Practising Dying

Practising Dying

A Contemplative Spirituality

By Laurence Freeman, OSB

Authentic spirituality in our materialistic world, Fr. Laurence says, must involve the practice of dying to our egotism.  Jesus taught this in the Gospel and by his life: 'Anyone who wants to be a follower of mine, must leave self behind, take up his cross daily, and follow me.' To do that, we need a spiritual practice that we can integrate into our life and that enables our life itself to become a commitment to this idea.  Christian Meditation, he says, is a simple practice that takes us beyond our ego.  We leave 'our prayer' behind and we go into the prayer of Christ which energises and transforms us.  As our focus shifts from self-fixation to other-centredness, we learn love as the meaning of life.