Lectio Divina

To Remain in the Word

Lectio divina is an ancient form of Christian prayer that involves a close and prayerful reading of Sacred Scripture. It is a way of encountering the Lord through the words of the Bible, leading to a powerful, enduring sense of the Lord’s presence in one’s daily life.

Selecting a Scripture passage: your director may suggest a passage to pray with, or you may select a daily or Sunday Mass passage. Some people pray through an entire Gospel or one of the other books of the Bible, taking short sections one at a time.

Start by putting yourself in the presence of God and by saying a prayer to the Holy Spirit to help you to open your heart to whatever the Lord wishes to give you in the Scripture passage. Now you are ready to enter into lectio divina.

“God calls man first. Man may forget his Creator or hide far from his face; he may run after idols or accuse the deity of having abandoned him; yet the living and true God tirelessly calls each person to that mysterious encounter known as prayer. In prayer, the faithful God’s initiative of love always comes first; our own first step is always a response. As God gradually reveals Himself and reveals man to himself, prayer appears as a reciprocal call, a covenant drama. Through words and actions, this drama engages the heart. It unfolds through the whole history of salvation.”

— Catechism of the Catholic Church #2567

First, read the passage (lectio) more than once— three times is recommended—very slowly, pausing at words that touch you in some way and letting them linger in your mind. Sometimes reading the passage out loud can help.

Second, meditate on the passage (meditatio). Ask questions of the text. Imagine yourself in the story or as one of the characters. Be aware of words or phrases that appear meaningful or mysterious. Find connections with events in one’s own life or with other parts of Scripture. Third, pray over the passage (oratio). Let the previous two steps lead you to compose a prayer to the Lord, to speak to Him about the Scripture passage and your life. You may be moved to gratitude, adoration, petition, supplication, contrition, etc. Speak to the Lord about what is going on in your life as it connects to the passage.

Fourth, let the Holy Spirit work (contemplatio). At this point, God takes over and responds. We must be receptive to all the different ways the Lord speaks to us. Sit in quiet gratitude for His loving Presence in your life and listen.

Begin by placing yourself in the Divine Presence. Remember, you are facing a God who loves you and desires a relationship with you.

Acknowledge: Dig deep and recognize your deepest feelings and emotions. Bring these into prayer, especially any negative emotions you may have. Ask questions of yourself: where am I today? Am I tired, lonely, angry, joyful, confused, not wanting to pray, etc.?

Relate: Speak to the Lord from the place of these emotions. Talk to Him as you would speak to a close friend. In expressing yourself, you are letting go and making space for a self-giving God.

Receive: Listen to the Lord from a posture of receiving what He wishes to give you. The practice of lectio divina fits in well here, opening you up to the word He wishes to give you in lectio.

Respond: Make a resolution on how to live that word throughout the day. This has been called the “Fifth Step” of lectio divina.

Take one some element from your time of lectio, for example, Jesus sitting at the well awaiting the Samaritan woman, walking on the road to Emmaus, or the father of the prodigal son embracing him, and focus exclusively on that. Imagine the scene and enter into it. Use that to ponder the meaning of the scene: Jesus thirsts for me, Jesus accompanies me through my life, the Father embraces me when I sin. Stay with the deeper reality for an extended period of time, about 20-30 minutes. Sit comfortably, breathe at a regular pace, recall the initial scene when you are distracted, and stay there. Be at peace.

If your Scripture passage doesn’t lend itself to images, what word can you hold on to from the prayer? Stay with that word, repeating it softly, returning to it often.

Let this prayer word or the image be an anchor for you throughout the day.