God's Holy Providence

This is the first day and first entry of my blog.  

It also happens to be the Feast of the Ascension and May Day, which is dedicated to St Joseph the Worker.

As this is my first entry I suppose I should set out my reasons for writing a blog and to do this I must quote a very kind and holy French Carmelite named Br. Lawrence of the Resurrection.

The quote comes from a booklet entitled "The Practice of the Presence of God", from which I drew inspiration for my Blog's title.

Brother Lawrence lived in Paris during the 17th Century and this booklet, which was translated by Donald Attwater, consists of conversations between Br. Lawrence and the Abbé de Beaufort, as well as a series of letter from him to various people.

Well now, as to my quote: It is taken from the First Conversation, which took place on the 3rd of August in the year 1666.

Here it is:

"The first time that I saw Br. Lawrence he told me that Almighty God had granted him an extraordinary grace in his conversion, which had taken place at the age of eighteen, while he was still in the world.  He told me that one winter day he noticed a tree stripped of its leaves and reflected that before long leaves would appear anew, then flowers and then fruit, and that this consideration gave him so striking an idea of the providence and might of God that it had never since been effaced from his soul . . ."

Ever since I myself read those words, not only have I looked on Brother Lawrence as a friend but my view of the World has changed.  I think that one way of practicing the Presence of God is in acknowledging His most Holy Providence.  

How great is Our God in His Goodness to us!