A Retreat With Brother Lawrence and the Russian Pilgrim: Praying Ceaselessly

Our worldly identities, characterized by criss-crossing ambitions, desires and jealousies, begin to peel away as the discipline of ceaseless prayer sinks ever deeper into our hearts. We shuck off the old self which previously demanded all our time and attention in order to make room for God.... --From Getting to Know Our Directors

In this seven-day retreat, Praying Ceaselessly, your directors are Brother Lawrence and the Russian Pilgrim. Though from different centuries and different cultures, both learned the wisdom of constant prayer--what Brother Lawrence describes as practicing the presence of God. Their insights make it possible for us to transcend our everyday cares and focus on what really matters: God.

KERRY WALTERS, professor of philosophy at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, is the author of Spirituality of the Handmaid: A Model for Contemporary Seekers (Paulist) and Godlust: Facing the Demonic, Embracing the Divine (Paulist).