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Lectio Divina:
Meeting God in the Scriptures
The ancient practice of Lectio Divina is the mainstay of the Benedictine's personal prayer.
This simple way of prayer allows the person to encounter God in the Scriptures
in a way that includes spirit, emotions, intellect, and practical action.
It consists of four facets:
LECTIO: Reading the text. This is not speed-reading for content; it doesn't
try to cover a certain amount of material. The text might be as brief
as a verse or two. It could be part of the day's Mass readings, or a
portion of a book of the Bible, or some other Scriptural selection.
MEDITATIO: Savoring the text. A word, phrase, idea or insight appeals to
you, and you stay with it. You might repeat it over and over, or
think about it, or just sit with it.
ORATIO: Praying the text. You allow your feelings to surface, and you
speak to God, or to Jesus, or to the Holy Spirit, about it.
You may even find yourself grappling with the text, because
sometimes God's Word may unexpectedly challenge us! This is all
part of a personal encounter with God in the Word.
CONTEMPLATIO: Resting in God. You let go of thoughts and feelings, and
simply sit quietly in God's presence. The Holy Spirit does the work
here while you enjoy the love of God.
The purpose of Lectio Divina is not simply to pray the words of the pages of Scripture, but to pray the events of our lives as well. Over time, we come to see our days as a continuation of God's revelation and action; we move from the written Word to the events of our lives and then back once again to the Word, knowing that both are part of our continuing love story with God.