Palace of Nowhere

   

Palace of Nowhere

Every other year, just after Easter, Fr. Chuck teaches a class on contemplation to many members of St. Barbara Parish. The class, entitled The Palace of Nowhere, derives its name from the fact that in contemplation where we want to go is precisely nowhere. In order to merge our beings into the love of God everything and everywhere needs to be silenced. Obviously, The Palace of Nowhere is not about liturgical prayer, recited private prayer or even Bible reading. Contemplation, however, is not a form of prayer that need be left to mystics and cloistered orders of religious. With the right guidance, we can all become contemplatives.

Fr. Chuck admits that in our world silence is hard to find. And, on top of that, many people do not even know it is missing. As a consequence, class members are taught how to put aside distractions in prayer in order to quiet the heart down. Whether our distractions involve making lists, such as our grocery lists, or come from sources outside our mind, silence is all around us in our world waiting only for our entry into its noble realm.

Once class members have come to the place of silence, then Fr. Chuck gently leads them on the bold journey beyond thought and action into the poetry of the serene resting in God. The Palace of Nowhere.