Christian meditation spiritual teacher to visit NZ

Christian meditation spiritual teacher to visit New Zealand in April

Fr Laurence Freeman OSB, spiritual teacher of the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM), is visiting New Zealand in April. A monk of the Monastery of Christ the King in Cockfosters London in the Olivetan Benedictine congregation, Fr Laurence will be conducting retreats and seminars in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

National co-ordinator of WCCM in New Zealand, Fr Peter Murphy, says that Fr Laurence travels widely holding seminars and meeting with Christian meditators around the globe.

“Fr Laurence is in big demand as a speaker and retreat leader. He is in New Zealand for only three days and we are very lucky to have him pay us a visit.”

Laurence Freeman was born in London, was educated by the Benedictines and then took a Masters Degree in English Literature at New College, Oxford. His spiritual guide was Dom John Main, who during the 1970s recovered the Christian contemplative tradition of the 4th century Desert Fathers.

“Dom Main’s genius was to take this ancient form of prayer and reintroduce it to Christians. He wrote that meditation is not thinking about God, but being with God. It is about the whole person – body, mind and spirit at prayer; the prayer of attention,” says Peter Murphy.

Such has been the growth of Christian meditation that Fr Laurence and others established WCCM in 1991. He was appointed the community’s spiritual teacher and over the past 14 years has guided an organisation that now has over a thousand groups in 114 countries. The meditation groups are often described as a ‘monastery without walls’.

Fr Laurence will hold one-day retreats in Auckland and Wellington on April 16th and 17th. In Christchurch he will hold an evening talk. Each session will involve a presentation by Fr Laurence and include meditation time.

“We are expecting several hundred people to attend each of Fr Laurence’s talks. Meditation is a community based form of prayer and numbers are growing all the time among different Christian denominations,” says Peter Murphy.

Information on Fr Laurence’s visit is available from Fr Peter Murphy on (09) 833-7420 and by visiting www.wccm.org.com

Background information

To find out more information about WCCM visit www.wccm.org

Laurence Freeman is a frequent contributor to the London Tablet and the editor of John Main's works. He is also the author of "Light Within", "The Selfless Self", "A Short Span of Days", "Christian Meditation: Your Daily Practice”, "Web of Silence," and, "Jesus: The Teacher Within." He has produced many sets of tapes and authored many articles. He is involved in the contemplative inter-religious dialogue and led “The Way of Peace” dialogue with the Dalai Lama.

Meditation is based on the repetition of a simple word or formula. It has been the prayer of choice among many of the greatest spiritual teachers over the centuries.

Meditators are encouraged to meet weekly for discussion and shared meditation.

Meditation is a form of prayer that needs to be practised daily.

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