Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (1611 – 1691)
Institute of Carmelite Studies – ICS Publications, Washington, DC

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“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”.

“During our work and other activities, even during our reading, no matter how spiritual, and even during our religious exercises and vocal prayers, we must stop for a moment, as often as possible, to adore God in the depths of our hearts, to savor Him even though in passing and on the sly, to praise Him, to ask His help, to offer Him our hearts, and to thank Him.  Nothing is more pleasing to God than [for us] to turn away from all creatures many times throughout the day to withdraw and adore Him present within.  We can offer God no greater evidence of our fidelity than by frequently renouncing and scorning creatures in order to enjoy their Creator for a moment.  This exercise gradually destroys the self-love only found among creatures.  Turning to God frequently rids us of self-love without our even realizing it”.

“This presence of God is the soul’s life and nourishment, which can be acquired by the Lord’s grace.  Here are the means: “a great purity of life”, “keeping constant guard not to do, say, or think anything that might displease God”; and when something like that happens, to humbly ask Him pardon and do penance for it; “a great fidelity to the practice of this presence and to the fostering of this awareness of God within, which must always be carried out gently, humbly, and lovingly, without giving in to any disturbance”.

“We must take special care that this inner awareness precedes our activities somewhat, that it accompanies them from time to time, and that we complete all of them in the same way.  We must not get discouraged when we forget this holy practice, “for all that is needed is to calmly take it up again; “once the habit is formed we will find contentment in everything”.

In order “to arrive at this state, mortification of the senses is presupposed, since it is impossible for a soul that still finds some satisfaction in creatures to completely enjoy this divine presence; for to be with God, we must abandon creatures”.

“God desires to possess our heart completely; if we do not empty it of everything other than Himself, He cannot act nor do there what He pleases”.  He often complains of our blindness, and cries out ceaselessly that we deserve sympathy for settling for so little.  ‘I have’, He says, ‘infinite treasures to give you, yet you are satisfied with a bit of perceptible devotion that passes in an instant’.  In this way we bind God’ hands and halt the abundant flow of His graces”.

To advance in “the practice of the presence of God we should let go of all our cares, including a multitude of private devotions, good in themselves but often carried out for the wrong reason, for these devotions are nothing more than the means to arrive at the end.  If, then, we are with the one who is our end by this practice of the presence of God, it is useless to return to the means.  We can continue our loving exchange with Him, remaining in His holy presence, sometimes by an act of adoration, other times by acts of oblation, thanksgiving, or anything else our minds can devise”.

“We do not always have to be in church to be with God.  We can make  of our hearts an oratory where we can withdraw from time to time to converse with Him there.  Everyone is capable of these familiar conversations with God”.  

“’A brief lifting up of the heart is enough’, writes Brother Lawrence, recommending this practice to a gentleman, ‘a brief remembrance of God, an act of inner adoration, even though on the run with sword in hand.  These prayers, short as they may be, are very pleasing to God, and far from leaving us fearful, strengthen us in the most dangerous of circuмstances.  Keep this in mind as often as possible; this manner of prayer is very necessary for a soldier always exposed to threats to his life and often to his salvation’”.

This practice of the presence of God is very helpful for “mental prayer, for it will be easier to remain calm during mental prayer when the mind, not allowed to take flight during the day, is kept faithfully in God’s presence”.

Since “all of life is full of dangers and hazards, it is impossible to avoid them without God’s constant help.  We cannot ask Him for it if we are not with Him.  We cannot be with Him unless we think of Him often.  We cannot think of Him often except by a holy habit” of keeping ourselves in His presence, “asking Him for the graces we need at every moment”.

Nothing can comfort us more in life’s trials and sufferings than this intimate conversation with God.  Practiced faithfully, “all physical illnesses will be easy to bear.  God often permits us to suffer in order to purify our souls and to make us remain with Him.  If we are with God, and want Him alone, we are incapable of suffering.  We must therefore adore Him in our infirmities, offering Him our sufferings from time to time, asking Him lovingly, as a child does his father, to be conformed to His holy will, and for the help of His grace”.  These short prayers are very appropriate for the sick and are an excellent remedy for pain.

“Suffering is paradise as long as we are with God.  This means we must become accustomed to conversing with God even when we are suffering, and restrain our minds from wandering away from Him.  When we are sick we must keep constant guard over ourselves not to do, say, or think anything, in an attempt to ease the pain, that might displease Him.  When we are attentive to God in this way, suffering will no longer be anything by a sweetness, balm and consolation”.


“The worldly do not understand these truths, and I am not surprised, because illnesses are considered as natural afflictions and not as graces from God, as signs of His mercy and the means He uses for their salvation, ordinarily find great consolation in them”.