What is Lectio Divina?
Lectio Divina is a term used to describe a prayerful meditative reading of the Scriptures according to a set pattern. It is a form of prayer that has been valued for many centuries, particularly in monasteries.
According to Bishop David Walker of Broken Bay diocese: 'Lectio Divina, is the meditative reading of a text of God's Word, the Scriptures, alone or with others, which leads to prayer, transformation of life, and, through that transformed life, the sharing with others of the mystery of God entrusted to us.'
The form of Lectio Divina promoted in Broken Bay diocese follows the practice of Abbot Guigo II of the Carthusan Order who lived in the 12th century.
It goes like this:
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, you who are the Son of the Living God, teach me to listen to what You tell me in the Holy Scriptures, and to discover Your face there. (Guigo II)
First Reading
Read the chosen passage of Scripture and get familiar with it, noting things like context, characters, key words. Sit in silence with it for a little while.
Second Reading
Read the chosen passage of Scripture again, but this time asking questions of the text. What does the text tell me about the God who speaks? What does it tell me about responding to that God? What does the text teach me about my faith life? Sit in silence with those thoughts for a little while.
Third Reading
Read the chosen passage of Scripture once more, and speak to God in your heart about it. Talk to Him about what you need to be able to live according to the truths within the text.
Time to let God act
What happens here, only God can give. If something happens, go with the flow of it.
Action
Return to the Scripture passage and choose a word, phrase or sentence that was meaningful to you, and then bring it to mind frequently throughout the rest of the day. In this way you will be tilling the soil of your heart with the Gospel plough.
What is Lectio Divina Art?
The more tradition forms of Lectio Divina focus on a word, phrase or sentence from the text of Scripture that speaks to the heart. The form that we have called Lectio Divina Art focuses on the mental images that the reading of Holy Scripture brings forth.
It goes like this:
After an opening prayer, the selected passage of Scripture is read a first time. In silence we sit and let all the mental images wash over us. The passage of Scripture is read a second time, and this time some of those images are stronger than others, and convey greater amounts of God's light. We sit in silence again until the third reading of the Scripture passage. At this time, a mental image is clear enough to draw. As we begin to draw, that usually nebulous image becomes more concrete, the Word becomes flesh, and the process of drawing and colouring leads to deeper levels of meditation on the Word of God.
When each person has finished drawing, we share together the images that have been drawn and the insights given to us. During the days and weeks that follow, it is amazing how often our minds and hearts recall the memory of these drawn images.
For those who find the traditional forms of Lectio Divina rather difficult and too cerebral, this form of Lectio Divina Art can be very useful.
These drawings (below) were done by Vincent through the Lectio Divina Art process back in 2011.
Lectio Divina is a term used to describe a prayerful meditative reading of the Scriptures according to a set pattern. It is a form of prayer that has been valued for many centuries, particularly in monasteries.
According to Bishop David Walker of Broken Bay diocese: 'Lectio Divina, is the meditative reading of a text of God's Word, the Scriptures, alone or with others, which leads to prayer, transformation of life, and, through that transformed life, the sharing with others of the mystery of God entrusted to us.'
The form of Lectio Divina promoted in Broken Bay diocese follows the practice of Abbot Guigo II of the Carthusan Order who lived in the 12th century.
It goes like this:
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, you who are the Son of the Living God, teach me to listen to what You tell me in the Holy Scriptures, and to discover Your face there. (Guigo II)
First Reading
Read the chosen passage of Scripture and get familiar with it, noting things like context, characters, key words. Sit in silence with it for a little while.
Second Reading
Read the chosen passage of Scripture again, but this time asking questions of the text. What does the text tell me about the God who speaks? What does it tell me about responding to that God? What does the text teach me about my faith life? Sit in silence with those thoughts for a little while.
Third Reading
Read the chosen passage of Scripture once more, and speak to God in your heart about it. Talk to Him about what you need to be able to live according to the truths within the text.
Time to let God act
What happens here, only God can give. If something happens, go with the flow of it.
Action
Return to the Scripture passage and choose a word, phrase or sentence that was meaningful to you, and then bring it to mind frequently throughout the rest of the day. In this way you will be tilling the soil of your heart with the Gospel plough.
What is Lectio Divina Art?
The more tradition forms of Lectio Divina focus on a word, phrase or sentence from the text of Scripture that speaks to the heart. The form that we have called Lectio Divina Art focuses on the mental images that the reading of Holy Scripture brings forth.
It goes like this:
After an opening prayer, the selected passage of Scripture is read a first time. In silence we sit and let all the mental images wash over us. The passage of Scripture is read a second time, and this time some of those images are stronger than others, and convey greater amounts of God's light. We sit in silence again until the third reading of the Scripture passage. At this time, a mental image is clear enough to draw. As we begin to draw, that usually nebulous image becomes more concrete, the Word becomes flesh, and the process of drawing and colouring leads to deeper levels of meditation on the Word of God.
When each person has finished drawing, we share together the images that have been drawn and the insights given to us. During the days and weeks that follow, it is amazing how often our minds and hearts recall the memory of these drawn images.
For those who find the traditional forms of Lectio Divina rather difficult and too cerebral, this form of Lectio Divina Art can be very useful.
These drawings (below) were done by Vincent through the Lectio Divina Art process back in 2011.