Christ is Risen! Indeed He is
Risen!
Venerable mothers of the holy
fathers: St. Nonna (mother of St. Gregory the Theologian).
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| 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]
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