Prayer:Bookmark Prayer
Stored: Bookmark Prayer
| Bookmark Prayer | |
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| Author | Unknown |
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| Language | English |
| Approval | None |
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| Added on | 2026-08-13 |
The Bookmark Prayer of St. Teresa of Ávila, also widely known as Nada Te Turbe (from its opening words in Spanish), is among the most beloved and frequently quoted prayers in the entire treasury of Christian devotional literature. Composed by the great sixteenth-century Spanish mystic, Doctor of the Church, and reformer of the Carmelite Order, it distills a lifetime of contemplative wisdom into eight short, luminous lines. Though brief enough to be memorized in moments, it has sustained the faith of countless souls across five centuries.
The prayer is so named because it was reportedly found written on a small bookmark tucked inside St. Teresa's breviary after her death in 1582. Its simplicity and depth made it an immediate favorite among her followers, and its message—that God alone is the unchanging foundation of all peace—has lost none of its urgency in the intervening centuries. It has been set to music, inscribed on church walls, and translated into dozens of languages across the world.
As a Doctor of the Church, St. Teresa speaks with recognized theological authority, and this prayer reflects the summit of her mystical teaching: that union with God, who is eternal and immutable, is the only true remedy for the restlessness and anxiety of the human heart.
The Prayer
Nada Te Turbe (Bookmark Prayer of St. Teresa of Ávila)
- 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.
Original Spanish:
- 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.
History and Background
St. Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582), born Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda Dávila y Ahumada in Ávila, Castile, entered the Carmelite Order as a young woman and went on to become one of the greatest mystics and ecclesiastical reformers in the history of the Church. Together with St. John of the Cross, she undertook the arduous reform of the Carmelite Order, founding the Discalced Carmelites and establishing numerous convents throughout Spain despite enormous opposition and physical suffering. Her major spiritual works—The Interior Castle, The Way of Perfection, and her Autobiography—remain foundational texts of Catholic mystical theology.
The Bookmark Prayer was not composed as a formal liturgical text but arose from the saint's own interior life of prayer. According to Carmelite tradition, the lines were found handwritten on a slip of paper inside her breviary at the time of her death at Alba de Tormes on October 4, 1582. Whether Teresa wrote the lines for her own personal encouragement, for one of her spiritual daughters, or simply as a spontaneous overflow of contemplative insight, they perfectly encapsulate her mature theological vision.
Central to Teresa's spirituality is the conviction that God is the one unchanging reality in a world of ceaseless flux. Her instruction "Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you" is not a counsel of naïve optimism but of hard-won mystical realism: because God is eternal and immutable, the soul anchored in Him participates in that same stability. The affirmation "God alone suffices" (sólo Dios basta) is widely regarded as the single most concentrated expression of Teresian spirituality. It echoes the teaching of St. Augustine—"Our heart is restless until it rests in Thee"—and anticipates the thought of later mystics and saints who taught that the soul's deepest longing can be satisfied by God alone.
Teresa was beatified by Pope Paul V in 1614, canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622, and declared a Doctor of the Church—the first woman to receive that honor—by Pope Paul VI on September 27, 1970.
How to Pray / Devotional Use
The Bookmark Prayer is extraordinarily versatile in its devotional applications and requires no special setting, posture, or preparation, making it one of the most accessible prayers in the Catholic tradition.
Personal Meditation: The prayer is ideally suited to lectio divina-style meditation. The faithful may read one line slowly, pause, and allow its meaning to resonate before proceeding. The phrase "God alone suffices" in particular invites extended contemplative reflection. Many spiritual directors recommend returning to this line repeatedly during periods of anxiety, grief, or temptation to despair.
Daily Recitation: The prayer may be prayed in the morning as an act of entrustment, placing the uncertainties of the coming day into the hands of God. It is equally powerful as an evening prayer, reviewing the day's disturbances and fears in the light of God's unchanging fidelity.
In Times of Crisis or Anxiety: Because of its direct address to fear and disturbance, the Bookmark Prayer has a long tradition of use as a prayer of consolation during illness, bereavement, spiritual dryness, or any form of suffering. Chaplains, spiritual directors, and parish counselors frequently offer it to those in distress.
Communal Prayer: The prayer may be recited communally at the opening or closing of Carmelite meetings, parish retreats, or days of recollection. It may also be sung, as numerous musical settings exist, perhaps the most famous being the choral arrangement by John Michael Talbot.
As a Memorized Ejaculation: Following the ancient tradition of short, repeated prayers (ejaculations), the faithful may memorize the final line—"God alone suffices"—and repeat it silently throughout the day as a brief invocation, particularly during moments of anxiety or temptation.
In the Liturgy of the Hours: While not part of the official Roman Rite, the prayer is often incorporated into Carmelite celebrations of the Liturgy of the Hours, particularly on the Feast of St. Teresa (October 15) and within the Carmelite proper offices.