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P.P.G. 

THE PRACTICE OF THE 
PRESENCE OF GOD 

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*~~~~~*~~~~~* 
~ THE ~ 
~ ~ 
~ PRACTICE ~ 
~ OF THE ~ 

i PRESENCE ~ 
~ OF GOD ~ 
~ of ~ 
~ BROTHER LAWRENCE OF THE ~ 
~ RESURRECTION ~ 

~ B arefooted Carmelite "" 

~ ~ 
~ T ranslated by ~ 
~ DONALD ATTWATER ~ 

~ ~ 
~ ~ 
~ ~ 
)f;: ~ 
~ TE~LEGATE ~ 
~ SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS ~ 

*********** 



NIHIL OBSTAT : JACOBUS CANONICUS MOYES, S.T.D. 

CENSOR DEPUTATUS 

IMPRIMATUR: EDM. CAN. SUR MONT 

VICARIUS GENERALIS 

WESTMONASTERII : DIE XXVIII JUNII MCMXXVI 

First published 1926 

This edition 1962 

MADE AND PRINTED IN BELGIUM 
FOR 

BURNS AND OATES 
28, ASHLEY PLACE, LONDON, S.W.I. 

DeacJdfffed 



EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 

I 

THE author of those writings and report-ed conversations generally known as 
The Practice of the Presence of God was born 
at Herimesnil, in Lorraine, about the 
year 1611. His family name was Herman, 
he was christened Nicolas, and he was well 
brought up by his parents, who were reli-
gious folk. At the age of eighteen he be-
came a soldier, but was wounded in a raid 
by the Swedes on the village of Ramber-
villiers, and he had to give up that profes-
sion. For some time he was a footman, but 
his naturally religious tendency, encourag-
ed by the example of an uncle who was a 
Carmelite friar, impelled him towards the 
religious state. 

Several times he attempted the life of a 
hermit, but was soon reduced to such a 
state of spiritual instability and uncertainty 
that he realized that he must submit him-
self to a rule. At last, after a further period 
of irresolution, he offered himself as a lay-
brother to the Discalced Carmelites of Pa-
ris; he was accepted, received the name of 
Lawrence-of-the-Resurrection, and was set 
to work in the kitchen. 



IV EDITOR'S INTROD UCTI ON 

The rest of his life may be found in his 
works . Abbe de Beaufort, vicar general of 
Cardinal de Noailles and chronicler of the 
Conversations, has written of him: "No-
body can paint the saints so well as they 
themselves ... so nothing can bring this 
servant of God more clearly before you than 
his own words spoken in the simplicity. of 
his heart." Br. Lawrence exemplified to a 
remarkable degree "the simplicity that is 
in Christ." He was very careful to avoid 
singularity, and "did not assume that me-
lancholy pious air which only puts off ordi-
nary people; he was not one of those per-
sons who never unbend and who regard 
good manners as incompatible with holi-
ness." De Beaufort tells us that he had a 
frank, open manner that invited confidence. 
"When he knew with whom he was deal-
ing, he spoke freely simply, to the point, 
and with good sense. Behind his rough ap-
pearance there was unusual wisdom, breadth 
of view and keenness." 

The disposition of his heart and inner life 
are made plain in the following pages. "This 
disposition brought him to so great an un-
concern about everything and to so com-
plete a detachment, that it was near to the 
freedom of the Blessed .... Nothing could 



EDITOR' S I NTROD UCTION V 

hold him to earth: his vision was not bound-
ed by time: from long contemplation of 
Him who is eternal, his spirit had become 
as it were timeless." 

He died as he had lived, finding in his last 
and painful illness the long-desired oppor-
tunity to suffer for God. He received the 
last sacraments, surrounded by his Carme-
lite brethren and, in his own words, "bless-
ing God, praising God, worshipping God 
and loving Him with all my heart. That is 
our one business, brethren, to worship Him 
and love Him, without thought of anything 
else." He died at nine o'clock in the morning 
of Monday, February 12, 1691, being about 
eighty years of age. 

Br. Lawrence's was a hidden life; his 
spirit was rapt in God, and his body for 
thirty years employed in the kitchen of a 
Carmelite monastery. Nevertheless, he was 
known to and revered by the whole of Paris. 
And not only by the crowd of nameless and 
poor Christians who, in all ages and places, 
have had such a genius for detecting holi-
ness, but also by the learned, the distin-
guished and the noble, both clerical and lay. 
This is clear from his letters, and from his 
conversations with the vicar-general of the 
Archbishop of Paris. Moreover, he was 



VI EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 

quoted several times by Fenelon ((Euvres, 
ii, 320, 321), whose attention had doubtless 
been drawn to him by the activities of this 
same M. de Beaufort who "tentait de prou-
ver, contre l' evidence, que Ie pur amour du 
F. Laurent est moins excessif que celui de 
Fenelon." * 

II 

For Br. Lawrence's works we depend on 
two books: Maximes spirituelles, fort utiles 
aux ames pieuses pour acquerir la presence de 
Dieu, recueillies de quelques manuscrits du 
Frere Laurent de la Resurrection, religieux 
convers des Carmes dechausses, avec I' abrege 
de la vie de l' auteur et quelques lettres qu'il a 
ecrites Ii des personnes de piere (Paris, 1693: 
Bibliotheque Nationale, cote D 37601); and 
Abbe de Beaufort's Mmurs et Entretiens du 
Frere Laurent de la Resurrection, carme de-
chausse, avec la Pratique de la Presence de 
Dieu, tiree de ses lew·es, Ii Chalons, 1693 
(Bibliotheque Nationale, cote 28,27, 17.)t 

* Histoire litteraire du sentiment religieux en France 
depuis la fin des guerres de religion jusqu'd nos jours. 
Par Henri Bremond, t. vi, pp . 392-4. 

t In the Correspondence of Bousset, t. viii, p. 386, 
inaletter of October 7,1697, there is a reference to the 
MCIlurs et Entretiens, which had been adopted by Ma-
dame Gu yon, and were in bad odour in consequence. 



EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION VII 

In England, as in France, Br. Lawrence 
has endeared himself to many non-Catholic 
Christians. A selection of his Conversations 
and Letters was translated in 1724, and 
since then there have been some twenty 
different editions of selections, most, if not 
all, of them published under non-Catholic 
auspices. The present translation has been 
made from a reprint of the originals, ex-
cluding the BIage du Frere Laurent and de 
Beaufort's introduction to the Mmurs et 
Bntretiens, which, though full of interest 
and containing many sayings of Br. La-
wrence, can hardly be classed among his 
writings. 

"You will not find a merely speculative 
devotion set out in these pages or one which 
can be practised only in the cloister. Every-
one must worship and love God, and this 
duty cannot be properly fufillied unless we 
are bound to Him by a communion of the 
heart which constrains us to run to Him at 
every moment, like little children who can-
not stand upright without help from their 
mother. Such communion is not difficult ; 
on the contrary, it is easy and necessary for 
all, and in it consists that ceaseless prayer 
which St Paul imposes on all Christians. 
Whoever does not practise it or feel the 



VIII EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 

need of it, or appreciate his own inability 
to do what is right, he does not know his 
own self nor what God is nor the continual 
need we all have of Jesus Christ" eM. de 
Beaufort). 

DONALD ATTWATER. 



CONTENTS 

EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 

CONVERSATIONS 

THE FIRST CONVERSATION-August 3, 

PAGE 
iii 

1666 1 
THE SECOND CONVERSATION-Septem-

ber 28, 1666 4 
THE THIRD CONVERSATION-Novem-

ber 22, 1666 II 
THE FOURTH CONVERSATION-Novem-

ber 25, 1667 14 

LETTERS 

I. To A NUN 19 
II. To A NUN 22 

III. To THE SAME 24 
IV. To A WOMAN IN THE WORLD 26 
V. To A RELIGIOUS 28 

VI. To A NUN 33 
VII. To A WOMAN IN THE WORLD 34 

VIII. To A NUN 36 
IX. To THE SAME 38 
X. To A WOMAN IN THE WORLD 40 

XI. To A NUN 41 
XII . . To A NUN 44 

XIII. To A NUN 46 
XIV. To THE SAME 48 
XV. To THE SAME 49 

XVI. To THE SAME 51 



x CONTENTS 

SPIRITUAL MAXIMS 

PAGE 

ON FAITH 53 
NECESSARY PRACTICES FOR ATTAINING 

THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 54 
How WE MUST WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT 

AND IN TRUTH 57 
OF THE UNION OF THE SOUL WITH GOD 59 
OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 60 
MEANS FOR ATTAINING THE PRESENCE OF 

GOD 63 
THE BENEFITS OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 64 



THE PRACTICE OF THE 
PRESENCE OF GOD 

CONVERSATIONS 

THE FIRST CONVERSATION 

August 3, 1666 

THE first time that I saw Br. Lawrence he told me that Almighty God had grant-
ed him an extraordinary grace in his con-
version, which had taken place at the age of 
eighteen, while he was still in the world. 
He told me-

That one winter day he noticed a tree 
stripped of its leaves and reflected that be-
fore long leaves would appear anew, then 
flowers and then the fruit, and that this 
consideration gave him so striking an idea 
of the providence and might of God that it 
had never since been effaced from his soul; 
that this idea had abstracted him altogether 
from the world and kindled in him so great 
a love for God that he was not able to say 
if it had at all increased during the forty 
odd years which had since passed. 



