A Walk with Holy Company

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (1611-1691)

August 9, 2015

Brother Lawrence, born Nicholas Herman in French Lorraine in 1611, was the kind of man that could have been easily overlooked by history. When he was discovered by Father Joseph de Beaufort visiting the monastery on behalf of the cardinal of Paris, Father de Beaufort struck up a conversation with Bro. Lawrence and was amazed at the great spiritual depth that was almost completely disguised by his simplicity. Fr. de Beaufort preserved some of Bro. Lawrence's letters to people who had asked for spiritual direction and some of his short offerings of advice, and he put them into a book along with some of his own insights into Bro. Lawrence. The book, The Practice of the Presence of God, has been a best-seller in the field of Christian spirituality ever since it was first published. It is a classic in the field, recommended by many Christian spiritual leaders such as John Wesley.

Before entering the monastery and taking the name of Lawrence, Nicolas Herman was born to religious parents who lived in desperate poverty. Nicolas was forced by this poverty to enlist in the army. This, at least, guaranteed him meals and a small stipend. His military experience was brief, but he did see action in The Thirty Years War. He was also captured and tortured, but his indifference to the charges leveled against him, and the threat of torture and execution convinced his German captors that he was innocent. So, they released him.

But it was during his time in the army that he had the revelation that led him to the Carmelite monastery in Paris. He was outdoors on a cold, mid-winter day, looking at a leafless tree. The thought occurred to him that that dead-looking tree would be covered with leaves come spring, and bursting with fruit in the summer. This impressed him with “a high view of the providence and power of God.”

After an injury ended his military career, his love for God eventually led to the monastery in Paris where he became a lay brother, not having enough education to be a full monk, and took the name Lawrence of the Resurrection.

He was assigned kitchen duties, which he fulfilled for 40 years. He felt perfectly satisfied among the pots and pans, the wine kegs, and vegetables. While he helped prepare the monks' meals, he spent most of his kitchen time washing the enormous pots and pans, often all by himself.

He grew closer to God, as he aspired to be in God's presence all the time. He disciplined himself to think of God constantly, talk to God as if he were right there in the kitchen with him, to offer all his work to God, to ask God's forgiveness when he sinned, to beg God for insights and guidance, or simply to bask in the joy of being with God.

But the first thing visitors to his kitchen would notice about Lawrence was his peace. He never rushed, but he got everything done, sometimes doing the work of two men in the kitchen. He didn't get upset or rattled. He was simply in God's presence, which is where he wanted to be more than anything. His greatest desire was to show God how much he loved him. And, since loving God means loving our neighbors, he was a very compassionate and giving man, doing his best to help anyone in any kind of need.

He became a spiritual director to many of the monks, even the monks who were the leaders of the monastery. Lay people and other clergy used to come from miles around to receive his guidance in their spiritual lives. And, as I mentioned, he also carried on a correspondence with a number of people, always with the purpose of helping them practice the presence of God.

When he died at the age of 80, he was almost completely unknown by the world. But, his wisdom was collected into that book by Fr. de Beaufort, and his life and wisdom are much more well-known today than on that day in 1691 when he passed away after a lingering illness. Those who sat with him marveled at the joy with which he anticipated his death. He knew he would be going to a much better place where he could be with God forever, in ways none of us can imagine in this life.

So, what is the presence of God he wants us to practice? He says it's just a matter of keeping in mind God's love for you. God's love for you is infinite and aggressive, and if you can keep that in mind as you go about your life, you will find yourself in the presence of God. And that is the most beautiful place to be.

In his letters and other sources of guidance, Lawrence tries to make it clear that we cannot study our way into the presence of God. For him, it defines the Christian life, and actually the whole reason for human life, to be with God NOW. He's telling us that we can read what we want, and have the spiritual practices that we want, but the only real thing to do is practice the presence of God, by keeping God in your thoughts all the time.

This is not easy, of course. Even Lawrence had about 10 years when he was eaten up by fear and anxiety about his earlier life and the sins he'd committed, rendering him unworthy of any of God's attention. He would pour out his troubles to God, but his fears of what it would cost to serve God completely caused him to resist God's total salvation. It was a bitter, dark time for him. Prayer was little comfort, but he continued to pray, with the brothers and on his own. He still trusted in God and wanted more than anything else he wanted to please God.

He finally cried out, “It no longer matters to me what I do or what I suffer, as long as I remain lovingly united to Your will.” Evidently, this is what God was looking for and waiting for, before pouring out the blessings of his presence. Lawrence didn't know how merciful God is towards sinners such as himself, such as ourselves. He didn't realize that he had already been forgiven. But, from then on, his soul grew stronger and his faith grew more vivid. All he wanted to do was meditate on the character and loving kindness of God. His character was molded by this intense desire. From then on for the next 40 years, he practiced God's presence, which he described as a quiet, familiar conversation with God.

So, trying to clarify all this mystical stuff, the presence of God is sought and found through love. Your love and God's love. It's not through knowledge about God. It's through devotion of everything we are and everything we do to God.

He says, “It is not necessary to have great things to do. I turn my little omelet in the pan for the love of God; when it is finished, if I have nothing to do, I prostrate myself on the ground and adore my God, who gave me the grace to make it, after which I arise, more content than a king. When I can do nothing else, it is enough for me to have lifted a straw from the earth for the love of God.”

We don't have to do anything to be in the presence of God. We don't have to spend years in preparation, studying the Bible or practicing spiritual disciplines (which I still strongly recommend). But, for Lawrence, it's taking the direct path to God. We may spend our time studying and meditating and serving the poor, but these are, in fact, secondary to practicing the presence of God. The more we practice the presence, the more we'll want to know him. In addition to keeping him in our thoughts, living as though he's right here with us, we may also want to know how others lived with God, in the Bible or in the writings of the great spiritual masters of the Church, some of whom we are joining on their walk this summer. We will also want to share God's love with the people who need to know how much God loves them, and will not know unless we show them through our generous loving kindness to them.

A few gems from Bro. Lawrence:

One way to recollect the mind easily in the time of prayer, and preserve it more in tranquility, is not to let it wander too far at other times. You should keep it strictly in the presence of God; and being accustomed to think of Him often, you will find it easy to keep your mind calm in the time of prayer, or at least to recall it from its wanderings.

The time of business does not differ with me from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were on my knees.

We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.

You need not cry very loud; he is nearer to us than we think.

Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues.

I don't know of any other spiritual master, Christian or otherwise, who devoted himself or herself so single-mindedly to practicing the presence of God. There are always things that distract us, and we can say to ourselves that he was a monk, it was easy for him to keep God in mind all the time. But, remember, he is a lowly lay brother working in the monastery kitchen with other lay brothers and monks, preparing meals for dozens of monks, some of whom may not be the easiest people to please. He is being pulled in several directions at once. He needs to please all kinds of people with his work, which is very hard menial work. He also has that injury from his army days, and that caused him to limp and gave him serious pain his whole life in the monastery.

Maybe he didn't have the advantages we thought he had, letting us off the hook. Maybe we don't have the excuses we think we have. Maybe we just need to recognize we are not as dedicated to practicing the presence of God as we should be. But don't lose hope. Have faith. Remember God's love. He loves you more than you could ever imagine, and is more than happy to help you practice his presence. We need to want to. That's it. Just do it.