This line from a poem by Franz Wright serves to focus on this day of silent prayer, lecture, and discussion. Silence has no opposite. For the quiet mind, sound is as silent as no sound. For the mind free of clutter, the silence of despair and the silence of joy are different manifestations of the very same silence. But for the cluttered mind, such things seem to be at odds. Fr. Martin will consider issues such as the inner noise generated when we try to use contemplative practice to acquire something we think we lack (such as perpetual peace). He will discuss trying to get rid of something we would rather not face and how the practice of awareness can establish us as our contemplative project. Fr. Martin will also discuss some particular challenges for the maturing contemplative.
