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Lectio Divina: An Ancient Yet Ever-New Form of Prayer

Chris, a dear friend of ours here at the Centre for Faith Enrichment, was asking us the other day about the form of prayer called “lectio divina.” We thought it was such a good question that it was worth writing about here on our website!

“Lectio divina” is Latin for “divine reading,” or “sacred reading.” Lectio divina is an ancient form of Christian prayer that is all about reading the Scriptures in a spirit of openness to what God is saying to you personally through his Word. This form of prayer is often associated with the Benedictine monastic tradition – however it’s a way of praying that all Christians can use. 

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There are four main steps to lectio divina. You can apply these steps to any passage from the Bible – short passages are best. You may like to use the daily Gospel reading (available at this website). Alternatively, you could use the Mass readings printed in the Sunday bulletin as your lectio divina material for the week.

Before anything else, find a quiet place and set aside 15 minutes or so to receive what God is saying to you through his Word. Then choose a Scripture passage to pray with.

1. Read: Slowly read the passage of Scripture you have chosen. Savour each word instead of hurrying to finish the passage, as we often do when we read something. As you read, listen for any word or phrase that tugs at your heart – even if only slightly. If your heart is tugged, stop reading!

2. Meditate: Meditate on the word or phrase that touched you. “Chew” over the text like a cow chewing its cud! Repeat the word or phrase over and over in your mind and think about its relevance to the concrete reality of your life.

3. Pray: Speak with God, your most intimate friend, about how you see your special word or phrase interacting with your life. Ask God to deepen your understanding of the relevance of the passage to your life and listen to his response.

4. Contemplate: Enjoy being silent with the God who loves you. If you become restless or distracted, continue with your slow reading of the text and see if anything else tugs at your heart.