#brother-lawrence-of-the-resurrection — Public Fediverse posts

Brother Lawrence’s Final Hope

During this week of retreat, Carmelite Quotes is sharing several reader favorites from the Substack archives. Today’s featured reflection:

🔗 Brother Lawrence’s Final Hope

Regular daily publications resume May 16.

Prayer in Unexpected Moments

During this week of retreat, Carmelite Quotes is sharing several reader favorites from the Substack archives. Today’s featured reflection:

🔗 Prayer in Unexpected Moments

Regular daily publications resume May 16.

Quote of the day, 12 February: Brother Lawrence, Maxims 33–37

These short spiritual maxims conclude Brother Lawrence’s simple and faithful teaching on living continually in the presence of God. On this date in 1691, Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection died in the Discalced Carmelite friars’ monastery, Rue Vaugirard in Paris—the same house where a century later, on September 2, 1792, two bishops and twelve priests were put to death during the furor of the French Revolution. Today marks the 335th anniversary of Brother Lawrence’s death.

CHAPTER 7
BENEFITS OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD

• The first benefit that the soul receives from the [practice of the] presence of God is that its faith becomes more intense and efficacious in all life’s situations, and especially in times of need, since it easily obtains graces in moments of temptation and in the inevitable dealings with creatures. For the soul, accustomed to the practice of faith by this exercise, sees and senses God present by a simple remembrance. It calls out to him easily and effectively, thus obtaining what it needs. It can be said that it possesses here something resembling the state of the blessed, for the more it advances, the more intense its faith grows, becoming so penetrating in the end that you could almost say: I no longer believe, for I see and experience.
• The practice of the presence of God strengthens us in hope. Our hope increases in proportion to our knowledge. It grows and is strengthened to the extent that our faith penetrates the secrets of the divinity by this holy exercise, to the extent that it discovers in God a beauty infinitely surpassing not only that of the bodies we see on earth but even that of the most perfect souls and of the angels. The grandeur of the blessing that it desires to enjoy, and in some manner already tastes, satisfies and sustains it.
• This practice inspires the will with a scorn for creatures, and inflames it with a sacred fire of love. Since the will is always with God, who is a consuming fire, this fire reduces to ashes all that is opposed to it. The soul thus inflamed can live only in the presence of its God, a presence that produces in its heart a holy ardor, a sacred zeal, and a strong desire to see this God loved, known, served, and adored by all creatures.
• By turning inward and practicing the presence of God, the soul becomes so intimate with God that it spends practically all its life in continual acts of love, adoration, contrition, trust, thanksgiving, oblation, petition, and all the most excellent virtues. Sometimes it even becomes one continuous act, because the soul constantly practices this exercise of his divine presence.
• I know that few persons reach this advanced state. It is a grace God bestows only on a few chosen souls, since this simple awareness remains ultimately a gift from his kind hand. But let me say, for the consolation of those who desire to embrace this holy practice, that he ordinarily gives it to souls who are disposed to receive it. If he does not give it, we can at least acquire, with the help of ordinary grace, a manner and state of prayer that greatly resembles this simple awareness, by means of this practice of the presence of God.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection

Writings and Conversations, Maxims

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: This image of an elderly friar at a writing table was created with Firefly3 in Adobe Express by Carmelite Quotes.

Quote of the day, 11 February: Brother Lawrence, Maxims 27–32

These short spiritual maxims continue Brother Lawrence’s simple and faithful teaching on living continually in the presence of God.

CHAPTER 6
MEANS TO ACQUIRE THE PRESENCE OF GOD

• The first means is great purity of life.
• The second is great fidelity to the practice of this presence and to the fostering of this awareness of God within, which must always be performed gently, humbly, and lovingly, without giving in to disturbance or anxiety.
• We must take special care that this inner awareness, no matter how brief it may be, precedes our activities, that it accompanies them from time to time, and that we complete all of them in the same way. Since much time and effort are required to acquire this practice, we must not get discouraged when we fail, for the habit is only formed with effort, yet once it is formed we will find contentment in everything. It is only right that the heart, the first to beat with life and the part that controls the rest of the body, should be the first and the last to love and adore God, whether by beginning or by completing our spiritual and physical activities, and generally, in all life’s exercises. This is the reason we must take care to foster this awareness, which we must do naturally and normally, as I have said, thus making it easier.
• It would be appropriate for beginners to formulate a few words interiorly, such as: “My God, I am completely yours,” or “God of love, I love you with all my heart,” or “Lord, fashion me according to your heart,” or any other words love spontaneously produces. But they must take care that their minds do not wander or return to creatures. The mind must be kept fixed on God alone, so that seeing itself so moved and led by the will, it will be obliged to remain with God.
• This [practice of the] presence of God, somewhat difficult in the beginning, secretly accomplishes marvelous effects in the soul, draws abundant graces from the Lord, and, when practiced faithfully, imperceptibly leads it to this simple awareness, to this loving view of God present everywhere, which is the holiest, the surest, the easiest, and the most efficacious form of prayer.
• Please note that 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.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection

Writings and Conversations, Maxims

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: This image of an elderly friar at a writing table was created with Firefly3 in Adobe Express by Carmelite Quotes.

Quote of the day, 10 February: Brother Lawrence, Maxims 20–26

These short spiritual maxims continue Brother Lawrence’s simple and faithful teaching on living continually in the presence of God.

