From the Desk of Father Nathan

St Gabriel Catholic Church | Pompano Beach
God Bless You All

A Message from Father Nathan

My dearest people who are all close to my heart!
Lots of love, blessings, and prayers to you all.

Solemnity of All Saints

& ALL Souls Day

This week, we have two important feasts that we are going to celebrate. One would be the Solemnity of All Saints and the second ALL Souls Day. Let us try to understand what these feasts mean to us.

Solemnity of All Saints

The Solemnity of All Saints commemorates all those holy men, women, children, martyrs, confessors, and those unknown to others who lived lives with such holiness that upon death they either entered directly into God’s presence in heaven or duly purified their souls of every imperfection in purgatory before then advancing into His presence.

All-Star saints such as St. Augustine and St. Francis of Assisi stand shoulder to shoulder in heaven with forgotten grandmas, quiet uncles, and unknown martyrs. These unrecognized, but holy souls, did not convert entire tribes, found religious communities, or have their bones crushed by the jaws of lions in the arena. The dense population of heaven is unknown to us on earth, but not to God, the audience of one, we should most desire to please.

There are as many pathways to God as there are people since God wants to make a project of each and every one of us. All the saints lived heroic lives in their own unique ways. Today, we commemorate those silent and sturdy ones who, without cease and without complaint, buttressed the family, the marriage, the parish, the Church, the community, and the faith.

Among the communion of saints are some few illustrious citizens whose virtues sparkle on their special days. But today, we honor, remember and seek to imitate that broader population of heaven never raised to the public altars but who offered their lives in quiet ways to God. They received the Body of Christ and lived His teachings in an exemplary manner in season and out of season until all seasons converged and God called them back to Himself.

All Souls Day

All Souls Day, is a holy day set aside for honoring the dead. The day is primarily celebrated in the Catholic Church. According to Catholic belief, the soul of a person who dies can go to three places. The first is heaven when a person dies in a state of perfect grace and communion with God. The second is hell, where those who die in a state of mortal sin are naturally condemned by choice. Third, is purgatory is necessary so that the souls can be cleansed and perfected before they enter heaven.

God bless you all.

With lots of love and blessing.

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 | August 13, 2023

From The Desk Of Father Nathan | August 13, 2023

Holy Days of Obligation | The Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains holy days of obligation this way:
Family needs or important social services can legitimately excuse the obligation of Sunday rest (specified in the Fourth Commandment). The faithful should see that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health {CCC 2185}.

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From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 30 2023

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.

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From The Desk Of Father Nathan | July 23 2023

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.

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