St Teresa of Avila | Thursday 15 October 2020

Today is Thursday the 15 October, the feast day of St Teresa of Avila, in the 28th week of Ordinary Time.   

Today we hear the Community of Taizé singing in Spanish, ‘Nada te turbe’, one of St Teresa of Avila’s most famous sayings: “Let nothing disturb you.  Let nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience wins all things. They lack nothing who possess God.  God alone is enough.” Hold onto this truth as you enter into a time of prayer today.    

Today’s reading if from the Letter to the Ephesians.

Ephesians 1:3-10

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.  

This is beautiful prose and an astounding message. We know God loves every person and even ‘all things’.  God loves everything in the Universe.  God loves every star, every planet, every rock, every tree, every animal, every person. God loves you.  You are utterly loved by God.  You are so loved that God wants to spend eternity with you . . .This can seem too good to be true and therefore difficult to take in.  Let this God look at you now with love

Consider how God loves all of Creation and wants to “gather up all things in Christ”...

As you listen again try and appreciate what is being claimed here.  

What do you want to say to this God who loves all things and who loves you?

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.