CHAPTER 5
ON THE PRESENCE OF GOD

• The [practice of the] presence of God is an application of our mind to God, or a remembrance of God present, that can be brought about by either the imagination or the understanding.
• I know someone who, for forty years, has been practicing an intellectual presence of God to which he gives several other names. Sometimes he calls it a “simple act,” a “clear and distinct knowledge of God,” an “indistinct view,” or a “general and loving awareness of God.” Other times he names it “attention to God,” “silent conversation with God,” “trust in God,” or “the soul’s life and peace.” This person told me that all these forms of God’s presence are nothing but synonyms for the same thing, and that it is, at present, second nature to him. Here is how:
• This person says that the habit is formed by the repetition of acts and by frequently bringing the mind back into God’s presence. He says that as soon as he is free from his occupations, and often even when he is most taken up by them, the recesses of his mind [esprit] or the innermost depths of his soul are raised with no effort on his part and remain suspended and fixed in God, above all things, as in its center and resting place. Since he is generally aware that his mind, thus held in suspension, is accompanied by faith, he is satisfied. This is what he calls “actual presence of God,” which includes all the other types of presence and much more besides, so that he now lives as if only he and God were in the world. He converses with God everywhere, asks him for what he needs, and rejoices continuously with him in countless ways.
• It is important, however, to realize that this conversation with God takes place in the depths and center of the soul. It is there that the soul speaks to God heart to heart, and always in a deep and profound peace that the soul enjoys in God. Everything that takes place outside the soul means no more to it than a lit straw that goes out as soon as it is ignited, and almost never, or very rarely, disturbs its inner peace.
• To get back to the presence of God, I say that this gentle, loving awareness of God imperceptibly ignites a divine fire in the soul, inflaming it so intensely with love of God that one is forced to perform various activities in an effort to contain it.
• We would be surprised to know what the soul sometimes says to God, who is so pleased with these conversations that he grants it all its desires, providing it is willing to remain with him always, and in its center. To discourage the soul from returning to created things, God takes care to provide it with everything it desires, and to such an extent that it often finds within itself a very savory, delicious nourishment, though it never sought nor did anything to obtain it, and in no way contributed to it itself, except by its consent.
• The presence of God is then the soul’s life and nourishment, which can be acquired by the Lord’s grace. Here are the means…

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection

Writings and Conversations, Maxims

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: This image of an elderly friar at a writing table was created with Firefly3 in Adobe Express by Carmelite Quotes.

Quote of the day, 9 February: Brother Lawrence, Maxims 15–19

These short spiritual maxims continue Brother Lawrence’s simple and faithful teaching on living continually in the presence of God.

CHAPTER 4
UNION OF THE SOUL WITH GOD

• There are three kinds of union: the first is habitual, the second virtual, and the third actual.
• Habitual union is when we are united to God solely by grace.
• Virtual union is when we begin an action by which we are united with God and remain united with him by virtue of this action, the entire time of its duration.
• Actual union is the most perfect. And completely spiritual as it is, its movement is perceptible because the soul is not asleep as in the other unions but finds itself powerfully stirred. Its operation is more intense than fire, more luminous than the sun in a clear sky. Nonetheless, this feeling can be misleading, for it is not a simple expression of the heart, like saying, “My God, I love you with all my heart,” or other similar words. It is, rather, an “I don’t know what” of the soul, gentle, peaceful, spiritual, respectful, humble, loving, and very simple, that upholds and incites it to love God, to adore him, and even embrace him with an inexpressible tenderness that experience alone can enable us to understand.
• Those who seek divine union must know that whatever attracts the will is, in fact, agreeable and delightful, or so it is perceived. We must admit that God is incomprehensible, and that to be united with him we must deprive the will of all sorts of spiritual and physical satisfactions so that, being thereby set free, it can love God above all things. If the will can in some respect comprehend God, it can do so only by love. There is a great difference between the tastes and sentiments of the will and the operations of the same will, because the tastes and sentiments of the will are in the soul as in their object [terme], and its operation, which is properly love, terminates in God as in its end.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection

Writings and Conversations, Maxims

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: This image of an elderly friar at a writing table was created with Firefly3 in Adobe Express by Carmelite Quotes.

Quote of the day, 8 February: Brother Lawrence, Maxims 12–14

These short spiritual maxims continue Brother Lawrence’s simple and faithful teaching on living continually in the presence of God.

CHAPTER 3
HOW WE MUST ADORE GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH

• This question contains three points to which we must respond. I say that adoring God in spirit and in truth means adoring God as we are supposed to adore him. God is spirit, and we must adore him in spirit and in truth, that is, with humble, authentic adoration of spirit in the depths and center of our souls. God alone can see this adoration, which we can repeat so often that in the end it will become second nature to us, as if God were one with our souls and our souls were one with God. Practice will make this evident.
• Adoring God in truth means recognizing him for what he is and recognizing ourselves for what we are. Adoring God in truth means recognizing truly, really, and in spirit that God is what he is, infinitely perfect, infinitely adorable, infinitely removed from all evil, and so on for all the divine attributes. Who are we, and what reason could excuse us from using all our strength to offer this great God all respect and adoration?
• Adoring God in truth means admitting that, although we are completely opposite, he wants to make us like himself, if we so desire. We must not be so imprudent as to withhold, even for a moment, the respect, love, service, and continual adoration we owe him.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection

Writings and Conversations, Maxims

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: This image of an elderly friar at a writing table was created with Firefly3 in Adobe Express by Carmelite Quotes.

Quote of the day, 7 February: Brother Lawrence, Maxims 6–11

These short spiritual maxims continue Brother Lawrence’s simple and faithful teaching on living continually in the presence of God.

CHAPTER 2
PRACTICES NECESSARY TO ATTAIN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

• The holiest, most ordinary, and most necessary practice of the spiritual life is that of the presence of God. It is to take delight in and become 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, even infidelity and sin.
• We must continually apply ourselves so that all our actions, without exception, 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 and writing, no matter how spiritual—and, I emphasize, 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 stealthily. Since you are aware that God is present to you during your actions, that he is in the depths and center of your heart, stop your activities and even your vocal prayers, at least from time to time, to adore him within, to praise him, to ask his help, to offer him your heart, and to thank him. Nothing is more pleasing to God than to turn away from all creatures many times throughout the day to withdraw and adore him present within. Moreover, this turning inward imperceptibly destroys the self-love found only among creatures. In the end, 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. I do not mean by this that you must withdraw forever from your duties, for that would be impossible; prudence, the mother of all virtues, must be your guide. I do say, nonetheless, that it is a typical error among the spiritually minded not to withdraw from what is external from time to time to adore God within themselves and enjoy his divine presence in peace for a few moments. This digression was long but I thought the matter called for some explanation. Let’s get back to our exercises.
• All these adorations must be made by faith, believing that God is truly in our hearts, that we must adore, love, and serve him in spirit and in truth, that he sees everything that happens and will happen in us and in all creatures; that he is independent of everything and the one on whom all creatures depend, infinite in every kind of perfection. He is the one who, by virtue of his infinite excellence and sovereign domain, deserves all that we are as well as everything in heaven and on earth, of which he can dispose as he wishes in time and in eternity. All our thoughts, words and actions belong by right to him. Let’s put this into practice.
• We must carefully examine which virtues are the most essential, which are the most difficult to acquire, which sins we commit most often, and which are the most frequent and inevitable of our falls. We must have recourse to God with complete confidence at the moment of combat, remain firm in the presence of his divine majesty, adore him humbly, bring him our miseries and weaknesses, and lovingly ask him for the help of his grace. In this way we will find every virtue in him without our having any of our own.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection

Writings and Conversations, Maxims

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: This image of an elderly friar at a writing table was created with Firefly3 in Adobe Express by Carmelite Quotes.

