The Prayerful Reading of the Bible: Lectio Divina
Vatican II brought the Word of God in the Bible to the center of all Christian spirituality. This revival has led to a growing practice of prayer that has had a long tradition in the Church. This is called Lectio Divina. Literally, this means divine reading. A more accurate description would be the prayerful reading of the Bible.
This prayerful reading seeks to listen to what God has to say to us. It will lead us to know and embrace God’s will. It is all about the transforming encounter with God’s special means of revelation, the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. When approaching the Mystery unveiled in the Scriptures, we need the attitude of Samuel: “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” (1 Sam 3:10)
There are four steps to this prayerful reading of the Bible:
- 1. A slow meditative reading of a selected text of the Scriptures.
- 2. A reflection on the text that connects it with our life experience.
- 3. We are led to a response in prayer.
- 4. Finally, a quiet resting in the Mystery of this encounter.
The Four Steps
It is essential to prepare for this serious time of prayer. We need to create an ambience of silence, with minimal outside distractions. Next, we select the text. We then invoke the Holy Spirit.- 1. In the initial step, we have to seek out the meaning: what does the text say? Silence is important for listening and avoiding the trap of making the text say what we want. We need to bring the heart into the process as well as the mind. A particular phrase or sentence may burst out as a light sometimes gently, sometimes with great force. Hold on to it.
- 2. In the second step, we want to ask: what does the text say to us? We enter into a dialogue with the text. Here we want to make the connection to our life. The reflection leads to building a bridge between God’s Word and our life situation at this moment. In this process, the distractions will never be far away. To cast out these chattering monkeys in the mind, always return to the text. This discipline maintains a recollected and focused approach to the task of reflection in the second step.
- 3. In the third step, we try to discover what the text leads us to say to God. We are moved to prayer. We speak to God of our need for conversion. We seek help in healing a flawed relationship or getting rid of a bad habit. We ask help and guidance. We make resolutions to be more generous in walking with Jesus. This is always a slow journey from the head to the heart to life.
- 4. The fourth step, quiet listening and resting in the Lord, generates a contemplative mood. This is the goal of the prayerful reading of the Bible: opening ourselves up to the transforming love of God. Silence is the language of God. We slowly grow in the wonder that God loves us. While we do not always have this deep encounter of loving silence, it remains the goal. It is the gift that transforms us in the image of Christ.
Spiritual Transformation
When we approach the prayerful reading of the Bible in Lectio Divina, we should see ourselves as the one to whom the Bible is directed. It was formulated to address us here and now. However, it is always as a member of a community.
We need to keep the concrete reality of our life, our family, our community and the larger circumstances of the political, economic, and social reality front and center. The Bible is at all times the book of the community, not a personal prayer book.
The first three steps are an encounter with Christ-for-us. He is our Savior calling us to new life. In the final and most important step we meet Christ-in-us. This presence grows in the gradual transformation of our being when we are faithful and generous to our prayerful reading of the Bible. We are truly walking with Jesus.
Christian Meditation
Christian Meditation centers on silence. It hopes to eliminate all thinking and the imagination. The silence invites God to be active in our prayer. The spirit of poverty is the goal. We simply seek to create an emptiness that is the best invitation to the Spirit where God prays within us.
The individual is asked simply to silently repeat the holy word, Maranatha, which means “the Lord will come.” The choice of the word is arbitrary and it is important not to think of its meaning. The repetition connects to one’s breathing. The slow repetition of the word is the individual’s prayer. The repeating of the word symbolizes and encourages the faithful surrender to God. This abandonment of control results in the quieting of the mind and imagination. The simple and slow repetition of the word aims at reducing the “chattering monkeys” of distractions that characterize the unbridled mind and imagination, which seem to fear any part of silence. Simplicity is the critical element. There is no need to get lost in definition of prayer or measures of progress. The important issue is to grow in purity of heart with openness to God’s grace.
The prayer is experiential and practical. People need to start the journey and let the experience be the teacher. Through the simple repetition of the mantra, Maranatha, we clear the mind, get beyond thinking. We move from the head to the heart. We need to pay attention to how we say the mantra. Our effort should be gentle but firm in our prayerful repetition. This clears the mind enough to make space for the Spirit. This is the movement toward purity of heart and openness to God’s presence. We must realize the final measure of effective prayer is a life more in tune with the values of the Gospel, walking with Jesus.
How to Meditate
The most important thing to learn about meditation is to meditate. It is extraordinarily simple. This is the problem. Few believe that something so simple is so effective and transforming.
To meditate sit still and upright. As you relax close your eyes. Slowly begin saying the mantra in four syllables. Do not think or imagine anything. As distractions come return to the mantra softly but decisively. Even good thoughts are to be excluded. The target is twenty to thirty minutes in the morning and evening.
There are three simple goals to guide the two meditation periods each day:
- 1. Say the mantra for the complete time of the meditation. This is a skill. It will take time to create a habit.
- 2. Say the mantra throughout the meditation without interruption. The task here is to continually return as soon as possible from the relentless distractions which are the ego’s hunger for control.
- 3. In saying the mantra, let it draw you into the depths of your being beyond thought, imagination and all images. Rest in the presence of God dwelling in the depth of your heart.
Meditation Today
Different forms of meditation are growing in popularity today. Most of them are rooted in personal wellbeing. Christian Meditation has a totally different agenda. The Gospel is not about self-analysis but self-transcendence. Christian Meditation happens only when we shift attention away from ourselves. The irony of this approach is that it leads to deeper and more authentic self-knowledge.
Christian Meditation enriches but does not replace other prayers such as Lectio Divina, the Liturgy, spiritual reading, the rosary and devotions. Christian Meditation is a foundation for a rich and committed spiritual life. If practiced daily over a period of time, noticeable changes occur. Faithfulness to Christian Meditation is an anchor for a spiritual life that opens one’s heart to surrender to God.
Christian Meditation is not magic. If you are looking for the easy fix, you will not find it. However, faithful practice of this prayer will lead you to purity of heart and surrender to God. Gospel values seep into one’s heart and mind. There is a new light and love in all we encounter. Christian Meditation, if practiced dutifully and with generosity, is a sure way to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.
Practical Suggestions
When I introduce this spiritual technique, I make the following points:
- • It does not matter if you feel at peace even though this often is the case for beginners. How you feel is not the issue. The real issue is change in your heart that leads to a better life.
- • Often the mind seems as if you have a troop of chattering monkeys roaming around. You need to peacefully return to the mantra and continue repeating it slowly and steadily. Let the monkeys play on.
- • It is important to reject all thoughts including good and inspiring ideas. There is another time for them but not during this sacred time seeking the loving presence of God in silence.
- • Always remember prayer is fundamentally an act of love for God. As Teresa of Avila said, we need not think much but we need to love much.
- • In the end, it comes down to discipline. One has to make time twice a day for twenty to thirty minutes. The practice can easily be put off and eventually will slip away.
