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Lectio Divina and Taizé Prayer: Meditative Reflections Help Bring Us Closer to God
Meditative prayer is a wonderful way for us to grow closer to God — and here at Our Lady of the Assumption, we offer the opportunity each month to participate in contemplative prayer and Scripture reflection through Lectio Divina and Taizé Prayer. These monthly, 30-minute retreats accompanied by Eucharistic Adoration came about after ministry leader Kristine Breault attended a retreat put on by the Sisters of the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
“At the retreat, they used Lectio Divina as an alternate examination of conscience,” Kristine says. “I felt so moved by the Gospel passage they read, and it spoke to my own life so intensely. It was the first time that I understood how ‘the word of the Lord is living and effective,’ as St. Paul says in Hebrews 4:12. It paved the way for me to learn to pray with Scripture, and it taught me how to converse with the Bible, how to read it, and hear it speak to my life.
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“I began working with the concepts that they discussed at that retreat to put together a ‘joyful examination of conscience’ as an RCIA resource,” she adds. “I went to consult Deacon Michael about it, and we put together a trifold for RCIA. Then, he was inspired to ask me to collaborate with Casey Oliver on an event using Lectio Divina. She introduced me to Taizé Prayer, and we found that the two practices really worked well together.”
The retreat is usually scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month, unless in the case of a holiday or other special event.
“The environment is lovely — we dim the lights, and light candles around the altar,” Kristine says. “We have beautiful piano music, and we read the Gospel for that coming Sunday. The purpose is to reflect on the Gospel, to prepare us for Mass and Communion, and to allow the Word of God to speak to and change our hearts.”
Taizé prayer was formed out of an ecumenical Christian community in France and has spread to parishes and communities of many denominations. This form of prayer is a simple one- or two-line chant, which here at our parish is accompanied by piano.
“The songs themselves are prayers — some are from the Psalms,” Kristine says. “I find the music essential to properly hear the readings and to fully engage in Eucharistic Adoration. I am reminded of the Eucharistic Prayer when the priest calls, ‘Lift up your Hearts’. Then we respond, ‘We lift them up to the Lord.’ To me, this means that we must change the orientation of our hearts in order to understand the truth of the Eucharist. We must lift up our hearts towards heaven, out of the mire of our daily lives and the dark skepticism of our world. This is exactly what happens when we hear these beautiful songs — the music rouses our hearts so that we are buoyant and more receptive to the Holy Spirit.”
Lectio Divina is a traditional monastic practice of reading, meditating, and praying upon Scripture.
“Prayer is truly powerful, but it is important that when we pray, we do not just speak to God,” Kristine says. “It is important to listen to God as well, to make our hearts soft, humble, and open to correction so that our desires change — so that our will is to do God’s will. The Gospels tell us what God’s plan for our lives is and how to live it out. When we take the Gospel message in, through Lectio Divina, the wisdom becomes available to us when we need it.
“In our worship aid, we include journal prompts after each reading to help those who are new to Lectio Divina and this kind of reflection, so it needn’t be intimidating,” she adds. “The journals can also be used as a gentle examination of conscience specific to that Sunday’s Gospel readings. However, you may do anything you like with the time. You can sit and pray, or you can sing along with the chants. It is just a lovely, quiet time, when we can come to the church, worship, and prepare ourselves for Reconciliation and to receive the Eucharist that Sunday.”