Quote of the day, 6 February: Brother Lawrence, Maxims 1–5

In these spiritual maxims, Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection offers brief counsels drawn from a life spent learning to practice God’s presence in the ordinary duties of each day.

CHAPTER 1
[PRINCIPLES]

1. Everything is possible for one who believes, still more for one who hopes, even more for one who loves, and most of all for one who practices and perseveres in these three virtues. All the baptized who are true believers have taken the first step along the way of perfection and will become perfect as long as they persevere in the practice of the following maxims.
2. We must keep our eyes fixed on God in everything we say, do, or undertake. Our goal is to be the most perfect adorers of God in this life as we hope to be throughout all eternity. We must make a firm resolution to overcome, with God’s grace, all the difficulties inherent in the spiritual life.
3. When we undertake the spiritual life, we must seriously consider who we are, recognizing that we are worthy of all scorn, unworthy of the name Christian, and subject to all kinds of miseries and a multitude of setbacks. These disturb us and make our health, our moods, our inner dispositions, and their outward manifestations changeable; in all, we are persons God wants to humble by means of a multitude of internal and external troubles and trials.
4. We must believe that it is advantageous for us and pleasing to God to sacrifice ourselves to him; that it is normal for his Divine Providence to abandon us to all sorts of trials, miseries, and temptations for the love of God, and for as long as he likes. Without this submission of heart and mind to the will of God, devotion and perfection cannot endure.
5. A soul depends on grace in proportion to its desire for greater perfection. God’s help is necessary at every moment because without it, the soul can do nothing. The world, nature, and the devil together wage war so fiercely and so relentlessly that, without this special help and this humble, necessary dependence, they would carry off the soul against its will. This seems contrary to nature, but grace finds pleasure and peace therein.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection

Writings and Conversations, Maxims

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: This image of an elderly friar at a writing table was created with Firefly3 in Adobe Express by Carmelite Quotes.

Quote of the day, 4 December: Brother Lawrence

This [practice of the] presence of God, somewhat difficult in the beginning, secretly accomplishes marvelous effects in the soul, draws abundant graces from the Lord, and, when practiced faithfully, imperceptibly leads it to this simple awareness, to this loving view of God present everywhere, which is the holiest, the surest, the easiest, and the most efficacious form of prayer.

Please note that 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.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection

Spiritual Maxims, 31–32

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: J. Ottis Adams (American, 1851–1927), Wash Day, Bavaria is an oil on canvas painting by American artist J. Ottis Adams (1851–1927). It comes from the collections of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields (Public domain).

#brotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #graces #mortification #practiceOfThePresenceOfGod #prayer

Quote of the day, 3 September: Brother Lawrence

Means to acquire the presence of God:

It would be appropriate for beginners to formulate a few words interiorly, such as: My God, I am completely yours, or God of love, I love you with all my heart, or Lord, fashion me according to your heart, or any other words love spontaneously produces.

But they must take care that their minds do not wander or return to creatures. The mind must be kept fixed on God alone, so that seeing itself so moved and led by the will, it will be obliged to remain with God.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, o.c.d.

Spiritual Maxims, 30

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Photographer Marko Vombergar captured this image of a pilgrim to Argentina’s 2016 National Eucharistic Congress in Tucumán. Image credit: Marko Vombergar for aleteia.org / Flickr (Some rights reserved)

#BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #GodAlone #loveForGod #mentalPrayer #presenceOfGod

Quote of the day, 14 August: Brother Lawrence

The [practice of the] presence of God is an application of our mind to God, or a remembrance of God present, that can be brought about by either the imagination or the understanding.

I know someone who, for forty years [Brother Lawrence is speaking of himself], has been practicing an intellectual presence of God to which he gives several other names. Sometimes he calls it a “simple act,” a “clear and distinct knowledge of God,” an “indistinct view,” or a “general and loving awareness of God.” Other times he names it “attention to God” “silent conversation with God,” “trust in God,” or “the soul’s life and peace.”

This person told me that all these forms of God’s presence are nothing but synonyms for the same thing, and that it is at present second nature to him. Here is how:

This person says that the habit is formed by the repetition of acts and by frequently bringing the mind back into God’s presence. He says that as soon as he is free from his occupations, and often even when he is most taken up by them, the recesses of his mind [esprit] or the innermost depths of his soul are raised with no effort on his part and remain suspended and fixed in God, above all things, as in its center and resting place.

Since he is generally aware that his mind, thus held in suspension, is accompanied by faith, he is satisfied. This is what he calls “actual presence of God,” which includes all the other types of presence and much more besides, so that he now lives as if only he and God were in the world. He converses with God everywhere, asks him for what he needs, and rejoices continuously with him in countless ways.

It is important, however, to realize that this conversation with God takes place in the depths and center of the soul. It is there that the soul speaks to God heart to heart, and always in a deep and profound peace that the soul enjoys in God.

Everything that takes place outside the soul means no more to it than a lit straw that goes out as soon as it is ignited, and almost never, or very rarely, disturbs its inner peace.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, o.c.d.

Spiritual Maxims, 20–23

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Sister Vanesa Guerrero of the Purity of Mary Sisters looks out over the Balearic Sea at Valldemosa, Mallorca. Image credit: Vanesa Guerrero, rpm / Cathopic

#BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #conversation #habit #interiorLife #presenceOfGod

Quote of the day, 19 July: Brother Lawrence

Who can say that it is wrong, when we begin to recite the Hours or the rosary, to consider whom we are going to speak with, and who we are, so as to know how to speak with Him?

Saint Teresa of Avila
The Way of Perfection, 22:3

Adoring God in truth means recognizing him for what he is and recognizing ourselves for what we are.

Adoring God in truth means recognizing truly, really, and in spirit that God is what he is, infinitely perfect, infinitely adorable, infinitely removed from all evil, and so on for all the divine attributes. Who are we, and what reason could excuse us from using all our strength to offer this great God all respect and adoration?

Adoring God in truth means admitting that, although we are completely opposite, he wants to make us like himself, if we so desire. We must not be so imprudent as to withhold, even for a moment, the respect, love, service, and continual adoration we owe him.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, O.C.D.

