Lectio Divina - Spiritual Reading

Practical Considerations

Time. Soul Feast suggests a minimum of 30 minutes. The long standing counsel of many of the saints, is this: Give God the best time of your day, not the dregs. It is hard to listen when you are tired.

Place. Chose a place that allows you solitude and reasonable quiet. Close your door and turn off your phone. Give yourself permission to be unavailable to others in order to be available to God. Some people find lighting a Christ candle helpful. 

Scripture.  You can use one passage (or part of a passage) from the daily lectionary (posted on our FaceBook page), or select a genre of reading and stick with it: a psalm, one of the gospels, or a New Testament epistle. Move through your selection sequentially in small portions each day.

Begin.  Begin by reaffirming the purpose: To open yourself to be addressed by God. Remind yourself of God’s presence with you, here and now. Take a few centering breaths and ask God to speak into your life. Turn to the passage and begin to read slowly, pausing between phrases and sentences. For some, silent reading allows the mind to wanter, so reading aloud or whispering might be preferable.

The Practice

Lectio - Reading - like a letter in hand. Allow the words to sink in, expand, and speak to you. Read (or hear) each sentence slowly, as if for the first time, expecting God to address you. 

Meditatio - Meditation.  This is reflection. Let the words each and resonate in your mind; allow meanings to sink in, associations to arise, images to surface. If a word or phrase seems particularly significant to you, remain with it. If the passage is a story with people, it may help to imagine the setting and envision yourself there. Who do you identify with and why? Imagine how the characters interact. How does this story connect with your life experience? 

Once you’ve heard a word or phrase that seems meant for you, start ruminating on it. Why is this word for you? What in your life right now needs to hear this word? How might God be trying to speak to you through it? If it’s challenging you in some way, why?

Oratio - spoken word or prayer. This is the prayer that naturally flows out of our meditation. As Thompson says in Soul Feast, “It is the direct cry of the heart to God that rises when we have heard ourselves personally addressed through the word.” This could be a prayer of thanksgiving, or confession, or praise or intercession.

Contemplatio - contemplation. The idea here is to move beyond thoughts, words, and images to a stillness and silence. Simply sit in God’s presence. In this time, there should be no expectations, no demands, no need to know, no desire but to be in the divine presence, receptive to whatever God desires to to do with us.  

When you emerge from this time of contemplation, find a word or image or phase that carries the core message you have received. Take this with you. Let the reflection and prayer continue throughout your day.