Brother Lawrence
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Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection | |
---|---|
Born | Nicolas Herman 1614 |
Died | Paris, France | February 12, 1691
Occupation(s) | Lay brother, Discalced Carmelite monastery |
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, OCD (c. 1614 – 12 February 1691) served as a lay brother in a
Biography
Brother Lawrence was born Nicolas Herman in
He fought in the Thirty Years' War and following an injury, left the army and served as a valet.[4] In 1635, Nicholas fought against Swedish infantry and French cavalry at Rambervillers, not far from his home village. He was taken prisoner by German troops on the march and was treated like a spy. They even threatened to hang him. He fearlessly answered that he was not what they suspected. When the soldiers saw his courage they released him. The Swedes entered Lorraine, and while passing through the area attacked the little town of Rambervillers where he became wounded leaving him permanently lame (Rambervillers had 2660 inhabitants at the time; eight years later there were only 400 survivors). The ghastly experience of battle seared his mind to such a degree that he fell back on his religious upbringing, and never looked back. He never spoke of the horrors he had experienced, but the effects remained with him for the rest of his life. After a period of convalescence in his parents' home, he entered the employment of William de Fuibert, treasurer to the king of France. Serving as a footman, Lawrence describes himself as "a great awkward fellow who broke everything".
Thus when his service as a footman ended, Nicholas sought spiritual fulfillment in the solitude of a hermit's life. He firmly resolved to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, a holy Discalced Carmelite. In mid-June, at the age of twenty-six, he entered the Order of Discalced Carmelites on the Rue de Vaugirard in Paris,[5] as a lay brother. In June 1640, Nicolas joined the Discalced Carmelite Priory in Paris.[6] He entered the priory as a lay brother and took the religious name "Lawrence of the Resurrection". He made his solemn profession of vows on August 14, 1642.[7] He spent the rest of his life with the Parisian community, where his primary assignments were working in the kitchen and, in his later years, repairing sandals.[8] He entered fearing 'they would skin him alive' for his awkwardness and faults—as he said in his own unpolished language, often seasoned with humor—but fortunately for himself and his brothers 'he experienced only satisfaction'. He carried out this office of cook until his leg became ulcerated, at which point his superiors assigned him an easier task, as sandal maker. Lawrence suffered from 'a kind of sciatic gout that made him limp' and worsened as the years went by. Gradually, the influence of the humble sandal-maker grew, not only among the poor. Many learned people, religious and ecclesiastics had esteem for him as well.
Despite his lowly position in life and the priory, his character attracted many to him. He had a reputation for experiencing profound peace and visitors came to seek spiritual guidance from him.
Father de Beaufort recalls that "Lawrence was open, eliciting confidence, letting you feel you could tell him anything ... Once you got past the rough exterior you discovered unusual wisdom, a freedom beyond the reach of the ordinary lay brother".
He was ill three times during the last years of his life. When he recovered the first time he said to his physician, "Doctor, your remedies have worked too well for me. You have only delayed my happiness." He ended his last letter on February 6 with, "I hope for the merciful grace of seeing him in a few days." Lucid up to the last moments, Brother Lawrence died at the age of seventy-seven. His death on February 12, 1691
''The sayings of the saints are well outside the rhetoric of traditions they are painting. Saint Catherine of Genoa is a genius of love. Brother Lawrence (Laurent) looks rough in appearance, and gentle by manners. This blend demonstrates God in him. I met him and there's a place in the book where the author, without naming me by name, told in a nutshell a very good talk I had with him about death when he was very ill and very cheerful.[20]
See also
- Carmelite Rule of St. Albert
- Book of the First Monks
- Constitutions of the Carmelite Order
- Hermit
References
- ^ Lawrence of the Resurrection, Brother, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God (Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 1994), p.xviii.
- ^ "Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection | News | Order of Carmelites". www.carmelites.net. Archived from the original on 2015-02-16.
- ^ "Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection," Boston Carmel, Website of the Discalced Carmelites of Boston. Boston, Mass.: Mighty 8th Media, 2014. Viewed July 22, 2017. http://carmelitesofboston.org/spirit-of-carmel/our-saints/brother-lawrence-of-resurrection/
- ^ Writings and Conversations, op. cit., p. xviii.
- ^ "Carmelite Abbey".
- ^ Ibid., p. xix.
- ^ Ibid., p. xx.
- ^ Ibid.
- ^ Ibid., pp. xx-xxi.
- ^ J.D. Nelson, Practice of the Presence of God with Devotional and Study Guide, p. 15.
- ^ ŒUVRES CHOISIES DE FÉNELON (SELECTED WORKS of FENELON), Volume II, p. 320-321, 335, https://archive.org/details/oeuvresdefenelon02fn/page/4
- ISBN 9780415224680.
- ^ STRANGERS & PILGRIMS in Classics of Christian Devotion BY WILLARD L. SPERRY, Dean of the Harvard Divinity School, BOSTON, LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY, 1939
- ^ "Strangers & pilgrims [microform] ; studies in classics of Christian devotion". 1939.
- ISBN 9780875094472.
- ^ "Brother Lawrence; the practice of the presence of God the best rule of a holy life, being conversations and letters of Nicholas Herman of Lorraine (Brother Lawrence)". New York, F. H. Revell. 1895.
- ^ Practice of the Presence of God with Devotional and Study Guide, op. cit., p. xxiii.
- ^ ŒUVRES CHOISIES DE FÉNELON (SELECTED WORKS of FENELON), Volume II, p. 320-321, 335, 342, 344, 346-348, 350, 477, 480 (4 times), 481 (5 times), 493, 535 (5 times), 536 (4 times), 550-551, 553, 599, 635, 641-643, 646, 651, 657, 673, 677 (mentions him as Frère (french for Brother) Laurent).
- ^ "Oeuvres de Fenelon, Archevèque de Cambrai : Précédées de son Histoire Littéraire". 1851.
- ^ "Oeuvres de Fenelon, archeveque de Cambrai". 1854.
External links
- Works by or about Brother Lawrence at Wikisource
- Quotations related to Brother Lawrence at Wikiquote
- Works by Lawrence of the Resurrection Brother at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Brother Lawrence at Internet Archive
- Works by Brother Lawrence at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
- Practice of the Presence of God at CCEL.org
- Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection at CarmelitesofBoston.org