From the Desk of Father Nathan

St Gabriel Catholic Church | Pompano Beach

A Message from Father Nathan

My dearest people closest to my heart!

God bless you and your generous heart.

Prepare for the Resurrection of our Lord

The Meaning of Lent

The American Catholic Conference states so beautifully the meaning of Lent:

“Lent is a 40-day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It’s a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture, we serve by giving alms, and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent but to go through a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ’s will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ’s death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.”

What is the spiritual purpose of Lent?

Pope Francis has frequently emphasized the demands of Lent in his Ash Wednesday homilies. He described it as a

“favorable time to return to what is essential to divest ourselves of all that weighs us down, to be reconciled with God, and to rekindle the fire of the Holy Spirit hidden beneath the ashes of our frail humanity. Let is a process of stripping away distractions to find greater authenticity. “To return to the heart means to go back to our true self and to present it just as it is, naked and defenseless, in the sight of God,”

he Pope said,

“It means looking within ourselves and acknowledging our real identity, removing masks we so often wear, slowing the frantic pace of our lives, and embracing life and truth of who we are.”

Lent is an opportunity to “reconsider the path we are taking

Ultimately, Lent is an opportunity to

“…reconsider the path we are taking, to find the route that leads us home and to rediscover our profound relationship with God, on whom everything depends,”

Pope Francis said.

Hence may you all have a great, meaningful Lenten Season

With lots of love and blessings.

Ever wanting to be faithful to your service,

— Fr. Sahayanathan Nathan

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Past Messages from Father Nathan

From The Desk Of Father Nathan | October 25, 2020

Every week as we profess our faith, we express… “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic
Church and THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS.” The author of this letter to the Hebrews wrote. “Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and the perfecter of faith.” (12.1-2)