The Doors Were ClosedIn order that Jesus give Himself to the soul, it must be receptive to grace; the doors of the senses must remain closed. To desire is all well and good, it is an essential interior disposition, but exterior recollection is equally essential.
Call the divine guest, and close the door on thyself, is the counsel of the Imitation: Claude super te ostium tuum et voca at te dilectum tuum. Mane cum eo in cella. Stay with Him within.
What marvels does not the Savior effect in the silence of the Cenacle? First, He manifests Himself. Perhaps He was present before, but the distracted soul did not notice Him. One must shut out all exterior noise that the Guest within, the great Everpresent One, may reveal Himself.
There where the doors are closed, Jesus brings His peace. Peace be with you, He continues to repeat. Only tranquil souls will benefit from this peace; agitated souls do not share in the divine serenity.
Finally, like St. Thomas, Jesus allows recollected souls to touch His wounds, that is, He invites them to the closest union with Him. Nothing will be apparent, but in the depths of the soul marvels are being accomplished. There are contacts with God which the soul can have only when the silence of his prayer is profound.
The doors must be closed if Jesus is to take our hand and put it into His open side. Intimate friends dislike intrusions. Delicate as It is, the Heart of Jesus understands this.
Above all, I will cultivate interior silence; I will try to live in the Cenacle, in the interior Cenacle of my soul, where alone are found the presence of the Master, the peace of the Master, and heart to heart intimacy with the Master.
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Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
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