Never give up

We all have our battles. Some of them hidden, and other visible. At times, we are tempted to give up thinking that we have said sorry to God too many times, and can’t possibly be accepted back by Him. Nothing can be further from the truth! Mar Isaac the Syrian says it beautifully below

“Do not fall into despair because of your stumblings. I do not mean that you should not feel pain because of them, but that you should not consider them incurable. For it is better to be wounded than to be dead.

There is indeed a healer: He who on the cross asked for mercy on those who were crucifying him, who pardoned murderers as he hung on the cross. Christ came on behalf of sinners, to heal the broken-hearted and to bind up their wounds. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he says; for that reason he has anointed me in order to proclaim good tidings to the poor. ‘ He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captive, recovery of sight to the blind,’ (see Lk 4:18) and to strengthen the bruised by forgiveness.

And the Apostle says in his letter, ‘Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.’ (1 Tim 1:15) And his Lord also testifies, ‘I am not come to call the righteous, for they who are in good health have no need of a doctor; only those who are sick.’ (Mk 2:17)”- Mar Isaac the Syrian

When feelings of despair arise, run to our Lord in prayer and repentance, being certain that there is nothing that we can ever do , say or think that is incurable for Him, regardless of how often we fall.

Fr Matthew the Poor reminds us that “Christ has descended from the glory of His kingdom to ask for those in the furthest depths; those who have reached the state of utter misery, perdition and abominable darkness; those who have lost hope in themselves, for in those is manifested His power of action and the power of His Godhead, when His slaughtered love steps out to bring the sinner out of the quagmire and dunghill, and to sprinkle and wash with the holy blood every member that has been defiled… O! If sinners only knew that they are the work of God and the pleasure of His hear, “We are His workmanship” (Eph 2:10). If the sinner were to be sure that his rank in God’s eyes is foremost among the cares of the Almightly and His dispensation from eternity, and that the mind of God has been preoccupied - throughout the ages- with his returning, and that the entire heaven waits in expectation for his return, he would never be ashamed of himself, condemn his ability nor procrastinate about his return”

We can start fresh at every moment of our lives and renew our baptismal calling to live for Christ and Christ alone, knowing with full certainty that Our Lord will never reject a sinner.