From the Desk of Father Nathan

St Gabriel Catholic Church | Pompano Beach
God Bless You All

Image courtesy of Young Catholics.

A Message from Father Nathan

My dearest people closest to my heart!
God bless you and your generous heart

Pentecost

“Come Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of the faithful.”

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.  (cf. 30)

“Knowledge of faith is possible only in the Holy Spirit: to be in touch with Christ, we must first have been touched by the Holy Spirit. He comes to meet us and kindle faith in us.”

(CCC,683)

In the Christian tradition, Pentecost is the celebration of the person of the Holy Spirit coming upon the Apostles, Mary, and the first followers of Jesus, who were gathered together in the Upper Room.

A “strong driving” wind filled the room where they gathered, and tongues of fire came to rest on their heads, allowing them to speak in different languages so that they could understand each other. It was such a strange phenomenon that some people thought the Christians were just drunk—-but Peter pointed out that it was only the morning, and said the phenomenon was caused by the Holy Spirit.

Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit also gave the apostles the other gifts and fruits necessary to fulfill the great commission—to go out and preach the Gospel to all nations. It fulfills the New Testament promise from Christ (Luke 24:46-49) that the Apostles would be “clothed with power” before they would be sent out to spread the Gospel.

Pentecost is considered the birthday of the Church

It was right after Pentecost that Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, preached his first Homily to Jews and other non-believers, in which he opened the scriptures of the Old Testament, showing how the prophet Joel prophesied events and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. He also told the people that the Jesus they crucified is the Lord and was raised from the dead, which “cut them to the heart”. When they asked what they should do, Peter exhorted them to repent their sins and to be baptized.

According to the account in Acts, about 3,000 people were baptized following Peter’s sermon. For this reason, Pentecost is considered the birthday of the Church – Peter, the first Pope, preached for the first time and converted thousands of new believers.

The apostles and believers, for the first time, were united by a common language and a common zeal and purpose to go and preach the Gospel.

“Come Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of the faithful.”

Again, may God bless you.

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 | August 2, 2026

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.

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From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 26, 2026

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.

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From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 19, 2026

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…

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From The Desk Of Father Nathan | June 28, 2026

From The Desk Of Father Nathan | June 28, 2026

God Bless America! 🇺🇸
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” — Psalm 33:12
As we celebrate 250 years of American freedom, let us give thanks to Almighty God for the many blessings bestowed upon this great nation.

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