The Divine Prisoner is the Best Restorative Niche

In a recent pilgrimage to the shrines of Mexico, one of my three prayer intentions was to make this a great experience for my wife.  This was our first big adventure after her retirement. I wanted it to be a good one.  I failed miserably, at least on the first day.  I was a crank. 

The next morning, I prayed for my three intentions.  God quickly reminded me that answering this intention was on me. 

I vowed then to become a kinder traveling companion. I also realized that through a full day of being cooped up in a bus and herded with a dozen other pilgrims from one sight to the next, I was missing something important to me:  restorative niches. 

A ‘restorative niche’ is a term coined by Dr. Brian Little, Harvard University Professor of Psychology as ‘the place you go when you want to return to your true self.’  It was advanced in Susan Cain’s popular book for introverts, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.  She said introverts need to carve out these quiet, meditative spaces throughout their day to keep a peaceful state of mind. 

Once I recognized the problem (and heard the Lord clearly say it’s up to me to fix), I periodically broke away from the pack.  The Blessed Tabernacles in each of the holy shrines became my niche of choice.  I’d spend a few minutes alone before each while the rest of the party moved on with the tour.    

The Iglesia de Santiago in Tlatelolco had an interesting location for the tabernacle.  It was behind bars, presumably to keep people from damaging or defacing the Blessed Sacrament. 

I immediately recalled an image from one of my favorite saints, Therese of Lisieux.  She is known as “The Little Flower.”  Many think her name came because she loved flowers, which she did.  But instead, the name came from her favorite holy card, “The Little Flower of the Divine Prisoner.”   It pictures Jesus behind bars, reaching out in love to a nearby flower. 

In her beautiful autobiography, The Story of a Soul, she said, “I offered myself to Our Lord to be His Little Flower; I longed to console Him, to draw as near as possible to the Tabernacle, to be looked on, cared for, and gathered by Him.”

Her restorative niche was spending time with the Lord, gazing at this holy card and imagining herself as His Little Flower.   I realized it was mine too.  

Jesus is my restorative niche par excellence.  This could be Blessed Tabernacles in holy sites, but might just be as simple as gazing at a holy card or withdrawing into the tabernacle of my heart.  And come close to the Lord as his little flower, who in the words of St. Therese, longs to see me, care for me, and gather me close.

May you carve out a few ‘restorative niches’ throughout your day.

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The Divine Prisoner of the tabernacle awaits the visit and the gratitude of his creatures who abandon him! He knocks at the door of our heart to make of it a tabernacle where he can rest.