Lectio
Divina
Lectio
Divina is a Latin term that means "divine reading."
It is a method for gradually letting go of our own agenda
and opening ourselves to what God wants to say to us.
In the 12th century, a Carthusian monk named Guigo described
the stages that he saw as essential to the practice
of Lectio Divina.
The first stage is lectio (reading). Read the
Word of God slowly and reflectively so that it sinks
in. Any passage of Scripture can be used for this way
of prayer but the passage should be short.
The second stage is meditatio (reflection). Think
about the text you have chosen and dwell on it so that
you take from it what God wants to give you.
The third stage is oratio (response). Leave your
thinking aside and simply let your heart speak to God.
Your reflection on the Word of God will inspire this
response.
The final stage is contemplatio (rest). Let go
of your own ideas, plans, and meditations and don’t
feel compelled to have words and thoughts. Simply rest
in the Word of God. Listen at the deepest level of your
being to God who speaks within you through stillness
and silence. As you listen, you are gradually transformed
from within. This transformation will have a profound
effect on the way you actually live, and the way you
live is the test of the authenticity of your prayer.
You must take what you read in the Word of God out into
your daily life.
These stages are not fixed rules of procedure but simply
guidelines to help you understand the way this kind
of prayer normally develops. Its natural movement is
towards greater simplicity, with less and less talking
and more listening. Gradually the words of Scripture
begin to dissolve and the Word is revealed before the
eyes of our heart.
(Adapted from What is the Lectio Divina? in www.ocarm.org)
