What the priest and nun does, every Catholic, each according to his or her state of life, is called upon to do. For the religious life is merely a special application of three conditions which, says Our Lord, must rule every seeker after happiness. He guarantees, it is true, but there are dispositions on our side that are essential. Jesus enumerates them for me as we walk together down the village street. "Come to Me take up My yoke learn of Me."
So the first condition He lays down is that we "come" to Him. If He is, as He claims to be, the only source of true happiness, it is clear that between Him and me there must be contact. In practice this means that there must be prayer, and the more intense and the more persevering my prayer, the closer will the contact be. Prayer is the meeting place between God and my soul. I come to Him _ as I am doing in this quiet spell of meditation _ and He comes to me. He is as truly beside me in my meditation as He was on the morning He walked down that street. I can speak to Him. He bends His ear to listen. Let me pause in my reading and talk to Him. Whatever interests me, interests Him
He wishes me to "come" to Him many times today. Perhaps I can receive Him sacramentally. Perhaps I can make a visit to Him in the tabernacle. He will "refresh" me, there in the tranquillity of His sanctuary, far removed from the bustle and noise of the world outside.
I can train myself to "come" to Him by seeking Him in the depths of my own soul. As long as I am in the state of grace, He remains there, in a very special manner. He is present, and there is no need for special ceremony. If I wish to see a doctor, dentist, lawyer, or government official, I must make an appointment and only come during their office hours. This is not so with Christ. His door is always open and I am always welcome any time of the day. "Come" whenever you wish. The Divine Guest is always at home.
In this way He will have the soul seek Him so that it will become a habit. "Coming" to Christ will become second nature. In the middle of our busy lives there is always a sense that God is near us. There is always that sense of peace that comes from knowing that God is near and He will make everything turn out all-right for those who love Him. He will not leave our souls for a single moment, unless we banish Him by committing a mortal sin.
So I do not have to go far to "come" to Him. The more my prayer becomes a habit, the more perfectly I conform to His first condition of happiness.
Jesus, prayer is a divine science. Divine Master, admit me as a pupil in the school of prayer. Give me docility. Deign to teach me to find You in my own soul, to speak to You there, and to listen. I am listening now