Fruits of Lectio
Scripture comes alive.
Catholics can get a bad rap for not praying with scripture enough, but it was Catholic monks who developed the Lectio Divina form of prayer in the 6th century. This prayer was so sacred, in fact, that it wasn’t until recently that the laity began praying with it! Pope Benedict XVI really endorsed this form of prayer, sharing, “I would like to mention the spread of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, or ‘spiritual reading,’ of Sacred Scripture. It consists in pouring over a biblical text for some time, reading it and rereading it, as it were, ‘ruminating’ on it as the Fathers say and squeezing from it, so to speak, all its ‘juice,’ so that it may nourish meditation and contemplation and, like water, succeed in irrigating life itself.”
In other words, praying Lectio Divina is a way to totally immerse oneself into scripture. Do you inwardly groan when you find out the Gospel for Sunday is the Prodigal Son? What more could you possibly get from that passage?! You could recite it backwards if you wanted to! BUT, Lectio Divina will surprise you and you’ll see all the hidden (so to speak) riches of this Gospel, truly making scripture “ever ancient, ever new.”
Praying it is simple and may vary slightly across religious orders, parishes, and such, but at its core is this:
1) Lectio: Read. Pick your passage and read through it one time. Let it sink in for a minute, and then read the passage again.
2) Meditatio: Meditation. The Benedictine monks described this process as a deep, unhurried thinking about the Word. This is when you immerse yourself into the story. Where are you in the scene? Sometimes a priest may provide questions to ask to guide you in meditation. Sometimes a word simply sticks out to you. Simply, meditate. This time can range from 5 minutes to a half hour…the important thing here is to not rush.
3) Contemplatio: Contemplate. What truth is scripture revealing to you? What is it that’s speaking to your heart?
4) Oratio: Prayer. And now, simply thank the Lord for what’s been given to you during this time. Read the scripture one final time with these new reflections.
Below you will find articles that have been inspired by Lectio Divina reflections or are simply deeply rooted in scripture. Though it’s undeniable how fruitful praying with scripture can be, it can be difficult to focus, which is why we are such big promoters of Visio Divina, an even newer form of prayer that is at its eve. Visio Divina is a way of praying with scripture through sacred art (visio—visual, get it?). You can read more about Visio Divina and check out our book here.