How to Practice Lectio Divina?

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Hi y’all,

I have been advised by different priests and books and stuff to practice Lectio Divina with scripture. I was just wondering, what does this mean? In your own words not links to websites but how do YOU practice lectio divina or how have you been taught to?

Thank you all and blessings!
 
From my poor memory, this is how I remember my practice of Lectio Divina. There are four basic steps which I follow with scripture.

Step 1. Read

Simple reading. Or listening. Particularly, most of the time I will listen to pod casts, trying to concentrate on the people, places and events involved in the reading.

Step 2. Meditate

This is the time to think about what I’ve just read. Usually I will put myself in the context of the reading. One example is thinking about what would look like if I was in Bethlehem, when Jesus was born? What if I was by the stable? Would I have any gift for baby Jesus? It is about using your imagination to better understand the scripture.

Step 3. Pray

I did hear God’s word, now it is my time to talk with God. What words come to my mind. Praying is the moment to take my intentions, my struggles or concerns to God.

Step 4. Contemplate

Lastly, in this step I try not to think. I will let my feelings come. How do I feel, happy, sorrowful, overwhelmed, in peace? No need to try so hard, just let yourself rest in God and have a time where you don’t want to guide, but be guided by your feelings, by the Holy Spirit.

The advent is at the door, and I wish more people, including you and I, will find reasons to cheer up reading the scriptures of this time, celebrating the coming of Jesus.
 
Pope Benedict XVI on Lectio Divina:

"We are grateful to God that in recent times, and thanks to the impact made by the Dogmatic Constitution “Dei Verbum” the fundamental importance of the Word of God has been deeply re-evaluated. From this has derived a renewal of the Church’s life, especially in her preaching, catechesis, theology and spirituality, and even in the ecumenical process. The Church must be constantly renewed and rejuvenated and the Word of God, which never ages and is never depleted, is a privileged means to achieve this goal. Indeed, it is the Word of God, through the Holy Spirit, which always guides us to the whole truth (cf. John 16:13).

In this context, I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of “Lectio divina”: “the diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to him with trusting openness of heart” (cf. “Dei Verbum,” n. 25). If it is effectively promoted, this practice will bring to the Church – I am convinced of it – a new spiritual springtime.

As a strong point of biblical ministry, “Lectio divina” should therefore be increasingly encouraged, also through the use of new methods, carefully thought through and in step with the times. It should never be forgotten that the Word of God is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path (cf. Psalm 119[118]:105)" (Sept 16, 2005)
 
"…I urge you to become familiar with the Bible, and to have it at hand so that it can be your compass pointing out the road to follow. By reading it, you will learn to know Christ. Note what Saint Jerome said in this regard: “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (PL 24,17; cf Dei Verbum, 25). A time-honoured way to study and savour the word of God is lectio divina which constitutes a real and veritable spiritual journey marked out in stages. After the* lectio*, which consists of reading and rereading a passage from Sacred Scripture and taking in the main elements, we proceed to meditatio. This is a moment of interior reflection in which the soul turns to God and tries to understand what his word is saying to us today. Then comes oratio in which we linger to talk with God directly. Finally we come to contemplatio. This helps us to keep our hearts attentive to the presence of Christ whose word is “a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Pet 1:19). Reading, study and meditation of the Word should then flow into a life of consistent fidelity to Christ and his teachings.

Saint James tells us: “Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act - they will be blessed in their doing” (1:22-25). Those who listen to the word of God and refer to it always, are constructing their existence on solid foundations. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them”, Jesus said, “will be like a wise man who built his house on rock” (Mt 7:24). It will not collapse when bad weather comes.

To build your life on Christ, to accept the word with joy and put its teachings into practice…"

–Pope Benedict XVI

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/youth/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20060222_youth_en.html

Latin: lectio divina -divine reading
lectio: reading
meditatio: meditation
oratio: prayer
contemplatio: contempation
 
landon13 said:
Hi y’all,

I have been advised by different priests and books and stuff to practice Lectio Divina with scripture. I was just wondering, what does this mean? In your own words not links to websites but how do YOU practice lectio divina or how have you been taught to?

Thank you all and blessings!
Click to expand...
Just me.

(1) Read the word.

(2) Study – what does it say?

(3) Study – what does it say today?

(4) Reflect/meditate – what does it say to me?

(5) Pray – my response to what the word is saying to me.
 
The best way for me is to write/journal as I read the Bible. These are my steps:

Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide me.

Read scripture.

When something captures my attention or nags at me, stop and re-read it.

Write down in my own words what it is saying. Example: Peter became frightened and started to sink and cried out to Jesus and immediately Jesus stretched out His hand.

Now ponder it and think about how it applies to me. Ask questions - do I turn to Jesus quickly when I start to sink, or do I try to handle it on my own?

Write out what is coming to mind at this point - there is nearly always a lesson or reminder in there for me 🙂
 
Pope Francis mentions Lectio Divina in Evangelii Gaudum:
  1. “There is one particular way of listening to what the Lord wishes to tell us in his word and of letting ourselves be transformed by the Spirit. It is what we call lectio divina. It consists of reading God’s word in a moment of prayer and allowing it to enlighten and renew us. This prayerful reading of the Bible is not something separate from the study undertaken by the preacher to ascertain the central meaning of the text; on the contrary, it should begin with that study and then go on to discern how that same message speaks to his own life. The spiritual reading of a text must start with its literal sense. Otherwise, we can easily make the text say what we think is convenient, useful for confirming us in our previous decisions, suited to our own patterns of thought. Ultimately this would be tantamount to using something sacred for our own benefit and then passing on this confusion to God’s people. We must never forget that sometimes ‘even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light’ (2 Cor 11:14)”
This passage falls within the section for preachers, which I suppose would be primarily priests and homilists, but there is still much wisdom here for a layman such as myself. Do I bring my own preconceived notions with me to prayer? Am I truly looking for what God might be telling me through Scripture, or am I still trying to get God to agree with whatever I have to say?
 
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