The Practice of the Presence of God

Here is a guide for all Christians aspiring to union with God, which, according to Brother Lawrence, is the ultimate goal of every soul. The new Image edition of The Practice of the Presence of God is a reissue of the 1977 translation that was the first to appear in decades. It features an in-depth Introduction by John J. Delaney that examines what is known about Lawrence's life, how the book came to be, and its ongoing relevance throughout the ages.

In the words of this humble seventeenth-century lay Carmelite, "we must trust God once and for all and abandon ourselves to Him alone." This difficult task necessarily requires perseverance and continual conversation with God in all activities great and small: "speaking humbly and talking lovingly with Him at all times, at every moment, without rule or system..." In reading these conversations, letters, and spiritual maxims, we learn the key to endless joy.

In short, this little spiritual classic -- in its fresh, contemporary English translation -- renders the simple wisdom of Brother Lawrence accessible to every Christian who yearns for the fullness of life.

For the greater part of his life, John J. Delaney was involved with some aspect of the book business. He was an editor for Doubleday Image Books, Senior editor in charge of original Catholic publications at Doubleday, and author of the classic Pocket Dictionary of Saints. A well-traveled lecturer who was a guest on television and radio programs, and a contributor to many leading Catholic magazines, John Delaney was also originator and editor of The Catholic Viewpoint Series. In 1958 he was the recipient of the Catholic Press Association Catholic Digest Award for "distinguished service to Christian journalism and publishing."