Spiritual Maxims, chap. 3, nos. 13–14

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Father Lawrence Lew, O.P. captures this image of Eucharistic adoration at Saint Jean Baptiste parish in New York City. (Some rights reserved)

#adoration #BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #selfKnowledge #StTeresaOfAvila #truth

Marie du jour, 11 May: Brother Lawrence

From the beginning of his novitiate, he applied himself to the exercises of religious life with great fervor. He had singular affection for the Blessed Virgin Mary and was especially devoted to her.

He had a filial trust in her protection. She was his refuge in all the problems of his life, in the troubles and anxieties that disturbed his soul, and therefore, he would call her “his good mother.”

Joseph de Beaufort

Eulogy in Praise of Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, No. 17

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
How can I deepen my trust in Mary as one who lovingly protects and consoles my soul?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#anxiety #BlessedVirginMary #BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #GoodMother #JosephDeBeaufort #novitiate #refuge #trust

Marie du jour, 11 May: Brother Lawrence

From the beginning of his novitiate, he applied himself to the exercises of religious life with great fervor. He had singular affection for the Blessed Virgin Mary and was especially devoted to her.

He had a filial trust in her protection. She was his refuge in all the problems of his life, in the troubles and anxieties that disturbed his soul, and therefore, he would call her “his good mother.”

Joseph de Beaufort

Eulogy in Praise of Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, No. 17

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
How can I deepen my trust in Mary as one who lovingly protects and consoles my soul?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#anxiety #BlessedVirginMary #BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #GoodMother #JosephDeBeaufort #novitiate #refuge #trust

Marie du jour, 11 May: Brother Lawrence

From the beginning of his novitiate, he applied himself to the exercises of religious life with great fervor. He had singular affection for the Blessed Virgin Mary and was especially devoted to her.

He had a filial trust in her protection. She was his refuge in all the problems of his life, in the troubles and anxieties that disturbed his soul, and therefore, he would call her “his good mother.”

Joseph de Beaufort

Eulogy in Praise of Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, No. 17

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
How can I deepen my trust in Mary as one who lovingly protects and consoles my soul?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#anxiety #BlessedVirginMary #BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #GoodMother #JosephDeBeaufort #novitiate #refuge #trust

Marie du jour, 11 May: Brother Lawrence

From the beginning of his novitiate, he applied himself to the exercises of religious life with great fervor. He had singular affection for the Blessed Virgin Mary and was especially devoted to her.

He had a filial trust in her protection. She was his refuge in all the problems of his life, in the troubles and anxieties that disturbed his soul, and therefore, he would call her “his good mother.”

Joseph de Beaufort

Eulogy in Praise of Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, No. 17

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
How can I deepen my trust in Mary as one who lovingly protects and consoles my soul?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#anxiety #BlessedVirginMary #BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #GoodMother #JosephDeBeaufort #novitiate #refuge #trust

Marie du jour, 11 May: Brother Lawrence

From the beginning of his novitiate, he applied himself to the exercises of religious life with great fervor. He had singular affection for the Blessed Virgin Mary and was especially devoted to her.

He had a filial trust in her protection. She was his refuge in all the problems of his life, in the troubles and anxieties that disturbed his soul, and therefore, he would call her “his good mother.”

Joseph de Beaufort

Eulogy in Praise of Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, No. 17

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
How can I deepen my trust in Mary as one who lovingly protects and consoles my soul?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#anxiety #BlessedVirginMary #BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #GoodMother #JosephDeBeaufort #novitiate #refuge #trust

Quote of the day, 29 April: Brother Lawrence

What consoles me in this life is that I see God by faith. And I see him in such a way that I can sometimes say, “I no longer believe, I see, for I experience what faith teaches.” With this assurance, and by this practice of faith, I will live and die with him.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, O.C.D.

Letter 11 to a nun (excerpt)
17 November 1690

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: The Incredulity of St. Thomas is an oil on canvas painting by Italian artist and priest Bernardo Strozzi  (c. 1581–1644), executed around 1620. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
Where in my life is God inviting me to trust Him so deeply that I begin to “see” by faith?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#believe #BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #consolation #death #faith #inspiration #life #practiceOfThePresenceOfGod #sight

Quote of the day, 29 April: Brother Lawrence

What consoles me in this life is that I see God by faith. And I see him in such a way that I can sometimes say, “I no longer believe, I see, for I experience what faith teaches.” With this assurance, and by this practice of faith, I will live and die with him.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, O.C.D.

Letter 11 to a nun (excerpt)
17 November 1690

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: The Incredulity of St. Thomas is an oil on canvas painting by Italian artist and priest Bernardo Strozzi  (c. 1581–1644), executed around 1620. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
Where in my life is God inviting me to trust Him so deeply that I begin to “see” by faith?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#believe #BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #consolation #death #faith #inspiration #life #practiceOfThePresenceOfGod #sight

Quote of the day, 29 April: Brother Lawrence

What consoles me in this life is that I see God by faith. And I see him in such a way that I can sometimes say, “I no longer believe, I see, for I experience what faith teaches.” With this assurance, and by this practice of faith, I will live and die with him.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, O.C.D.

Letter 11 to a nun (excerpt)
17 November 1690

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: The Incredulity of St. Thomas is an oil on canvas painting by Italian artist and priest Bernardo Strozzi  (c. 1581–1644), executed around 1620. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
Where in my life is God inviting me to trust Him so deeply that I begin to “see” by faith?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#believe #BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #consolation #death #faith #inspiration #life #practiceOfThePresenceOfGod #sight

Quote of the day, 29 April: Brother Lawrence

What consoles me in this life is that I see God by faith. And I see him in such a way that I can sometimes say, “I no longer believe, I see, for I experience what faith teaches.” With this assurance, and by this practice of faith, I will live and die with him.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, O.C.D.

Letter 11 to a nun (excerpt)
17 November 1690

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: The Incredulity of St. Thomas is an oil on canvas painting by Italian artist and priest Bernardo Strozzi  (c. 1581–1644), executed around 1620. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
Where in my life is God inviting me to trust Him so deeply that I begin to “see” by faith?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#believe #BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #consolation #death #faith #inspiration #life #practiceOfThePresenceOfGod #sight

Quote of the day, 29 April: Brother Lawrence

What consoles me in this life is that I see God by faith. And I see him in such a way that I can sometimes say, “I no longer believe, I see, for I experience what faith teaches.” With this assurance, and by this practice of faith, I will live and die with him.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, O.C.D.

