Practice the Presence

Brother Lawrence full name is Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (1611 – 1691). These few quotes are taken from his book Practice of the Presence of God

He has a sense of humour. I was startled by this quote; it sounds thoroughly modern

I was startled once again to discover that he prays exactly like I do. I turn my attention to God and without realizing what I am doing, I smile. Within minutes a fountain of joy is bubbling up within my spirit and rising to fill my heart. I simply beam, grinning widely like a fool

His spirituality is similar to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, , the little Flower

His spiritual advice is simple, direct, easy to understand

and not out of reach for ordinary lay people

“The holiest and most necessary practice in the spiritual life is that of the presence of God. It consists in taking delight in and becoming accustomed to His divine company, speaking humbly and conversing lovingly with Him all the time, at every moment, without rule or measure; especially in times of temptation, suffering, aridity, weariness, and even infidelity and sin”.

“We must continually apply ourselves so that all our actions become a kind of brief conversation with God, not in a contrived manner, but coming from the purity and simplicity of our hearts”.

“We must perform all our actions carefully and deliberately, not impulsively or hurriedly, for such would characterize a distracted mind. We must work gently and lovingly with God, asking Him to accept our work, and by this continual attention to God we will crush the head of the devil and force the weapons from his hands”.