2 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

That he had been footman to M. de 
Fuibert, treasurer of the Exchequer, and 
that he was a big clumsy fellow who smash-
ed everything. 

That he had gone into a monastery, hop-
ing that he would be scarified for his awk-
wardness and for the mistakes he would 
make, and thus offer up his life and his 
happiness to God; but God had disappoint-
ed him, for he had found nothing but con-
tentment, which made him often say to 
Him: "Lord, you have duped me." 

That we should establish ourselves in the 
presence of God, talking always with Him; 
it was an infamous thing to leave His pre-
sence to indulge in follies. 

That we should feed our souls on high 
thoughts of God, and so find great joy in 
being with Him. 

That we ought to quicken our faith. It 
was lamentable that we had so little and 
that, instead of making it the rule of life, 
men gratified themselves with nice little 
devotions which they changed from day to 
day. The way of faith was the mind and 
spirit of the Church, and was able by itself 
to lead us to a high state of perfection. 

That we ought to give ourselves entirely 
to God, whether in temporal or spiritual 



CONVERSATIONS 3 

concerns, and find our happiness in doing 
His will, whether He lead us by the way of 
suffering or by the way of delight, for they 
are all the same to one truly resigned to Him. 

That we must hold fast to faith when 
God tries our love by inflicting times of 
spiritual dryness; it is precisely then that 
we should make good acts of resignation to 
His will, for one such often advances us far 
upon His way. 

That he was not scandalized by the 
wretchedness and iniquity of which he was 
always hearing; on the contrary, when he 
considered the malice of which a sinner was 
capable he was surprised the miseries were 
not greater. He prayed for sinners, but 
knowing that God could remedy their ills 
in His own time he did not grieve unduly. 

That in order to give ourselves to God in 
the measure that He wishes of us, we must 
carefully watch over the impulses of our 
heart, which affect the actions of the soul, 
as well as the actions of the body; and that 
God would give help to this end to those 
who had a real desire to be united to Him. 

That, if I had this desire, I was at liberty 
to come to him, Br. Lawrence, whenever 
I wished, without fear of being a nuisance: 
but without it I ought not to visit him again. 



4 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

THE SECOND CONVERSATION 

September 28, 1666 

Br. Lawrence told me-
That he was always ruled by love, with-

out any other consideration and without 
tormenting himself as to whether he would 
be lost or saved. 

That he had found his resolution to make 
the love of God the end of all his actions 
the only satisfactory one. He was happy 
when he could pick up a straw from the 
ground for the love of God, seeking Him 
alone, nothing else, not even His gifts. 

That it followed from this attitude of 
mind that God gave him endless grace; but 
in accepting the fruit of these graces-
namely, the love that arose out of them-
he had found it necessary to disregard their 
savour, since that was not God; for he knew 
by the Catholic faith that God was im-
measurably greater than this and than any-
thing else that he had felt. By doing thus 
there was brought about a wonderful strug-
gle between God and the soul: God giving, 
and the soul denying that that which she 
received was God. In this contest the soul 
was made so strong by faith as to be strong-



CONVERSA nONS 5 
er than God, * since He was never able to 
give so much that she could not deny that 
what He had given was Himself. 

That his ecstasy and rapt were only those 
of a soul which toyed with such favours 
(instead of disregarding them entirely) and 
then went on to God Himself. Beyond a 
natural wonder, one must not be intoxicated 
by such things; God alone is the teacher. 

That God rewarded whatever he had 
done for Him so quickly and so liberally 
that he had sometimes wished he could hide 
his deeds from Him so that, receiving no 
reward, he would have the privilege of do-
ing something entirely for God. 

That he had been very greatly troubled 
in mind by a belief that he would certainly 
be damned; all the men in the world could 
not have altered his conviction, but he rea-
soned about it in this way: "I undertook 
the religious life for the love of God only, 
and 1 have tried to live only for Him; 
whether 1 am lost or saved, 1 want simply 
to go on living entirely for God; 1 shall have 

* This passage is not to be taken literally, but as a 
r hetorical or m ys tical way of expressing the balance 
of spiritual forces. Needless to say, nothing is 
stronger than God, and there can be no r eal con-
test between faith and any other grace which God 
inspires.-Tr. 
2P.~.G. 



6 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

this good at least, that I shall have done all 
that I could to love Him until death." He 
had been so troubled for four years and had 
suffered greatly, but since then he had wor-
ried about neither Heaven nor Hell, and his 
life was completely free and happy. He put 
his sins between God and himself, to show 
Him how little he deserved His favours: but 
God none the less continued them, some-
times taking him as it were by the hand, 
and leading him before the whole court of 
Heaven, that all might see the wretch He 
was pleased to honour. 

That perseverance is required at first in 
making a habit of converse with God and 
of referring all we do to Him, but after a 
little His love moves us to it without any 
difficulty. 

That he expected a meed of grief and 
suffering after the consolations which God 
had given him, but he had not worried about 
it, knowing that, since he could do nothing 
for himself, God would not fail to give him 
strength to bear whatever should come. 

That when there was a chance of exer-
cising some virtue he always said to God: 
"Lord, I cannot do that unless you enable 
me," and that then he was given the strength 
required, and more. 



CONVERSA nONS 7 

That when he was at fault he simply ad-
mitted it and said to God: "I shall never do 
otherwise if you leave me to myself; it is for 
you to prevent my falling and to correct 
what is wrong. " He then felt assured of 
God's forgiveness, and did not let the fail-
ing prey on his mind. 

That we ought to act very simply towards 
God, speaking frankly to Him, and asking 
His help in things as they occurred; in his 
experience, God never failed to give it. 

That he had been sent lately into Bur-
gundy to buy wine. This was a very hard 
job for him, as he was no good at business, 
and, furthermore, was lame in one leg, so 
that he could only get about the boat by 
sliding from cask to cask. However, he 
worried neither about this nor about his 
purchase; he told God that it was His busi-
ness he was on: and he found that every-
thing went well. He had been sent into 
Auvergne the previous year on a like er-
rand; he did not know how the business 
had been done: but done it was, and very 
well done. 

It was the same in the kitchen, from which 
he had by nature a very strong aversion: 
having accustomed himself to do everything 
t here for the love of God, always praying 



8 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

for the grace to get through his work, he 
had found it quite easy all the fifteen years 
he had been engaged there. 

That he was then in the cobbler's work-
shop and enjoyed it, but that he was ready 
to leave that job too, since he was glad to 
do any sort of work for the love of God. 

That with him the time of prayer was not 
different from any other; he had set times 
for it, which the Father Prior had appoint-
ed, but he neither wanted nor asked for 
them, for the most absorbing work did not 
divert him from God. 

That, since he knew he must love God 
in all things and endeavoured to do so, he 
had no need of a director, but a great need 
of his confessor to absolve him. He was 
very much aware of his sins, but was not 
discouraged by them. He confessed them 
to God and did not ask Him to excuse them, 
and when he had done so he returned in peace 
to his ordinary business oflove and worship. 

That he had not consulted anybody about 
his difficulties; but knowing by the light of 
faith that God only was present he directed 
all his actions towards Him, come what 
would, and that he was willing gladly to 
lose all for the love of God, for that love 
is all-sufficing. 



CONVERSA TIONS 9 

That our thoughts spoil everything, all 
the trouble begins with them. We must be 
careful to reject them immediately we see 
that they are neither necessary to our occu-
pation at the moment nor conducive to our 
salvation, and return to our communion 
with God, wherein is our only good. 

That at first his prayer had consisted en-
tirely in rejecting distractions and falling 
into them again. 

That he had never been able to pray ac-
cording to a pattern, as some do. At first 
he had used vocal prayer for a time, but the 
practice had left him in a way he could not 
account for. 

That he had asked to remain a novice 
always, as he did not believe that anyone 
would want to profess him, and it seemed 
impossible that his novitiate was over. 

That he was not bold enough to ask God 
for mortifications, nor did he desire them. 
But he knew well enough that he deserved 
them, and that when God sent them He 
would also send him the grace to sustain 
them. 

That all penitential practices and other 
mortifications were only useful in so far as 
they promoted union with God through 
love. He had given much thought to this, 



10 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

and was persuaded that the shortest way to 
come to God was by a continual exercise of 
love, doing all things for His sake. 

That we ought to make a careful distinc-
tion between acts of the understanding and 
those of the will, for the first were of little 
account when compared with the second. 
Our business is simply to love and be happy 
in God. 

