Lectio Divina

St. Benedict drew on a very ancient way of praying, Lectio Divina, to instruct his followers in living the Christian life. Lectio Divina, the reading of sacred scripture, originated in Old Testament times when the Jewish communities gathered to read the Word of God and reflect on God’s presence in their lives. Early Christian communities continued the practice as they listened to how God was continuing to guide and challenge them to be followers of Christ.

Lectio Divina is a natural way of praying that nourishes our relationship with God. In any relationship there are different moments, ways in which we listen and respond to each other. So too in Lectio Divina there are different moments as we listen to God’s Word and respond to the movement of the Holy Spirit within us. Each moment is a way of praying in itself as well as a part of the larger context of our relationship God.

First Moment: Listening to the Word of God

The first moment is listening to the Word of God by slowly reading a sacred text. You do not read for information but rather to grasp the meaning of the text. What is God saying in these inspired words of sacred scripture? What is the message God is trying to convey? You listen attentively by:

Learning to Be Quiet Within:

Begin by asking the Holy Spirit to quiet the noise within and free you to listen and hear the meaning of the Word you are about to read.
Take time to acknowledge God within you and God present in the scriptures.

Listening to the Word:

Choose a passage from scripture and slowly begin reading the text.
As a word or phrase in the text speaks, rest with it.
Listen deeply with the ear of your heart, listen in a spirit of silence and awe.

Being Receptive to the Word of God:

Let the text speak.
Take it in; allow the word to penetrate every level of your being.

In this moment of your relationship with God you are simply taking up the scriptures, listening to the words of God, letting the meaning unfold and clarify itself as you ponder its meaning. What matters is not how much you read or what your thoughts are but how much you hear the Word of God and how much what you hear penetrates at every level of your being.

Second Moment: Reflecting on the Word of God

The second moment in your relationship with God is pondering the Word of God in your heart. You do not analyze the meaning of the Word of God, rather you wait upon it, take it in and allow it to speak to your thoughts, hopes, memories, desires. You do this by:

Letting the Word Speak:

Let yourself be drawn into one verse or one word of the scripture passage you have chosen.
Wait upon the Word of God; take it in and allow it to speak to your thoughts, hopes, memories, desires.

Repeating the Word:

Say over and over the word or phrase that draws your attention.
Let the Word penetrate into your being so you will become one with the text.

Reflecting on the Word:

In an open and receptive attitude, listen to the Word and let its inner meaning come to you.
Let the Word touch and affect you at the deepest level.

Allow the Word to Penetrate:

Listen and linger.
Be open to a new way of looking at the text.
Repeat the text until it can be said by heart.

In this moment you are allowing the text to speak rather than analyzing and studying it. You ponder its meaning as the Spirit breaks through your listening heart.

Third Moment: Responding to the Word of God

In this moment, you respond to the Word of God. Allow yourself to be touched by the Word and be willing to change as need be. Your response in trust allows God slowly to become the center of who you are, the center of your life. You do this by

Responding to the Word:

Pray to God asking for the grace to be open, to respond to the Word of God.
Converse with God who has invited and embraced you.

Being Open:

Allow the Word to touch and change your deepest self, letting go of any obstacles that block your response to God.
Pray for the grace to change and respond to God’s Word.

In this moment, you respond to the Word of God. If this means a change in yourself, a conversion, you try to let go of any obstacles that might hold you back and respond in trust. Your response may be tears of sorrow, a prayer of gratitude and praise, a resolve to change.

Fourth Moment: Resting in the Word of God

The fourth moment in your relationship with God is simply being with or resting in God’s presence. Your intention is to surrender to God’s Word. Rest in the silence, trusting that God will transform you as you give yourself over. You do this by:

Becoming Still:

Be aware of God’s presence within you and around you.
Let go of words and thoughts and simply enjoy being in God’s transforming presence.
Be concerned with being, not doing.

Repeating the Message or Word of Sacred Scripture:

Choose a word from scripture that expresses the message you have gleaned from the reading and that will help you stay in the silence.
Repeat the Word when you find yourself distracted, allowing the Word to help you return to a quiet resting in God’s presence.

Resting in God's Embrace:

Respond to the invitation to simply be with God.
Rest in God’s Word from scripture.
Allow God’s touch to heal your deepest wounds.

In this moment, you are simply being with God, without words or thoughts. It is a prayer of intention, not attention. When distracted, repeat a key word or phrase from the passage in scripture you have chosen. It is a time in your relationship with God when you are invited to a place of interior quiet, tranquility and peace with God. Slowly as you rest and surrender to God’s presence you will be transformed and refashioned into who God created you to be. In the silence, God’s therapeutic touch heals the depths of your being.

The moments of a relationship can’t be regulated. They do not necessarily flow in a set order. You may begin your prayer at any "moment", moving easily from one moment to another as the Spirit of God inspires you. As your relationship with God deepens, through your faithfulness to the prayer you will notice a change in yourself:

The events of daily life will be experienced with an awareness of being in the presence of God.
Your capacity to listen will expand.
Every event of your life will be a revelation of God.
God will become the "center" of your life as you grow in compassion and love for all of God’s creation..