It returns to the source 3rd century of what later became known as. Lectio is a personal, spiritual time with the lord thru his word. A very good book to read if you think your idea of prayer needs to be stretched. How to practice lectio divina by father luke dysinger, o. Apr 12, 2017 meditation using the bible or lectio divina is a very old christian practice that was formalized by the benedictine religious order in the 6 th century. Lectio divina or sacred reading is the slow, repetitive reading of a sacred text that leads one to the ultimate step of resting in god.
It has been a core part of monastic life for centuries but has been growing in use outside the monastery too. Like most practices, the goal through these four movements is to listen for god. It draws on the way jews read the haggadah, a text read during passover that retells the exodus story. It involves reading a passage of the bible, listening to god in silence, responding back to god in prayer, and then resting in silent prayer. Ive seen it associated with the practices of prayer, meditation, and study. All sacred scripture is but one book, and this one book is christ. Lectio divina and centering prayer lectio divina and centering prayer are two distinct prayer forms.
This simple way of prayer allows the person to encounter god in the scriptures in a way that includes spirit, emotions, intellect, and practical action. Is lectio divina supposed to replace contemplative prayer. Developed by benedictine monks to help the brothers reflect on scripture throughout the day, lectio divina is still practiced today by catholics and a growing number of. If we want our kids to develop a deep, vibrant relationship with christ, then we need to teach them to prayand not just memorized prayers or spontaneous vocal prayer as important as those are, but meditation and contemplation. The author speaks of taking the word of life that he god gives you through your daily lectio devotional reading, and carrying this word this can be literally a single word, or a phrase throughout the day, to commune with our loving father, one on one. Meditations united states conference of catholic bishops. Should lectio divina, as a distinct way of prayer, take place side by side.
Bible study provides a basic foundation for lectio which is a deep, loving, reflective meditation and encounter with the word of god. Teresas way of prayer, the prayer of recollection, into the centuriesold spiritual practice of lectio divina, and how to draw spiritual nourishment from both a closing series of reflection questions make this an ideal introduction to teresian prayer for both. Time set aside in a special way for lectio divina enables us to discover in our daily life an underlying spiritual rhythm. Lectio divina, latin for divine reading, is a series of bible studies that calls christians to. The ceb lectio divina prayer bible makes it simple to do. My seventh day adventist paternal grandmother was very faithful to reading the bible every day until cataracts dimmed her eyes so she could no longer read. The ceb lectio divina prayer bible, bonded leather. It is an ancient method of slowly reading the scriptures in a repetitive fashion in order to encounter the presence of god. The benefits of laying down ones agenda, submitting ones time and energy to scripture, and listening to the voice of god, are abundant through lectio divina. The value of this for someone encountering the entire bible for the first time cannot be overstated. Jan 18, 2019 in 2005, pope benedict xvi, reaffirmed the importance of lectio divina on the 40th anniversary of dei verbum. I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of lectio divina.
Lectio divina, literally meaning divine reading, is an ancient practice of praying the scriptures. Sep 01, 2010 this book takes the ancient practice of lectio divina and expands it into a way of prayerful living. In 2005, pope benedict xvi, reaffirmed the importance of lectio divina on the 40th anniversary of dei verbum. The method of lectio divina, or divine reading, is a systematic reading of each section of a book with pauses for reflection and prayer. Lectio divina is the classical monastic practice of the prayerful reading of the bible. Lectio divina is an opportunity to slow down and experience gods word deeply. Centering prayer is a method of prayer in which we consent to rest in gods presence. In lectio divina, you use the bible to connect your thoughts and heart to god in a personal way that gives you insight into your life and into who god is. This contribution intends to explore the relationship between lectio divina and contemplative prayer in the carmelite tradition by answering the questions that arise, as follows.
Lectio divina doesnt seem to fit into one category of practices. Using the four movements of lectio divina, benner explores prayer as attending, pondering, responding and being. The online course features seven videos of 10 to 20 minutes. Lectio divina benedictine sisters of elizabeth elizabeth, nj. Lectio divina is latin for divine reading, spiritual reading, or holy reading and represents a method of prayer and scriptural reading intended to promote communion with god and provide special spiritual insights. Reflections for daily prayer advent 2012 to eve of advent 20 hp 2012 pgs. How to do meditation using the bible with lectio divina.
