Today the Abbess recommends making a start . . . take three minutes at least once today. Set a kitchen timer. Turn off your cell phone (like you do at the movies!), leave your coffee cup in the kitchen and a note on the door “Back in three minutes!”

Settle yourself before the Lord Jesus Christ and look up into His invisible Face. Trouble yourself not at all to try to see or imagine it! You will see Him face-to-face when the time comes. By this effort and endeavor, you will be known among those on earth who, never having laid eyes upon His beautiful countenance, “see Jesus!” (Hebrews 2:9)

Trouble yourself even less when your thoughts wander. Ignore them UTTERLY, beloved Sisters and Brothers . . . ignore them! Only bring your countenance before His. Enjoy His nearness, only.   Experience it, but give the experience no attention whatsoever!   Have Him, as truly as He has you in the Father. Stay. Don’t pray … don’t grieve . . . don’t repent . . . this is not that time!  Don’t even worship, except with the stillness of your soul.  Only keep yourself in Him! You can bring nothing to these minutes beyond your desire for Him and your pleasure in Him.  Don’t even take pleasure in this pleasure – just remain before Him, face to face.  He sees your countenance, and that’s all that really matters.  (Song of Solomon 2:14)

Find in Him a quiet delight that will sustain you throughout the day. That is what we call this discipline here in Cor Unum Abbey: “Quiet Delight,” and it is that. We practice it daily, at least once for at least twenty minutes, even when it seems we’ve not spent two minutes out of twenty truly at rest in His delightful Presence.  We aren’t very good at this, but He is well worth the attempt. The woman who touched the edge of Jesus’ garment did not come whole to that moment in time, and she did not reach out in any kind of perfection but that of her faith. It was her faith that was rewarded!

It is powerful and freeing simply to deny ourselves every mental and emotional and productivity agenda for these moments, but it is far more beneficial to us that we are seeking the One whom our souls desire. (Song of Solomon 3:3.) As the hemorrhaging woman touched His garment’s hem, let us touch His Nearness. All else is there, His mercy, His truth, His strength, His joy, but we are not seeking those; we are seeking HIM. Try not to lose that realization . . . though you will at first. Come again tomorrow . . . and the day after . . . and the day after that. He will be watching . . . waiting . . . for you.