That all possible mortifications would not 
serve to blot out a single sin, unless they 
were grounded in the love of God. We 
ought patiently to await the remission of 
our sins through the precious blood of our 
Lord, simply trying to love Him with all 
our hearts. God seemed to choose to be-
stow His greatest graces on those who had 
been the greatest sinners, for they showed 
forth His loving kindness even more than 
those who had grown up in innocence. 

That he gave thought neither to death 
nor to his sins, neither to Heaven nor to 
Hell, but only to the doing of small things 
for the love of God-small things because 
he was incapable of big ones. He need 
trouble no further, for whatever came after 
would be according to God's will. 

That the greatest sufferings and joys of 
the world could not be compared with those 



CONVERSATIONS II 

which he had experienced in the spiritual 
life, so that he feared nothing and asked 
nothing, except that he might not offend 
God. 

That he had hardly any scruples, for 
"Wh~n I see that I am at fault I admit it 
and say: 'That is just like me; I can do 
nothing right by myself'; when I do not fail, 
I acknowledge that it is God's doing and 
give thanks to Him." 

THE THIRD CONVERSATION 

November 22, 1666 

Br. Lawrence told me-
That the foundation of his spiritual life 

had been a high idea and conception by 
faith of God: which, when he had once 
grasped it, he had at first only to cling to, 
excluding all other considerations, in order 
that he might do all his deeds for the love 
of God. When sometimes a considerable 
period went by without his thinking about 
Him, he did not disquiet himself, but 
acknowledged his wretchedness and return-
ed to God with the more confidence for 
having experienced such sadness when he 
forgot Him. 



12 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

That God is indeed honoured by the 
trust that we put in Him and fulfils it with 
graces. 

That it was impossible, not only that God 
should deceive, but also that He should per-
mit suffering for any length of time to a 
soul entirely given up to Him and deter-
mined to suffer all things for Him. 

That he had now attained a state wherein 
he thought only of God. If some other 
thought or a temptation intruded, he felt it 
coming, and, such was his experience of 
God's prompt help, that sometimes he al-
lowed it to approach until it was almost 
upon him, when he turned to God and it 
disappeared at once. For the same reason, 
when he had business to do, he did not 
think of it beforehand; but when it was 
time to do it God showed him, as in a mir-
ror, how it should be done. For some time 
he had followed this plan of not anticipating 
difficulties; but before his experience of 
God's help in such matters he had been 
troubled when looking forward to them. 

That he did not reflect upon those things 
which were over and done, and even scarce-
ly adverted to that which he was actually 
doing, and after a meal he did not know 
what he had eaten. He did all, in his own 



CONVERSA nONS 13 

simple way, for love of God, thanking Him 
for directing his actions and making many 
other "acts"; but all quite simply, in such 
a manner as to maintain himself in the lov-
ing presence of God. 

That when outside occupation diverted 
his mind a little from God, some reminder 
from Him would seize his soul, giving it so 
strong a sense of God and so kindling it 
t hat he sometimes cried aloud, singing and 
dancing like a lunatic. 

That he was more united with God dur-
ing his ordinary activities than in religious 
exercises, in which he was generally afflict-
ed with spiritual dryness. 

That he expected before long some trou-
ble of body or mind, and the worst would 
be to lose that sense of God which he had 
had so long; but the goodness of God as-
sured him that He would not forsake him 
utterly, and would give him strength to 
bear whatever evil He might allow to hap-
pen to him; therefore he feared nothing and 
had no need to consult anybody about his 
spiritual state. When he had tried to do so,. 
he had always come away more perplexed 
than before, and so, as he knew he was pre-
pared to die and be lost for the love of God, 
he had no qualms about it. To abandon 



14 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

oneself entirely to God was a sure way and 
on it was always sufficient light whereby to 
go forward. 

That in the beginning of the spiritual life 
it was necessary to act faithfully, and re-
nounce one's own will, but after that there 
were joys indescribable. In times of diffi-
culty we need only turn to Jesus and ask for 
His grace, with which all things become 
easy. 

That many souls get stuck among systems 
and particular devotions and neglect that 
love which is their real end. This can be 
seen at once in their works, and is the reason 
why we see so little solid virtue. 

That neither skill nor knowledge is re-
quired to enable us to go to God, but just a 
heart determined to turn to Him only, to 
beat for Him only, and to love Him only. 

THE FOURTH CONVERSATION 

November 25, 1667 

Brother Lawrence spoke to me, openly 
and with deep fervour, about his way of go-
ing to God, of which I have already related 
somewhat. 



CONVERSATIONS 15 
He told me that it consists in one good 

act of renunciation of all those things which 
we recognize do not lead to God, so that 
we may accustom ourselves to a continual 
communion with Him, a communion de-
void both of vagueness and of artifice. We 
need only to realize that God is close to us 
and to turn to Him at every moment, to ask 
for His help to learn His will in doubtful 
things, and to do gladly those which we 
clearly perceive He requires of us, offering 
them to Him before we begin, and giving 
Him thanks when they have been finished 
for His honour. 

That in this uninterrupted communion 
we are unceasingly occupied in praising, 
worshipping and loving God for His infi-
nite goodness and perfection. 

That we ought confidently to beseech 
His grace, not regarding our sins, but rely-
ing upon the infinite merits of our Lord. 
He had sensibly experienced that God never 
fails to offer His grace at our every action; 
but we do not perceive it when our minds 
have wandered from God, or if we have 
forgotten to ask His aid. 

That in times of doubt God will always 
enlighten us, provided that we wish only 
t o please Him and act for His love. 



r6 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

That our sanctification does not depend 
upon certain works, but upon doing for 
God that which we ordinarily do for our-
selves. It was sad to see that so many people 
mistake the means for the end, who for 
reasons of human respect attach great im-
portance to works which they do very 
imperfectly. 

That he found the best way of reaching 
God was through those ordinary occupa-
tions which (so far as he was concerned) he 
received under obedience: doing them for 
the love of God and with as little regard for 
human respect as possible. 

That it was a great delusion to imagine 
that prayer-time should be different from 
any other, for we are equally bound to be 
united to God by work at work-time as by 
prayer at prayer-time. 

That his prayer was simply to realize the 
presence of God, at which time his soul 
was unconscious of aught else but love; and 
afterwards he found scarcely any difference, 
for he continued with God, praising and 
blessing Him with all his might. And so he 
passed his life in unbroken joy; yet hoping 
that God would give him somewhat to suf-
fer when he should grow stronger. 

That we ought once and for all to make 



CONVERSATIONS 17 

an act of faith in God that He would not 
delude us, and so make a complete surren-
der to Him. 

That we ought not to get tired of doing 
little things for the love of God, because 
He looks at the love rather than the work. 
And we need not be surprised at our fre-
quent failures at first; the time will come 
when we shall make our acts naturally and 
with gladness. 

That in order to submit entirely to the 
will of God, faith, hope and charity alone 
are necessary. Other considerations are un-
important and only to be used as a bridge 
to be passed over quickly on the way to 
abnegation, by confidence and love, in the 
Origin of all things. 

That all things are possible to him who 
believes, less difficult to him who hopes, 
still less difficult to him who loves, and 
easiest of all to him who perseveres in all 
three virtues. 

That the end we ought to propose to our-
selves in this life is to become as good wor-
shippers of God as we possibly can, as we 
hope to be His perfect worshippers for all 
eternity. 

That when we enter upon the spiritual 
life we ought to consider in detail what 



18 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

manner of folk we are. We shall then find 
ourselves worthy of contempt, unworthy of 
the name of Christ: subject to all sorts of 
distress, and to numberless mischances 
which upset us and make us unreliable in 
our health, our temper and our dispositions, 
whether internal or public-in fact, people 
whom God must humiliate by pain and 
trials both within and without. Is it then to 
be wondered at that we experience crosses, 
temptations, opposition, contradiction, at 
the hands of our fellow men? Ought we not 
rather to submit to them, bearing them so 
long as God may please, as things which 
are really to our advantage? The greater 
the perfection to which a soul ;;lspires, the 
more dependent it is upon divine grace. 



LETTERS FROM BROTHER 
LAWRENCE TO SEVERAL 

RELIGIOUS AND HOLY 
PERSONS 

FIRST LETTER 

To a N un 

I TAKE this opportunity of acquainting you ' with the opinions of one of our friars 
upon the consequences and helps that have 
resulted from his practice of the presence 
of God. Let us both profit by t hem. 

You know that his principal aim during 
more than forty years "in religion" has 
been to be always with God and neither to 
do, say nor think anything which might 
displease Him: and this without any other 
object but love, the most meritorious of 
considerations. 

He has now made such a habit of this 
practice that he receives divine assistance at 
all times and places; and for about thirty 
years his soul has been excited by interior 
joys, so continuous and so overpowering 
that, to prevent them being manifest out-
wardly, he has had t o take refuge in be-

-::...::::;:--=...'-



20 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

haviour that savours more of silliness than 
of sanctity. 

