Centering prayer and lectio divina part 1 thomas keating lectio divina is a private devotion and while its useful to do it in common it was originally designed to be a private experience or encounter with the scriptures. Lectio divina lectio divina divine, or sacred, reading is the name given to a spiritual tradition among christians over the last two thousand years, in which they attentively and prayerfully read the word of god. Lectio divina, pronounced lektseaho diveenah, is a latin term meaning divine reading and is a catholic meditative form of prayer. Time set aside in a special way for lectio divina enables us to discover in our daily life an underlying spiritual rhythm. Lectio divina for holy monday, april 6, 2020 there are four steps to lectio divina.
Although there is an element of study in lectio divina, it is not the. Guiding lectio divina it would be most helpful for you to. Mar 31, 2003 lectio divina is latin for spiritual reading. Lectio divina when in doubt meditating and praying with. Lectio divina and centering prayer lectio divina and centering prayer are two distinct prayer forms. Lectio divina when in doubt meditating and praying. Haggadah means telling and along with being a physical text, the word captures the practice of telling and retelling a story. There are 4 sections to lectio which we will follow. All scripture is inspired by god and is useful for teaching the. This four part lesson is taken from the comprehensive eight part study, oremus, a guide to catholic. We therefore practice it every day, so that we may develop a deep and genuine love for it, and so that we may grow in the surpassing knowledge of christ. Apr 01, 2015 father mark toups explains how to pray using the ancient form of catholic prayer, lectio divina. Lectio divina is an ancient spiritual practice for listening to a scripture passage with the ear of the heart.
It is a way of praying the scriptures that leads us deeper. It was of him that the prophet isaiah had spoken when he said. Lectio 20 days the website of the carmelite order welcome. This inclusive handbook explicitly welcomes everyone to these practices whatever their beliefs or doubts. It draws on the way jews read the haggadah, a text read during passover that retells the exodus story. Lectio divina sunday, may 17th, 2020 american bible.
Centering prayer for everyone is a welcoming, accessible, and practical guide focusing on five practices lectio divina, visio divina, walking meditation, chanting the psalms, and especially the silent practice of centering prayer. For some time now i have owned the title, too deep for words. True, its not, strictly speaking, true lectio divina, but its definitely a starting place. Reading lectio read the following scripture two or three times. Jan 02, 2019 how to pray the basic lectio divina steps. Guiding lectio divina it would be most helpful for you to read this outline thoroughly before leading your group reflection. I have used it for prayer, and i have used it for lectio. The process is a slow, reflective praying of the scriptures which enables the word of god, to unify us with godto be a fruitful source for growing our relationship with him. Centering prayer is a method of prayer in which we consent to rest in gods presence. The goal of lectio divina is to encounter the word of god and to be open to the holy spirit, to. The process is a slow, reflective praying of the scriptures which enables the word of god, to unify us with godto be a fruitful. The practice of lectio divina is fourfold, and i have learned this method a number of times from others and thelma hall is right on the money as i know it. Lectio divina divine, or sacred, reading is the name given to a spiritual tradition among christians over the last two thousand years, in which they attentively and pray erfully read the word of god although there is an element of study in lectio divina, it is not the same as bible study, or exegesis, where one seeks to interpret the sacred text through analysis, and with the. It is a method of reading and praying on scripture and other classics of spirituality like augustines confessions and the imitation of christ.
Lectio divina, the personal drawing close to the scriptures is a right of every baptised person and must be made accessible to them. What i find is that the readings and reflections given for each bible passage inspire me to further reflection beyond the ideas suggested, and so i can say, this book does help lead me into lectio divina. What better way to prepare for lent and easter than to listen to conferences from a monk about prayer. The practice of group lectio divina lectio divina, or holy reading, is an ancient practice from the christian tradition, dating from the early medieval era of prayerful study of scripture in monasteries. For this first step, dont just skim through the passage if you already know the story, but read through and linger on each sentence. Lectio divina sunday, may 17th, 2020 american bible society. Here are instructions for several possible approaches to lectio divina, plus some links to some ways of doing lectio divina online. Lectio divina is a weekly framework for a faithful and respectful reading of the bible, coordinated with the catholic lectionary calendar. Reading and responding to the biblical passage three times. Lectio divina is a slow, contemplative praying of the scriptures. It is meant to facilitate an encounter with god through an engaged reading of the scriptures. In addition to the specific works mentioned above, the general category of works that follow are also suitable for lectio. Doing it together is a liturgy of lectio, because you are deliberately structuring the. The four steps of lectio divina 1 time to read your bible yes, dust it off and crack it open.
