A Message from Father Nathan
My dearest people who are all close to my heart
Lots of love, blessings, and prayers to you all.
St. Francis of Assisi | Patron Saint of Animals
Feast Day October 4th
We are going to celebrate St. Francis of Assisi, whose feast is on the 4th of this month. We all know him as the lover and patron saint of animals, but he is more than that. He is a remarkable person.
Early Life
Born in Italy circa 1181, St. Francie of Assisi was renowned for drinking and partying in his youth. After fighting a battle between Assisi and Perugia, Francis was captured and imprisoned for ransom. He spent nearly a year in prison – awaiting his father’s payment – and, according to legend, began receiving visions from God. After his release from prison, Francis heard the voice of Christ, who told him to repair the Christian Church and live a life of poverty.
Mission
Consequently, he abandoned his life of luxury and became a devotee of the faith, his reputation spreading all over the Christian world. Francis’ embrace of Christ-like poverty was a radical notion at the time. The Christian church was tremendously rich, much like the people heading it, which concerned Francis and many others, who felt that the long-held apostolic ideals had eroded.
Francis set out on a mission to restore Jesus Christ’s own, original values to the now-decadent church. With his incredible charisma, he drew thousands of followers to him. They listened to Francis’ sermons and joined in his way of life; his followers became known as Franciscan friars.
Stigmata
Later in life, Francis reportedly received a vision that left him with a stigmata of Christ – marks resembling the wounds Jesus Christ suffered when he was crucified – making Francis the first person to receive such holy wounds.
Canonization
He was canonized as a saint on July 16, 1228. During his life he also developed a deep love of nature and animals and is known as the patron saint of the environment and animals; his life and words have had a lasting resonance with millions of followers across the globe. Each October, many animals the world over are blessed on his feast day.
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 | January 17, 2021
Together, We Are the Church. A universal body of believers, delivering God’s message of hope and love to everyone, everywhere. Your generosity to the Archbishop’s Charity and Development Drive, ABCD, serves the Church so that the Church can serve you.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | January 10, 2021
Together, We Are the Church. A universal body of believers, delivering God’s message of hope and love to everyone, everywhere. Your generosity to the Archbishop’s Charity and Development Drive, ABCD, serves the Church so that the Church can serve you.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | January 3, 2021
Happy New Year. Goodbye, 2020. Hello, 2021. We have all experienced a most unusual year. Our lives have had to adjust to never-ending uncertainties that shake our personal and public lives. We have witnessed a shutdown in our thoughts and actions all over the world…
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | December 20, 2020
Merry Christmas to You! “JOY TO THE WORLD” Fourth Advent of Sunday. In this season…when the people were all tired, worried, concerned, and waiting with lots of perplexities, the Lord incarnated Himself and opened up a new world of love to His people.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | November 15, 2020
Peace and happiness are like a light within each of our hearts. I believe and trust that It’s ONE of the gifts from God. It’s purely a gift from the Holy Spirit. It is light – that always glows and intensifies.
From The Desk Of Father Nathan | November 1, 2020
On November 2nd we are going to celebrate All Souls Day. This is a holy day set aside for honoring the dead. The day is primarily celebrated in the Catholic Church, but it is also celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox Church as well as a few other denominations of Christianity.