THE PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD, Brother Lawrence
In the heart of 17th-century Paris, behind the cloistered walls of a barefoot Carmelite monastery, lived a man who claimed no learning, held no rank, and sought no recognition. Nicholas Herman—known to the world only as Brother Lawrence—was once a clumsy soldier and an awkward servant, yet through a single winter glimpse of a barren tree, he discovered a secret of the soul that would outlive kings, empires, and centuries. What began as a humble desire to love God in the smallest of tasks grew into a radiant inner life that astonished all who spoke with him. Whether rolling himself over wine casks because of a lame leg, or stirring pots in the clatter of a busy kitchen, Brother Lawrence believed himself no further from God than when kneeling in the silence of prayer—and those who met him swore they saw something heavenly in his countenance. In these intimate conversations and letters—never meant to be public—Lawrence quietly reveals …More