Summer Spiritual Reading
Brother Lawrence and Practice of the Presence
with Carmen Acevedo Butcher
Online via Zoom
Saturday, June 6, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Mountain Time
Cost: $35
Scholarships Available
Apply Below
Everything is possible for those who believe, even more for those who hope, still more for those who love, and most of all for those who practice and persevere in these three powerful paths.
—Brother Lawrence
Do you have your summer spiritual reading list ready yet? This book is one to add! Join us for a delightful introduction to Brother Lawrence, a humble mystic with a powerful take on faith, love and practicing presence. Carmen Acevedo Butcher translated writings by and about him in her 2022 book Practice of the Presence. In this presentation she’ll introduce Brother Lawrence and share her perspective on his life and spiritual path. If you’ve read the book, bring your questions. If you haven’t read it yet, bring your curiosity and be prepared to befriend this kind and gentle teacher.
An excerpt from the book:
“I know that to do this [practice of Presence], the heart must be empty of all other things because God wants to enjoy it completely, and Love cannot enjoy it completely without emptying it of all that is not God, since without our full attention, God cannot act in it, or do in it what they please.
No way of life in this world is kinder or more gratifying than continual conversation with God. Only those who practice it and savor it can understand this. I do not suggest, however, that you do it for this reason. We must not be looking for consolations from this practice, but must do it from a motive of love and because God wants a loving approach.” (page 74, Practice of the Presence)
A Little About Brother Lawrence
Brother Lawrence lived during the 1600s, serving as a humble kitchen worker at a monastery in France. He mostly remained in the shadows of his community, yet he surrendered to a spiritual life that was profound. Poor, living with a disability, lacking a formal education, enduring a time of plague and civil unrest, he found God in the depths of his soul, experiencing God's loving presence throughout the day. His personal struggles and life-tested spiritual wisdom will resonate with spiritual seekers today as he invites us into a practice of Presence that is both accessible and deeply transformative.
"Through the path that Brother Lawrence proposes to us, little by little, as the presence of God becomes familiar and occupies our inner space, the joy of being with Him grows, graces and spiritual riches blossom, and even daily tasks become easy and light." — Pope Leo XIV on how Brother Lawrence's writing has shaped his spiritual life for knowing and loving the Lord. (Vatican News, Dec. 11, 2025)
About this Translation
Several translations have been published over the years — the first as a pocket-size 1692 edition. Brother Lawrence’s writings are considered a spiritual classic, beloved by people of varying spiritual paths and religious traditions. With this new translation, Carmen Acevedo Butcher brings a fresh presentation leaving behind dogmatic, binary language. The result is text that is more relatable for our times, without losing the charm and comfort of this extraordinary spiritual guide.
Recording: The presentation will be recorded and sent to all registrants. Participant questions and answers will be removed to preserve safe space and privacy.
About Carmen Acevedo Butcher
Carmen Acevedo Butcher is an internationally acclaimed speaker and an award-winning translator, author, poet, teacher, and workshop leader. Martin Laird calls her translation of Brother Lawrence’s Practice of the Presence “the new standard.” The book is also named to a Spirituality & Practice Best Books List. She has also translated the Cloud of Unknowing. At the University of Georgia she earned an MA and a PhD in Medieval Studies, Phi Beta Kappa. As a Fulbright Scholar at the University of London, she worked with monastic manuscripts in London and Oxbridge libraries and translated homilies by the tenth-century Benedictine abbot, Ælfric of Eynsham.
She teaches in the College Writing Programs at the University of California, Berkeley. Carmen is core faculty at the Center for Action and Contemplation, and is the Dean.
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