Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus
In one way or another,
every person is searching.
I remember as a young man,
I was always searching.
Searching for meaning.
Searching for purpose.
Searching for the right girl,.
which inspired a lot of bad poetry
in my early years.
Beneath all those searches
was something deeper.
Like every human heart,
I was searching for truth.
After all, every great discovery,
every worthwhile accomplishment,
begins with the search for what is true.
The Gospel reminds us,
knowledge alone is not enough.
The scholars of the law
knew many things about God,
but Jesus warns
they had taken away the key of knowledge.
They knew the words,
yet they failed to enter more deeply
into communion with the One
those words revealed.
Worse still, they made it harder
for others to enter.
Truth is not merely an idea to be studied.
Truth is a Person.
Jesus says,
"I am the way and the truth and the life."
Every sincere search
for what is good, beautiful, and true
ultimately leads to Him.
Saint Paul reminds us,
before the foundation of the world,
God chose us in Christ
and revealed the mystery of His plan:
to unite all things in Him.
That means our work,
our prayers,
our struggles,
our relationships,
our hopes,
and even our questions
can become a participation in the life of God.
Saint Teresa of Jesus discovered
truth is found not merely in learning about Christ,
but in drawing near to Him in prayer.
He is already here.
Already calling.
Already drawing us to Himself.
The real question is not
whether God is near.
The question is
whether we will open our hearts
and allow the Truth to lead us home.
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
You are the Way, the Truth,
and the Life.
Lead my restless heart
ever closer to You.
Open my eyes to Your presence
in all I do and endure.
And draw me home to the Father
through Your saving love.
Amen.
St Teresa of Jesus, pray for us.
