Jesus said, “When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.” (Mt 6:6) I wonder. As Jesus and his disciples traveled through the Judean countryside, where were they going to find this room? It’s not a stretch to think that the inner room Jesus mentions is not a particular prayer spot, but somewhere deep within our heart where God abides, that place Teresa of Avila calls our interior castle.
I recalled a recent trip to Saint Helena’s Island, near Beaufort, SC. I visited the ruins of a Chapel of Ease. Chaples of Ease were built so people in remote locations would have convenient access too a church. As I meander through the countryside of my life, I saw a lot of similarities between this Chapel of Ease and my own inner room.
The St. Helena’s Chapel of Ease was built in 1740 for the plantation workers who couldn’t make the trip to the Anglican parish in Beaufort. It was well attended in its formative years but abandoned in 1861 when the Union troops invaded Beaufort. Later, Methodist Freedmen repurposed the building to educate and train the emancipated slaves. Activity in the chapel ceased when a forest fire did considerable damage in 1886.
Like St. Helena’s Chapel, my own Chapel of Ease has been a well-attended and thriving spiritual center. I recall the dynamic spiritual growth I experienced in formation as a deacon and most recently formation as a spiritual director. But my Chapel of Ease has also suffered invasion from the enemy forces, the assault from a world gone awry, and the even more persistent offensive my ego launches at the least provocation. These disrupt my spiritual life. Like the Saint Helena’s Chapel of Ease, they sometimes have succeeded in shuttering the building. Even then, the Chapel of Ease withstands the assaults, offers emancipation from these oppressive forces, and becomes a place where I can learn about those things that keep me enslaved.
I looked at the ruins of the St. Helena’s Chapel of Ease, inactive since 1886. I realized there has been some neglect in my own chapel. With the New Year approaching, it’s time for me to restore the beauty of this sanctuary and make it the central part of my spiritual life. One of my New Year’s resolution will be to make more frequent visits, recall the times of its vibrant spiritual growth, repair the neglected structures, and make it once again a thriving spritual center.
Blessings on your own spiritual renovations in 2025.
A Prayer for a Renovated Chapel of Ease
O God, who abide in hearts that are just and true,
grant that we may be so fashioned by your grace
as to become a dwelling pleasing to you.
From Collect for First Sunday of Lent
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