The Practice of the Presence of God

Although aspects of Brother Lawrence’s life story have been hinted at throughout the text, here, Beaufort presents a complete biography of the monk. Beaufort frames the biography as an account of the life of a saint, or hagiography, even though Lawrence is not a canonized saint. Beaufort considers Lawrence such an extraordinary individual. The phenomenon of sainthood, for Beaufort, is a function of divine providence, in that God “raises up” saints in every era whose gifts are suitable for the times. Beaufort stresses that God’s power is not exhausted; the current era (the 17th century) is no less spiritually fruitful than the early periods of the church. Beaufort thus situates Lawrence, who lived a quiet life confined to a small area, as a significant figure within church history and one with potentially universal appeal.

Beaufort roots Lawrence’s religious career in his childhood and young adult experiences, which prepared for his later life. Lawrence’s religious and moral upbringing paved the way for his later conversion, while the crisis of his wounding as a soldier provided the immediate occasion for the conversion. Lawrence’s courageous behavior in captivity was an example of his already-established moral character, which anticipates his later virtues as a monk, particularly his Spiritual Humility and the Rejection of Ego. Beaufort establishes a link between Lawrence’s military and religious careers by describing the latter as “a more holy profession—fighting under the banner of Jesus Christ” (75). Thus, Beaufort implies that all of Lawrence’s life had been steadily building to this moment under God’s providence. At the same time, Lawrence’s conversion was a means of atoning for his past sins, implying that his pre-conversion life was imperfect and in need of redemption.

Instead of depicting Lawrence’s career as a steady upward climb, Beaufort stresses the detours and stumbles along the way as a source of inspiration in the reader’s own journey. Beaufort makes no secret of Lawrence’s imperfections, in keeping with a traditional view of a saint who has overcome such obstacles in pursuit of a holy life. Lawrence “struggled with serious concerns about his profession, the corruption of the world, man’s instability and infidelity, and the treason of enemies” (76). What allowed Lawrence to conquer these difficulties was his concentration on God’s presence in his life, which led to an inner peace rooted in surrender to God’s will. Thus, Beaufort uses Lawrence’s life story to bolster the main thesis of the book, The Importance of Constant Prayer in Daily Life, concluding that practicing God’s presence despite one’s faults leads to spiritual well-being.

One stumbling block was Lawrence’s choice to live as a hermit in the desert. That seemed to be the holiest, purest path to experiencing God’s presence, but he soon realized that he missed the society of other people. Lawrence found his true religious vocation by embracing the community of a brotherhood, influencing others through his example, and using service as a vehicle for holiness. In particular, he showed how one could offer simple jobs (like cooking or mending shoes) to God. This emphasizes Divine Presence as Lived Experience, as ordinary actions can be powerful means of practicing God’s presence.

Beaufort draws a contrast between Lawrence’s fame as a spiritual teacher and the humility and the “hidden and unknown life” (83) that he sought as a monk. Lawrence’s virtue never turned into vainglory or aloofness; instead, he treated his brothers as equals with an affable, friendly, and open manner. In this way, too, Lawrence exemplified holiness and serves as an example for the reader. Lawrence’s preference for those who were “simpler and less sophisticated” over “the more enlightened” (84) showed his own humility and desire to help others in their spiritual path.