Lectio Divnia

I'm not Catholic, but I occasionally include Lectio Divina in my spiritual practice. It's quite a different way of encountering Scripture from the more common study-and-dissect way of reading!

Its a way to detach from the world/worldly things, as one gradually becomes more and more focused, and hopefully attached to, the supernatural.

RileyG said:

Anyone else practice this? It is best known in Benedictine monasteries and convents. It's a beautiful prayer.

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Are you doing this method of prayer, and when did you begin doing it?

RileyG said:

Anyone else practice this? It is best known in Benedictine monasteries and convents. It's a beautiful prayer.

Click to expand...

I've always had a curiosity about it, the Trappist monastery near me is really big on it, they have a whole section on their website devoted to it. I think they're diving deeper into that in the religious ed programs at my parish as well but I personally don't have more than a surface understanding of it which is basically taking a passage of scripture and quietly meditating on it for a period time.

Trappist practice Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer.

Lection Divina is using Scripture as a form of prayer, rather
than just reading for intellectual purpose.

Praying with Scripture is the best way to learn Scripture and
God always brings a deeper understanding of it.

Lectio Divina is a time-proven method of "praying Scripture". In this culture, where "God is dead" has advanced to "God is irrelevant"which has further progressed to its destination (Hell) with "god - who??? - what's that?" In this noisy and nearly dead culture, this time-proven method of listening to God, in order to hear Him - Him, not ME- will bear fruit - for any who can submit to the wisdom of another for a season (not a time, not a moment, not for an experiment, but humbly).

Rom 10:17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ.

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The precious words of Scripture are the precious words of The Word, echoed down the centuries to us, to hear if we will but listen. And only if we will hear, can we believe. And only if we thus believe, can we live. Learning to pray HIs Holy Words is not only important, it is crucial. It is necessary. It is essential, literally a matter of life and death.

(A person can find himself "doing" lectio divina without ever hearing of it, by being obedient to the Word Himself. However, the method of lectio divina can help a person find obedience in the noisy chaos of disobedience in which we find ourselves today.)

HERE is a link to the oldest and best description of exactly what Lectio Divina is, that I have found:
"THE LADDER OF FOUR RUNGS - GUIGO II ON CONTEMPLATION"