Conversation is the key to any relationship. That’s true of friendship. It’s true of marriage. It’s true of our life with God.

Some of us are more talkative than others; but we all grow by spending time with the people we love — time for exchanging words. We express opinions, make observations, and share experiences. We encourage one another. Sometimes we have to correct one another. The quality of our words will make the difference between companionship and mere coexistence.

We don’t want to coexist with God. We want to know him as our loving Father. We want to know Christ as our friend and brother. We want to be alive to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

We want relationship, and relationship feeds on conversation, and conversation takes time.

God has already started the conversation with us. He sent his Word into the world, and he’s waiting for us to respond. He inspired the authors of Sacred Scripture to set down his divine message in human language. He did this because he so urgently wants to get our attention. He wants a word with us. He wants our time for conversation.

Are you spending time with God in the pages of the Holy Bible? There are many good books in the world, but only one that has been authored by God himself. There is only one book where God himself is waiting in the pages.

I know: It’s a big book, and it’s intimidating. And it was written a long time ago, in a foreign culture, in a style that’s sometimes very dry and sometimes very demanding. But you don’t need to go to school to get closer to God in Scripture. He gives the grace for understanding. He waits for us to give him the time.

Surely you can find ten minutes in your day when you can focus on God’s Word. For some people, the best time is early in the morning, when no one else is awake. For others, it’s late at night, after everyone has gone to sleep. Still others make time by sneaking into a bathroom with a pocket New Testament — or the Bible app on their smartphone.

When relationships are important, we make time for them. We do what it takes.

If you haven’t made this a habit, start today. I recommend that you begin with the Gospels. Read Saint Luke first, because he starts with a story, and it’s marvelous. Then read Saint John, because he’s following the same outline, but doing it in a much different way. Then go back and read Saint Matthew and Saint Mark.

When you’ve completed the Gospels, go on to the Acts of the Apostles and get to know the story of the early Church. It’s an adventure, and the Church is still living it today. You’re part of it. You’ll know it when you read it.

If I can issue one “don’t” it’s this: Don’t read the Bible the way you read other books. Remember — it’s not just reading. It’s a loving conversation with your Father, friend, brother, and the Spirit in your soul. So start with a short prayer acknowledging the Other. It can be as simple as “Come, Holy Spirit!” or “Jesus, open my eyes!” It can be as simple as humming a phrase from your favorite hymn.

Don’t deprive yourself of the joy of Scripture. A long time ago, a great saint said that “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” We don’t want to be ignorant of Jesus. He’s the friend who gave everything for our sake. He gave his life for you.

Another saint found his life was changed when he heard a voice saying “Take up and read! Take up and read!” From that moment on, he tried to imitate the Christ he found in the Bible he read.

Well, you’re hearing the same invitation right now. I hope you’ll take it up, and I hope you’ll give it time. I hope you’ll take a few minutes every day to read God’s Word.