The Practice of the Presence of God

Part 1 is written in the first person from Beaufort’s point of view and purports to be an account of Brother Lawrence’s teachings and actions. The chapters unfold over a period of time: Chapter 1 states that Beaufort met Brother Lawrence for the first time that day, while the later chapters describe their long-term acquaintance. The chapters are loosely structured and consist of observations about Lawrence’s life and ideas, all revolving around a central cluster of themes. For example, in Chapter 2, Beaufort mixes recollections of Lawrence’s sayings with episodes from the monk’s life that illustrate the sayings. In this way, Beaufort creates a varied narrative, combining religious teaching, moral exhortation, and storytelling. Beaufort’s ultimate purpose in Part 1 is to foster the reader’s spiritual life and devotion through the example of a great spiritual teacher whom he knew closely.

At the same time, the book differs from traditional disciple-authored religious literature in that its subject is presented as ordinary and unheroic. This illustrates the theme of Spiritual Humility and the Rejection of Ego. Beaufort’s narrative makes clear that Brother Lawrence did not lead an eventful or outwardly remarkable life, but that his very humility and devotion to God in the smallest tasks made him special and worthy of emulation. In this way, the narrative serves one of the important goals of Catholic Reformation mysticism: to sanctify the lives of ordinary people. Beaufort uses the example of Brother Lawrence to show how this search for holiness might be carried on a practical level.

Beaufort tailors the book as a practical guide to a lay audience instead of a clerical or scholarly one, which reflects the central theme of Divine Presence as Lived Experience. Both the book as a whole and its sections are brief and succinct, and Beaufort uses simple language throughout, which also reflects the simplicity of Brother Lawrence’s language and message. The initial paragraph of Part 1, with its short sentences and concrete imagery (the parable of the barren tree) is typical of the book’s straightforward style and serves to connect the book with the style of the gospels, which often use analogies and parables to illustrate a spiritual idea. The book’s subsequent parts, with their letters and maxims, also reflect the style of the New Testament. In this way, Beaufort creates a link between his book and the main text of Christianity.

Thematically, Part 1 covers nearly all of the substance of Brother Lawrence’s teaching, particularly The Importance of Constant Prayer in Daily Life. The subsequent chapters consist of restatements of these themes in different formats, giving the section a feeling of circularity and contemplation—similar to the experience of meditation. Beaufort emphasizes repetitiveness as an aspect of Brother Lawrence’s teaching style: “You will tell me that I always say the same thing. What can I say? It is true. I don’t know an easier method, nor do I practice any other, so I advise this one to everybody” (49). The emphasis on returning to the same point, formulated in different ways and considered over time, is analogous to the process of contemplation that Lawrence wants to instill in readers.

For Brother Lawrence, reiteration of a core of basic ideas is key to both the style and substance of his message. Love for and communion with God is the goal of all of human life, and humans should strive to achieve this constantly. By presenting Lawrence’s ideas in a memorable and inspirational format, Beaufort ensures reader interest and comprehension, with an ultimate goal of spiritual transformation along the lines envisioned by Brother Lawrence.