We celebrate a lot of different saint’s days and holy days in our Church. Tomorrow we celebrate the feast day of St Teresa of Avila, a Spanish Carmelite nun from the 16th century who is a mystic, Church reformer, and Doctor of the Church. They also designate special days during the year both in a real way and in a humorous way as well. Tomorrow, October 15, is also National Grouches Day. The dictionary defines a grouch as a person who is constantly complaining and habitually irritable. We all know people who have a grouchy outlook on life. That is opposite from the joy, strength, and hope we are called to find in our faith. Being around someone who is constantly grouchy can have a very negative impact on our outlook on life. Jesus warned the people about the Pharisees in the Gospel today, worried about the way that they draw people away from the faith and concentrate on things that are not at the heart of our faith. It was the hypocrisy of the Pharisees that had the most damage on the people of Ancient Israel. In contrast to the Pharisees, the psalmist revels in the identity we have as children of God, to give thanks to the Lord for the blessings we have in our lives.
Back to Teresa of Avila. Tradition has it that this little prayer was found on a bookmark that Teresa wrote on that she had in her Bible. It was found in her Bible after her death. The attitude expressed in this prayer is in contrast to a grouchy attitude and the hypocrisy of the Pharisees:
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing;
God only is changeless.
Patience gains all things.
Who has God wants nothing.
God alone suffices.
May we place our trust in Lord, the Lord of healing, reconciliation, and mercy.
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