Father Nathan St Gabriel | September 08, 2019
A Message from Father Nathan
My dearest people who are close to my heart.
The Birthday of the Blessed Mother Mary
Birthdays bring joy to our heart, hence we all love to celebrate birthdays. Today is the birthday of our dear Blessed Mother. Sunday liturgy always supersedes all celebrations, if not our holy mother church could have celebrated today September 8th as the birthday of our Blessed Mother. What a delight and joy to celebrate any mother’s birthday especially Our Blessed Mother, the Mother of all.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, also known as the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Vailankanni
Back home, there is a place called Vailankanni. The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, also known as the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Vailankanni, is a Marian shrine located at the small town of Vailankanni in Tamil Nadu, South India where I come from. It can be traced back to the mid-16th century and attributed to three separate miracles at the sites surrounding the Basilica.
The apparition of Blessed Mary and the Christ Child to a slumbering shepherd boy, the healing of a handicapped buttermilk vendor, and the rescue of Portuguese sailors from a deadly storm. These accounts are mere oral lore with no written record or attested sources to support them. The Holy See has not approved the alleged apparition and supernatural phenomena yet the cult of the Lady of Vailankanni persists.
Initially, only a simple and modest chapel was built by the Portuguese sailors who washed ashore safely. More than 500 years later, the nine-day festival and celebration is still observed and draws nearly 2 million pilgrims each year. The Shrine of Our Lady of Vailankanni is also known as “the Lourdes of the East” because it is one of the most frequented pilgrimage centers in India. Today thousands and thousands of people will be gathered there celebrating the birthday of our Blessed Mother.
Celebrating her birthday is a way of celebrating her personhood. We celebrate her simply for being herself. We do not necessarily focus in on any of the unique, beautiful and profound aspects of her life today, however, we simply celebrate our Blessed Mother because she was created and brought into this world by God and that alone is worth celebrating…
We honor her simply because we love her and we celebrate her birthday as we could celebrate the birthday of anyone we love and care for.
Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is fruit your womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Blessed Mother, we ask that you wrap all of your St. Gabriel children under your mantle. Lead all of us closer to your son Jesus Christ. Show us the ways and means to go to your Son.
Happy birthday, Blessed Mother! We love you dearly!
With lots of love and ever at your service
Fr. Sahayanthan Nathan
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Past Messages from Father Nathan
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | February 21, 2021
We have just started the Lenten season. It’s one of the most precious and holiest seasons of the year… Let us try to know Christ and let us try to understand him. Please, make an effort to talk to Him and with Him through the readings of the scripture, praying the rosary as a family,
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | February 14, 2021
Ash Wednesday | The Beginning of Lent
“Repent and believe in the Gospel” is the captivating sentence as we begin the holy season of Lent. For any Roman Catholic Church, the suffering the death of Christ is the mystery of our faith. Our faith revolves around this.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | February 07, 2021
Let me again have the privilege to thank all of you again for your support and for the love that you continue to shower down upon me.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | January 31, 2021
Thoughts on healing a broken heart… Thank you for your love and care. It’s the greatest and warming feeling that one is being loved, we hear that Christ longed for this acceptance from His people when he lived here in His time.
Special Message from Father Nathan | January 24, 2021
Thank you for your kindness, love, support and above all your valuable prayers. To me, as like all of you, family means a lot to me. We are united ONLY WITH LOVE. I always feel the LOVE VIBRATION in my family. I feel so BLESSED about my family as I feel with you all.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | January 24, 2021
Together, We Are the Church. A universal body of believers, delivering God’s message of hope and love to everyone, everywhere. Your generosity to the Archbishop’s Charity and Development Drive, ABCD, serves the Church so that the Church can serve you.