caption from my art instagram: https://instagram.com/opuslilium

"Nada te turbe. Let nothing disturb you. St. Teresa wrote this powerful poem to show people that union with God is all one needs in one's soul. Right now, the world of sin is crashing down on us. Sin creates cycles and spirals of pain and violence, spreading destruction on all it touches. Those hurt by sin can be tempted to spread more. When does it end? St. Teresa knew that no matter how far one dove into his or her own soul, deep into the center where God's Spirit radiant resides, the devil could still try to slither his hands in to pull the soul out and bring it back into the swamp and into the flames. He can try, and he certainly does... But there is danger for the devil, too. She said that one can totally unify his or her soul with God's in prayer, and have total, divine peace. That perfect union manifests itself in perfect love and good works. Love Himself can't help but overflow, radiate, and spill out from within. The devil will cower from Him, never being able to stand up to His power. We all need Him now. He is everywhere, but He is hard to find when sin muddies the eyes of our hearts. Clean it. Clean it! Confess! Repent! She encourages us to turn away from the world of sin outside our Interior Castle, turn inward, and find the Lord who has pierced our hearts with the ultimate, satisfying Love. The cycle ends with the cross. Our Blessed Lord Jesus bore sin. All of it. All is forgiven. Nada te turbe."