12 Quotes & Sayings By Brother Lawrence

Brother Lawrence, considered by many to be the most famous of all Trappist monks, was born in 1591 in France. He was educated at the University of Paris, where he studied for two years under Raymond Roussel. He then entered the monastery of Our Lady of Einsiedeln in Switzerland, where he was ordained a priest in 1617. After spending some time studying at the University of Padua in Italy, Brother Lawrence began his novitiate at Einsiedeln on June 5, 1618 Read more

He made his final profession on December 15, 1620. For almost twenty years Brother Lawrence labored assiduously at his tasks as a novice and then as a monk. He was known for his great piety and humility of spirit, and it is said that during this time he wrote all of the major texts that he would later publish under his own name.

Brother Lawrence died at Einsiedeln on August 10, 1691.

1
We should fix ourselves firmly in the presence of God by conversing all the time with Him..we should feed our soul with a lofty conception of God and from that derive great joy in being his. We should put life in our faith. We should give ourselves utterly to God in pure abandonment, in temporal and spiritual matters alike, and find contentment in the doing of His will, whether he takes us through sufferings or consolations. Brother Lawrence
2
I regard myself as the most wretched of all men, stinking and covered with sores, and as one who has committed all sorts of crimes against his King. Overcome by remorse, I confess all my wickedness to Him, ask His pardon and abandon myself entirely to Him to do with as He will. But this King, filled with goodness and mercy, far from chastising me, lovingly embraces me, makes me eat at His table, serves me with His own hands, gives me the keys of His treasures and treats me as His favorite. He talks with me and is delighted with me in a thousand and one ways; He forgives me and relieves me of my principle bad habits without talking about them; I beg Him to make me according to His heart and always the more weak and despicable I see myself to be, the more beloved I am of God. . Brother Lawrence
3
He does not ask much of us, merely a thought of Him from time to time, a little act of adoration, sometimes to ask for His grace, sometimes to offer Him your sufferings, at other times to thank Him for the graces, past and present, He has bestowed on you, in the midst of your troubles to take solace in Him as often as you can. Lift up your heart to Him during your meals and in company; the least little remembrance will always be the most pleasing to Him. One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us than we think. Brother Lawrence
4
The difficulties of life do not have to be unbearable. It is the way we look at them - through faith or unbelief - that makes them seem so. We must be convinced that our Father is full of love for us and that He only permits trials to come our way for our own good. Let us occupy ourselves entirely in knowing God. The more we know Him, the more we will desire to know Him. As love increases with knowledge, the more we know God, the more we will truly love Him. We will learn to love Him equally in times of distress or in times of great joy. . Brother Lawrence
5
When the mind, for want of being sufficiently reduced by recollection at our first engaging in devotion, has contracted certain bad habits of wandering and dissipation, they are difficult to overcome, and commonly draw us, even against our wills, to the things of the earth. I believe one remedy for this is to confess our faults, and to humble ourselves before God. I do not advise you to use multiplicity of words in prayer: many words and long discourses being often the occasions of wandering. Hold yourself in prayer before God, like a dumb or paralytic beggar at a rich man's gate. Let it be your business to keep your mind in the presence of the Lord. If it sometimes wander and withdraw itself from Him, do not much disquiet yourself for that: trouble and disquiet serve rather to distract the mind than to re-collect it: the will must bring it back in tranquility. If you persevere in this manner, God will have pity on you. . Brother Lawrence
6
That he had no scruples; for, said he, when I fail in my duty, I readily acknowledge it, saying, I am used to do so: I shall never do otherwise, if I am left to myself. If I fail not, then I give GOD thanks, acknowledging that it comes from Him. Brother Lawrence
7
We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed. Brother Lawrence
8
Do not be discouraged by the resistance you will encounter from your human nature; you must go against your human inclinations. Often, in the beginning, you will think that you are wasting time, but you must go on, be determined and persevere in it until death, despite all the difficulties. Brother Lawrence
9
You need not cry very loud he is nearer to us than we think. Brother Lawrence
10
We ought to act with God in the greatest simplicity speak to Him frankly and plainly and implore His assistance in our affairs. Brother Lawrence
11
A little lifting of the heart suffices a little remembrance of God one act of inward worship are prayers which however short are nevertheless acceptable to God. Brother Lawrence