If at times he gives way to distractions, 
God at once recalls him to His presence, 
often while he is engaged in his ordinary 
duties. He responds at once to these spiri-
tual entreaties, either by a lifting-up of the 
heart to God, or by a loving gaze upon 
Him, 'or by such words as love may suggest: 
"See, my God, I am wholly yours", "Lord, 
make me pleasing to your heart." There-
upon it appears to him that the God of love 
is satisfied with these few words and again 
rests within his soul. Such experiences so 
persuade him that God may always be 
found in the depths of the soul that he has 
no doubt whatever about it in any circum-
stances. 

You may judge by this, reverend Mother, 
what happiness and content is his. Having 
so inestimable a treasure within himself he 
is no longer troubled by the necessity of 
seeking and finding; it is always there, for 
him to take whenever he pleases. 

He often complains of our blindness, ex-
claiming at our piteousness in that we are 
satisfied with so little. God, he says, has 
infinite treasure to bestow, and we are satis-
fied by a passing moment of devout feeling; 



LETTERS 21 

we are blind, and our blindness stays the 
hand of God when He would pour out 
abundance of grace. But when He finds a 
soul imbued with a living faith He floods it 
with grace which, like a stream dammed up 
and finding a new outlet, spreads abundant 
waters far and wide. 

Yes, indeed, we often stop these healing 
waters by our indifference to them. Let us 
check their course no longer, my dear 
Mother; let us go down into them, destroy 
the bank, and make a way for grace; let us 
atone for lost time; maybe we have but 
little longer to live; death is never far away, 
we die once only, let us be prepared. 

Again I say, let us go into these waters 
ourselves; time flies by and waits not, and 
every man is responsible for himself. I be-
lieve that you have taken such effectual 
measures that you will not be taken un-
awares; you do well, for that is our business 
in life. Nevertheless we must go on work-
ing, because not to advance in the spiritual 
life is to go back. But those on whom the 
Holy Spirit has breathed go forward even 
when they sleep. If the vessel of our soul be 
still battered by winds and storms, let us 
wake the Lord who sleeps therein, and He 
will quickly calm the waves. 



22 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

I have taken the liberty, my dear Mother, 
to express these ideas to you so that you 
may compare them with your own. They 
will serve to kindle and inspire yours if by 
mischance (which God forbid, for it would 
be indeed a misfortune) they should have 
cooled, be it ever so little. Let us then both 
recall our first enthusiasm and profit by the 
example and wisdom of this friar who, so 
little known to the world, is so well-beloved 
and cherished of God. I will pray for you; 
will you pray diligently for him who is, 
reverend Mother, yours in our Lord, etc. 

From PARIS, 
June I, 1682. 

SECOND LETTER 

To a Nun 

I have to-day received two books and a 
letter from Sister N --whose profession is 
approaching and who, on that account, asks 
the prayers of your good community and 
your own in particular. Do not disappoint 
her, for she impresses on me that she has a 
very great confidence in them. Ask of God 
that she may make her sacrifice for His love 



LETTERS 23 

alone and with a firm resolve to give herself 
entirely to Him. I will send you one of the 
books, which treats of the presence of God, 
wherein, in my opinion, is the whole spiri-
tuallife; it seems to me that whoever prac-
tises it properly must soon excel in virtue. 

I am convinced that for the right practice 
of it the heart must be empty of all other 
things, for God wishes to possess it alone. 
And as He cannot occupy it alone without 
it is empty of all that is not Himself, so He 
cannot act there and do in it whatever He 
pleases. 

There is no life in the world happier or 
more full of delight than one of continual 
communion with God-they only can realize 
it who have practised and experienced it. But 
I do not urge you to it for that reason. We 
ought not to seek consolations from this 
practice, but to undertake it for love and 
because God wills it. 

If I were a preacher, I would preach no-
thing else but the practice of the presence 
of God. If I were a director, I would re-
commend it to everybody: so necessary and 
even so easy do I believe it to be. 

If we knew the need we have of God's grace 
and aid, we should not lose sight of Him 
even for a second. Believe me, and at once 



24 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

make a holy and firm resolve never again 
wilfully to forget Him, and to spend the 
rest of your days in His sacred presence, 
without, if He so wills, a single consolation 
of Heaven or of earth. Set about this work 
and, if you do it properly, you may be sure 
that you will soon see some results; I will 
help you with my poor prayers. I recom-
mend myself earnestly to yours and to those 
of your good nuns, being theirs and, more 
particularly, 

Yours, etc. 

THIRD LETTER 

To the Same 

I received from Miss N-- the rosaries 
which you gave her for me. I am surprised 
that you have not given me your views upon 
the book that I sent you, which you must 
have had by now. Set yourself heartily to 
the practice of it in your old age; it is better 
late than never. 

I cannot understand how religious people 
are able to live satisfied without the practice 
of the presence of God. For myself, so far 
as I am able, I keep apart, holding Him in 
my soul, and while I am so with Him I fear 



LETTERS 25 

nothing. But the least turning-away is a hell. 
This exercise does not wear out the body, 
and it is well from time to time, and even 
often, to deny ourselves harmless and per-
missible relaxations. For when a soul wants 
to be devoted entirely to Him, God will not 
suffer it to have any other delights. That is 
only what we should reasonably expect. 

I do not mean that it is necessary to re-
strain oneself immoderately. No. We must 
serve God in a holy freedom, going about 
our business carefully, but without distress 
or anxiety, recalling the mind to God quietly 
and calmly whenever we find it wandering. 

It is necessary, however, to put our whole 
trust in God, laying aside all other interests 
and even some of those particular devotions 
which, though good in themselves, we 
sometimes engage in ill-advisedly. They are 
only means to an end, and when, by this 
exercise of the presence of God, we are 
with Him who is our end, it is useless to 
have recourse to the means. Rather may we 
continue our communion of love with Him, 
rejoicing in His holy presence: at one time 
by an act of worship, of praise, of desire; 
at another, by an act of resignation, or of 
thanksgiving, or by any other means to 
which we may be moved. 



26 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

Do not be discouraged by the distaste 
which you will feel on your human side; 
you must deal firmly with that. Often at 
first one thinks that it is a waste of time; 
but you must go on, making up your mind 
to persevere in it until death, whatever the 
difficulties may be. I recommend myself to 
the prayers of your community and to your 
own in particular. 

From PARIS, 

I am, in our Lord, 
Yours, etc. 

November 3, 1685· 

FOURTH LETTER 

To a Woman in the World 

I have great sympathy for you. If you can 
manage to leave the responsibility for your 
affairs to Mr and Mrs N--, and occupy 
yourself only with prayer, you will have 
done something worth doing. God does not 
ask much of us: a thought of Him from 
time to time, or an act of worship; some-
times to pray for His grace, sometimes to 
offer up your sufferings, sometimes to thank 
Him for His goodness to you, past and 



LETTERS 27 

present; and to comfort yourself with 
thoughts of Him as often as you can. Lift 
up your heart to Him sometimes when you 
are at meals or in society; the least little 
remembrance will always be pleasing to 
Him. There is no need to cry very loudly, 
for He is nearer to us than we think. 

To be with God it is not necessary to be 
always in church. We may make a chapel 
of our heart whereto we may escape from 
time to time to talk with Him quietly, hum-
bly and lovingly. Everyone is capable of 
such close communion with God, some 
more, some less; He knows what we can do. 
Begin then; perhaps He is waiting for a 
single generous resolution. Have courage. 
There is but little time to live; you are near-
ly sixty-four, and I am almost eighty. Let 
us live and die with God; sufferings will be 
sweet and pleasant to us while we are with 
Him, and the greatest pleasures a cruel 
affliction without Him. May He blessed 
by all. Amen. 

Little by little, than, get used to wor-
shipping Him in this way; imploring His 
grace, offering Him your heart sometimes 
during the day, very often in the course of 
your work if you are able to. Do not hamper 
yourself with set rules or forms of devotion, 



28 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

but go on with faith, with love and with 
humility . You may assure Mr and Mrs 
N-- and Miss M-- of my poor prayers; 
I am their servant and yours in our Lord. 

BROTHER, etc. 

FIFTH LETTER 

To a Religious 

I have not found my way of life dealt 
with in books, and although I am in no dif-
ficulties, I should like to have your opinion 
about it as a further security. 

In conversation some days ago with a re-
ligious man, he told me that the spiritual 
life was a life of grace, which begins in a 
lowly fear, is increased by the hope of eter-
nal life, and is consummated in pure love: 
and that each one of these states has its 
different stages, by which the blissful con-
summation is reached. 

I have by no means followed these stages; 
on the contrary, I found from the first that 
they discouraged me, I know not why. It 
was for this reason that, when I entered 
religion, I resolved to give myself entirely 
to God in satisfaction for my sins and to 
renounce everything for love of Him. 



LETTERS 29 

During the first years my prayer was 
ordinarily meditation on death, judgement, 
Hell, Heaven, and my own sins. Thus I 
continued for some years, applying my 
mind carefully for the rest of the day, even 
during my work, to the presence of God, 
whom I knew always to be near me and 
often closely united with me. (This practice 
so heightened my notions of God that only 
faith was able to satisfy them.) Gradually 
I came to do the same thing during my 
set time of prayer, with great felicity and 
refreshment to myself. That is how I began. 

