These few lines — found in Saint Teresa of Avila’s own handwriting in the margin of her breviary — are among the most loved and consoling words in the Church. Known as “Saint Teresa’s Bookmark,” they anchor the anxious heart in the one thing that never changes: God alone.
Let Nothing Disturb You
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.
The Original Spanish (Nada Te Turbe)
Nada te turbe, nada te espante; todo se pasa, Dios no se muda. La paciencia todo lo alcanza. Quien a Dios tiene, nada le falta. Sólo Dios basta.
About Saint Teresa of Avila
Saint Teresa of Avila (1515–1582), also called Teresa of Jesus, was a Spanish Carmelite nun, mystic, and reformer of the Carmelite Order, and one of the great teachers of prayer in the Christian tradition. In 1970 she was declared a Doctor of the Church — the first woman to receive that title. These words, found written in her breviary after her death, distill a lifetime of trust in God.
Related Prayers and Devotions
A Prayer for Anxious Thoughts
The Three O’Clock Prayer
Browse Prayers to Saints
Sources: Text of “Saint Teresa’s Bookmark” (Nada te turbe) as published by EWTN. Biographical detail from Church records; Saint Teresa was named a Doctor of the Church in 1970.