Letter 11 to a nun (excerpt)
17 November 1690

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: The Incredulity of St. Thomas is an oil on canvas painting by Italian artist and priest Bernardo Strozzi  (c. 1581–1644), executed around 1620. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
Where in my life is God inviting me to trust Him so deeply that I begin to “see” by faith?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#believe #BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #consolation #death #faith #inspiration #life #practiceOfThePresenceOfGod #sight

Quote of the day, 12 February: Brother Lawrence

“Sometimes I think of myself as a piece of stone before a sculptor who desires to carve a statue; presenting myself in this way before God I ask him to fashion his perfect image in my soul, making me entirely like himself.”

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, o.c.d.
Letter 2 (excerpt)

“To consider oneself as a piece of stone before a sculptor who desires to carve a statue.” Could Brother Lawrence’s insight not serve as a guide in our spiritual life? To allow the Holy Spirit to imprint in us the traces of God’s Love and Mercy through the sacraments—especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation—without neglecting the Word of God, which strengthens and sustains us. To accept, like a model standing before the sculptor, the work of God shaping us. A vast undertaking, requiring perseverance, at times even courage, but above all, the willingness to welcome God’s work in our daily lives. The Lord desires the conversion of his children so that they may love and follow him—not in monotonous repetition, but in the beauty of each new day.

This echoes what God revealed to the prophet Jeremiah:

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel” (Jer 18:1–6).

Whether as sculptor or potter, God’s work in each of us follows the same pattern. At every moment, God opens a space of renewal, shaping in us his image. From the very first pages of Scripture, in the Book of Genesis, we see God at work, particularly in the creation of humanity:

“Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being” (Gen 2:7).

Sculpting, molding, shaping—it does not matter which word we use. The reality remains the same: God comes to restore his image in us, an image that time, hardship, or even sin may have distorted. He enters into our daily lives, whatever they may be. Will we hear his call?

With Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, one essential question emerges again and again in the spiritual life: How do we live with God throughout the day? How do we remain in his presence? Our Carmelite brother offers us the answer:

“The holiest, most ordinary, and most necessary practice of the spiritual life is that of the presence of God. It is to take delight in and become 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, even infidelity and sin…. We must continually apply ourselves so that all our actions, without exception, become a kind of brief conversation with God, not in a contrived manner but coming from the purity and simplicity of our hearts.” (Spiritual Maxims 6–7).

The Word of God and the wisdom of Brother Lawrence guide us on this journey. “Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches” (Rev 2:7).

This is the ongoing work of the spiritual life: to listen, to surrender, and to allow the Master to work. He comes to renew us. He comes to sculpt his image in us.

Father Didier-Joseph of the Holy Family Caullery, o.c.d.

2018 Carmelite Online Lenten Retreat

Note: Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, o.c.d. died on 12 February 1691, at the Discalced Carmelite convent on the Rue de Vaugirard in Paris. After decades of humble service in the monastery kitchen and as the community’s sandal maker, he was led by the choirs of angels to the presence of God. Though he left no theological treatises, his Letters, Conversations, and Spiritual Maxims continue to inspire countless souls.

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Adobe Express creates the following image in Firefly with the following prompt: “A bald, elderly 17th-century French friar with a joyful and serene expression, sitting alone on a simple wooden chair in a dimly lit monastic cell. He wears a well-worn brown habit. Using a wooden lap desk, he writes a letter by candlelight with a quill and parchment. The atmosphere is warm, peaceful, and prayerful. There are no other people in the room.” Image credit: Firefly / Carmelite Quotes (Some rights reserved)

#BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #conversation #God #mentalPrayer #presenceOfGod #sculpture #spiritualDirection #statue

Quote of the day, 14 January: Brother Lawrence

Reverend and Dear Mother,

I received from Miss N. the rosaries that you gave her. I am surprised you haven’t let me know what you think of the book I sent you. You must have received it. Put it diligently into practice in your later days. Better late than never.

I cannot understand how religious people can remain content without the practice of the presence of God. As for me, I keep myself recollected in him in the depth and center of my soul as much as possible, and when I am thus with him I fear nothing, though the least deviation is hell for me.

This exercise does not hurt the body. It is nonetheless appropriate to deprive it occasionally, and even with some frequency, of some innocent, permissible, little consolations. For God will not permit a soul desirous of being entirely his to find consolation other than with him, and that is more than reasonable!

I do not say we must put ourselves to a great deal of trouble to do this; no, we must serve God in holy freedom. We must work faithfully, without turmoil or anxiety, gently and peacefully bringing our minds back to God as often as we find ourselves distracted.

We must, however, place all our trust in God and let go of all our cares, including a multitude of private devotions, very 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 certainly 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, praise, or desire, other times by acts of oblation, thanksgiving, or anything else that our minds can devise.

Do not be discouraged by the repugnance you feel on the side of nature. You must do it violence. In the beginning you may often think you are wasting your time; nonetheless, you must continually resolve to persevere until death in spite of all the difficulties. I commend myself to the prayers of your holy community and to yours in particular and I am in Our Lord,

Yours,

From Paris, November 3, 1685

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, O.C.D.

Letter 4, to the same nun as Letter 3
Saturday, 3 November 1685

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Photographer Mark Notari captures this image of pots and pans on a stove in a commercial kitchen within a market in Oaxaca, Mexico. Image credit: notarim / Flickr (Some rights reserved)

#BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #freedom #innerPeace #prayer #presenceOfGod #recollection #Rosary #selfDenial #trust

The holiest, most ordinary, and most necessary practice of the spiritual life is that of the presence of God. It is to take delight in and become 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, even infidelity and sin.

During our work and other activities, even during our reading and writing, no matter how spiritual—and I emphasize, 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 stealthily.

All these adorations must be made by faith, believing that God is truly in our hearts, that we must adore, love, and serve him in spirit and in truth, [cf. Jn 4:23] that he sees everything that happens and will happen in us and in all creatures; that he is independent of everything and the one on whom all creatures depend, infinite in every kind of perfection.

He is the one who, by virtue of his infinite excellence and sovereign domain, deserves all that we are as well as everything in heaven and on earth, of which he can dispose as he wishes in time and in eternity.

All our thoughts, words and actions belong by right to him. Let’s put this into practice.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, o.c.d.

Maxims, chap. 2, nos. 6, 9, and 10 (excerpts)

Note: Brother Lawrence deeply absorbed the spiritual teachings of St. Teresa of Avila, especially in The Way of Perfection, chapters 26 and 29. His phrase “in passing and stealthily” also reflects guidance from Venerable John of Jesus and Mary in Discipline claustrale (second part, 27:171), where he encouraged Carmelite cooks to find a quiet spot near the kitchen. There, once their work was done, they could withdraw briefly to offer discreet, heartfelt prayers, unseen but pleasing to God.

