Prayer ...
Lectio Divina
“Lectio divina” means sacred, or divine, reading and is an ancient monastic spiritual tradition. Lectio divina is traditionally a private meditation but, in the last few years, groups practicing lectio divina have become popular. These are a good way of introducing yourself to this practice, but are not meant to replace the private reflection and meditation.
The practice involves taking a reading from scripture – it might be one of the readings of the day, or part of a book in the Bible that you are slowly working your way through, or any reading you wish from the Bible. It does not really matter how you choose your reading. You then read the scripture passage slowly, listening carefully to every word, and then you meditate and reflect on what you are reading and try to understand how it speaks to you, what it means in your life. Finally, you pray and meditate in silence.
Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, leads sessions in lectio divina at St. Michael’s Cathedral one Sunday each month from September to June following Vespers. For more information when these sessions are and on lectio divina, from the Archdiocese of Toronto’s website, please click here.
Another website with more detailed information on lectio divina is provided by Fr. Luke Dysinger, O.S.B., a Benedictine priest. You can access this site by clicking here.