The ceb lectio divina prayer bible makes the practice of this meditative prayer simple and accessible for all. See more ideas about contemplative prayer, prayers and. The format of this confusion between lectio divina and contemplative prayer today continues in the majority of the initiations into prayer think of the seminaries. In the view of one commentator, it does not treat scripture as texts to be studied, but as the living word. A lectio prayer service for the family as with any new practice or habit, expect to try lectio a few times before your kids get comfortable with it. Leonhardt explains these two forms of prayer for those new to the practices. Mar 11, 2020 meditation, speaking with god, is necessary to grow in our holiness and our relationship with god. Lectio divina holy reading is an ancient christian way to pray the scriptures. 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. Haggadah means telling and along with being a physical text, the word captures the practice of telling and retelling a story. The newly released ceb lectio divina prayer bible is a wonderful supplement and means to practicing lectio divina sacred reading, devotional reading in ones life. Bible journaling as lectio divina i loved this example from tim grays book. Would it be viable to combine lectio divina with contemplative prayer.
It is not scripture study, nor is it spiritual reading. Leading sheep to a new level of consciousness by wolf tracks blog. This book takes the ancient practice of lectio divina and expands it into a way of prayerful living. Lectio divina and the practice of teresian prayer ics. Be sure to get the full experience of lectio prayer with this special kit, which includes the dvd set six episodes on three dvds and the corresponding study guide click here for a sample of the study guide in prayer.
The lectio divina prayer method was founded by saint benedict and pope gregory in the 6th century, although its roots date back to the christian scholar origen in the 3rd century. Lectio divina is still closely associated with monasteries, but in recent decades many christians who lead active lives in the world have learned to pray this way as well. The ceb lectio divina prayer bible reminds us and guides us into a slower, more intimate approach to spending time with god in scripture. 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. Lectio divina and the practice of teresian prayernook book. The essence of lectio divina is reading the words of scripture with ones heart, guided by the holy spirit. How to pray lectio divina, an ancient christian prayer. Lectio divina can be done as an individual or as a group. The process is a slow, reflective praying of the scriptures which enables the word of god, to unify us with godto be a fruitful. Lectio divina is a reading, reflecting, responding and resting in the word of god that helps one grow in relationship with god. The first element of this type of prayer is reading lectio.
Over the past few years an old form of bible reading and interpretation has resurfaced and made quite an impact. Lectio divina involves reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation. Lectio divina alongside the daily celebration of liturgy is to this day the pillar of prayer in carmel. During lectio divina, the practitioner listens to the text of the bible with the ear of the heart, as if he or she is in conversation with god, and god is suggesting the topics for discussion. Most of us werent taught how to pray beyond formal prayers.
In the light of the word, written in the bible, you helped them to discover the presence of god in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Four stages the essence of lectio divina is reading the words of scripture with ones heart, guided by the holy spirit. In lectio divina, we seek to experience the presence of god through reading and listening, prayer, meditation and contemplation. In the 14th century, gerard of zutphen built on guigos ladder to write his major work on spiritual ascents. Recommended passages for slow and thoughtful readingquestions for guiding a time of reflection a prayersuggestions for putting your new insights into action dark forest green cover. Bill and kristi gaultiere, cofounders of soul shepherding, explain the lectio divina process to you, show you how to meditate on scripture, use a breath prayer from the bible, listen for gods voice, and engage in soul talk.
A handbook for lectio divina stephen hough on amazon. Lectio divina and contemplative prayer according to. We are often taught in churches to think through our prayers reciting words and formulas which are valuable elements of our shared traditions, but only one window into gods presence. He was the editor and compiler of the catholic prayer book from downside abbey.
The method of lectio divina, or divine reading, is a systematic reading of each section of a book of the bible with pauses for reflection and prayer. The ceb lectio divina prayer bible hardcover hardcover. Meditation using the bible or lectio divina is a very old christian practice that was formalized by the benedictine religious order in the 6 th century. There are also questions to guide you in reflecting on the meaning of the text, a prayer, and suggestions for putting new insights into action. Along the way he opens us to a world of possibilities for communion with god. Tim gray masterfully uses the ancient churchs tradition of lectio divina to show you the. If you have very young children, skip down to the next section for some ideas about how to prepare them to do lectio divina.
Lectio divina year a 2017 the website of the carmelite. The following pages represent a product or sampling of this ancient exercise practiced not just in monastic communities but in more recent years has gained acceptance by a growing number of laypersons. Lectio divina is an ancient spiritual practice from the christian monastic tradition. The principles of lectio divina were expressed around the year 220 and later practiced by catholic monks, especially.
