lectio divina

AUDREY LAYMAN AND MEGAN DONAHEY

Lectio Divina

BACKGROUND/HISTORY

Means “Divine Reading” Way of praying the Scriptures Form of Christian contemplative prayer Regular practice in monasteries by 6th

Century Two different forms: Monastic and

Scholastic Purpose: “To enter into conversation

with God and cultivate the gift of contemplation”

MONASTIC FORM

Reading Reflection Responding Resting

SCHOLASTIC FORM

Developed in the Middle Ages Hierarchical order Reading Reflecting Responding Resting

THE STEPS

Lectio (Reading) Meditatio (Meditation/ Reflection) Oratio (Prayer/Responding) Contemplatio (Contemplation/Resting) When monastaries use Lectio Divina in group prayer

and reflection, there are steps added Statio (Position) Lectio (Reading) Meditatio (Meditation/ Reflection) Oratio (Prayer/Responding) Contemplatio (Contemplation/Resting) Collatio (Discussion) Actio (Action)

STATIO

Find a place that lacks distractions Calm Center yourself Peace/Serenity Focus on Jesus Experience: Similar to Yoga

LECTIO

Reading Don’t set goals to read a certain amount Read slowly with meaning May need to seek Catholic commentary on a

certain verse Experience: We looked to each other to help

explain what the verse meant.

MEDITATIO

Meditating on the text Rereading Ask yourself “What parts of this text

reveal the Divine Mystery?” Experience: We reread the text to find

the deeper meaning and its importance to our spirituality

ORATIO This is our prayer to God Our time to talk in the conversation with

God “We ask God to for the grace to be

changed by what we have read, to come more fully into being what He wants us to be, and to help us apply the moral sense of the Scripture to our lives.”

Experience: Interesting to ask God to be changed into what He wants us to be based off of what we had read and how it touched us

CONTEMPLATIO

This is a time to rest Gratitude for God and His word Experience: This stepped was rushed

and kind of skipped over. We thought of it as Savasana pose.

COLLATIO This step is only done when in groups Talk to the group about what you had

experienced and read and what it taught you

Experience: We did this form of prayer together so we discussed what it taught us

ACTIO

Living out what you learned Being a good Christian/ Catholic

BIBLIOGRAPHY

"Lectio Divina." Fish Eaters: The Whys and Hows of Traditional Catholicism. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://www.fisheaters.com/lectiodivina.html>.

"Contemplative Outreach: Lectio Divina." Contemplative Outreach: Contemplative Outreach Ltd. Centering Prayer Resouce. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_practices_lectio>.