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 | February 22, 2026
Lent has begun. Let us make use of this season to go deeper in our understanding of His love, to make reparations for our sins, and relish His love. St Gabriel celebrates its Golden Jubilee—60th anniversary of the establishment of our parish.
Save the Date for a Special Mass Tuesday, March 224th (2026) kickstarts the Jubilee with the solemn Mass of the bishop
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | February 15, 2026
ABCD 2026 Kickoff: Together – Do Good. Seek Peace. Is the theme of the 2026 campaign, one of the most important fundraisers for the Archdiocese of Miami. We will be launching ABCD this week. This year, our target for our parish is $122,184. Last year, because of your collaboration and cooperation, we were able to achieve our target. I will like to thank each and every one of you who participated in that endeavor. It’s the Archdiocesan vital fundraiser, and of course, it is possible only if we, the parish units, actively participate…
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | January 25, 2026
ABCD 2026 Kickoff: Together – Do Good. Seek Peace. Is the theme of the 2026 campaign, one of the most important fundraisers for the Archdiocese of Miami. We will be launching ABCD this week. This year, our target for our parish is $122,184. Last year, because of your collaboration and cooperation, we were able to achieve our target. I will like to thank each and every one of you who participated in that endeavor. It’s the Archdiocesan vital fundraiser, and of course, it is possible only if we, the parish units, actively participate…
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | January 11, 2026
ABCD 2026 Kickoff: Together – Do Good. Seek Peace. Is the theme of the 2026 campaign, one of the most important fundraisers for the Archdiocese of Miami. We will be launching ABCD this week. This year, our target for our parish is $122,184. Last year, because of your collaboration and cooperation, we were able to achieve our target. I will like to thank each and every one of you who participated in that endeavor. It’s the Archdiocesan vital fundraiser, and of course, it is possible only if we, the parish units, actively participate…
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | January 04, 2026
New Year’s Blessing: May the Lord bless you with renewed hope, deep peace, good health, and abundant grace in the year ahead. May God grant you strength in challenges, joy in daily life, and His guiding light in all that you do.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | December 28, 2025
New Year’s Blessing:
May the Lord bless you with renewed hope, deep peace, good health, and abundant grace in the year ahead. May God grant you strength in challenges, joy in daily life, and His guiding light in all that you do.