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Photographer Katerina Holmes captured this image in 2020 of a woman kneading dough in the kitchen. Image credit: Katerina Holmes / pexels.com (Stock photo)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/10/25/lawr-max6ff/

#adoration #BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #faith #heart #hidden #practiceOfThePresenceOfGod #prayer #spirituality

The holiest, most ordinary, and most necessary practice of the spiritual life is that of the presence of God. It is to take delight in and become 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, even infidelity and sin.

During our work and other activities, even during our reading and writing, no matter how spiritual—and I emphasize, 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 stealthily.

All these adorations must be made by faith, believing that God is truly in our hearts, that we must adore, love, and serve him in spirit and in truth, [cf. Jn 4:23] that he sees everything that happens and will happen in us and in all creatures; that he is independent of everything and the one on whom all creatures depend, infinite in every kind of perfection.

He is the one who, by virtue of his infinite excellence and sovereign domain, deserves all that we are as well as everything in heaven and on earth, of which he can dispose as he wishes in time and in eternity.

All our thoughts, words and actions belong by right to him. Let’s put this into practice.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, o.c.d.

Maxims, chap. 2, nos. 6, 9, and 10 (excerpts)

Note: Brother Lawrence deeply absorbed the spiritual teachings of St. Teresa of Avila, especially in The Way of Perfection, chapters 26 and 29. His phrase “in passing and stealthily” also reflects guidance from Venerable John of Jesus and Mary in Discipline claustrale (second part, 27:171), where he encouraged Carmelite cooks to find a quiet spot near the kitchen. There, once their work was done, they could withdraw briefly to offer discreet, heartfelt prayers, unseen but pleasing to God.

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Photographer Katerina Holmes captured this image in 2020 of a woman kneading dough in the kitchen. Image credit: Katerina Holmes / pexels.com (Stock photo)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/10/25/lawr-max6ff/

#adoration #BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #faith #heart #hidden #practiceOfThePresenceOfGod #prayer #spirituality

What I tried to explain in the previous chapters—although I digressed a great deal in speaking of other things since mentioning them seemed to me very necessary—was the work we can do through our own efforts and how in obtaining this initial devotion we can help ourselves in some way.

For in thinking about and carefully examining what the Lord suffered for us, we are moved to compassion; and this sorrow and the resulting tears bring delight. In thinking about the glory we hope for, the love the Lord bore us, and His resurrection, we are moved to a joy that is neither entirely spiritual nor entirely of the senses.

But the joy is virtuous and the sorrow very meritorious. Virtue and merit are found in all the things that cause the devotion acquired partly by the intellect, even though this devotion could not be merited or obtained if God did not give it.

The soul can place itself in the presence of Christ and grow accustomed to being inflamed with love for His sacred humanity. It can keep Him ever-present and speak with Him, asking for its needs and complaining of its labors, being glad with Him in its enjoyments and not forgetting Him because of them, trying to speak to Him, not through written prayers but with words that conform to its desires and needs.

This is an excellent way of making progress and in a very short time. I consider that soul advanced who strives to remain in this precious company and to profit very much by it, and who truly comes to love this Lord to whom we owe so much.

As a result, we shouldn’t care at all about not having devotion—as I have said—but we ought to thank the Lord who allows us to be desirous of pleasing Him, even though our works may be weak.

This method of keeping Christ present with us is beneficial in all stages and is a very safe means of advancing in the first degree of prayer, of reaching in a short time the second degree, and of walking secure against the dangers the devil can set up in the last degrees.

Keeping Christ present is what we of ourselves can do.

Saint Teresa of Avila

The Book of Her Life, Chapter 12

Note: This passage from The Book of Her Life shows how Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection firmly grasped the essence of Teresian prayer, which he expressed in his letters and maxims as the practice of the presence of God.

Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Photographer Christopher Riggs captured this image of a woman praying the Holy Rosary. Image credit: xopheriggs / Unsplash (Stock photo)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/10/02/stj-keepingchrist/

#BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #mentalPrayer #prayer #presenceOfGod #sacredHumanity #StTeresaOfAvila

Each one of you is to stay in his own cell or nearby, pondering the Lord’s law day and night and keeping watch at his prayers unless attending to some other duty.

Saint Albert of Jerusalem

The Carmelite Rule, no. 10

St. Albert’s Rule offers us timeless wisdom, particularly in his call to “ponder the Lord’s law day and night and keeping watch” at prayer. At first glance, this advice might seem suited only for those living in monastic silence, but it holds deep value for all of us in the modern world.

In a time where distractions abound, St. Albert invites us to carve out moments for quiet reflection. This doesn’t mean escaping to a desert or a cloister—it’s about finding a small space of silence in our everyday lives. Whether it’s a few minutes in the morning for prayer, pausing to reflect during a busy afternoon, or winding down with Scripture at night, there are countless ways to live out St. Albert’s counsel.

The idea of “keeping watch at our prayers” reminds us that God is present in every part of our day. This isn’t limited to moments of formal prayer; it’s about staying connected to Him in all we do. Even our most mundane tasks can become grace-filled moments when we offer them to God, just as Brother Lawrence taught by practicing the presence of God in everything—from scrubbing pots to sweeping floors.

St. Albert’s message challenges us to bring prayer and reflection into the rhythm of our daily lives, no matter how busy or chaotic they may be. By doing so, we align ourselves more closely with God’s will and create space for Him to speak to our hearts.

Be sure to listen to the episode below for a deeper dive into St. Albert’s wisdom and how his Rule continues to shape the Carmelite way of life.

https://youtu.be/V_XroaLm7sE?si=SXAFm5-mBehYmtb3

Featured image: This is a detailed view of an icon depicting the founding of the Carmelites; on the right, we see the Latin Patriarch St. Albert of Jerusalem handing a scroll to Brocard, the Carmelite hermit known as “B.” in St. Albert’s Rule. Over Brocard’s shoulder, we see St. Teresa of Avila, who would reform the Order in Spain in the 16th century. Image credit: © Johan Bergström-Allen, British Province of Carmelites / Flickr (All rights reserved, used with permission)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/09/16/s2ep23-albert/

#BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #CarmeliteRule #Podcast #prayer #presenceOfGod #quiet #reflection #scripture #silence #StAlbertOfJerusalem

From the beginning of his novitiate, he applied himself to the exercises of religious life with great fervor. He had singular affection for the Blessed Virgin Mary and was especially devoted to her. He had a filial trust in her protection. She was his refuge in all the problems of his life, in the troubles and anxieties that disturbed his soul, and therefore he would call her “his good mother.”

