5 minute read
Lectio Divina
“God calls man first. Man may forget his Creator or hide far from his face; he may run after idols or accuse the deity of having abandoned him; yet the living and true God tirelessly calls each person to that mysterious encounter known as prayer. In prayer, the faithful God’s initiative of love always comes first; our own first step is always a response. As God gradually reveals himself and reveals man to himself, prayer appears as a reciprocal call, a covenant drama. Through words and actions, this drama engages the heart. It unfolds through the whole history of salvation.” —Catechism of the Catholic Church #2567
“The written word is the means by which God’s living Word reaches me, the divine act by which he addresses me, questions my whole existence and saves me. I must grasp the full dramatic value of the Word as a Person who reveals himself to my openness, challenging me to commit myself to him.” —Archbishop Mariano Magrassi, Praying the Bible
What is lectio divina?
The steps of lectio divina: step one: read
step two: meditate
step three: pray
step four: contemplate
Lectio Divina is an ancient form of Christian prayer that involves a close and prayerful reading of Sacred Scripture. It is a way of encountering the Lord through the words of the Bible, leading to a powerful, enduring sense of the Lord’s presence in one’s daily life. See page 15 for suggested Lectio Divina passages for this retreat. Start by putting yourself in the presence of God and by saying a prayer to the Holy Spirit to help you to open your heart to whatever the Lord wishes to give you in the Scripture passage. Now you are ready to enter into Lectio Divina.
First, read the passage (lectio) more than once—three times is recommended—very slowly, pausing at words that touch you in some way and letting them linger in your mind. Sometimes reading the passage out loud can help.
Second, meditate on the passage (meditatio). Ask questions of the text. Imagine yourself in the story or as one of the characters (if the passage lends itself to the imagination). Be aware of words or phrases that appear meaningful or mysterious. Find connections with events in one’s own life or with other parts of Scripture.
Third, pray over the passage (oratio). Let the previous two steps lead you to compose a prayer to the Lord, to speak to Him about the Scripture passage and your life. You may be moved to gratitude, adoration, petition, supplication, contrition, etc. Speak to the Lord about what is going on in your life as it connects to the passage.
Fourth, let the Holy Spirit work (contemplatio). At this point, God takes over and responds. We must be receptive to all the different ways the Lord speaks to us. Sit in quiet gratitude for His loving Presence in your life and listen.
Encountering God: ARRR
Begin by placing yourself in the presence of God. Take some deep breaths. Remember, you are facing a God who loves you and desires a relationship with you.
Acknowledge: Dig deep and recognize your deepest feelings and emotions. Bring these into prayer, especially any negative emotions you may have. Ask questions of yourself: where am I today? Am I tired, lonely, angry, joyful, confused, not wanting to pray, etc.?
Relate: Speak to the Lord from the place of these emotions. Talk to Him as you would speak to a close friend. In expressing yourself, you are letting go and making space for a self-giving God.
Receive: Listen to the Lord from a posture of receiving what He wishes to give you. The practice of Lectio Divina fits in well here, opening you up to the word He wishes to give you in lectio.
Respond: Make a resolution on how to live that word throughout the day. This has been called the “Fifth Step” of Lectio Divina.
Take one some element from your time of lectio, for example, Jesus sitting at the well awaiting the Samaritan woman, walking on the road to Emmaus, or the father of the prodigal son embracing him, and focus exclusively on that. Imagine the scene and enter into it. Use that to ponder the meaning of the scene: Jesus thirsts for me, Jesus accompanies me through my life, the Father embraces me when I sin. Stay with the deeper reality for an extended period of time, about 20-30 minutes. Sit comfortably, breathe at a regular pace, recall the initial scene when you are distracted, and stay there. Be at peace. If your Scripture passage doesn’t let itself to images, what word can you hold on to from the prayer? Stay with that word, repeating it softly, returning to it often. Let this prayer word or the image be an anchor for you throughout the day.
A: Acknowledge
R: Relate
R: Receive
R: Respond
Handling distractions in prayer
Use that word or image (the anchor) to return back, away from the distractions. Often if you fight distractions, they tend to get a life of their own. Gently return back to your prayer. Having an image, holy card or picture, crucifix, etc., is helpful too. Sometimes it is helpful to jot down the distraction on a slip of paper and push it away from you. If the distraction still returns, perhaps the Lord wants you to pray with it. It may be something you need to face. Distractions are “unavoidable … and should not be a disturbance or affliction for you … Pay no attention to these thoughts … and let’s not blame the soul for what a weak imagination, human nature, and the devil cause” (St. Teresa of Avila, Interior Castle, IV.1.13-14). “I consider [distractions] an incurable disease” (Letters, October 9, 1581). Allow prayer to become a daily habit. Create space for it, physically and temporally. As you pray, you may find yourself returning to that place of encounter throughout the day. Over time, you may find a theme or a train of thought emerging from your daily prayer. This can be an aid to discerning the will of God for your life.
