Brother Lawrence, Living in Heaven on Earth

Quotes from Brother Lawrence
“In the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquillity as if I were upon my knees in the Chapel.”
“Make it your study, before taking up any task,” Brother Lawrence advises, “to look to God, be it only for a moment.”

O Lord of pots and pans and things,
Since I have no time to be
a great saint by doing lovely things,
or watching late with Thee,
or dreaming in the dawnlight,
or storming Heaven’s gates,
Make me a saint by getting meals,
and washing up the plates.

Warm all the kitchen with Thy Love,
and light it with Thy peace;
Forgive me all my worrying,
and make my grumbling cease.
Thou who didst love to give men food
in room, or by the sea,
Accept the service that I do-
I do it unto Thee.

Generally attributed to Brother Lawrence

Brother Lawrence, an obscure 17th century French Carmelite monk of little education was assigned to the monastery kitchen where, amidst the tedious chores of cooking and cleaning at the constant bidding of his superiors, he developed his rule of spirituality and work. In his Maxims, Lawrence writes, “Men invent means and methods of coming at God’s love, they learn rules and set up devices to remind them of that love, and it seems like a world of trouble to bring oneself into the consciousness of God’s presence. Yet it might be so simple. Is it not quicker and easier just to do our common business wholly for the love of him?”

“Nor is it needful that we should have great things to do. . . We can do little things for God; I turn the cake that is frying on the pan for love of him, and that done, if there is nothing else to call me, I prostrate myself in worship before him, who has given me grace to work; afterwards I rise happier than a king. It is enough for me to pick up but a straw from the ground for the love of God.”

“I began to live as if there were no one save God and me in the world.”

* * *

I thought of Brother Lawrence today when I listened to Duncan Smith, a chirpy adorable boyish preacher, who said we could be in heaven while right here on earth, stuck in a traffic jam, for instance. We could be in Jesus, with Jesus in us, wrapped in the Holy Spirit, with the Holy Spirit inside us, in the embrace of the Father, with the God inside us. Cool, huh?

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