Father Joseph de Beaufort

Eulogy in Praise of Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, No. 17

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Virgin and Child is an artwork from the workshop of Gerard David (Netherlandish, ca. 1455–1523). Painted in oil on oak panel between the years 1490 and 1523, this artwork is on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Image credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art (Public Domain)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/05/11/mdj2024-ep12/

#BlessedVirginMary #BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #childlike #devotion #DiscalcedCarmelite #eulogy #filialAffection #JosephDeBeaufort #Paris #problem #protection #religiousLife #trust

Let us devote ourselves entirely to knowing God. The more we know him, the more we want to know him.

Since love is generally measured by knowledge, the deeper and more extensive the knowledge, the greater will be the love. And if our love is great, we will love him equally in pain and consolation.

Let us not settle for seeking or loving God only for the graces he has given or can give us, no matter how great they may be. These favors, impressive as they are, never bring us as close to him as does a simple act of faith; let us seek him often through this virtue.

He is in our midst [cf. Lk 17:21]; let us not look for him elsewhere. Aren’t we rude, and even guilty of leaving him alone, when we are occupied with so many trifles that displease and perhaps offend him? He may put up with them, but we should be fearful that they may cost us a great deal someday.

Let us commit ourselves entirely to him, and banish everything else from our hearts and minds. He wants to be alone there, so we should ask him for this grace. If we do what we can, we will soon see the change we hope for in ourselves.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, O.C.D.

Letter 16 to a nun
6 February 1691

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Photographer Joshua Hanks captured this street scene in San Mateo, California in 2018. Image credit: Joshua Hanks / Unsplash

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/04/20/lawr-ltr16/

#BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #commitment #devotion #faith #God #knowledge #love #practiceOfThePresenceOfGod #virtue

I will share with you the method I have used to arrive at this state of awareness of God’s presence that Our Lord in his mercy has granted me…

In several books I found different methods to approach God and various practices of the spiritual life that I feared would burden my mind rather than facilitate what I wanted and what I sought, namely, a means of being completely disposed to God.

This led me to resolve to give all for all. Thus, after offering myself entirely to God in atonement for my sins, I renounced for the sake of his love everything other than God, and I began to live as if only he and I existed in the world.

Sometimes I considered myself before him as a miserable criminal at his judge’s feet, and at other times I regarded him in my heart as my Father, as my God. I adored him there as often as I could, keeping my mind in his holy presence and recalling him as many times as I was distracted.

I had some trouble doing this exercise, but continued in spite of all the difficulties I encountered, without getting disturbed or anxious when I was involuntarily distracted.

I was as faithful to this practice during my activities as I was during my periods of mental prayer, for at every moment, all the time, in the most intense periods of my work I banished and rid from my mind everything that was capable of taking the thought of God away from me.

This, Reverend Mother, is the devotion I have practiced since I entered religious life. Although I have practiced it feebly and imperfectly, I have nonetheless received many advantages from it.

I certainly know this is due to the Lord’s mercy and goodness—and this must be acknowledged—since we can do nothing without him, myself even less than others.

But when we faithfully keep ourselves in his holy presence, seeing him always before us, not only avoiding offending or displeasing him—at least deliberately—but considering him in this fashion, we take the liberty to ask him for the graces we need. So, by repeating these acts they become more familiar, and the practice of the presence of God becomes more natural.

Join me in thanking him, please, for his great goodness to me, for I cannot esteem highly enough the great number of graces he bestows on me, a miserable sinner. May he be blessed by all.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, O.C.D.

Letter 12 to a nun (excerpts)

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Our featured image is an early portrait of St. Teresa of Avila by an unknown artist that prominently features the traditional banner bearing these words from Psalm 89:1, “Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo” (I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever). We recall that Brother Lawrence learned the practice of the presence of God from the holy foundress, who wrote: “Keeping Christ present is what we of ourselves can do” (The Book of Her Life, 12:4). Image credit: Discalced Carmelites (Public domain)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/04/06/lawr-ltr12mercy/

#BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #contemplation #gratitude #humility #inspiration #mercy #prayer #presenceOfGod #spirituality

St. John of the Cross Novena, Day 6: Prayer

Reading

Whoever flees prayer flees all that is good.

Sayings of Light and Love, 169

Scripture

When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
they, my opponents, my enemies,
are the ones who stumble and fall.

When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
they, my opponents, my enemies,
are the ones who stumble and fall.

Though an army pitched camp against me,
my heart would not fear;
though war were waged against me,
my trust would still be firm.

One thing I ask of Yahweh,
one thing I seek:
to live in the house of Yahweh
all the days of my life,
to enjoy the sweetness of Yahweh
and to consult him in his Temple.

For he shelters me under his awning
in times of trouble;
he hides me deep in his tent,
sets me high on a rock.

And now my head is held high
over the enemies who surround me,
in his tent I will offer
exultant sacrifice.

I will sing, I will play for Yahweh!

Yahweh, hear my voice as I cry!
Pity me! Answer me!
My heart has said of you,
“Seek his face.”
Yahweh, I do seek your face;
do not hide your face from me.

Do not repulse your servant in anger;
you are my help.
Never leave me, never desert me,
God, my savior!
If my father and mother desert me,
Yahweh will care for me still.

Yahweh, teach me your way,
lead me in the path of integrity
because of my enemies;
do not abandon me to the will of my foes—
false witnesses have risen against me,
and breathe out violence.

This I believe: I shall see the goodness of Yahweh,
in the land of the living.
Put your hope in Yahweh, be strong, let your heart be bold,
put your hope in Yahweh.

Psalm 27

Meditation

Let’s have a virtual show of hands: who among us has had an experience where God seemed to be hiding or even absent when we pray? Who among us has ever prayed, “God, where are you?” Has anyone ever said, “prayer isn’t working for me, God doesn’t care about me, I give up”? Has anyone ever experienced dryness in prayer, where you can’t feel anything anymore? Or, has someone ever discovered one day that they drifted away from the fervor of the practice of prayer they once had?

If you answered, “yes” to any one or more of these questions, you are in good company. All of us experience difficulties in prayer. In yesterday’s fifth novena meditation, we read one of St. Teresa’s accounts where she experienced difficulties in prayer; she was going through a moment of tribulation and the practice of prayer that usually brought her encouragement and comfort simply didn’t work.

