A Message from Father Nathan
My dearest people closest to my heart!
God bless you and your generous heart
The Holy Season of Lent Begins!
This week we are also going into the holy season of Lent, our Christian season of spiritual preparation before Easter. During the six weeks of self-examination and reflection, Christians who observe Lent typically commit to fast, or to give up something. Some also take on a Lenten discipline, like reading the Bible and praying more to draw nearer to God.
Strict observers of Lent do not eat meat on Fridays, often opting for fish instead. The goal of these spiritual disciplines is to strengthen the faith of the observer and develop a closer relationship with God.
40 Days of Lent
We have 40 days of Lent. The 40 days of Lent is based on two episodes of spiritual testing in the Bible: the 40 years of wilderness wanderings by the Israelites after the exodus from Egypt (Numbers 33:38) and Deuteronomy 1:3) and the Temptation of Jesus after he spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13).
In the Bible, the number 40 holds special significance in the measurement of time and many other important events revolve around it.
- During the flood, it rained 40 days and 40 nights (Genesis 7:4, 12, 17;8:6).
- Moses fasted on the mountain 40 days and nights before God gave the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:18, 34:28; Deuteronomy 9).
- The spies spent 40 days in the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:25; 14:34).
- The prophet Elijah traveled for 40 days and nights to reach the mountain of God in Sinai (1 Kings 19:8).
- May you all have a meaningful and wonderful season of Lent.
ABCD Update –
$12 a Month from Each Family Makes our Goal
Finally, the ABCD is here. This year our parish commitment is $133,661.00 This year we need to reach our goal. In the last two years, we have paid lots of money from our parish collections just because we have finished below our goal. Hence let us work together to reach the goal set by the Diocese. I believe it is feasible. We are 1000 families. If all the families donated $133.00, we could easily reach our goal, which means $12.00 per month would be enough to reach our goal. Can I request all of you to be involved in this, please?
I am looking forward to your cooperation. I have also inserted the letter of our Archbishop. May God bless you all!
I have heard great things about ABCD presentations given during my absence. Thank you very much. As we know, ABCD is the part that we do for our Archdiocese of the Universal Catholic Church. The fund enables our Archbishop in his own way to venture into financial stability and augmentation of our diocese.
It’s one of the opportunities for you and me to support his mission and vision. May I request all of you prayerfully consider and pledge to this great cause? Above all, the task and target given to the parish can be achieved only with you and through you all.
I need your cooperation, collaboration, and participaton. Please do so.
ABCD Campaign
In January – it will be all about the ABCD Campaign. No doubt our beloved Archbishop and his team have been working tirelessly to set out the program and they want all of us to achieve the goal. It has been arranged to have the priests preach about and for ABCD.
May I ask all of you to prayerfully consider your pledge toward achieving St. Gabriel’s goal? Many parishes do over and above their target. When we do above the target, the extra comes back to the parish, and if we DO NOT achieve the targeted goal, the money will eventually be taken from the parish account.
What this means is that we are called to reach our target.
Hence may I request you to come forward to achieve our target? As you are very well aware, the money goes to the education of the seminarians for their formation, to the catechism of the children, helping the poor, assisting the retired religious, and reaching out to the suffering around the world just to name a few of the programs.
With lots of love and blessings,
Ever wanting to be faithful to your service,
— Fr. Sahayanathan Nathan
Set up Online Giving.
You can make a one-time donation or set up recurring gifts.
Join our Parish Family
Register in the parish, so that it’s easy to become a confirmation sponsor or Godparent.
Want to Lend a Helping Hand?
Find volunteer opportunities and share your talents.
Need a Helping Hand?
We are here to help. Request home visits, send a prayer request. For urgent needs call 954.943.3684
Past Messages from Father Nathan
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | October 27, 2024
3 Important Things. Special Healing Mass will be held on November 3. The celebration will include mass, the rosary, and the anointing of the sick. Welcome back seasonal parishioners and an update on Andrew Reid our choir director.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | October 20, 2024
It’s election mode time. Everything we say and do will be perceived with a political outlook. But at the same time as the Church, we need to be the voice of Christ. Mother Teresa on the “Great Destroyer of Peace – Abortion. The passage below is the voice of Mother Teresa at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. on February 5, 1994. I believe her wisdom and concerns are so relevant today. Here you go.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | October 13, 2024
Father Nathan is hosting his annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on Sunday, October 20t at 5:00 p.m. in the parish hall.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | October 06, 2024
On October 7, Catholics around the world honor the contemplative prayer of the Rosary by celebrating the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | September 29, 2024
On October 1, Catholics around the world honor the life of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, or St. Thérèse of Lisieux on her feast day. St. Thérèse was born January 2, 1873 in Alençon, France to pious parents, both of whom are scheduled to be canonized in October 2016. Her mother died when she was four, leaving her father and elder sisters to raise her.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | September 22, 2024
St. Vincent dePaul, (April 24, 1581 – September 27, 1660) was a French priest who dedicated his life to helping the poor and is considered one of the most important figures in history of charity. He was canonized by Pope Clement X in 1737 and declared the patron saint of all charitable works.