Today’s First Reading is the beginning of Saint Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. This letter is one of my favorites of the Pauline Epistles. Saint Paul begins this letter with a hymn of pure praise: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.”
Radical Love
In this premise, Paul tries to establish our identity in the reality of God’s radical love: God chose us in Christ “before the foundation of the world,” destining us to be His adopted children. Think about the depth of that statement. Before the stars were formed, before time began, God knew you, thought of you, and desired your existence. You are not an accident, a cosmic afterthought, or defined merely by your mistakes. You were chosen out of love to be holy, blameless, and adopted as His own child. This adoption wasn’t cheap; it was bought at the price of Christ’s blood, granting us the forgiveness of our transgressions according to the riches of His grace.
Unconditional Choice
We were not chosen because we merited it. No. It is an unconditional choice on the part of God. This unconditional choice is exactly what Saint Teresa of Avila (whose liturgical feast we celebrate today) discovered after her own years of spiritual struggle. For a long time, Teresa lived a divided life in the convent, trying to find her worth in worldly conversations and human approval, even while still loving God. She passed through a deep spiritual crisis. But when she experienced a profound re-conversion, she finally understood what Saint Paul is proclaiming in this letter: that our identity is not something we earn; it is a gift “lavished upon us” through the blood of Christ.
Teresa realized that because we are already chosen and blessed, prayer is not a transactional duty to win God’s favor. Instead, she famously defined prayer as “an intimate sharing between friends, taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.” Teresa taught that the greatest mystery is the human soul—which she called an “Interior Castle”—where God Himself desires to dwell.
Absolute Trust
When we know we are anchored in a love that existed before the stars were made, before we were born, then the anxieties of the world lose their power over us. It was this absolute security in God’s eternal plan that allowed Teresa to reform religious life despite intense persecution, opposition, and hardships. She could endure anything because she knew she belonged to Him who loves her unconditionally.
This is the origin of her famous powerful prayer often called her “Bookmark”: “Let nothing disturb you, / Let nothing frighten you, / All things are passing away: / God never changes. / Patience obtains all things. / Whoever has God lacks nothing; / God alone suffices”. This Spanish prayer (“Nada te turbe…”) was discovered in her breviary after her death in 1582. In my home diocese in Nigeria, many parishes say this prayer together just before the final blessing at Mass. And, I can say that it is really reassuring whenever one prays it. I often find myself mutter the prayer spontaneously especially when faced with some fears or uncertainties.
As we listen to Saint Paul’s message of grace, let us ask for Saint Teresa’s intercession. May we stop trying to prove our worth to the world. Instead step into the interior castle of our hearts, resting securely in the breathtaking truth that we have been loved, chosen, and redeemed since before the world began. God alone suffices.
Thank you, Fr. JB. 🙏
God bless you, Lolee.