Why Are We Here?

In this work Freeman examines the radical question of our being in the world. We are here, he reflects, to come to continuous prayer, to a constant openness to the prayer of Christ in our hearts. Continuous prayer, he says, must not be understood as saying prayers all the time but as the living in a childlike state of simplicity, in which our ego concerns are left behind, opening the way to interior silence, communion with God, and greater power of attention to others. Freeman examines the teachings of John Cassian to show that meditation, with the aid of the ancient Christian tradition of the continuous saying of a mantra, is a path and a discipline to reach this state of simplicity and poverty of spirit of pure prayer called for by the Lord. Along these lines, Freeman also examines the contemplative awakening that is taking place throughout the church fostered in great part by the works of Merton and, especially, Fr. John Main, who gave a specific teaching on how to enter the contemplative dimension of prayer and planted the seed for today's growing community of Christian meditators in the world.

Laurence was born in England in 1951 where he was educated by the Benedictines and studied English Literature at Oxford University. In the monastery his spiritual teacher was John Main with whom he studied and whom he helped in the establishment of the first Christian Meditation Centre in London. In 1977, he went with John Main at the invitation of the Archbishop of Montreal to establish a Benedictine community of monks and laypeople dedicated to the practice and teaching of Christian meditation. Laurence studied theology at the Universite de Montreal and at McGill University, made his solemn monastic profession in 1979 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1980.After the death of John Main in 1982, he continued the work of teaching meditation that had now begun to develop a global community. In 1991, Laurence returned to England to establish the International Centre of the newly formed World Community for Christian Meditation that is now present in more than a hundred countries. He is the Director of the WCCM Benedictine Oblate Community. In 2010 he launched the MEDITATIO outreach programme of the Community to mark the celebration of its twentieth anniversary.Laurence Freeman is the author of many books and articles including Christian Meditation; The Selfless Self; Web of Silence; Common Ground; A Short Span of Days; Your Daily Practice; and Jesus: The Teacher Within.