Lectio Divina

 

Lectio Divina is an ancient practice, going back to the days of early Christianity, to the desert fathers and monastic communities. The Latin expression literally. means divine reading, i.e. the Bible. A more helpful translation would be would be simply “biblical spiritual reading.” The practice of Lection Divina is a simple yet effective form of prayer that has been strongly recommended by Pope Benedict XVI and is being revived today all over the world.

 

The origin of this form of prayer is traced to the 12 century. The superior of a large Carthusian monastery, Guigio 11 t aught and encouraged this form of prayer for his monks. He demanded named it “The four steps of prayer.” In it he set forth what has become, with some modifications, the classic formulation of the four steps of prayer, recognized as   lectio (a simple reading); meditation (reflection of the reading ); oratio (prayer); and contemplation ( contemplation).

 

1. Lectio (reading). The first step for one learning how to pray is to find a quiet place , then placing himself humbly in the presence of God. The text is then read slowly and reflectively. While the prayer process was meant for a small group, it could also be used by a single person. But even if one is alone, it is a good practice to read the passage aloud so as to hear it. The text should not be overly long, no longer than an average sized paragraph. If possible it is helpful to understand the context of passage: What was the time of the writing? Who wrote it? What was the purpose of his writing? If possible, access to a brief commentary on the passage would be helpful. As for Guigio,  he considered the initial reading as   “placing  food in the mouth.”

 

2. Meditatio (meditation).. Having read the text  we now want to let the passage enter into our mind and heart, into our very being. A helpful practice is to place oneself within the reading What is it saying to me? How does it challenge me? It is important to   slow down  and take time with the text. Guigio described this aspect of prayer as “breaking up the food and chewing it.”

 

3. Oratio (prayer) In Lectio and Meditatio  we tried to get a sense of what God is saying to us in and through the words (text) of the passage. In Oratio we begin to respond . Our response of course is to our God. What do I want to say to God? What are my concerns ? My hopes?

My fears? Understanding that this prayer is a dialogue between you and God it is important to allow plenty of time for quiet, for God to speak to you. Continuing this eating metaphor, Guigio refers to this aspect of the  prayer  as “extracting the flavor of the food.”

 

4. Contemplatio : Contemplation is the sweetness of the food, like tasting a sip of a fine wine, allowing your taste buds to savor the aroma, the texture, the delicate flavors. This should be a gladness that refreshes us. We rest in God in wordless silence, simply enjoying the experience of being in God's presence. One can properly called this an experience of the Word of God, an  experience of being touched at God's own Spirit. This experience is what our prayer is all about—a loving encounter  with our God, a relationship that grows in time into a deep personal relationship.

 

5.  Actio : (action) Many writers today make specific a fifth step. The basic point of this fifth step is this: Praying the Scriptures is not complete until we ask: How does, How will, How can this activity overflow into my actions, my life, my behavior? We live our lives immersed in relationships: to God, to ourselves, to other people, to the hole created world. These do not exist in isolation. How does my prayer relationship with my God affect all the  relationships of my life?