Review: So beautiful.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 28, 2014
A humble kitchen worker in a Carmelite monastery, Brother Lawrence found the secret to living a holy life: awareness of God's presence, striving moment by moment through his eighty-plus years to keep God on his mind and in his heart at ALL times.  A compilation of recorded conversations and letters written in the 17th century, this beautiful book is timely for today's readers, and is sure to encourage and help anyone seeking a spiritual life regardless of faith or creed.Brother Lawrence was not an Abbott or confessor, or learned person of any administrative importance in his day, or even one of the ordained monks in the monastery. He became a lay brother in the Carmelite order when he was middle-aged. He served as a cook, but so holy a person was he, he had spiritual leaders and many persons, both religious and lay, from his community and from afar, seeking his spiritual advice and wishing to learn of his methods of prayer, study and meditation. This book records some of his correspondence with them.This saintly man speaks to us over the centuries through this little book, offering simple suggestions to overcome the lassitude and distractions in seeking closeness to God.  And Brother Lawrence was very close to God. He KNEW God. He stresses that we are never too old to develop a deep and close relationship with God, that God is especially close and available to us when we are suffering or in danger, and that God is ALWAYS waiting for us with love, ready to offer help, forgiveness, and every grace when we seek him out.  With gentle wisdom, encouragement and humble example, Brother Lawrence strips away all of the complication we associate with striving toward a spiritual life, and lays out a simple formula for living a life of love.I had a dog-eared copy of this book for years all marked up and underlined; so nice to have it (for free) on my kindle for easy access.