From Father Steven - November 10, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • November 8, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

 

We all have heard the saying, “we are what we eat.” Although this phrase was coined about 200 years ago, it still holds true today. In a world saturated with digital content, we are shaped not only by the food we consume but also by the information we take in. This begs the question: what kind of material are we bringing into our lives? How does our time balance between work, family, social media, and our relationship with God?

 

Recently, while speaking to a group of young adults, I was struck by the sheer amount of time they admitted to spending on their phones. Whether it’s for work, social media, games, watching series, or other forms of entertainment, it quickly adds up. One of the group members commented, “Imagine what we could do with all that time if it were used for the right things.” We all laughed, but the comment really made me think. It’s true! Think about all those hours spent passively consuming: behind screens, watching TV, mindlessly scrolling through social media, or doing other activities that don’t really add value to our lives. Surely it is important to have some recreation time, but it can’t be too much! Imagine if we were to dedicate that time to reading books, we would be so much more knowledgeable. If we were to help other people, we would become so much more generous. Now imagine if we dedicated all that time towards God! Whether studying the bible (or just reading it), praying the rosary daily, immersing ourselves in the lives of the saints. Imagine attending daily Mass or simply visiting the Blessed Sacrament – how profoundly different our lives would be! If we are to spend eternity with God, should we not be preparing ourselves actively for heaven a bit more? Sometimes we can settle for so little, when the Lord wants to give us so much!!! It is true that there are other important tasks to be done daily, but why is prayer and God not our top priorities?

 

I often tell the youth that there are 1,440 minutes in a day. How much do we dedicate to God? If we were to pray for 2 hours daily, that would be only less than 10% of our day. However, if we pray 14 minutes, that is actually 1%...I believe that Jesus needs more than that. Actually, WE are the ones that need more than that. Surely that 2 hours straight can be a lot, but if we spread through the day, it would not be too much. If I were to tell you that this year you will eat almost 2,000 pounds of food, you would say that is impossible. Even to think that we consume an average of 4.5 pounds a day is a lot. However, slowly as we eat here and there, we get to that amount. The same is with prayer.

 

We are what we eat, and in the same way, we are what we consume in terms of information and time. Just as we need to be mindful of what we put into our bodies, we must also be careful about what we expose ourselves to and how we spend our time. The people around you need you, whether family, friends, or neighbors. We also need God and our holy friends (the saints). Therefore, I invite you to reconsider some of your agenda. Let us give our priorities to God and His will. As the Gospel invites us this weekend, let us give Him our all!!! Like the two widows who gave all they had, and they were not lacking, let us do the same. We have some incredible opportunities coming up! Every day we have Adoration 6:30-7:30am in the lower church. Daily Mass is 7:30-8:00am every single day (we have a no-cancellation policy). The Church is open every day from 6:00am-6:00pm. This Sunday November 10th we have 24Hr Adoration starting at 6:00pm until 6:00pm on Monday. This Tuesday we have a Sacred Music Concert by Harpa Dei at 7:00pm (Mass and Adoration). On Wednesday our Senior Group (which is open to all adults who want to participate) will be meeting for the first time 10:00am-12:00pm. On Formed.org there are some great contents to watch/listen to help you. In a few weeks we have the Night of Praise and Thanksgiving on November 21st. As we feed our bodies properly, let us also feed our souls with good stuff!!!

 

Finally, as we approach Veteran’s Day this week, I want to take a moment to thank all our brothers and sisters who have made countless sacrifices while serving our country. May God bless you a hundredfold for your generosity. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

 

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

From Father Steven - June 1, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • May 30, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, You may have seen news reports about immigration officers arresting immigrants in Martha's Vineyard. This is happening across Massachusetts, including here in Marlborough. While I do not wish for this letter to be political or to focus on what is right or wrong, I do feel compelled to share with you what is happening to some of our parishioners here at IC. Initially, immigration officers (ICE) were arresting immigrants with criminal records or those involved in criminal activity. Many people in the Metro West area, including Marlborough, were affected. When ICE arrived to arrest these individuals, anyone undocumented in the household was also detained. These additional arrests were referred to as "collaterals"—unintended, but still a reality. Then, around Easter, a troubling shift occurred: individuals with no criminal record, nor deportation orders, began to be arrested. Multiple parishioners, who have families, pay taxes, and have never even received a parking ticket, were taken into custody. This triggered a wave of fear within the immigrant community. People began fearing deportation to their home countries. Good, hardworking individuals—some of whom may have sat next to you at Mass, sang at the trilingual Masses, or volunteered to help with church repairs—started to panic. Daily videos of arrests began circulating within the community, only deepening their fear. Some lost their jobs out of fear of leaving their homes; others lost employment because their employers were detained. Many now work with the constant fear that they could be pulled over and never return home. As a consequence of the fear, the Brazilian Festival that we have every year, with 10,000 people coming last year, is uncertain. I want to emphasize again that this letter is not a critique of the current administration, nor is it about politics. My intention is to share the current state of some of our people. Numerous families have reached out to the parish seeking letters of recommendation, legal assistance, financial support, and moral encouragement. After being detained for up to three weeks, some were granted a court hearing where they were able to post bail and regain their freedom. Others remain detained. This is an incredibly difficult time for our immigrant community. Many left their countries seeking refuge from hardship, with the hope of building a better future for their families. I hope you read last week's bulletin, where Archbishop Henning spoke about the positive contributions of the Portuguese community in the United States. The same can be said about our Latino population. I ask for your prayers and support for these families. We do not know how long everything will last, and Marlborough in particular, but they are here nearly every day. I know some of the parishioners who have been detained, and I can assure you that they have done nothing wrong—other than trying to build a better life, just as many immigrants have done throughout the history of this country. As Christians, we are called to care for the poor, the orphan, and the alien. The parable of the Good Samaritan reminds us of our duty to help those in need. As a parish, we are working to provide resources to support those who come to us. Along with St. Vincent de Paul, who have always assisted those in need, we also need financial help to support these families. One case involves a person who was detained, leaving behind a wife who is 32 weeks pregnant, along with their 6-year-old son. Several parishioners have already stepped forward to help this family, but it takes a village. When you come to Adoration, whether in the morning (6:30–7:30 a.m.) or in the evening (6:00–7:00 p.m.), please pray for these families. When you pray your Rosary, remember those who are incarcerated. When you come to Mass, pray for those sitting next to you. Besides prayer, if anyone is also able to contribute to the costs of supporting these families, please contact the parish office. As Christ loved us to the end, let us also love one another. God Bless,  Fr. Steven
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