From the Desk of Father Nathan | February 14, 2021
A Message from Father Nathan
My dearest people who are all close to my heart!
Ash Wednesday | The Beginning of Lent
“Repent and believe in the Gospel”
“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.
Symbolic Meaning of the Ashes
Ash Wednesday opens up the season – ashes from the palms of the preceding year’s Palm Sunday are burned and blessed. With these ashes, the priest marks a cross on the foreheads of worshipers saying “Remember man that dust thou art and unto dust, you shall return.” (– Genesis 3:19)
Besides showing sorrow for their sins those who honor Ash Wednesday add an additional meaning the need to prepare for a holy death. Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular and important holy days in the liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday opens Lent, a season of fasting and prayer. Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday and is chiefly observed by Catholics although many other Christians observe it too.
Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us.
Today as the ashes are applied to a person’s forehead these words are spoken: “Remember that you were dust and to dust you shall return.” Alternatively the words “Repent and believe in the Gospel”.
Ashes also symbolize grief that we have sinned and caused division from God. Ash Wednesday is not directly mentioned in the Bible, however, from Biblical times, sprinkling oneself with ashes has been a mark of sorrow for sin. Several times the Bible mentions people repenting in dust and ashes for example Esther 4 1 Job 42.6 the inhabitants of Nineveh Jonah 3:5-6 and Daniel 9:3-4.
Repentance in dust and ashes often accompanied fasting during Biblical times.
As we begin the holy season of Lent let us plunge into the mood of this meaningful season. Let us get into the shoes of Christ. Let us commemorate the suffering and death and resurrection of Christ. We shall pray the Stations of the Cross in our parish.
May God bless you all!
Ever wanting to be faithful to your service,
With love and blessings,
—Fr. Sahayanathan Nathan
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Past Messages from Father Nathan
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 16, 2023
Be thankful to the Lord for all the blessings He showers upon us. We take things for granted and sometimes you don’t know you are blessed…
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 09, 2023
St. Kateri Tekakwitha is the first Native American to be recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church and is celebrated on Friday July 14.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 02, 2023
God Bless America! Celebrating American Independence. We are a blessed nation in the world. Our nations live by the philosophy of Christ, and it’s built upon the foundation of Christ…
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | June 25, 2023
The Feast Day of Sts. Peter and Paul celebrates the Patron saints of Rome. These apostles are considered the cornerstones of the Church. This celebration is a liturgical feast in honor of the martyrdom of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | June 18, 2023
Happy Father’s Day. Let us appreciate and value the sacrifices that our dads have done for us. Let us be thankful for the persons they are. Let us pray for them as they have gone to the Lord. “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;” Psalm 103:13…
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | June 11, 2023
St. Anthony of Padua – the patron Saint of Father nathan’s Home church in India. FEAST OF ST. ANTHONY – June 13, 2023. Anthony joins the Franciscan order, hoping to preach to Muslims and be martyred. Anthony becomes sick with ergotism and dies on June 13 on the way to Padua, where he is now buried. Anthony is canonized by Pope Gregory IX on May 30, 1232, at Spotelo, Italy for his spiritual teachings and devotion to the Church.