Lectio Divina

Introduction Lectio divina – “holy reading” It is a slow, contemplative reading of Scripture Enables the Bible, the Word of God, to become a means of union with God Developed in monastic life and has been preserved there With the Liturgy and manual labor, it allows us to discover 1) an increasing ability to offer more of ourselves and our relationships to the Father and 2) to accept the embrace that God is continually offering us in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ.

The Process of Lectio Divina Lectio (Reading) Meditatio (Meditation) Oratio (Prayer) Contemplatio (Contemplation)

Lectio Art of lectio divina begins with the ability to listen deeply, “to hear with the ears of the heart” according to St. Benedict Called to become attentive to the still, small voice of God (1Kings 19:12) Called to cultivate and even love silence Patient and reverential listening to the eternal Word in Scripture Seek to hear a word or phrase that is God’s word for us this day

Meditatio Once we have found a word that speaks to us, we are called to ruminate on it. To ruminate means to ponder by turning the word over and over again Once this word had been received, we are called to memorize it and allow it to interact with our thoughts, our hopes, our memories and our desires In this stage, God’s word is allowed to become our word, affecting us at our deepest levels

Oratio Prayer understood as dialogue with God, as loving conversation with God who has invited us into his embrace It is a consecration prayer offering to God the parts of ourselves we previously have refused to offer

Contemplatio In this final stage, we simply seek to rest in the presence of God who has used his Word to invite us to accept his embrace It is a wordless prayer

The Underlying Rhythm of Lectio Divina In the monastic heritage, action and contemplation did not designate two types of being in the world. Action and contemplation were understood as two poles of our underlying spiritual rhythm: a gentle oscillation back and forth between spiritual activity and receptivity to God Practice or spiritual activity refers to our active cooperation with God’s grace in rooting out vices and allowing the virtues to flourish.

Contemplation in Monastic Tradition Distinction between contemplation of God in creation and contemplation of God in himself The first refers to the “Book of Creation.” The second, to the “Book of Scripture.” The first deals with the many or diverse. The second, with the simple. Contemplation was not regarded as a goal to be achieved through some method of prayer, but was simply accepted with gratitude as God’s recurring gift.

Ultimate Purpose of Lectio Divina Teaches us to savor and delight in the different modes of God’s presence, whether they are active or receptive modes