Growing in friendship with God is a lifelong journey along the way of perfection. There will be many moments when we will stumble and fall. Ask any old friend of God and they will testify to this age-old fact of the spiritual life. The most important lesson that those who travel the way of perfection (or the Little Way of St. Thérèse) must learn is that it’s not a matter of how frequently or infrequently we fall, it’s how quickly we get up again and keep moving along the way. Saint Teresa herself says in the Interior Castle’s Second Mansion (IC II), “if you should at times fall don’t become discouraged and stop striving to advance. For even from this fall God will draw out good.” (IC II:9)

“Don’t become discouraged” is advice we read and hear often in Carmelite spirituality. Here’s what St. Elizabeth of the Trinity said to her younger sister a few months before Elizabeth died:

Darling little sister, you must cross out the word “discouragement” from your dictionary of love; the more you feel your weakness, your difficulty in recollecting yourself, and the more hidden the Master seems, the more you must rejoice, for then you are giving to Him, and, when one loves, isn’t it better to give than to receive? God said to Saint Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9), and the great saint understood this so well that he cried out: “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10). What does it matter what we feel; He, He is the Unchanging One, He who never changes: He loves you today as He loved you yesterday and will love you tomorrow. (Letter 298)

St. Teresa was more blunt when writing about those facing discouragement in prayer, especially beginners in prayer:

Ah, my Lord! Your help is necessary here; without it one can do nothing (cf. Jn 15:5). In Your mercy do not consent to allow this soul to suffer deception and give up what was begun. (IC II:6)

It will seem to you that you are truly determined to undergo exterior trials, provided that God favors you interiorly. His Majesty knows best what is suitable for us. There’s no need for us to be advising Him about what He should give us, for He can rightly tell us that we don’t know what we’re asking for (cf. Mt 20:22). The whole aim of any person who is beginning prayer—and don’t forget this, because it’s very, very important—should be that he work and prepare himself with determination and every possible effort to bring his will into conformity with God’s will. (IC II:8)

We can have all the determination in the world to be devout, faithful, and persistent in our prayer, but our own devotion, fidelity, and persistence alone are not sufficient. We need the Lord’s guidance. Here, St. Teresa refers to acquiring spiritual directors, but her point is more valid than ever: 

Provided that we don’t give up, the Lord will guide everything for our benefit, even though we may not find someone to teach us. There is no other remedy for this evil of giving up prayer than to begin again; otherwise the soul will gradually lose more each day—and please God that it will understand this fact. (IC II:10)

“Provided that we don’t give up,” Teresa writes. “Whoever flees prayer,” St. John of the Cross echoes, “flees all that is good.”

What is this “all that is good” to which John refers?

This time, we will let him answer the question, by sharing an excerpt from his 8 July 1589 letter to Madre Leonor de San Gabriel in Córdoba. A companion of St. Teresa in founding the monasteries of Beas and Sevilla, Mother Leonor was feeling alone in Córdoba without the companionship of Teresa and the sisters she knew and loved the best. St. John of the Cross wrote a letter to encourage her in her new mission as prioress:

Jesus be in your soul, my daughter in Christ.

Thank you for your letter. And I thank God for having desired to use you in this foundation, since His Majesty has done this in order to bring you greater profit. The more he wants to give, the more he makes us desire—even to the point of leaving us empty in order to fill us with goods. You will be repaid for the goods (the love of your sisters) that you leave behind in Sevilla. Since the immense blessings of God can only enter and fit into an empty and solitary heart, the Lord wants you to be alone. For he truly loves you with the desire of being himself all your company. And Your Reverence will have to strive carefully to be content only with his companionship, so you might discover in it every happiness. Even though the soul may be in heaven, it will not be happy if it does not conform its will to this. And we will be unhappy with God, even though he is always present with us, if our heart is not alone, but attached to something else. (Letter 15)

“He loves you today as He loved you yesterday and will love you tomorrow,” St. Elizabeth wrote, echoing the sentiments of St. John of the Cross. But if God is “always present with us”, how can we become present to God, so that our hearts are alone and not “attached to something else”? 

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection tells us what he did:

Thus, after offering myself entirely to God in atonement for my sins, I renounced for the sake of his love everything other than God, and I began to live as if only he and I existed in the world. Sometimes I considered myself before him as a miserable criminal at his judge’s feet, and at other times I regarded him in my heart as my Father, as my God. I adored him there as often as I could, keeping my mind in his holy presence and recalling him as many times as I was distracted. I had some trouble doing this exercise, but continued in spite of all the difficulties I encountered, without getting disturbed or anxious when I was involuntarily distracted. I was as faithful to this practice during my activities as I was during my periods of mental prayer, for at every moment, all the time, in the most intense periods of my work I banished and rid from my mind everything that was capable of taking the thought of God away from me (Letter 12).

Prayer 

O St. John of the Cross
You were endowed by our Lord with the spirit of self-denial
and a love of the cross.
Obtain for us the grace to follow your example
that we may come to the eternal vision of the glory of God.

O Saint of Christ’s redeeming cross
the road of life is dark and long.
Teach us always to be resigned to God’s holy will
in all the circumstances of our lives
and grant us the special favor
which we now ask of you.

Mention your request

Above all, obtain for us the grace of final perseverance,
a holy and happy death and everlasting life with you
and all the saints in heaven.
Amen.

Let’s continue in prayer

Day 1 — Self-trust
Day 2 — Self-giving
Day 3 — Cleansing
Day 4 — Walking in love
Day 5 — Trust
Day 6 — Prayer
Day 7 — Humility
Day 8 — Eternal Silence
Day 9 — Silent love

The novena prayer was composed from approved sources by Professor Michael Ogunu, a member of the Discalced Carmelite Secular Order in Nigeria.

John of the Cross, St 1991, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, rev. edn, Kavanaugh, K & Rodriguez, O (trans.), ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Teresa of Avila, St 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Kavanaugh, K & Rodriguez, O (trans.), ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2003, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity volume 2: Letters from Carmel, Nash, A (trans.), ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God,  translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.

Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Joseph.

Let us unite in prayer

#beginners #brotherLawrence #brotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #determination #difficulty #discouragement #doctorOfTheChurch #dryness #elizabethCatez #fall #givingUp #godsWill #icsPublications #interiorCastle #johnOfTheCross #journey #letter #letters #loneliness #mentalPrayer #novena #practiceOfThePresenceOfGod #psalms #sabeth #sanJuanDeLaCruz #stElizabethOfTheTrinity #stJohnOfTheCross #stTeresa #stTeresaOfAvila #stTeresaOfJesus #stumble #teresa #way #willOfGod