Close the Door

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.” — Matthew 6:6 (KJV)

Each monk at Mount St Agnes had a cell: a small, plain room of his own. Thomas talks about it a lot. For you, it might be your bedroom, a corner of the house, a bench outside, or a walk on your own. The point is the same: a place to be quiet with God.

Thomas knew how hard that is. Even then, people preferred noise. He quotes an earlier writer who said, “As often as I have been among men, I have returned less a man.” You have probably felt it: after a long time scrolling or chatting, you feel thinner inside, not fuller.

He points out something true about words: “It is easier to be silent altogether than not to speak too much.” And he links silence and strength: “No man is safe in speaking unless he loves to be silent.” People who can be quiet are usually the ones worth listening to.

So he gives practical advice. Cut down on “unnecessary talking and idle running about,” and “listening to gossip and rumors,” and “you will find enough time that is suitable for holy meditation.” Most of us say we don’t have time to pray. Thomas would say we have plenty; we are just spending it elsewhere.

Then comes a lovely invitation:

“Close the door upon yourself and call to you Jesus, your Beloved. Remain with Him in your cell, for nowhere else will you find such peace.”

He also says that this gets easier with practice. At first, being alone and quiet can feel boring or even uncomfortable. But, he says, “Your cell will become dear to you if you remain in it, but if you do not, it will become wearisome.” Stick with it and your quiet place will become “a special friend and a very great comfort.”

He is honest about the alternative too. Rushing from one fun thing to the next often leaves you flat afterwards: “A happy going often leads to a sad return, a merry evening to a mournful dawn.”

You don’t have to become a monk. But you could use a door. Jesus himself said to go into your room, shut the door and pray to your Father in secret. Thomas just took him at his word.

One thing to do this week: pick a time and place for ten minutes of quiet with God every day this week, with your phone in another room. Read a few verses, talk to God, and spend part of the time simply being silent.