Mother’s Day Special- St. Nonna (mother of St. Gregory the Theologian).

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

Venerable mothers of the holy fathers: St. Nonna (mother of St. Gregory the Theologian).

 

St Nonna

The second Sunday of May is celebrated throughout India as the ‘Mother’s Day'. John Milton mentions in his work:

‘He for God only, she for God in him’- [John Milton, Paradise Lost 4.299].  

This one line so beautifully presents the exponential possibilities of the role played by a woman, as the Holy Scriptures say, someone truly like the man, of his own flesh and bone who could help him unto salvation. Our church is blessed to have extraordinary women- pious mothers- who gifted their sons and daughters for the service of the Lord; paving way for the edification of not only their own families but influencing generations later on.

It was through prayers, tears and silent ministry of these women that the Church was blessed to witness such outstanding children of theirs. It wouldn’t be wrong to state that had it been not for such mothers, maybe we would have never got these saints, doctors and fathers of the Church! One such saintly lady is St Nonna, the mother of St Gregory the Theologian.

St. Gregory the Theologian (~AD329-390) was the Archbishop of Constantinople, who along with his close friend St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nyssa are called ‘the Cappadocian fathers’. St Gregory is termed as ‘the Theologian’ because of his extensive work on Trinitarian theology. St Nonna’s life, her piety, her courage had great and positive influence on the young Gregory and it inspired him to seek a life consecrated to God.

St. Nonna’s life is an example of how a single woman spearheaded the spiritual growth of her entire family. St Nonna married St. Gregory the Elder (Bishop of Nazianzus) who, at that time, was a follower of sect called Hypsistarii. The followers of this sect were worshipers of fire and lights and observed certain Jewish rituals. Their marriage was a case wherein the bridegroom was well off socially but unsuitable as far as religion was concerned.

St. Gregory the Theologian mentions that his mother prayed to God with many fastings and tears for her husband’s spiritual transformation. St Gregory acknowledges that his father (St. Gregory the Elder who later became the Bishop of Nazianzus) was the result of St. Nonna’s prayers and guidance, and it was from her that he learned his ideal of a good shepherd's life.

St. Nonna’s prayers and pious conduct slowly influenced St. Gregory the Elder. St. Gregory the Theologian tells us that his father once had a vision of himself singing psalms of holy David and this seemed strange to him. He had never done this before, though his wife had often offered her supplications and prayers for it. The vision brought forth a desire in St. Gregory to go to the church. When St. Nonna heard about it, she told her husband that the vision would bring the greatest pleasure if it were fulfilled. At the same time several Bishops were hastening to the Council of Nicea to oppose the heresy of Arius. St. Gregory, too, went to the Council wherein he yielded himself to God and thus was received into the church.

St. Gregory the Elder and St. Nonna were blessed with three devout children (two sons and one daughter) – Gregory (later St. Gregory the Theologian), Caesarius and Gorgonia. Just like Prophet Samuel was consecrated to God by his mother-Hannah; the pious St. Nonna dedicated her son Gregory to His service even before he was born! St. Gregory says:

“it was on her part a great undertaking to promise me to God before my birth, with no fear of the future, and to dedicate me immediately after I was born.”

People (since time memorial) love boasting on the wealth they have left for their children; the world teaches us to admire those who have been born with silver spoon in their mouth. St. Nonna too, left a treasure for her children- but not the one that moth, and rust could destroy. St. Gregory the Theologian, as a proud son of a pious mother, reminisces the true wealth that St. Nonna gave to him and his siblings;

“the sole wealth she (St. Nonna) left to her children was the imitation of her example, and emulation of her merits”.

Though she was externally beautiful, St. Nonna was only concerned for the beauty of the soul. Her zeal for prayer was unmatchable. St. Gregory writes: “What time or place for prayer ever escaped her? To this she was drawn before all other things in the day”.  She zealously undertook fasting and vigils; the nights were spent in singing psalms. A compassionate being, her home always welcomed widows and orphans, she was comfort for the mourners. Indeed, what a wonderful spiritual atmosphere did St Nonna create in her home!