I must tell you, however, that I suffered 
a good deal during the first ten years; the 
fear that I was not so devoted to God as 
I wished to be, the thought of my sins 
always before me, the unmerited goodness 
of God to me, all contributed to my dis-
quiet. I kept on falling and struggling up 
again. It seemed to me that man, reason 
and God Himself were against me, and that 
only faith was for me. I was tortured, some-
times, by a fear of presumption, that I had 
claimed to achieve at once that which others 
attained only with difficulty: at other times, 
by the fancy that I was deliberately damning 
myself and that there was no salvation for 
me. 



30 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

When I became resigned to live out my 
days amid such adversity and dejection 
(which did not lessen my trust in God, but 
rather increased my faith), I suddenly found 
myself changed. A great inward peace took 
hold of my troubled soul, my mind was 
brought to a focus in a place of peace. 

Since then I have walked before God in 
simplicity and faith, in humility and love, 
trying hard to do nothing, to say nothing, 
to think nothing that would displease Him. 
I hope that when I have done all I can, He 
will do with me according to His will. I can-
not explain to you what goes on in me now. 
I have no troubles or doubts about my 
state, because I have no wish but God's 
will, which I try to fulfil in all things; I want 
not to pick up a straw from the ground ex-
cept in accordance with God's order and 
for sheer love of Him. 

I have given up all devotions and pieties 
which are not of obligation, and instead try 
to keep myself always in God's holy pre-
sence by simple attentiveness and a loving 
gaze upon Him. This I may call the actual 
presence of God, or to speak more accurate-
ly, an habitual, silent and hidden commu-
nion of the soul with H im. I receive such 
peace and spiritual joy, which sometimes 



LETTERS 31 

manifests itself outwardly, that I often have 
to behave with apparent foolishness lest 
others should see how I am privileged. 

Indeed, reverend Father, I cannot doubt 
that my soul has been with God for over 
thirty years. I have ignored many points lest 
I should bore you, but I think it proper to 
explain to you how I think of myself in 
relation to God, whom I conceive as my 
king. 

I look upon myself as a leper, full of cor-
ruptions, the most wretched of men who 
has done all sorts of wickedness against his 
king. Seized by remorse, I confess all my 
evil deeds to Him, I implore His pardon, I 
cast myself into His hands that He may do 
what He wills with me. But this King is full 
of loving kindness and mercy. Instead of 
punishing me, He caresses me lovingly, He 
makes me eat at His table, He serves me 
with His ,own hands, He gives me the keys 
to His treasury, He treats me as a favoured 
child. He talks with me, and His delight is 
to be with me in a thousand ways; I am 
forgiven and my iniquities are taken away 
without talking about them. The more I 
pray to be acceptable to His heart, the more 
weak and despicable I seem to myself, and 
the more I am beloved of God. It is thus 



32 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

that I look upon myself from time to time 
in His holy presence. 

My most usual method is simple atten-
tiveness and a loving gaze upon God, to 
whom I often feel united with more hap-
piness and gratification than those of a baby 
at its mother's breast. Indeed, such is the 
inexpressible felicity I have experienced 
that I would willingly dare to call this state 
"the breasts of God." 

When my thoughts are diverted, either 
by necessity or weakness, I am at once re-
called by spiritual notions so sweet and en-
trancing that I do not care to speak of them. 
But I implore you, reverend Father, to con-
sider my great imperfections, of which you 
are well aware, rather than the graces which 
God has showered upon my undeserving 
and unthankful soul. 

My regular hours of prayer are a conti-
nuation of the same exercise. I then some-
times picture myself as a piece of stone, of 
which a mason is to make a statue; present-
ing myself thus before God, I ask Him to 
make His image perfect in my soul, and to 
render me entirely like to Himself. At other 
times I feel my whole soul and spirit up-
lifted without any solicitude or effort on 
my part; and so it remains, as it were sus-



LETTERS 33 
pended and held in God as in its centre and 
place of rest. 

I know that some people attribute inacti-
vity, delusion and self-love to this state. I 
admit there is a holy inactivity, and a happy 
self-love if the soul were capable of it under 
such conditions, because while in this state 
the soul is not concerned to make those acts 
which she has made hitherto. They were 
then a help; now they are a hindrance. 

On the other hand, I cannot bear that this 
state should be called delusive, because the 
soul which thus enjoys God desires from it 
nought but Him. If! am deluded, then it is 
for God to remedy it that He may do as He 
wishes with me; I only want Him and to be 
His. However, you will favour me by letting 
me know your opinion, for which I have 
much respect in accordance with the esteem 
in which I hold yourself. 

And I am, reverend Father, 
Yours, etc. 

SIXTH LETTER 

To a Nun 

Although my prayers are of little worth, 
you shall not be without them; I promised 
t hem to you and I shall keep my word. We 



34 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

should indeed be happy could we but find 
the treasure of which the Gospel speaks; 
everything else would appear worthless. 
Seeing that it is boundless, the more we 
seek, the more shall we find, so let us give 
ourselves up to the search without weary-
ing, until we are successful. ( He refers to 
several business matters and then goes on). In 
fact, reverend Mother, I do not know what 
I shall become. Peace of soul and tranquillity 
of spirit seem to have come to abide with 
me. If I were capable of suffering there 
would be none for me to have, and if! were 
allowed I would gladly submit to those of 
Purgatory, where I look forward to suffer 
in satisfaction for my sins. I only know that 
God protects me and that I am so tranquil 
that I fear nothing. What is there to fear 
when I am with Him? I cling to Him as 
much as I am able. May He be blessed by all. 

Yours, etc. 

SEVENTH LETTER 

To a Woman in the World 

We have a God of infinite goodness who 
knows what we need. I always thought that 
He would permit great affliction to you. He 



LETTERS 35 
will come in His own time and when you 
least expect Him. Hope in Him more than 
ever; thank Him with me for the kindnesses 
He does you, particularly for the fortitude 
and patience which He gives you in your 
trials. That is a sure sign of His care for 
you; thank Him, then, and take comfort in 
Him. 

I admire, too, the strength and pluck of 
Mr N--. God has given him a good 
disposition and a good will, but he is still 
a little worldly and very youthful. I hope 
that the trial God has sent him will prove 
a wholesome medicine, and make him enter 
into himself. It is a chance to induce him 
to put his whole trust in Him who is with 
him everywhere; he should think upon Him 
as often as he can, especially in the greatest 
dangers. 

A little lifting-up of the heart is enough; 
a short remembrance of God, an interior 
act of worship, made in haste and sword in 
hand, are prayers which, short as they may 
be, are nevertheless most pleasing to God; 
and far from lessening a soldier's courage in 
moments of danger, they increase it. Let 
him then think of God as much as he can: 
let him accustom himself little by little to 
this brief but salutary exercise; nobody no-



36 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

tices it, and nothing is easier than to repeat 
short acts of worship often during the day. 
Recommend him, if you please, to think of 
God as often as he can in the way I have 
explained: it is a most fitting and necessary 
observance for a soldier, daily in danger of 
his life, and even of his salvation. I pray that 
God will watch over him and all his family, 
whom I greet, being their and your very 
humble, etc. 

October 12, 1688. 

EIGHTH LETTER 

To a Nun 

You tell me nothing new: you are not the 
only person troubled by distractions. The 
mind is given to roving, but the will is 
mistress of all our faculties, and must recall 
it and redirect it to its last end in God. 

When the mind is untrained and has got 
into bad habits of wandering and dissipa-
tion, they are most difficult to overcome, 
and frequently draw us, against our wills, 
to the things of earth. I believe that one 
remedy is to confess our faults, humbling 
ourselves before God. I advise you to avoid 



LETTERS 37 

much talking in prayer; long speeches often 
induce distractions. Hold yourself in prayer 
before God like a dumb or paralysed beggar 
at a rich man's gate; rivet your attention on 
keeping your mind in the presence of the 
Lord. If it wanders away from Him, don't 
get upset; to worry about it serves rather 
to distraction than to recollection: let the 
will bring back the mind quietly. If you 
p,ersevere in this way, God will have pity 
on you. 

One way of becoming recollected easily 
at the time of prayer, and of remaining so, 
is to keep the mind under control at other 
times-that is, keep it strictly in the pre-
sence of God. Being accustomed to think of 
Him often, it will then be more easy to 
remain undisturbed in prayer, or at any 
rate to recover from distractions. I have 
spoken fully in my other letters of the bene-
fits to be found in this practise of the pre-
sence of God. Let us apply ourselves to it 
wholeheartedly, and pray for one another; 
I recommend myself also to the prayers of 
Sister N--, and of the reverend Mother 
M--, and am, in our Lord, your humble, 
etc. 

3 P,P.G. 



38 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

NINTH LETTER 

To the Same 

I enclose a reply to the letter I have re-
ceived from our good Sister N--; have 
the kindness to give it to her. She seems to 
me full of good will, but she wants to go 
faster than grace. One cannot become holy 
all at once. I recommend her to you; we 
ought to help one another with advice, and 
still more by good example. Be so good as 
to tell me news of her from time to time, 
and whether she is very ardent and very 
submissive. 