Lectio divina, or divine reading, is a systematic reading of scripture with pauses for reflection and prayer. The ancient practice of lectio divina is the mainstay of the benedictines personal prayer. There are a variety of ways you can enter into lectio divina we offer two. Lectio divina reading seeks for the sweetness of a blessed life, meditation perceives it, prayer asks for it, contemplation tastes it. This inclusive handbook explicitly welcomes everyone to these practices whatever their beliefs or doubts. Mar 18, 2020 lectio divina literally divine reading is a way of becoming immersed in the scriptures very personally. Rediscovering meaning in a life with chronic illness. In lectio divina, you use the bible to connect your thoughts and heart to god in a personal way. They also talk about using lectio divina in small groups. For every chapter of the bible, there is a recommended passage for slow and thoughtful reading.
The ceb lectio divina prayer bible makes this simple to do. Pennington, a trappist monk and author of books on centering prayer, monastic life, and thomas. Lectio divina and contemplative prayer according to carmelite. This article is adapted from lectio divina for teens. Teresa of jesus is the churchs great teacher of prayer, and lectio divina, the ancient christian approach to praying over the scriptures, is among the churchs most venerable prayer methods. This listening to, feeding upon and resting in the word is an ancient sacred artform where the holy spirit. Meditation, speaking with god, is necessary to grow in our holiness and our relationship with god.
Lectio divina is derived from a latin word that means holy reading. I looked for this particular book for a long time and just. Lectio divina, meaning divine reading, is a combination of prayer and bible reading that enables all people, rich or poor, educated or not, to engage with gods word. Lectio divina is an ancient method of praying the scriptures. Where others have, i think, come up with novel ways of critiquing it, helm heads straight to the bible. An invitation to be fully present with our holy god. The name means sacred reading, and the prayer invites slow reading and praying with a scripture passage. As a practitioner of centered prayer and of lectio it is my goto guide. It is an ancient christian prayer form being rediscovered and reclaimed in our time. He took the time to write context, reflection, prayer and action steps for every page in this book.
A handbook for lectio divina paperback september 1, 2007 by stephen hough author. A lover who is separated from the beloved doesnt let a love letter just sit on the kitchen table unopened for days on end with the evergrowing pile of junk mail, but instead quickly and eagerly opens it upon its arrival, reading and rereading it until the ink. Essentially, he says that lectio divina often leads us away from the right meaning and right application of a text. An opportunity to savor the words of scripture, to sit at gods table, to be nourished, fed and refreshed. Lectio divina is a practice of being present to each moment in a heartcentered way. Guide to lectio divina spirituality for questioning minds. Lord jesus, send your spirit to help us to read the scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to emmaus. Victor lectio divina literally means sacred reading. The ceb lectio divina prayer bible common english bible. Lectio divina and gospel contemplation are two ways to pray with scripture. Lectio divina is a slow, contemplative praying of the scriptures. I appreciate david helms critique of this method in in his little book expositional preaching. At the page link above, you will find links to the text of the psalms and songs from the new american bible, revised edition, along with audio versions and written reflections to encourage the practice of lectio divina or divine reading, a way of praying with scripture that calls one to listen to, study, contemplate and thoughtfully.
Tim gray masterfully uses the ancient churchs tradition of lectio divina to show you the simple steps for making prayer an effort of love and intimacy with god. In this booklet lectio divina is described in a fresh and practical way, encouraging every christian to take up the bible and find in it a true guide for the intellect and for the actions of every day. Prayer is not simply words that we offer when we speak to god but an opening of our self to god. Includes a concise guide to lectio divina, an anthology of.
Compares teresas approach to prayer with the ancient tradition of lectio. In western christianity such as roman catholicism, lutheranism, or anglicanism lectio divina latin for divine reading is a traditional monastic practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with god and to increase the knowledge of gods word. Bible journaling as lectio divina the littlest way. The ceb lectio divina prayer bible hardcover cokesbury. Lectio divina, pronounced lektseaho diveenah, is a latin term meaning divine reading and is a catholic meditative form of prayer. Reflective reading of the scriptures to lead us into prayer has been a practice in the church since the earliest centuries. It is an invitation to take a long, loving look at scripture, says spiritual director teresa blythe. This spiritual reading is traditionally called lectio divina or divine reading. Praying the scriptures with lectio divina catechists. The bible includes areas of reading, praying, and acting upon small sections, usually chapter by chapter, of scripture. Jan 02, 2019 the lectio divina prayer method was founded by saint benedict and pope gregory in the 6th century, although its roots date back to the christian scholar origen in the 3rd century. A believing christian, hough compiled this book as an aid to prayer in a busy, modern life.
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