How to pray the Lectio Divina: How to pray series 2024

A way to pray with the bible, the Lectio Divina. This is a tried and true (centuries tried and true) way of praying with the Word of God.

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How to pray the Lectio Divina

In last weekend’s homily I highlighted the need for us to learn how to pray. I suggested subscribing to the “Bible in a Year” podcast. If you listen to podcasts, you can subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Typing “Bible in a Year” in the search bar will enable you to subscribe to the podcast. As I said, I highly encourage it. (I saw many nods when I gave the homily so I know I am not alone in finding it helpful.)

I would like to offer another way to pray with the bible, the Lectio Divina. This is a tried and true (centuries tried and true) way of praying with the Word of God. It has become fashionable in education to talk about “deep reading” or “close reading.” Truth is, Lectio Divina believed in “close or deep” reading more than 15 centuries ago. And in our modern age we think we are so smart!

The goal of the Lectio Divina (Sacred or Divine Reading) is not about quantity. It is about depth, quality and understanding. Even if we are using a passage of scripture, such as the daily gospel at Mass, the goal is usually more to focus on a small sentence, phrase, or even a single word to help us to grab our attention.

Traditionally, there are four parts of the process, usually identified in Latin, but when I taught my high school students this process I also used an English title for each part of the process. I like to think of the process like a funnel. In other words, at the beginning we focus on the whole thing, but gradually find ourselves going deeper and deeper into where the Holy Spirit moves us on a particular moment.

One other note is that the use of the Lectio Divina is not limited to the words of the bible, but I will say I think learning to pray with the bible is a good way to start. The steps of the Lectio Divina are as follows:

Prepare.

It remains important to prepare to pray. Just as we take time when a guest comes to visit us, so too we need to take time to prepare for the Holy Spirit, the guest we are seeking to invite into our heart. I suggest taking time first to become calm. Often focusing on slowing down our breathing is helpful, particularly if we are not familiar with silent prayer. Some people find it helpful to use an object, like a candle. If your house allows you, it can be helpful to create a special personal sacred space to help. Whatever the preparation, it is always helpful I think, to say a phrase like, “Come, Holy Spirit,” or “God speak to my heart.”

Lectio. (Read)

Then a particular passage is selected to read. I like using the daily readings from Mass because it keeps me from only focusing on those passages I might like. (I find that if I choose I tend to choose those readings I like and avoid readings I find upsetting or challenging.)

Read the passage slowly and reflectively. See what grabs your attention. But don’t force it. Be patient. But pay attention to what “leaps” out.

Meditatio. (Meditate)

After reading the passage the first time, read it again. Pay attention this second time to what was striking about the reading. Remember this is not academic study, but prayer. Simply meditate on the passage being read a second time. Reflect upon what it is God says personally today.

Oratio. (Pray)

In reading the passage the third time, it is the chance (now and only now) to speak to God about what God has said. Even if I do not think much has struck me, I choose to thank God for this time of prayer. But often there is something specific that has struck me, and this is the time to respond. Sometimes it is asking God for something (a prayer of petition), or perhaps I am reminded of other people who asked me to pray for them (prayers of intercession). I take this time to bring these prayers to Jesus.

Contemplatio. (Contemplate)

Contemplation is really a period of time where we simply sit in God’s presence. We rest in what God has done for us during this time of prayer. It is important to remember that Lectio Divina is not a task to be completed, but an encounter to be experienced. And so, it is important to take this silent time to simply be with God.

One thing I would ask us to think about as a parish is what it means to be a Dominican parish. Dominicans have a unique charism given to us by the Holy Spirit. Perhaps best expressed in the traditional phrase, “To contemplate in order to give to others the fruits of our contemplation.”

It is important to note the order in the phrase above. Contemplation comes first, not the sharing. In other words, contemplation (prayer) always comes before action. Our actions arise from our prayer. When we are better able to recognize Jesus in prayer, we are better able to see Jesus in all other people.

Hopefully this very short explanation is helpful. Dominicans value those spiritual practices that have borne fruit for a very long time. It can be easy to seek the latest trend or fad, but often they come and go and do not bear much fruit.

This Lectio Divina is a process that has born much, much fruit. As the Busted Halo website says, “The Christian form of Lectio Divina was first introduced by St. Gregory of Nyssa (c 330- 395), and also encouraged by St. Benedict of Nursia (c 480-547), the founder of the Benedictine order.” So try the Lectio Divina, for it has born fruit for centuries helping humans to hear the Holy Spirit.

On the friar, you can listen to our homilies (based on the readings of the day) and reflections. You can also ask us to pray for you or to pray for others. You can subscribe to our website to be informed whenever we publish an update.