St. Nonna’s silent ministry- the ministry of edification of her home, is praiseworthy:

“she also won over her husband to her side, and made of him a good fellow-servant (of God)…And not only so, but she further made the fruit of her body, her children and her children's children, to be the fruit of her spirit, dedicating to God not her single soul, but the whole family and household.”

One should learn from St. Nonna as to how conduct oneself in churches and prayer gatherings. She never used to indulge in unnecessary talks; St. Gregory says that her voice was only heard when the laity had to respond during the services!

St Nonna was a staunch support to her husband in his pastoral ministry – “But she who was given by God to my father became not only, as is less wonderful, his assistant, but even his leader, drawing him on by her influence in deed and word to the highest excellence”. 

St. Gregory consider his father and mother- St. Gregory the Elder and St. Nonna to be the ornaments of the human race. It isn't surprising that an illustrious son (St. Gregory the Theologian) was born of such pious parents. St. Nonna was a remarkable woman who devoted her life (as well as her whole household) to God and the Church without neglecting her other responsibilities. Indeed, she is a role model for women, especially for the mothers. 

By the prayers of our holy mother among the saints- St. Nonna, may the Lord have mercy upon us.

In Christ,

Rincy

[Reference: Excerpts from Oration 8 and Oration 18; St. Gregory the Theologian; Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers; Series II, Volume VII; Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace]

A CALL TO SALVATION.

Jesus calling Levi/Mathew

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

The Holy Gospel reading for the second Sunday after New Sunday is from St Mark 2: 13-22. Let us meditate on the following verses (v 3-17):

“Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”  (St Mark 2:13-17; NKJV)

The setting of this Holy Gospel portion is Capernaum- a Jewish fishing community situated on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. The Gospel of Mathew calls Capernaum as Jesus’s ‘own city’ (St Mathew 9:1). Not only Capernaum was an important spot in Jesus’ Galilean ministry, it was as well the hometown of Jesus' fishermen disciples Simon, Andrew, James, and John and, it was the setting wherein Jesus beckoned the tax collector Levi/Mathew to follow Him.

We understand from the Gospel portion that St Mathew’s initial profession was that of a tax collector. Tax officials aren’t the loved lot nowadays nor were they then. In fact, they were a fiercely hated group.

Sitting in his tax booth, Levi’s focus would have been to collect the taxes on goods (like fishes) for Herod Antipas. He must have heard Jesus teaching the multitudes by the lakeside; maybe he must even have been a witness to the miracle of catching the fishes by Simon (on instruction of Jesus). 

Something might have stirred in him to leave aside his wrong doings and start afresh. Like the lost sheep which frantically looks for its shepherd, Mathew wanted to trace his way to the Lord and start a new life. But he dared not; because of his profession he was ostracised man and wasn’t sure if Jesus would accept someone like him.

It is said in the verses above that as Jesus “passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me”. Even when our Lord is moving around, teaching and preaching, His eyes are constantly looking for His lost sheep. The Lord, who searches the heart’ (Jeremiah 17.10), knew the turmoil in Mathew’s heart and called- ‘Follow Me’.

St Matthew didn’t think twice about saying a ‘yes’ to the call. In answering that call, St Matthew lost a great deal of material wealth but gained for himself a vast spiritual treasure. In saying yes to the Lord’s calling, St Mathew had closed the chapter of his flourishing career forever. The fisherman disciples still had a back-up i.e. they could do fishing which was a decent profession. But St Mathew was to never return to his tax collecting business.

