The season of Lent is often referred to as the Church’s annual retreat. While in seminary, we would take an annual retreat, often times, it would be a silent retreat, where the seminarians would spend the day in silence, so they could pray and rest and pray some more. While on retreat we were to practice a way of prayer quite central to a healthy Christian prayer life called lectio divina. Lectio Divina is latin for Divine Reading. It is a method of praying with scripture, just a few verses at a time, reading them unhurriedly and reflectively so that we can listen for the message God has for us there.
Today’s reading from Isaiah describes what should happen while using Lectio Divina. God’s word, descending into our hearts, like rain falling from the heavens to make the earth fertile and fruitful.
Back in 2006, Pope Benedict addressed the youth of the world gathered for World Youth Day on the subject of Lectio Divina.
“My dear young friends,” he said,” I urge you to become familiar with the Bible, and to have it at hand so that it can be your compass pointing out the road to follow. By reading it, you will learn to know Christ. Note what Saint Jerome said in this regard: "Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ" A time-honoured way to study and savor the word of God is lectio divina
After the lectio, which consists of reading and rereading a passage from Sacred Scripture and taking in the main elements, we proceed to meditatio. This is a moment of interior reflection in which the soul turns to God and tries to understand what his word is saying to us today. Then comes oratio in which we linger to talk with God directly. Finally we come to contemplation…Reading, study and meditation of the Word should then flow into a life of consistent fidelity to Christ and his teachings.
I’ve often given as a penance in the sacrament of confession practicing lectio divina with the Lord’s Prayer. Recite the prayer, then recite it again very slowly, then begin to meditate on the meaning of the words. What does it mean that God is OUR Father, what does it mean that he is our FATHER, what does it mean for God to deliver me from evil, for example. Then let that meditation turn into a sort of conversation with God—speaking the desires of my heart to God and listening for his voice, and finally, letting that evolve into a wordless contemplation of God’s presence and his love.
Lectio Divina, a powerful method of prayer employed by saints for over a thousand years. May God’s word this Lent make our hearts fruitful and fertile for witnessing to the truth of Christ’s saving Gospel, for his glory and the salvation of souls.
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