A Sincere form of Prayer

To be sincere, Fr Laurence says, is to give the gift of ourself, to give our attention.  But paying attention is difficult - the ego makes compelling demands.  Attention needs to be learned.  In meditation, as we put aside intentions to say the mantra lovingly and attentively, returning to it faithfully when distracted, we learn the discipline of attention.  We are fully present to the indwelling Holy Spirit, open, and available.  In this sense, meditation can be discribed as a sincere form of prayer.

Fr Laurence is a Benedictine monk of the Olivetan Congregation and director of The World Community for Christian Meditation.