Lectio Divina
Holy Reading
“Mary treasured all these things, pondering on them in her heart.” – Luke 2:19
Mary, the mother of Jesus, pondered over the amazing events surrounding the birth of her divine Son. She considered how God fulfilled his promises to his people and also his promises to her. Similarly, the word of God in the Bible is addressed to us in our concrete daily lives. To ponder his Word in an atmosphere of faith-filled prayer – this is what monastic tradition calls lectio divina, holy reading. A monk spends almost an hour each day in this holy exercise. He may at times do this exercise in a group setting.
This involves:
- thoughtfully reading (aloud or silently) and re-reading a selection of Scripture;
- listening to what God says to the heart, through a word, a phrase, an image of Scripture
- trying to understand how God’s message challenges me individually and/or communally;
- responding to God in prayers of adoration, praise, thanksgiving and petition;
- drawing a fruit from this prayerful reading that we can take with us on our daily journey.
For a guide to enriching your experience of Lectio Divina
take advantage of the following resources:
St. John Paul II’s
“Listening to and Proclaiming the Word” An excerpt from Novo Millennio Ineunte.
Read Today
Benedict XVI’s
“The Prayerful Reading of Sacred Scripture” An excerpt from Verbum Domini.
Read Today