Let us remind ourselves often, my dear 
Mother, that our only concern in this life 
is to please God, and that everything else 
is only a vain waste of time. You and I have 
lived more than forty years in religion. 
Have we used them to love and serve God, 
who, in His mercy, has called us to our 
state for that end? I am ashamed and dis-
gusted when I reflect, on the one hand, 
upon the great graces which God has grant-
ed, and still grants me; and, on the other, 
upon the ill-use I have made of them and 
upon my poor progress in the way of per-
fection. 



LETTERS 39 

Since by His mercy He gives us still a 
little time, let us begin in earnest, let us 
make up for lost time, let us again turn with 
complete trust to that Father of mercies 
who is always ready to receive us affection-
ately. For love of Him, my dear Mother, let 
us give up, let us whole-heartedly give up, 
all that is not of Him. His due is infinitely 
more. Let us think upon Him without inter-
mission. Let us put our whole confidence 
in Him. Without doubt we shall soon feel 
the effects of so doing, and shall receive a 
plentifulness of that grace without which 
we can do nothing but sin. 

We cannot avoid the perils and snares of 
which life is full without the actual and un-
ceasing help of God; we must then pray for 
it unremittingly. How can we pray to Him 
u nless we are with Him? How can we be 
with Him unless we are often thinking of 
H im? And how can we think of Him often 
u nless we make a holy habit of so doing? 
You will tell me that I keep on saying the 
same thing. It is true. I do not know any 
better or easier way; and as I follow no 
other myself I recommend it to everybody. 
We must know before we can love; and to 
know God we must often think about Him. 
And when we love Him, we shall think 



40 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

about Him all the more, "for where thy 
treasure is, there is thy heart also." Just 
consider it carefully. 

Your very humble, etc. 
March 28, 1689. 

TENTH LETTER 

To a Woman in the World 

I have had a good deal of difficulty in 
making up my mind to write to Mr N--, 
and I only do it now because it is the wish 
of yourself and Mrs N--. Be so good, 
then, as to address the letter and send it to 
him. I am well pleased with the trust you 
have in God; may He ever increase it, for 
we cannot put too much of it in so good and 
faithful friend, who will never fail us either 
in this world or the next. 

If Mr N-- can tum his recent loss to 
his own advantage and trust completely in 
God, He will soon give him another friend, 
and one more powerful and better disposed. 
God deals with hearts as . He pleases. Per-
haps Mr N-- was attached to him whom 
he has lost in too worldly and inordinate a 
way. We ought, indeed, to love our friends, 
but without prejudice to the love of God, 
which comes first. 



LETTERS 41 
Do remember what I have advised you= 

that is, to think often of God, by day, by 
night, whatever you are doing, in your 
duties, even in your amusements. He is 
always near you and with you; do not ne-
glect Him. You would think it rude to leave 
a friend, who came to visit you, alone; why 
t hen leave God alone? Do not then forget 
Him, think about Him often-to do so is 
t he proper business of a Christian: if we do 
not know our calling we must learn it. I will 
help you with my prayers. 

I am, in our Lord, yours, etc. 
From PARIS, 

October 29, 1689. 

ELEVENTH LETTER 

To a Nun 

I do not pray that you may be delivered 
from your sufferings, but I ask God earnest-
ly to give you strength and patience to bear 
them so long as He pleases to afflict you. 
F ortify yourself with Him who fastens you 
to the cross; He will deliver you in His own 
time. Happy are those who suffer with Him. 
Accustom yourself to such pain, and pray 
fo r strength to endure all He wills, and for 
so long as He may think fit. The world does 



42 = PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

not understand these truths, nor am I sur-
prised. Worldly people suffer after their 
kind, and not in a Christian way; they look 
on sickness as an affliction of nature, not as 
a gift of God, and for that reason they find 
in it only the hardness and rigour of nature. 
But those who look upon sickness as coming 
from the hand of God, as an evidence of His 
solicitude, as a means which He chooses for 
their salvation, commonly find great happi-
ness and solace in it. 

I wish you could realize that God is often 
nearer to us in time of ill-health and weak-
ness than when we are well. Seek no other 
physician but Him, for to my mind He 
wishes to heal us Himself; put your whole 
trust in Him, and you will soon benefit; we 
,often delay recovery by trusting to medi-
dne rather than to Him. Whatever reme-
,dies you make use of they will only succeed 
so far as He allows; when pain comes from 
God, He only can cure it, and He often 
sends disorders of the body to cure those 
of the soul. Comfort yourself with the all-
powerful Physician of both souls and bodies. 

I can see that you will retort that I am 
very much at my ease, eating and drinking 
at the table of the Lord-and not without 
reason. But do you imagine it would be 



LETTERS 43 

comfortable for the biggest blackguard in 
the world to eat at his king's table, and to 
be waited on by the royal hands, if he had 
no assurance of the royal pardon? I think 
he would feel exceedingly uneasy and that 
only confidence in the goodness of his sove-
reign could ease his mind. And so, I assure 
you, whatever pleasures I may experience 
at the table of my King, the consciousness 
of my sins, to say nothing of the uncertainty 
of their forgiveness, is exceedingly distress-
ing-though I must admit that the distress 
is acceptable to me. 

Be content with the state of life which 
God has allotted to you; however happy you 
may think me, I envy you. If I might suffer 
with God, my pains and afflictions would 
be Heaven; without Him, the greatest plea-
sures would be Hell: all my happiness 
would be to suffer something for His sake. 

I must, in a little time, go to God-that 
is to say, go to Him for judgement. If! can 
see God for one short moment the punish-
ments of Purgatory will be sweet, even if 
they last to the end of this world. My con-
solation now is that I see God by faith, and 
I see Him in such a way that I sometimes 
can almost say: "I believe no longer, for I 
can see." I experience that which we are 



44 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

taught by faith, and in that assurance and 
working of faith I will live and die with Him. 

Cling to God always. He is the one and 
only help in your troubles, and I beseech 
Him to be with you. I greet Mother 
Prioress and ask the prayers of her, of the 
community and of yourself; and I am, in 
our Lord, 

Yours, etc. 
November 17, 1690. 

TWELFTH LETTER 

To a Nun 

Since you wish so earnestly that I should 
communicate to you the means I have fol-
lowed to reach this state of the presence of 
God, to which our Lord has willed that I 
should attain, I will give in to your impor-
tunity, but very unwillingly and only on 
condition that you show my letter to no 
one. If I thought that you would let it be 
seen, all my desire for your perfecting would 
not induce me to write it. What I can tell 
you about it is this: 

Having found different ways of attaining 
to God and different practices of the spiri-
tua1life in many different books, I came to 
the conclusion that they would serve to 



LETTERS 45 
hinder rather than to help me in my quest, 
which was for nothing else but a way of 
becoming wholly God's. So I made up my 
mind to give all to gain ail, and, after giving 
myself up entirely to God in satisfaction for 
my sins, I renounced everything in the 
world that came between Him and me. 
Sometimes I looked on myself as a poor 
criminal before his judge; at other times I 
looked on Him in my heart as my Father 
and my God, worshipping Him as often as 
I was able, and recollecting myself when-
ever my mind was distracted from His holy 
presence. I found no little difficulty in this 
exercise, but I persevered in spite of my 
failures, not worrying or blaming myself 
when my distractions were involuntary. I 
did this not only at my set times of prayer, 
but at all times driving away from my mind 
everything that could displace the thought 
of God, every hour, every minute, even at 
my busiest moments. 

Such, reverend Mother, has been my 
practice ever since I entered religion, and, 
though I have grievously given way to 
slackness and weakness, I have received 
very great benefits thereby. That lowe 
these to the mercy and goodness of God I 
know well enough: for we can do nothing 



46 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

without Him, I less than any. But by keep-
ing ourselves faithfully in His presence and 
setting Him always before our eyes, not 
only do we hinder ourselves from displeas-
ing Him, at any rate wilfully, but we also 
gain a holy liberty to ask for those graces 
of which we stand in need. In fact, by so 
often repeating these acts they become ha-
bitual, and the presence of God becomes, 
as it were, natural. Give Him thanks, if you 
please, with me for His great goodness to-
wards me; I can never be sufficiently grate-
ful for the numberless favours He has be-
stowed on so wretched a sinner. May He 
be praised by all. Amen. 

I am, in our Lord, 
Yours, etc. 

THIRTEENTH LETTER 

To a Nun 

If our practice of the presence of God 
were more habitual, our bodily maladies 
would be alleviated. God often allows us to 
suffer somewhat in order to purify our souls, 
and so bring us nearer to Him. My own 
experience is such that I cannot understand 
how a soul that lives with God and desires 
only Him can be capable of misery. 



