"The Practice of the Presence of God," compiled by Father Joseph de Beaufort, is a collection of the wisdom and teachings of Brother Lawrence, a 17th century Carmelite monk. This collection of letters and other records records his conversations, thoughts, and philosophy, chiefly a development of an awareness of the presence of God.
The important thing is how much less you think of the body, of yourself as matter -- as dead, dull, insentient matter; how much more you think of yourself as shining immortal being. The more you think of yourself as spirit, the more eager you will be to be absolutely free from matter, body and senses. This is the intense desire to be free.
-Swami Vivekananda