Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
Let nothing disturb you
Let nothing frighten you
All things are passing
God never changes
Patience obtains all things
She who possesses God lacks nothing
God alone suffices
St. Teresa of Avila
Think about it. How many times in the past 24 hours have you looked at your watch or phone, tapped your foot, or sighed at the aggravation of delay? Maybe it’s about missing a traffic or walk light. Maybe it’s a child attempting to tie her shoes or selecting his clothes for the day. For me, triggers for impatience include waiting for elevators, waiting for files to upload, and waiting for that dratted ATM to take my deposit. I mean, they can all take, like, 30 seconds or a minute!
I take comfort in the fact that Teresa of Avila was, ahem, a less than patient woman as well, regardless of her famous prayer. She famously said that until she had a mystical encounter that opened the doors of prayer to her, she was more anxious that the hour of prayer at her convent would end than she was to remain. Teresa, you see, had things to do, just like us. She was young, pretty, vivacious, and witty, and convent life then wasn’t as we think of it today. The residents were known to wear jewelry and focus on their looks. Some of the sisters entertained friends and donors in the convent parlor, and Teresa’s charm was enticing to many.
I suspect Teresa struggled with patience until the last day of her life. But that cross became easier for her to bear as she grew in trust of the Lord. Being hauled up before the Spanish Inquisition would have caused most of us to have feelings of impending doom. Teresa trusted—and was cleared. Going back into that convent with the enticing parlor, this time as a reformist who was on a mission to take the Carmelites back to their simple roots would have caused most of us to have feelings of impending doom. Teresa trusted—and went in.
This Doctor of the Church is an inspiration to many for her writings on prayer. Few people are so gifted in that way. But we can all emulate the woman who spent many years, even some in the convent, focused on earthly things—then grew in trust and patience as she grew closer to the Lord.