LETTERS 47 
Be brave! Keep on offering your suffer-

ings to Him and pray for strength. Above 
all, make a habit of communing with Him, 
and forget Him as little as you can. Adore 
Him amidst your sufferings, offer yourself 
t o Him, and when your pain is at its worst 
ask humbly and lovingly, as a child from 
h er father, for resignation to His holy will 
and for the assistance of His grace. I will 
accompany you with my poor and feeble 
prayers. 

God ha~ many ways of drawing us to 
Him. Sometimes He hides Himself from 
us, but faith, which alone never fails us at 
need, should be our support and the corner-
stone of our trust which must be all in God. 

I don't know what God will do with me. 
I am always happy. Everybody else suffers 
while I, who ought to be visited by the se-
verest discipline, am conscious of joys so 
prolonged and piercing that I have difficulty 
in restraining them. I would willingly ask of 
God a share in your sufferings, but I know 
t hat my weakness is such that, if He left me 
to myself for a moment, I should become 
the most worthless man alive. And yet I do 
not know how He could leave me alone, 
since faith has brought me so close to Him 
and He never goes away from us unless 



48 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

we desert Him first. Let us fear to separate 
ourselves from Him; let us be always with 
Him, living and dying in His presence. 
Pray for me, as I will for you. 

Yours, etc. 
November 28, 1690. 

FOURTEENTH LETTER 

To the Same 

I am grieved that you suffer for so long, 
but my pity is leavened by the certainty 
that your suffering is a proof of God's love 
for you: look on it as such and you will find 
it easier to bear. My own opinion is that 
you should give up all human remedies and 
resign yourself entirely to divine provid-
ence; God may be only waiting for such a 
mark of your trust to cure you. There 
would be no question of "tempting provi-
dence" seeing that, so far from having any 
good effect, these remedies have made you 
worse. 

I said in my last letter that God some-
times allows the body to suffer for the good 
of the soul. Take courage, then; make a 
virtue of necessity; ask God, not to take 
away your physical ills, but for strength to 
bear them bravely for His sake, and for so 



LETTERS 49 

long as may please Him. Truly such a 
prayer is difficult to our human nature, but 
it is very pleasing to God and sweet to those 
t hat love Him. Love eases pain, and when 
one loves God one suffers for Him with 
gladness and courage. Do this, I beseech 
you: comfort yourself with Him who is the 
only cure for all our ills, who is the Father 
of the afflicted, who is always ready to help 
us and who loves us immeasurably more 
t han we imagine. Love Him and cease to 
seek relief elsewhere: I hope you will soon 
receive it. Farewell. I will assist you with 
my prayers, poor as they are, and shall be 
always in our Lord. 

Yours, etc. 

This morning, being the feast of St Tho-
mas, I have offered holy communion for 
your intention. 

FIFTEENTH LETTER 

To the Same 

Thank God that you have been some-
what eased, according to your wish. I have 
been nearly dead several times and have 
never been so content as then; accordingly, 
I asked for no relief, but only for strength 



50 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

to submit bravely, humbly and lovingly. Be 
brave, my dear Mother, for it is good to 
suffer with God: however grievous your 
burdens, take them up with love. It is bliss-
ful to suffer in His company, and, if we 
want to taste of Heaven in this world, we 
must cultivate a close and humble and lov-
ing communion with Him; we must keep 
our minds from wandering away at any 
time; we must make our hearts a sanctuary 
where He is always worshipped; we must 
watch vigilantly lest we do or say or think 
anything displeasing to Him. Suffering will 
be a happiness, a balm and a consolation 
while we are thus occupied with God. 

I know that in arriving at this state the 
beginning is very difficult, for we must 
walk entirely by faith. But we know we can 
do all things with the grace of God, and 
that He never withholds from those who 
entreat Him earnestly. Knock at the door, 
keep on knocking, and I tell you that, if you 
are not discouraged, He will open it in due 
time and give all of a sudden what He has 
withheld for so long. Farewell. Pray to Him . 
for me as I do for you; I hope to see Him 
soon. 

I am yours, in our Lord, etc. 
January 22, 169I. 



LETTERS SI 

SIXTEENTH LETTER 

To the Same 

God knows well enough what we need, 
and that all that He does is for our good. 
If we realized how much He loves us we 
should be ready to receive from Him either 
the sweet or the bitter with indifference; 
t he hardest and most disagreeable trials 
would be welcome. The sorest afflictions 
are a burden only because of the way we 
look at them; when we really believe that 
t he God whose hand chastens us with hu-
miliation, grief and pain, is actually a most 
loving Father, the bitterness of His visita-
tions disappears and we rejoice in them. 

We must concentrate on knowing God: 
the more we know Him, the more we want 
to know Him. And, as knowledge is com-
monly the measure of love, the deeper and 
wider our knowledge, the greater will be 
our love. And if our love of God is great, 
we shall love Him equally in sorrow and 
in joy. 

We must not hinder ourselves by looking 
fo r, or loving God because of, any percept-
ible favours, however sublime, which He has 



52 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

done or may do for us; such graces, great 
as they may be, do not bring us so near to 
Him as does one simple act of faith. Let us 
seek Him by faith; He is in the midst of us, 
and we do not need to look for Him else-
where. Is it not disrespectful, and even 
blameworthy, to leave Him while we amuse 
ourselves with trifling matters which do not 
please Him and may even be offensive to 
Him? He tolerates them, but I fear that one 
day these trivialities will cost us dear. 

We must devote ourselves to Him in good 
earnest, casting everything else out of our 
hearts; He wishes to be alone therein, so let 
us pray for that grace. If we do our best on 
our side, we shall soon see in ourselves the 
alteration that we hope for. 

I cannot thank Him enough for the relief 
He has given you. I hope from His mercy 
the happiness of seeing Him within a few 
days. * Let us pray for one another. I am, 
in our Lord, 

Yours, etc. 
February 6, 1691. 

* He died within the week.-TR. 



SPIRITUAL MAXIMS 

On Faith 

ALL things are possible to him who be-lieves, less difficult to him who hopes, 
still less difficult to him who loves, and 
easiest of all to him who perseveres in all 
three virtues. All those who are baptized and 
hold the faith have taken the first step on 
t he road to perfection, and may become 
perfect to the extent that they persevere 
according to the following counsel. 

1. We should refer to God and His glory 
all that we do and say and undertake, set-
ting before ourselves the task of becoming 
true worshippers of Him in this world, as 
we hope to be His perfect worshippers in 
the world to come; and making a strong 
res olution to overcome by His grace all the 
difficulties which beset us in the spiritual 
life. 

2. We must believe steadfastly that such 
difficulties are for our own good; that it is 
God's will that we should be afflicted; that 
it is according to divine providence that we 
should be subject to all kinds of conditions, 
to suffer all kinds of chastening, of woe and 



56 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

What can be more pleasing to God than 
this quitting many times a day of material 
things, in order to withdraw within our-
selves and worship Him? Furthermore, 
these moments of recollection little by little 
purge us of those things of sense, among 
which alone self-love can flourish. 

Indeed, we can give God no more con-
vincing evidence of our faithfulness than 
often to put aside and avoid the creature, 
that we may rejoice for one moment in the 
Creator. 

I am not proposing to you to give up 
material things entirely; that is impossible. 
Prudence, the queen of virtues, must be 
your guide. Nevertheless, I maintain that 
it is a common mistake among religious 
people to neglect this periodical recollec-
tion in which they may worship God in-
wardly and enjoy for a few moments the 
peace of His holy presence. The digression 
has been long, but no longer than I believe 
the matter to require; let us then return to 
our subject. 

5. All these acts of worship must be the 
fruit of faith. We must believe that God is 
indeed within our hearts, and that we must 
worship, love and serve Him in spirit and 
in truth; that He knows all that happens or 



SPIRITUAL MAXIMS 57 
can happen among His creatures; that He is 
self-existent, while we depend entirely 
upon Him; that His infinite perfections are 
of such sovereign excellence and authority 
t hat we are required to put everything, our-
selves, our souls and bodies at the disposi-
tion of His will now and for ever; that in 
justice we owe Him our thoughts, our 
words and our deeds. Let us see that we 
act accordingly. 

6. We must diligently examine our con-
science to find out of what virtues we are 
most in need, and which are the most diffi-
cult for us to acquire; and to learn our habi-
tual sins and the occasions upon which we 
generally fall into them. In times of tempta-
tion we should go straight to God with 
complete trust: remain recollected in His 
presence, humbly worshipping the divine 
majesty: tell Him our woes and weaknesses: 
lovingly beg for the aid of His grace; and 
we shall find in Him the strength that we 
ourselves lack. 

How we must worship God in Spirit 
and in Truth 

T here are three points to be answered in 
this question: 



58 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

1. To .worship God in spirit and in truth 
means to render to Him that worship which 
is His due; God is a spirit-therefore He 
must be worshipped in spirit and in truth, 
by a lowly and genuine worship in the depth 
of our soul which God alone can see. It is 
possible to give Him this worship so often 
that it becomes almost natural, as though 
God were one with our soul and our soul 
one with God. Practice only will explain 
this. 

