Evelyn Underhill’s book, “The mystics of the church” has a wonderful two-page section on Brother Lawrence, the 17th century French mystic. I have revisited her remarks about this man several times because they are so fascinating.
She describes him as “the best known and loved of the French mystics” who wrote the “simple” book, “Practice of the Presence of God.”
Father Lawrence does not reveal any of the stages and disciplines of the other mystics. His mysticsm is much more simple, sober, natural.
As an 18 year old, he experienced a conversion after which he simply decided to leave behind the world. He had no self-interest.
This conversion experience also filled him with the love of God. He had a period of four years in which he suffered much because of various reasons, but then he “passed to a perfect liberty and continual joy.”
As I read these remarks, I get the feeling to add: "Just like that!" He simply became like that, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do.
Brother Lawrence simple mysticism was accompanied by an even simpler lifestyle. He joined a monastery where he did hard, manual work.
And, to crown all, the manual work which he disliked so much, never kept him from contemplating God.
Underhill writes. “Such freedom and suppleness of soul – a characteristic on which Francois de Sales and Lawrence lay equal stress – means in practice a level of spirituality which is less startling, but far more complete, than the entranced contemplations of the ecstatic withdrawn from active affairs.”
Lawrence wrote how he once went to buy wine for the convent where he worked as handyman and how he said to God that it was God’s business the was about to do. Shooping for wine as God's business... And after he bought the wine, he was proud of how well he did it....
This, Underhill writes, witness to a real transfiguration of human personality, completely transfused by the Divine power and love.
I keep on thinking about this transfiguration of one’s personality so that it is completely transfused by Divine power and love. It seems the right thing to do, the straightforward option: live in God's love - it is after all the most precious gift one can desire.
And, I wonder, why, then, do we not all do so? What keeps us from being always in this love?
I know people who are living completely and fully in God's love as if it is the most natural thing to do.
Underhill quotes a letter which Brother Lawrence wrote about himself in which he notes that he grew so accustomed to the Divine Presence that it succours him at all times. He is so filled with joy – so continually and sometimes so transcendent that he is forced to use means to moderate them and to prevent their appearing outwardly!
So, I wonder and marvel, one can become carried away by the divine love!
When, sometimes, he gets too busy with his manual work, he observes, God recalls him. He feels this and he promptly answers to those inward drawings. He would then say such phrases like, “My God, behold me, wholle Thine; Lord make me according to Thy heart.” And then it seems to him as if God, satisfied by these words, resposes again and rests in the depth and centre of his soul.
This is beautiful. Natural, sober mysticism of love. Complete new, fulfilled life in the divine love.
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