In his work on the patristic commentary of the Gospel of John, Fr Tadros Malaty quotes Pope Gregory the Great thus,

“The Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Truth, has said: “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God,” (Lk 9:62). Why did Peter return to do what he had left? We know the he was a fisherman while Matthew was a tax collector. Peter resumed his work after he had become a believer, whereas Matthew never returned to be a tax collector. That is because obtaining a livelihood through fishing is one thing, while tax collecting is another. There are many jobs that cannot be partially or wholly done without committing mistakes. It is forbidden to resume such jobs after becoming believers as they are associated with sin.”

Afterwards, we then see Lord Jesus dining at St Mathew’s house with our tax collectors. The account in St Luke’s Gospel states that Levi gave a great feast in his house (St Luke 5:29). St Mathew didn’t keep Christ’s gift of grace for himself (the name Mathew means ‘Gift of God’); he shared it with his business colleagues, who like him, were disliked in the Jewish community. Bishop Kallistos Ware quotes St Mark the monk in his book-The Orthodox Way:

"The saints must need offer repentance not only on their own behalf but also on behalf of their neighbour, for without active love they cannot be made perfect. So the whole universe is held together, and we are each of us helped providentially by one another."

The actions of St Mathew raise an important question- if we were to host a meal for our workplace colleagues -how would the discussion proceed? St. Mathew was able to speak meaningfully to his co-workers about Christ’s love and bring others to Him. St Mathew could so, because he first followed Christ’s call. We cannot bring others especially our co-workers to Christ unless we have first said a ‘yes’ to His call. As Christians, how can we speak meaningfully on how the Christian concepts apply for workplace issues like career management, work life balance, job search, people management etc.? Are our parishes equipping us for such conversations?

The so called ‘keepers of the law’- the scribes and the Pharisees weren’t joyful about the repentance of the tax collectors, but in their hatred against the Lord, question Him as to what sort of a person He is to dine with the tax collectors and sinners.Jesus responds that He has come to call those who are aware of their weaknesses or sins. Christ will not be welcome in the hearts of those who consider themselves as righteous. 

The below anecdote about a short sermon of the well-known spiritual guide- Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh highlights this issue:

"One Sunday Metropolitan Anthony Bloom gave a sermon as follows:

'Last night a woman with a child came to this church. She was in trousers and with no headscarf. Someone scolded her. She left. I do not know who did that, but I am commanding that person to pray for her and her child to the end of his days to God for their salvation. Because of you she may never go to church again.'

He turned around, head down, and entered the Altar. That was the entire sermon."

Aren’t we like the scribes and Pharisees-we consider that being a part of the church is our entitlement. Will we ever allow an outcast or a downtrodden feel a part of our community? For us, others accepting Christ isn’t as important as making them feel worthless and sinful-unable of getting God’s mercy.

May the prayers of the Apostle St Matthew help us to respond to God’s call with a bold ‘yes Lord’ and empower us to bring other to Christ.

In Christ,

Rincy

Capernaum in modern day Israel.

May 08th- Commemorating St John the Beloved Apostle

A coptic icon of St John with Lord Jesus Christ

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

The liturgical calendar of the Indian Orthodox Church commemorates the Apostle- St John the Evangelist on May 8th.

Among all the Apostles, the title “Theologian” is only bestowed upon St John, which attests to the spiritual heights to which he attained, and the depth of the heavenly wisdom he was granted.

St John and his brother St James were the sons of Zebedee and were termed as the “Sons of Thunder” (St. Mark 3:17). St John belonged to the ‘inner circle’ of the Apostles as he alongwith St Peter and St James were admitted to witness the miracle of the raising of Jairus's daughter (St Mark 5:37; St Luke 8:51), at the Transfiguration (St Mark 9:1; St. Matthew 17:1; St Luke 9:28), and the Agony our Lord in Gethsemane (St Matthew 26:37; St Mark 14:33).

At the foot of the Cross, Jesus assigned the care of His mother to his beloved Apostle John (St. John 19:26-27). From that moment, Apostle John, like a loving son, concerned himself over the Blessed Virgin Mary- the Theotokos , and he served her until her Dormition.

