Brother Lawrence and the Holiness of Everyday Life
In a world that often divides life into “sacred” and “secular,” Brother Lawrence quietly refused to accept that distinction. Born Nicolas Herman in Lorraine, France, around 1614, he lived through war, injury, and poverty before entering a Carmelite monastery in Paris in his mid-twenties. There, he took the name Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection and was assigned what many would consider the least glamorous role in the community: working in the kitchen. For most of his life, he cooked meals, washed dishes, and cleaned pots and pans. Yet from that ordinary place, he became one of Christianity’s most beloved spiritual teachers.
Brother Lawrence never preached from pulpits or wrote theological treatises. His influence came through conversations and letters, later collected in The Practice of the Presence of God. His central conviction was simple but revolutionary: God is as present in the kitchen as in the chapel, as near while scrubbing floors as while kneeling in prayer. “The time of business,” he wrote, “does not differ from the time of prayer.” For him, prayer was not an activity reserved for special moments; it was a continual turning of the heart toward God in love and trust.
This spirituality was not born from ease. As a young soldier, Lawrence experienced the trauma of war. Later, he lived with physical pain and chronic discomfort. Monastic life itself was demanding and often monotonous. Yet instead of escaping into private devotion, he learned to meet God precisely in the routines that others overlooked. He practiced offering every task—cutting vegetables, stirring soup, cleaning utensils—as an act of worship. In doing so, he transformed necessity into devotion and routine into communion.
The prayer attributed to him beautifully captures this vision:
Lord of all pots and pans and things,
since I’ve no time to be a great saint…
make me a saint by getting meals,
and washing up the plates.
Here is no longing for dramatic spiritual experiences or heroic asceticism. Instead, there is humble realism: “I’ve no time to be a great saint by doing lovely things.” Life is busy. Responsibilities are real. Fatigue is constant. Yet holiness, Lawrence insists, is not found by escaping these realities but by consecrating them. Sainthood is shaped at the sink and stove as surely as at the altar.
The prayer continues:
Warm all the kitchen with Thy Love,
and light it with Thy peace;
forgive me all my worrying,
and make my grumbling cease.
Here we glimpse his deep self-awareness. He knew that ordinary work often breeds anxiety, irritation, and complaint. Instead of pretending otherwise, he brought these feelings into God’s presence. His prayer is not for perfect efficiency, but for transformed attitude. Love replaces frustration. Peace displaces worry. Gratitude overcomes grumbling. The workplace—whether a monastery kitchen, an office, a classroom, or a home—becomes a sanctuary when God’s presence is welcomed there.
Most striking is the final petition:
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.
Brother Lawrence connects his labor to Christ’s own ministry. Jesus fed the hungry, welcomed the weary, and served without seeking recognition. Washing dishes becomes an echo of Christ’s compassion. Preparing meals becomes participation in divine generosity. Every small act, when offered in love, is gathered into God’s redemptive work.
This vision resonates deeply with Scripture. Paul exhorts believers, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17). Again, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). Brother Lawrence lived these verses long before they became inspirational wall art. He embodied them quietly, persistently, joyfully.
What makes his witness so compelling is its accessibility. He did not ask Christians to withdraw from ordinary life, master complex techniques, or achieve spiritual perfection. He invited them to pay loving attention to God in the midst of life as it is. A whispered prayer while answering emails. A silent offering while driving. A moment of gratitude while folding laundry. A gentle turning of the heart toward Christ in the middle of fatigue and distraction. This, he believed, is the essence of spiritual maturity.
For many today—parents, caregivers, professionals, retirees, students—Brother Lawrence offers a liberating word. You do not need ideal conditions to live deeply with God. You do not need uninterrupted quiet or perfect discipline. You need only a willing heart, returning again and again to God in simple trust. The kitchen, the commute, the classroom, the hospital corridor, the construction site, the living room—all can become places of encounter.
In a culture obsessed with visibility and achievement, Brother Lawrence reminds us that God delights in hidden faithfulness. The unseen act done in love matters more than the impressive deed done for applause. The whispered prayer over dishes may shape the soul more deeply than many public performances.
His life and prayer invite us into a spirituality without compartments. No sacred/secular divide. No “God-time” versus “my-time.” No waiting for better circumstances. Only a steady, gentle practice of presence.
To live this way is not easy. It requires patience, humility, and perseverance. We will forget. We will grumble. We will rush. We will drift. But like Brother Lawrence, we can always return—quietly, simply, lovingly—to the God who is already near.
And perhaps, over time, our own kitchens, offices, and routines will begin to glow—not with perfection, but with peace.
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