2. To worship God in truth is to acknow-
ledge Him to be what He is, and ourselves 
to be what we are. To worship God in truth 
is to recognize clearly, certainly, and with 
all our faculties, that God is that which He 
is, infinitely perfect, immeasurably remov-
ed from evil, and therefore full of all divine 
attributes. Is not the man unreasonable who 
does not use all his powers in reverence for, 
and worship of, this mighty God? 

3. To worship God in truth is to admit 
that we separate ourselves from Him, al-
though He would make us like to Himself 
if only we wished it. Is it not foolish to 
withhold from Him, even for a minute, the 
reverence, the love, the service and the 
ceaseless worship that we owe Him? 



SPIRITUAL MAXIMS 59 

Of the union of the Soul with God 

There are three kinds of union-the ha-
bitual, the virtual and the actual. 

I. Habitual union is when one is united 
to God simply by grace. 

2. Virtual union is when one begins an 
action whereby one is united to God, and 
remains united with Him by virtue of that 
action for such time as it continues. 

3. Actual union is the most complete, 
and, being entirely supernatural, the most 
powerful: for the soul is not passive as in 
the other two states . Rather is she intens-
ely active, her movements kindling more 
warmth than does fire and creating more 
light than does the clear sun. Yet our feel-
ings can deceive us as to this union, for it 
is not merely an emotion, as when our 
hearts urges us to exclaim: "My God, I love 
you with my whole being," or such-like 
words. It is rather an indefinable something 
of the soul, beauteous, peaceful, unearthly, 
reverent, humble, loving and very simple: 
it lifts the soul up to God, impelling her to 
love Him, to worship Him, even to embrace 
Him with caresses which cannot be express-
ed and which only experience can make us 
understand. 



60 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

4. All who aim at union with God should 
know that whatever can divert the will to-
wards Him is also welcome and pleasing 
to it: the will makes it so. 

Everybody must admit that the ways of 
God are past our understanding, and, there-
fore, to become united to Him the will must 
be deprived of all its tastes and pleasures, 
spiritual and material. Then, being thus 
stripped, it is free to love God above all 
things; for if the will is able in any degree 
to know God, it can only be through love. 
There is a great difference between the 
tastes and fancies of the will and the work-
ings of the same will; for its preferences and 
conceits are within the soul as in their 
bounds, but its operation, which is love, 
has its end in God. 

On the Presence of God 

1. The presence of God is an applying of 
our spirit to Him, or a realization of His 
presence which can be brought about 
either by the imagination or the under-
standing. 

2. I know one who, for forty years, has 
practised the presence of God intellectually, 
and he gives it several other names. Some-



SPIRITUAL MAXIMS 6 I 

times he calls it a simple act, or a clear and 
distinct knowledge of God: sometimes an 
impression or a loving gaze or a sense of 
God; yet other times he calls it a waiting 
on God, a silent conversation with Him, a 
divine repose, the life and peace of the soul. 
He says, however, that an these expressions 
for the presence of God are synonyms, they 
express the same thing, that presence which 
has come to be natural to him, in this way: 

3. By repeated acts and by frequently re-
calling his mind to God he has developed 
such a habit that, as soon as he is free from 
external occupations, and even often while 
he is still busy, his very soul, without any 
forethought on his part, is lifted above all 
earthly things, maintained and as it were 
upheld in God, as in its consummation and 
place of rest. At such times faith is nearly 
always with him, and his spirit is satisfied. 
It is this which he calls the actual presence 
of God, which includes all other kinds and 
much more besides, so that he lives now 
as if there were only God and himself in 
the world: conversing always with Him, 
entreating Him at need, and rejoicing with 
Him in a thousand ways. 

4. Now it should be observed that this 
communion with God is held in the depth 



62 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

of the soul, at its very centre: it is there that 
the soul speaks heart to heart with God 
amid a wonderful peace wherein the spirit 
experiences the keenest joy. All that goes on 
outside is no more to the soul than as a fire 
of straw which, the more it flares, the soon-
er it is burnt out, and rarely and little do 
exterior concerns disturb the interior peace. 

5. But to return to our own consideration 
of the subject, I tell you that the lovingness 
of God insensibly kindles so burning a 
flame of love in the soul that embraces Him, 
that one has to moderate its outward ex-
pression. 

6. We should be surprised if we knew 
what converse the soul sometimes holds 
with God, who seems so much to delight in 
such communion that He allows anything 
to the soul which desires to rest in Him and 
in His heart. And, as if He feared lest she 
should return to the things of earth, He is 
careful to provide for her all she could pos-
sibly desire, so that she finds within herself 
a feast of heavenly delights, though she her-
self has done nothing towards it, and brings 
to it only her happiness. 

7. The presence of God is then the life and 
nourishment of the soul, which, by God's 
grace, may attain it by the following means. 



SPIRITUAL MAXIMS 63 

Means for attaining the Presence of God 

I. The first means is a great purity oflife. 
2. The second is a great faithfulness in 

t he practice of His presence, and in keeping 
t he soul's gaze upon God, quietly, humbly 
and lovingly, without giving way to diffi-
culties or worries . 

3. Take care that you begin your actions, 
continue them, and finish them with an in-
ward lifting of the heart to God. And as it 
takes time and trouble to acquire this habit, 
so you need not be discouraged by failure; 
as its formation is difficult, so will your joy 
be great when it is attained. 

Is it not right that the heart, which is the 
seat of life governing the rest of the body, 
should be the first and last to love and 
worship God, both in beginning and finish-
ing our works, spiritual and temporal, and 
generally throughout the business of life? 
It is the heart, therefore, that must ensure 
this turning to God, which, as I have al-
ready said, can more easily be done spon-
taneously and without study. 

4. It is helpful for those who undertake 
this practice to use interiorly short ejacula-
tions, such as: "My God, I am wholly 



64 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

yours"; "0 Godoflove, Iloveyou with all my 
heart"; "Lord, make my heart like yours"; 
or any other such words as love may suggest 
at the moment. But care must be taken that 
the mind does not wander and return again 
to the world; keep it turned to God only, so 
that, controlled and subdued by the will, it 
cannot but rest in God. 

5. This practice of the presence of God is 
not easy at the outset, but if persevered in 
it produces imperceptibly wonderful works 
in the soul; it draws down from the Lord 
an abundance of grace and leads insensibly 
to that simple gaze of love, to that sight of 
God's continual presence, which is the most 
simple, and the most fruitful kind of prayer. 

6. Notice, if you please, that to attain this 
state the control of the senses is taken for 
granted. It is impossible for a soul inordin-
ately fond of earthly things to find complete 
joy in the presence of God, for to be with 
the Creator it is necessary wholly to give up 
whatever is created. 

The Benefits of the Presence of God 

I. The first benefit which the soul re-
ceives from the presence of God is that faith 
becomes more alive and active on every side 



SPIRITUAL MAXIMS 65 

of life, particularly in times of need, since it 
obtains for us grace in temptation and in 
our dealings with one another. For the soul, 
accustomed by this practice to rely on faith, 
seeing and feeling God present, is able to 
call upon Him freely and with confidence, 
and to obtain that of which she is in need . 
One may say that faith enables the soul to 
approach the state of the Blessed; the more 
she advances the more living does faith be-
come, and at last it becomes so quickened 
t hat the soul can almost say: "I no longer 
believe, for I can see and experience." 

2. The practice of the presence of God 
strengthens us in hope. Our hope grows in 
proportion as our knowledge, and as our 
faith is enabled by this holy practice to 
penetrate the mysteries of God, in that 
measure it finds in Him a beauty which in-
finitely surpasses not only that of the bodies 
which we behold on earth, but also that of 
perfected souls and of the angels. Our hope 
then increases and strengthens, encouraged 
and sustained by the magnitude of the good 
which it desires to enjoy, and which, in 
some sort, it already savours. 

3. Hope imbues the will with a contempt 
for the world and inflames it with the fire of 
divine love. God's love is a consuming fire 



66 PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

which burns to ashes whatever is contrary 
to it, and the soul thus kindled can live 
only in the presence of God, that presence 
which inspires within the heart a holy ar-
dour, a sanctified eagerness, a veritable pas-
sion to see God loved, known, served and 
worshipped by all His creatures. 

4. By this practice the soul comes to such 
a knowledge of God that almost all her life 
is passed in making acts of love and of 
worship, of contrition and of trust, of thanks, 
of offering, of petition, and of all virtues; 
sometimes, indeed, she seems engaged in 
one unceasing, endless act, for the soul is 
keeping herself continually in the divine 
presence. 

I know that only a few persons attain this 
state; it is a grace which God bestows on 
certain chosen souls, for this "simple re-
gard" is an uncovenanted gift. But for the 
encouragement of those who wish to under-
take this holy practice, I must say that He 
ordinarily gives it to those who are properly 
disposed; and if He does not give it, one 
can, with the assistance of ordinary grace 
and by the practice of the presence of God, 
acquire at least a way and state of prayer 
which approaches very nearly to that of 
"simple regard." 









IO/~/t-:<' 



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'rEMPI!GATE 


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