The Heart Room

   

The Heart Room

Nearly everyone at St. Barbara Church is familiar with The Heart Room. The Heart Room is a simple prayer format that has been taught for over 20 years. Most parish children are introduced to The Heart Room when they are in the second grade.

What is The Heart Room? As Fr. Chuck explains, "When we are born, God places a special room in our heart. Everyone has a Heart Room even if they do not know it. Your Heart Room never changes. It will always be the same and no one else will have one quite like yours."

Fr. Chuck tells parish children that his heart room is a warm, misty place without walls, ceiling or floor. In the middle of it is a fountain that has a low wall around it. The fountain doesn’t make any noise — there are no sounds in Fr. Chuck’s Heart Room. But the water in the fountain leaps and sparkles in the misty sunlight that filters into his Heart Room, much like the sunlight on a lightly foggy day. Jesus is standing next to Fr. Chuck on his right. He knows it is Jesus even though he can only see his arm and shoulder and not Jesus’ face.

One thing for sure, the Heart Room is a safe, loving place to be. It is always peaceful. Everyone’s Heart Room is. "Even if your parents were to say ‘I hate you’ to you (an unimaginable event), when you go to your Heart Room, you know that Jesus loves you and you are his friend."

When children at St. Barbara go to The Heart Room with their Religious Education class, Fr. Chuck meets them at the front door of church. The lights are turned low and lighted candles are placed at eye level around the sanctuary floor. Everyone walks very quietly into the sanctuary and sits on the floor in front of the altar. Any adults that happen to be in church are invited to join the children since going to The Heart Room isn’t some cute child thing that adults get to watch.

Once everyone is situated on the floor, Fr. Chuck included, they are invited to gently shut their eyes. "Make sure that you are not touching anyone," Fr. Chuck admonishes in order to avoid small distractions. "Your eyes are like elevator doors. Let the doors shut and then start to slowly go down…behind your nose, behind your mouth, down your neck, down to where your heart is. Then, with your eyes still shut, let the doors of your heart open. Take a step forward and you are in your Heart Room." It is at this point that Fr. Chuck explains what his Heart Room is like. While he is doing that, the children are becoming familiar with their own Heart Room.

Sometimes the children hear a little talk about forgiveness. Other times they are given thoughts about love, or family togetherness or some similar relational part of their lives. Fr. Chuck talks very softly at this time in order to maintain the mood of interior silence with Jesus. Once the focus idea has been presented a deep silence settles over the gathering. The silence is wonderful. It is loving. Those present truly enter into a lovely and loving prayer.

After a short while, Fr. Chuck reverses the procedure. Speaking softly, he asks the children and adults to take a step backward into the "elevator". "Then start to slowly come up…through your chest, up through your neck, behind your mouth, behind your nose until you get to your eyes. Now, very gently open your eyes." Everyone has a look of peace and tranquillity on their faces.

Children talk about The Heart Room to each other. When grade two children are getting close to their scheduled time to be introduced to The Heart Room, many of them approach Fr. Chuck with great excitement, "We get to go to our Heart Room next Wednesday!" Adults frequently thank Fr. Chuck for being introduced to this simple, loving prayer.

Not too long ago a young man who moved away from St. Barbara Church, stopped by to visit Fr. Chuck. "Remember that Heart Room prayer you taught us in second grade?" has asked. "I have gone to my Heart Room every day for close to twenty years. It is wonderful. Thank you for telling me about it.