you now? Maybe, like my father, other people will also follow you. And perhaps your decision to come will become important not only for you, but for someone else. My father was that person for me and for many other people even to this day. We say that in the Church there are no coincidences, but providence. Fr. Gabriel, Fr. Victor, and I have all experienced this way of Christian initiation that is now being offered to our parish. Everything begins with a series of talks that will take place on Mondays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. in Meehan Hall, the building by the parking lot. The talks are about one hour long. We will have babysitters available, free of charge. There is no registration. There is nothing you have to prepare. The sessions are independent from one another, so if you miss one, there is no problem. You simply have to come and listen. The team giving the talks is made up of parishioners who have been on this journey for some time and who now want to share what they have received with our parish. And this year, the invitation has the image of the Annunciation. Today, the angel Gabriel comes also to you. He comes into your life, into your struggles, into your questions, and perhaps even into your desire to follow God. And the first words of the angel are: “Do not be afraid.” Why? Because THE LORD IS WITH YOU. Maybe you have been waiting for the right moment. Maybe you have told yourself, “I will go another day.” Maybe you have been thinking about coming but have never taken the step. Today is the day of salvation. “Seek the LORD while he may be found, call him while he is near.” Do not wait for another day. Come and listen. Maybe you do not know what God has in store for you. Neither did my father. Neither did I. But maybe this invitation will be the beginning of something that will change your life—and perhaps the lives of others through you. All are welcome. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - September 13, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • September 11, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, The other day, I was talking with a priest about the need to evangelize within the parish. Usually, when we speak about evangelization, we imagine going out to reach people who are not coming to Church. Besides that, there is also a need, at times, to catechize the folks who are already in the Church. The primitive Church, especially during the first centuries, lived among small communities. For a person to be baptized, there was a long and serious period of preparation and training in the faith. However, with Constantine coming into power and Christianity becoming recognized by the Roman Empire, the Church became full of people who received the sacraments but were not necessarily deeply initiated into the faith. They were “sacramentalized,” but not necessarily catechized. In other words, people were initiated into the Church, but did not necessarily have deep roots in their faith. This reminds us of the parable of the Sower (Mt 13:18-23). When people receive the Kingdom of God, there are different reactions. One does not understand it; another receives it with great joy, but when trouble or persecution comes, quickly falls away. Still others hear the word, but worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word, and it bears no fruit. Finally, there are those who hear the word and understand it, bearing much fruit—thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold. Maybe those first reactions are familiar to you. Then one can ask himself: If you are not part of the last group, then, How can you be in it? Please understand that this is not simply a matter of the moral character of each person. Rather, it has to do with the type of soil and the surroundings that can either help or kill the Word of God in one’s heart. Therefore, we might need help cultivating the seed that we have all received in Baptism and protecting it from the dangers that can prevent it from growing. Sometimes I get asked: Where should a person who is rediscovering the faith, or someone who is new to the Church, start? There is so much material out there. Even for those who stopped their faith formation at the age of 15, with Confirmation, where can one continue their Christian formation? The Catholic Church has approved an itinerary of Christian formation that is focused on this. Pope Saint John Paul II called it “valid for society and for today’s times.” The world has changed dramatically in these past decades. Many of the values that we grew up with have been put aside and ignored by many. Besides relativism, one of the greatest dangers that we are facing is individualism, especially with the development of cellphones, screens, and social media. The Virgin Mary has inspired this Christian initiation to be lived as a group, as a community of people coming together—not online, but in person—as we have always done since the very beginning of the Church. Technically, even before that, the people of Israel came together under the tent in the desert. On Monday the 21st, we will begin this Christian initiation with catechesis for adults and youth (13+) on Mondays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. at the building by the parking lot, Meehan Hall. Everyone is invited to come. We will have babysitters available to help for free. One does not need to register or to come to all the sessions. Since the catechesis are independent from one another, if someone can only make one of the days, that is also okay. Even if you are not interested, or you are already engaged in another activity in the parish, maybe you know someone who could benefit from it. The presenters will be parishioners, together with myself. So please, pray for us!!! You know I need lots of help. The final consideration I invite you to reflect on is whether this comes from God or not. If it does, then the invitation is not just from me, but from God. How many times do we not want to do something? Here, it is not about what we want or do not want. Rather, it is about asking what the will of God is for us. You may have seen the cards or the banner with the picture of the Annunciation. Today, God also comes to you, inviting you not to be afraid and to allow Christ to be born in you. Maybe this is the time to take another step in your faith. Maybe this is the time to allow the seed that was planted in you at Baptism to grow deeper roots. Do not be afraid. Come and listen. Come and see what God may be preparing for you.  Please pray about it, and I hope to see you there. God Bless, Fr. Steven