35 pages • 1-hour read
The Practice of the Presence of God
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Key Figures
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection
The little that is known of Brother Lawrence’s life is found in Part 4 of The Practice of the Presence of God. He was born Nicolas Herman to devout parents and received a religious education. Upon reaching adulthood he joined the French military as a soldier and was taken captive as a spy by German troops. Herman showed unusual courage under questioning, causing him to be released. Later, after being wounded in battle, Herman went home to recover and during his convalescence experienced a religious conversion. He decided at first to become a hermit in the desert, but later changed course and joined a community of Carmelite monks as a lay brother, taking the name Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection.
Brother Lawrence’s 40-year spiritual journey as a monk is described in The Practice of the Presence of God. His student, Joseph de Beaufort stresses that Lawrence’s success in the spiritual life was not immediate, but followed a period of doubt and guilt about his own sinfulness. Eventually, Lawrence found peace by trusting in God’s goodness and mercy. Lawrence took on various roles in the monastery, including as a cook and a shoe repairer, and the text emphasizes his efforts to imbue ordinary tasks with sanctity. According to Beaufort’s account, Lawrence impressed those around him with his humility, spiritual radiance, and service to God and neighbor. He died peacefully on February 12, 1691, at the age of 80. Beaufort published The Practice of the Presence of God the following year.
Joseph de Beaufort
Father Joseph de Beaufort was a 17th-century French abbot and the superior of the Carmelite monastery in which Brother Lawrence lived. Despite being a higher-ranking clergy member, Beaufort was a devoted follower of Larwence’s spiritual teachings. After Lawrence’s death, Beaufort became Lawrence’s biographer, gathering notes, letters, and papers to provide an account of Lawrence’s life and teachings. He originally published The Practice of the Presence of God as Spiritual Maxims in 1692. Beaufort performed Lawrence’s funeral mass and later published his eulogy, providing more personal impressions and details about Lawrence’s life. Later in Beaufort’s career, he became the advisor to the Archbishop of Paris.
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