“May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.”
(St. Teresa of Ávila)
St. Therese of Lisieux was not a theologian, but she is a doctor of the Church. She knew who God was. And because she knew who God was, she knew who she was. But this knowledge was not a dogmatic knowledge. It was experiential and shaped her whole life.
She was a daughter of God!
We are children of the Father. This is our identity! He is our infinitely loving Father who yearns in every way to draw us to his heart, the father in the Gospel who receives his children home even when they have rejected his love (Lk 15). We are his sons and daughters. We are the beloved of the Lover of the Song of Songs. This is where our identity comes from, not from our status, family or achievements, and it is this identity that guides the loving path our Father has chosen for each of us in our journey home to his arms.
God’s logic is not our logic, nor is his justice is one of pluses and minuses, of checks and balances, as is ours. It is the justice of a loving Father towards his children. “God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium)
May we identity firmly with our childhood. May this unshakable and indelible truth shape our existence and give us the deepest peace.
