A Message from Father Nathan
My dearest people who are all close to my heart
Lots of love, blessings, and prayers to you all.
Understanding Purgatory
+ Praying for the deceased
When someone dies, we usually have flowers or candles to remember their passing. We do it to honor their memory, perhaps even as a way of offering a prayer for them.
TraDITION OF Praying for the dead
We all want to find a fitting way to remember those who have left us. Let us understand why we pray for the dead. There is a longstanding tradition in the Catholic Church to pray for the souls of the deceased. How did this tradition come about and why is it still important today?
The Reality of Purgatory
The custom of praying for the dead is rooted in the very nature of heaven. The Bible indicates that there can be nothing imperfect in heaven. When describing the vision of the New Jerusalem, God’s eternal kingdom, revelation 21:27 states,
“nothing unclean will enter it.”
Unfortunately, many people who have died have not lived as perfect humans, and do not die in the state of perfection. They are not yet prepared to enter heaven and behold God’s face. At the same time, they have not chosen to separate themselves from God. They may have expressed regret for their sins and been forgiven, but their love of God at the time of their death may not have been as profound and perfect as it should have been.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but are still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. (CC 1030).
God’s Mercy Endures after Death
The souls of these individuals have not yet been completely purified of their sins. They must undergo purification after death, a fact which demonstrates that God’s mercy does not stop after that moment of death.
Instead, divine mercy continues even after the moment to prepare a soul to receive God’s loving embrace in heaven. Hence, let us pray for the dead.
May our prayers rise up to them. Let them in turn be our intercessors.
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 30 2023
August 4th we celebrate the feast of St. John Vianney who is the patron saint of priests – a French priest, a renowned confessor with supernatural powers. Baptiste-Marie Vianney, also called Cure d’Ars, (born May 8, 1786, Dardillly, France—died August 4, 1859, Ars, canonized May 31, 1925, feast day August 4 (formerly August 9), a French priest who was renowned as a confessor and for his supernatural powers.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 23 2023
Feast of Joachim and Anne | the parents of Jesus’ mother, Mary. On July 26 the Roman Catholic Church commemorates the parents of the Virgin Mary, Saints Joachim and Anne. The couple’s faith and perseverance brought them through the sorrow of childlessness, to the joy of conceiving and raising the immaculate and sinless woman who would give birth to Christ.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 16, 2023
Be thankful to the Lord for all the blessings He showers upon us. We take things for granted and sometimes you don’t know you are blessed…
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 09, 2023
St. Kateri Tekakwitha is the first Native American to be recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church and is celebrated on Friday July 14.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 02, 2023
God Bless America! Celebrating American Independence. We are a blessed nation in the world. Our nations live by the philosophy of Christ, and it’s built upon the foundation of Christ…
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | June 25, 2023
The Feast Day of Sts. Peter and Paul celebrates the Patron saints of Rome. These apostles are considered the cornerstones of the Church. This celebration is a liturgical feast in honor of the martyrdom of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul.