From the Desk of Father Nathan

A Message from Father Nathan

My dearest people who are all close to my heart!

Lots of love, blessings, and prayers to you all.

John Vianney: The Saint Who Could Read Souls

St. John Marie Vianney was a priest who Pope Pius X proposed as a model and patron saint of all the priests because of his extraordinary devotion and life. A life which he committed to the church ministry.

St. John Marie Vianney was born on May 8, 1786, in the French town of Dardilly, France. He was the fourth child in a humble family of six children born to Matthieu & Marie Vianney.

affectionately called the “Curé of Ars,” is the Catholic Church’s patron saint of parish priests

The Church celebrates the Memorial of St. John Vianney on his feast day, which we celebrate annually on August 4th. If there was a priest saint for our times….it is st. John Vianney. He was a man who understood to his very depths the calling placed upon him at his ordination. He lived the sacred character of his office fully and loved deeply with a spiritual father’s heart. Like the Good Sheperd, whose heart is moved with pity at a flock without a shepherd.

St. John Vianney sought to give his life as a sacrifice united to Christ Crucified for the salvation of souls. He wanted to lead all souls to the Good Sheperd. In today’s times – an age when the beauty, sacred character, and the high calling of the priesthood had been marred by scandal, poor spiritual formation, and a reduction of priests to be functionaries, administrators, fundraisers, social justice warrior, and bureaucrat, now is when we need the St. John Vianney’s of our time to arise.

crisis of faith and assault on masculinity in Western culture has led to a loss of spiritual fatherhood

It’s clear that the crisis of faith and assault on masculinity in Western culture has led to a loss of spiritual fatherhood within the priesthood. The solution can only be offered by priests who choose Christ and the love of souls over and above everything else… Men who seek to love with the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus regardless of what others think, including their brother priests. He fixed his eyes on Christ and the promises of eternal life.

St. John wanted to lead all souls entrusted to him to heaven. He understood – given the state of the people’s indifference and ignorance – that he must radically live out his calling as a priest through complete surrender and crucifixion with Christ.

Sacrament of Penance is an indispensable gift given by Christ for the forgiveness of our sins

Our day is one of religious indifference and ignorance even within the Church. He understood that the Sacrament of Penance is an indispensable gift given by Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, not something only offered once a week or by appointment only. A Sacrament that needs to be frequented in order to progress in holiness. He spent 11-12 hours hearing confessions in the winter and 16-18 hours a day hearing confessions in the summer. Tens of thousands of pilgrims flocked to Ars to go to Confession with him. St. John Vianney, like other priest-saints, demonstrates that a priest’s fruitfulness is directly tied to how much he is willing to give everything to God for the salvation of souls will be a rich spiritual father who saves countless souls.

A priest who seeks the comforts of the world, honor, praise, and who is concerned about being liked by his people will be unable to lead his spiritual children to the heights of holiness. His people will be worldly, just like him. A priest who has reduced his priesthood to being a functionary or a bachelor CEO will be spiritually impotent since he will quickly lose sight of his high calling and seek the security and comforts of this life above the salvation of his people.

God bless you all.

With lots of love and blessing.

Ever wanting to be faithful to your service.

—Fr. Sahayanathan Nathan