A Message from Father Nathan
My dearest people who are all close to my heart!
Lots of love, blessings, and prayers to you all.
First Sunday of Lent
As we just began the season of Lent, I wanted to propose a few of the practical ways to make this a meaningful Lent. As the catechism of the Catholic Church beautifully puts it, there are three important means:
1. Prayer
2. Fasting
3. Almsgiving.
“Prayer it’s the elevation of the mind and heart to God in praise of his glory; a petition made to God for some desired good, or in thanksgiving for a good received, or in intercession for others before God. Through prayer, the Christian experiences a communion with God through Christ in the Church”.
Fasting: “Refraining from food and drink as an expression of interior penance, and imitation of the fast of Jesus for forty days in the desert. Fasting is an ascetical practice recommended in Scripture and the writings of the Church Fathers; it is sometimes prescribed by a precept of the Church, especially during the liturgical season of Lent.”
Almsgiving: Money or goods given to the poor as an act of penance or fraternal charity. Almsgiving, together with prayer and fasting, are traditionally recommended to foster the state of internal peace.
Here are some practical ways we can make this Lent into a meaningful season.
1) Consider fasting from some form of noise or media this Lent. We are so uncomfortable with silence. – get comfortable with silence
2) Fast for someone particular each day. Offering your sacrifice for a specific person will bring new meaning to the Lenten fast.
3) Let your fast financially support your almsgiving. So often we give up items that are treats, perhaps, it is a weekly cup of coffee from Starbucks or an evening of entertainment. Save that money to give to a cause of your choice.
4) When you give alms, do not judge the intention of the recipient. Often time, it is easy for me to judge the people to which I am giving. I fall into a trap of wanting the poor to be deserving of my generosity.
5) Consider adding in addition to subtracting. So often we only think of what we are giving up during Lent, but the addition of spiritual practices can also be available. This Lent consider adding a devotional practice to your daily life.
God bless you all.
With lots of love and blessing.
Ever at your service.
—Fr. Sahayanathan Nathan
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Past Messages from Father Nathan
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | August 23, 2026
Saint Monica: A Mother of Faith and Prayer – Saint Monica, whom we honor this Thursday, was the mother of one of the greatest saints in the history of the Church: Saint Augustine
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | August 16, 2026
This weekend we are celebrating the Assumption of our Blessed Mother. It is one of the four dogmas of the Church. The Assumption of Mary is a central dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, formally defined by Pope Pius XII in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus on November 1, 1950. It teaches that Mary, …
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | August 9, 2026
A Tribute to my Mother
She loved God, the Church, and her priests.
“The greatest gift God can give to a family is a priestly or religious vocation. A vocation born in a family is God’s blessing to that family, a joy to the parish, and a grace to the whole community.” The quote above is often attributed to St. John Bosco, and I have always felt it speaks the truth about my own family.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | August 2, 2026
A Tribute to my Mother
She loved God, the Church, and her priests.
“The greatest gift God can give to a family is a priestly or religious vocation. A vocation born in a family is God’s blessing to that family, a joy to the parish, and a grace to the whole community.” The quote above is often attributed to St. John Bosco, and I have always felt it speaks the truth about my own family.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 26, 2026
The Gift of Time and Prayer.
If the secular world cannot come to Christ in prayer, why don’t we bring them to Christ through our prayers? They are weary and burdened, and they, too, need to find rest in Christ Jesus. Prayer honors God. It acknowledges His presence and His greatness. It exalts His power, trusts in His providence, seeks His help, and, above all, makes us humble.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 19, 2026
The Eucharist: The Center of Our Lives. My dearest people, closest to my heart,
As a second and third grader, I would sometimes go to church at 3:00 a.m. and sleep on the church steps until it was time to open the doors. That was simply part of my routine. I wanted to be an altar server…