There is a lovely tradition about the visit of the Theotokos and St John to the modern spiritual powerhouse- Mount Athos. St. John and St. Mary- the Theotokos left Jerusalem at the time of Herod’s persecution and they settled in Ephesus for two years. Even during these times, our holy Mom-St Mary spent her time in prayer, fasting and meditation on the Scriptures. Following the death of Herod, they returned to Jerusalem.

Around that time, St. Mary heard that Lazarus (who was ordained as the bishop of Cyprus by Apostle Barnabas) and was the brother of Mary and Martha, desired to see her very much. Hence St. Mary wrote to Bishop Lazarus asking him to send a ship for her so that she might visit him in Cyprus. This he did and the Apostle John with St. Mary and some others sailed for Cyprus. They encountered a violent storm that took them far off the course and were put in to the port of Clemes on Athos at the tip of the 50-mile long peninsula. At this location today, there are a number of famous monasteries that trace their origin to the visit of St John and St Mary-the Theotokos.

At that time, the population of Athos consisted of young virgins dedicated to the goddess Diana who were expected to become priestesses to serve in Greek temples. Also on mount Athos was a large gold and ivory statue of Jupiter and a huge temple of Apollo where fortune telling, divining and witchcraft took place.

When St. John and St. Mary arrived at the port of Clemes, the huge statue of Jupiter fell and shattered to pieces with a thunderous noise; all the pagan shrines, idols were broken into pieces. The demons inhabiting the idols were forced against their will to proclaim the truth about the arrival of most holy Theotokos. All the inhabitants of Athos hurried to meet St. Mary. They received her, Apostle John and the others with great honor; and all of them accepted the Christian Faith.

During their stay on Athos, St. Mary and St. John performed many miracles and St. Mary prayed for the blessing of Athos. Thereafter she, St John and the others set sail for Cyprus. Meanwhile, Lazarus had grown very concerned about St. Mary’s delay. When the ship arrived, there was great rejoicing and thanksgiving. St. Mary and St John shared the good news of all that happened at Athos. After staying in Cyprus for a short time, St Mary returned to Jerusalem with St John.

After the Dormition of St. Mary-Theotokos, Apostle John went to Ephesus and other cities of Asia Minor to preach the Gospel, taking with him his own disciple Prochorus. During the second persecution of Christians St. John was sent to Rome to stand trial before the then Emperor Domitian. He was tortured and cast into a vessel of boiling oil from which he came forth unharmed. The Emperor, having failed in his futile attempts to bring any harm to St. John, banished him into exile on the island of Patmos. It is here that our Lord revealed to St John all that is to come until the end of time and instructed him to write it down. St John composed all the things which he had seen into the book known as the Apocalypse (the book of Revelation). Upon the death of the Emperor, St. John returned to Ephesus where he wrote his Gospel and his three Epistles.

St. John spent the rest of his life in Ephesus in strict fasting and prayer; it is said that he would only focus on one message in his sermons in the church-“Little children, love one another.” When his disciples asked him why he just said this, he replied, “This is the Lord’s commandment; and if you keep it, it is enough.”

Tradition states that when it was time for the departure of the Apostle St John, he went out beyond the city limits of Ephesus with the families of his disciples. He asked them to prepare for him a cross-shaped grave, in which he lay, telling his disciples that they should cover him over with the soil. The disciples tearfully kissed their beloved teacher and covered his face with a cloth and filled in the grave. Some traditions state that the other disciples of St John came to the place of his burial and when they opened the grave (so that they could give St. John a more prominent resting-place) they found it empty!

May the prayers of St John the Beloved Apostle be a refuge for us and help us to develop the Christian love that our Lord taught us!

