A Message from Father Nathan
My dearest people who are all close to my heart
Lots of love, blessings, and prayers to you all.
Pentecost —
The birth of the church
— the celebration of the Holy Spirit coming upon the Apostles, Mary, and the first followers of Jesus.
This weekend, the Church celebrates Pentecost which is one of the most important feast days of the year that concludes Easter season and celebrates the beginning of the Church. Pentecost, which we celebrate this Sunday, is the liturgical season after Easter. It celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Church.
50 Days after the resurrection
Pentecost begins the eighth Sunday, or 50 days after Easter Sunday. The descent of the Holy Spirit ushered in a new era for the people of God. “Pentecost” is from Greek meaning “fiftieth”. The day’s name is derived from the Greek word “pentecost”, meaning 50th . Pentecost always occurs 50 days after the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the days after His ascension into heaven.
In the Christian tradition, Pentecost is the celebration 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 were gathered, and tongues of fire came to rest on their heads, allowing them to speak in different languages so they could understand each other.
The Fruits of the Spirit
It was such a strange phenomenon that some people thought the Christians were just drunk – but Peter pointed out that it was early in the morning, and said the phenomenon was caused by 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.
The “Birthday” of the church
For this reason, Pentecost is considered the birthday of The Church – Happy Birthday to the Church: to Peter the first Pope as he preaches for the first time and converts thousands of new believers. The apostles and believers, now – for the first time, were united by a common language, and a common zeal and purpose to go and preach the Gospel.
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 of their sins and to be baptized. According to the account in Acts, about 3,000 people were baptized following Peter’s sermon.
Happy Birthday, Holy Mother Church!
God bless you all.
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 | 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.