More about All Saints

I started to change the post I wrote about the books I've been reading, but then I realized that someone who read that already wouldn't go back and re-read it... just in case anyone is reading my blog these days. So I thought I'd just write a little more about it here. What I wanted to say was about All Saints...I learn something every day from reading about the lives of these amazing people. It makes me look at the people around me differently, too -- so many of the people in this book were ordinary people who did extraordinary things in their everyday lives. One of my favorites is Brother Lawrence (January 11). He lived in the 17th century, a lay brother at a Carmelite monastery in Paris. He worked in the monastery kitchen; he had little or no formal education. But he had a beautiful spirit; here is a quote from the passage about him in All Saints:

His method was to cultivate at all times a consciousness of the presence of God. According to Brother Lawrence, wherever we might find ourselves, whatever the task at hand, we should perform our duties with a consciousness of God's loving presence. With such an awareness all our activities were hallowed; we would thus find ourselves in a state of continuous prayer or conversation with God....It was well to construct an oratory in one's heart, in which to return and dwell. "Our sanctification," he believed, "did not depend upon changing our works, but in doing for God's sake that which we commonly do for our own."

I know this is not a new idea. But what more wonderful way to spend one's life, no matter what one's station or circumstances!

I was going to write some more, but I think this is enough for now. Sweet dreams!