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 , 2022 | Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Overturning an unjust law “For nearly fifty years,” says the US Bishops’ statement, “America has enforced an unjust law that has permitted some to decide whether others can live or die; this policy has resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of preborn children, generations that were denied the right to even be born.”
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | June 29, 2022 | The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul
The Feasts of Saints Peter and Paul, or the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, is a liturgical feast in honor of the martyrdom in Rome of these apostles – Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which will be observed on the 29th of June. The celebration is of ancient origin…
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | June 19, 2022 | Father’s Day
Happy Father’s Day! “These commandments that I give today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and get up.” – Deuteronomy 6:6-7
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | June 12, 2022 | The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
Thursday, June 16th we celebrate The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. Christ. I believe it is great that we learn and refresh our theological treaties on this experience. The Institution of the Eucharist is found in the synoptic Gospels…
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | June 5, 2022 | the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua
The Feast of St. Anthony of Padua is celebrated on June 13th. He is one of the great saints who leads innumerable back to Christ.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | May 29, 2022 | Memorial Day
It’s our church. It’s our home. We need to maintain our building and enhance our security. We cannot ignore it because it will
only get worse and cost so much more. Please help me with some financial ideas.