Perhaps Saint Teresa of Avila’s greatest gift to busy people is the truth that ordinary life and holiness are not in conflict. There need be no separation from immersion in the real world and its challenges, and ongoing, prayerful union with God. When she died, the following thoughts in her handwriting were found written in the margins of her breviary. We don’t know if Teresa composed what has come to be called “Saint Teresa’s Bookmark” or not, but its message is one we know inspired her. It’s one she might well share with us:
Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing frighten you.
All things pass away.
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
They who have God
lack nothing.
God alone is enough.
—from St. Anthony Messenger‘s “Saint Teresa of Avila: Mystic and Multitasker“
by Patricia Morrison