(Compiled)

In Christ,

Rincy

A LIFE CHANGING BREAKFAST

Mensa Christi (The Table of Christ)

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

The Holy Gospel reading for the first Sunday after New Sunday is from St John 21: 1-14. In the last two blogs (link here- A Tale of Two Coal Fires and The ‘Nets’ and the 'Net’), we contemplated on the ‘coal of fires’ which make an appearance in the Holy Scripture when Peter denied Jesus and then when the Risen Lord appear to the disciples in the Lake of Tiberias and also on the command of Christ to the disciples to launch their net(s) to catch the fishes in the beginning of His ministry and after His resurrection.

Let us now meditate on verse 12 of the chapter- “Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast” (St John 21:12; NKJV) and on the Lord ‘s question to Simon Peter as well as Simon Peter’s responses (St John 21:15-17).

Several important events are recorded in the Holy Scripture about a fellowship meal involving our Lord Jesus Christ-A Man who fasted for forty days. Some examples include His first sign at the Wedding in Cana, meal at Zacchaeus’s house, at the home of Simon the Pharisee, at Martha and Mary’s residence, feeding the multitudes and of course the Last Supper. Each of the instances had a key take away learning.

For the tired, distressed and exhausted disciples, a sweet call from the Lord to have breakfast is what was the need of the hour. The disciples would have been too overwhelmed with experience of the horrible Crucifixion of the Lord and then an astonishing news of His resurrection. The call for breakfast, and the breakfast itself- for all its ‘ordinariness’ - it would have brought a sense of comfort for them.  Like the Last Supper, our Lord again serves the disciples- “Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish” (v13).

After the breakfast is over i.e. once the physical hunger is satiated, that our Lord turns to Simon Peter to quench his spiritual hunger for forgiveness. For Simon Peter’s affirmative answer to the Lord’s questions whether he loves Him; our Lord commands to Simon Peter.

‘Feed My lambs, Tend My sheep, Feed My sheep’.

John Achen and I had a blessed chance to undertake a pilgrimage to the Holy Land this Lenten season. We went to a place called Tabgha (meaning Seven Springs) wherein a small Franciscan chapel made of grey stone marks the site where the Risen Lord appeared to the disciples as noted in the Gospel of St John Chapter 21. The chapel contains a projection of limestone rock in front of the present altar which is venerated as a "Mensa Christi", Latin for ‘table of Christ’, believed to be the spot where Jesus is said to have laid out a breakfast of bread and fish for the Apostles.

Just couple of hundred meters away is the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes which is traditionally believed to be the place (St Mark 6:30-46).

Church of  the multiplication of loaves and fishes (Tabgha)

It is not mere coincidence that both the events that are so overpoweringly alike, happened so close.

At the Table of Christ, the disciples- and all of us- we are not only invited to be fed but are also commissioned to feed others as well.

It is again no coincidence that when Christ speaks of the time of his second coming that He sees the faithful servant as the one ‘who gives the household, food in due season’.

“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.” (St Mathew 24:45-47; NKJV)

While we think of being called to serve and feed others or whenever we think of mission- the first and foremost thought that comes to our mind is to evangelize. True, as baptized Orthodox Christians, all of us are called to be evangelists, in the sense that we are called to bear witness to the fullness of the Gospel, the Good News of Christ and proclaim it to those who would hear it. 

The Orthodox mission is called ‘Liturgy after the Liturgy’.  In the Eucharistic celebration there are two complimentary movements, the first one begins as ascension toward the throne of God, toward the Kingdom and the second movement begins a return to the world. When we talk about Liturgy after the Liturgy, there cannot happen a Liturgy after Liturgy without a Liturgy coming first! To put it simply we cannot go out into the world and serve God and His people without first joining other people in the Eucharist. At the same time, we cannot keep our hands tied up after experiencing the Divine Eucharist.

Charity is the foremost important feature that our parishes insist during the Lenten period. We usually visit orphanages/institutions helping the needy, spend time with the inmates, pay our charity contributions (in money or kind) and leave (and will only remember them next Lenten season). I haven’t come across a case where we have shared a meal with them or for the fact we had food together with the downtrodden, needy, ostracized, or the orphaned.

