Session 3
Chapters 1-8
We have 16 letters collected and saved by Joseph of Beaufort that Br. Lawrence wrote in the last decade of his life to various friends and acquaintances. His war injury caused him great pain in his last days, so as he wrote these letters his suffering was significant. Even still his practice was steady and his joy was great.
Letter one - Br. Lawrence writes to a nun about his commitment to the practice of the presence of God. He encourages the same commitment in her. He does all that he does for love whether the action is large or small, of little consequence or of great consequence. When he forgets to return to God and Love, God who is Trinity, gently reminds him with little “inner nudges.” He is most likely to forget when he is consumed and busy with ordinary activities. “Nothing else interests him” save “doing, thinking, and saying what pleases Love.”
Letter two - the traditional ways of approaching faith (fear, hope for heaven, the gift of pure love) did not work for Br. Lawrence. Instead he followed a simple two-fold path: surrender himself entirely to God in atonement for his sins, and let go of everything that is less than or other than God day by day. He went through a decade of suffering anxiety and worry and fear. He was consumed with self-conscious thoughts about his sins and shortcomings and all the missteps of his past. At times he felt abandoned by God. The dark night of the spirit seems to have come upon him in this period of his life. Then he made a move - he accepted the reality of all his shortcomings and accepted that he might be burdened with anxiety and worry for the rest of his life. As soon as he entered into this full acceptance he felt “changed all at once” and was filled with the peace of God. From then on he was so surrendered that he wouldn’t do anything at all no matter how small for any reason other than the pure love of God. He still sees himself as guilty of “all sorts of crimes against God” but when this thought comes to mind he simply offers himself to God and immediately feels overwhelmed by God’s kindness as God seats him at the banquet table and serves him. “I think of myself as a stone in front of a sculptor” he writes, “presenting myself in this way I ask to be shaped in God’s loving image in my soul.”
Letter three - Empty the heart entirely of all that is not God, so that God can enjoy the spaciousness of your inner life unencumbered by your attachments. Do this practice for love alone with no consideration for any consolations that may come your way. This is freedom.
Letter four - After years and years of devotion to the practice of the presence of God Brother Lawrence finds that when he is with God in the practice he fears nothing and when he turns away from God he suffers the pains of hell. He encourages the practice over our other devotions which are good as far as they go but too often find us seeking consolation instead of ultimate freedom in love.
Letter five - When I am close to God I fear nothing.
Letter six - “God is infinitely kind” and knows what we need. This letter was written just before the injury in his leg progressed to the point that he was unable to walk. His pain was likely quite severe. His counsel remains the same despite this hardship - practice the presence of God by “a brief lifting of the heart to God, a brief awareness of God, an inner act of affection” even if running with a sword. In other words, no matter what you’re doing even if you’re a soldier running into battle you can practice the presence of God.
Letter seven - Becoming distracted by wandering thoughts is normal. Don’t become discouraged when thoughts wander in and consume your mind because feelings of distress can exacerbate the distraction of the mind further. Instead develop habits of returning the mind to God. It's best to practice the presence of God regularly during the course of the day and the ordinary activities of life, so that the mind becomes accustomed to staying in the paddock of God’s presence like a horse happily and safely confined within good fences set up by her owner.
Letter eight - When he wrote this letter Br. Lawrence was unable to walk due to the severity of his leg injury. His life is drawing to a close as he will die inside of 2 years from the date he wrote this letter. He writes that our only concern in life should be pleasing God. We should love God, he writes, but in order to love someone you must first become acquainted with them. Thus, we spend time with God in order to become acquainted by practicing the presence of God. That is, turning to God with little acts of inner affection and awareness throughout the day. Once acquainted we love God with all our heart and continually turn toward God eventually becoming stabilized in God’s presence.