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
Set up Online Giving.
You can make a one-time donation or set up recurring gifts.
Join our Parish Family
Register in the parish, so that it’s easy to become a confirmation sponsor or Godparent.
Want to Lend a Helping Hand?
Find volunteer opportunities and share your talents.
Need a Helping Hand?
We are here to help. Request home visits, send a prayer request. For urgent needs call 954.943.3684
Past Messages from Father Nathan
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | August 7, 2022
August 15th is an important and memorable day for all Catholics. It is the Feast celebrating the Assumption of our Blessed Mother. Learn More about the the theology and the catechism of the Assumption of our Blessed Mother
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 31, 2022
St. John Vianney feast day is celebrated annually on August 4th St. John Marie Vianney was a priest who Pope Pius X proposed as a model and patron saint of all the priests because of his extraordinary devotion and life. A life which he committed to the church ministry. St. John Marie Vianney was born on May 8, 1786 …
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 24, 2022
Mass is God’s Food for Our Soul, come and partake. I am glad and delighted to witness many coming back to the church in person, which is great! I am looking forward to witnessing all our people back at the church. I thought maybe it would be good to do a little catechism as my thankfulness.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 17, 2022
A second collection for the Parish Projects will be the last weekend of July. Some of you were proposing to me to have a second collection for the Parish Project that we are undertaking. There are very many of you already supporting it. I thank each one of you for your love and support. No matter how big or small…
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 10, 2022
Thank You for Your Continued Support of our church. I really want to thank each and everyone for your financial support. God bless you all! Thank you also to all those who are praying toward the completion of this project. Please continue to do so. I do understand that it’s a most trying of times now…
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.”