Christ asks us to be fed and feed others; He sat with others- ate with them. He didn’t feed leftovers but served the best. How would we respond in action if we were asked, ‘Feed My sheep”?

In Christ,

Rincy

THE ‘NETS’ AND THE ‘NET’

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

The Holy Gospel reading for the first Sunday after New Sunday is from St John 21: 1-14. In the last blog, (link here- A Tale of Two Coal Fires) we read a contemplation on the ‘coal of fires’ which make an appearance in the Holy Scripture when Peter denied Jesus and then when the Risen Lord appear to the disciples in the Lake of Tiberias.

In this blog, we will contemplate on another aspect from the entire episode that would have brought bitter-sweet memories in the mind of Peter. The Holy Scripture verses are Gospel of St John 21: 3-6 and Gospel of St Luke 5:3-6. Let us read:

“Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”

They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”

They answered Him, “No.”

And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”” (St John 21:3-7; NKJV)

“….And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. (St Luke 5:3-6; NKJV)

The second biblical verse occurs at the beginning of our Lord’s ministry and the first one happens after His resurrection. When we carefully read the verses in St Luke 5:3-6, we note that Christ in the midst of his discourse to the multitude, asks Simon to ‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.

Simon responds that they toiled all night and caught nothing but since Jesus has commanded he will let down the net. Read the verses again.

Jesus asks Simon to let down the ‘nets’; not one net but many- the Lord knows it will be a great gain. Simon is perplexed- he toiled all night and caught nothing and here is a Carpenter telling a seasoned fisherman with an authoritative tone that he should now launch his nets. Simon isn’t hopeful; his faith isn’t 100% but he doesn’t want to disobey either.  Simon responds that for the sake of Jesus’s request he will let down the net though they caught nothing the whole night.

Jesus asked to let down the ‘nets’; Simon in half-hearted obedience agrees to let down the ‘net’.

The results were astonishing- the number of fishes caught were so huge that their net was breaking. Had Simon obeyed to let the nets (as Jesus commanded) instead of one net (per his knowledge and experience), perhaps the net wouldn’t have come to the point of breaking.

Roughly 3 years later, life comes a full circle for Simon Peter with a similar incident.

Simon Peter is still reeling in the guilt of denying his Lord even though he proclaimed that he would lay down his life for Him. Unsure of forgiveness, uncertain of his purpose and ministry, Simon sought to seek solace in the vocation that he abandoned for Jesus- fishing.

Again, the whole night he toiled relying on his skills as a fisherman but found nothing. The exhausted, guilt ridden, weary man only had to say a defeated ‘no’ alongwith other disciples when asked by Jesus if they had any food.

They again heard a familiar command- this time to launch the net on the right side. Something would have pierced Simon Peter’s heart when he heard it. They were asked to launch only a net this time reminding Simon Peter of his half-hearted obedience and hopelessness. He was hopeless then about the catch, he is unsure now of forgiveness.

 The story doesn’t end with despair- there is a blessing in the form of multitudes of fish. Lastly, the disciple whom Jesus loved tells Peter- ‘It is the Lord’!

How often in our limited understanding we doubt, ‘if this is possible with God’? The feast of Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ underlines the message of hope.  Our teacher the blessed St Paul distinguishes between the worldly sorrow and godly repentance: “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”(II Corinthians 7:10, NKJV). The worldly sorrow made Judas Iscariot hang himself however the godly sorrow led Peter to repentance. The worldly sorrow made Adam to hide himself from the Lord, but the godly sorrow made the prodigal son to return to his father.

There are many amongst us who need a helping hand, who are despaired, torn, defeated and like Simon arent sure of launching the nets. 

We all may not become great orators, spiritual leaders, counsellors etc but with a gentle nudge and with a ray of hope, we like the beloved disciple John, can definitely tell the broken ones- ‘Look unto the Lord’.

“But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31; NKJV)

In Christ,

Rincy