The goal of lectio divina is to encounter the word of god and to be open to the holy spirit, to allow him to guide ones thoughts and inspirations. Lectio divina is a slow, quiet, and thoughtful encounter with scripture. Lectio divina when in doubt meditating and praying with the scripture using the ancient practice of lectio divina. For the lectio divina on the liturgy of the past week. Includes a concise guide to lectio divina, an anthology of.
Although there is an element of study in lectio divina, it is not the same as bible study, or exegesis, where one seeks to. Lectio divina is a contemplative way of reading the bible. Jan 18, 2019 in 2005, pope benedict xvi, reaffirmed the importance of lectio divina on the 40th anniversary of dei verbum. Twenty fourth week in ordinary time twenty fifth week in ordinary time twenty sixth week in ordinary time twenty seventh week in ordinary time twenty eighth week in ordinary time twenty. May 1016, 2020 please go to archives series 18 and click on easter week 5. Year of matthew th ese lectio divina outlines are also available in albanian, dutch, french, greek, maltese, portuguese, slovak, slovenian, spanish and other languages. Mar 18, 2020 lectio divina literally divine reading is a way of becoming immersed in the scriptures very personally. Reading meditation prayer contemplation lectio divina invites you to savour and mull over gods words quietly, slowly and intently. The four steps of lectio divina diocese of westminster. In fact, one may rely on her for this kind of prayer and relationship in prayer with god. Lectio divina lectio divina, latin for sacred reading, is an ancient practice of quiet prayer and reflection, reading scripture and listening to the voice of god, dating back to about 300ad. It has been described as a way to feast on gods word, so well use that analogy as we walk through the four steps of this prayer.
Guide to lectio divina spirituality for questioning minds. In 2005, pope benedict xvi, reaffirmed the importance of lectio divina on the 40th anniversary of dei verbum. Twenty fourth week in ordinary time twenty fifth week in ordinary time twenty sixth week in ordinary time twenty seventh week in ordinary time twenty eighth week in ordinary time twenty ninth. Lectio divina is an ancient prayer method that is most literally known as divine reading. How to practice lectio divina by father luke dysinger, o. Father mark toups explains how to pray using the ancient form of catholic prayer, lectio divina. In fact, a benedictine monk is uniquely qualified to teach this valuable skill, since he. Sunday gospel readings with lectio divina bible society. Sep 08, 2019 lectio divina divine, or sacred, reading is the name given to a spiritual tradition among christians over the last two thousand years, in which they attentively and pray erfully read the word of god.
I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of lectio divina. This four part lesson is taken from the comprehensive eight part study, oremus, a. In ancient times this inner spiritual motion was described as a helix an ascending spiral. Mar 17, 2017 what better way to prepare for lent and easter than to listen to conferences from a monk about prayer. The hallmark use i have put the book to is its selections of scripture readings for prayer.
It dates back to the early centuries of the christian church and was established as a monastic practice by benedict in the 6th century. Below is a lectio divina approach to the sunday weekday liturgy. Lectio divina is a reading, reflecting, responding and resting in the word of god that helps one grow in relationship with god. It is a way of praying the scriptures that leads us deeper into gods word. It is a very natural way of prayer and was developed and practised by the early monks and thus came to the first carmelite hermits. A voice of one crying out in the desert, prepare the way of the lord.
In other passages of the gospel of matthew, the expression my brothers indicates the disciples mt 12. May 17, 2020 lectio divina when in doubt meditating and praying with the scripture using the ancient practice of lectio divina. Lectio divina is a traditional way of praying the scriptures so that the word of god may penetrate our hearts and that we may grow in an intimate relationship with the lord. Lectio divina is a meditative prayer, allowing god to speak through his living word. Lectio divina teaches us to savor and delight in all the different flavors of gods presence, whether they be active or receptive modes of experiencing him. In ancient times this inner spiritual motion was described as a helix. Maybe read it a few times, and try to notice different words or phrases as they jump out to you. Gn, 28,12 et jean 1,51 guigues le chartreux a recueilli. Benis le seigneur, o mon ame, benis son nom tres saint.
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