Begin by choosing a brief passage of scripture, and a place where you can be quiet and undisturbed in your prayer time. Lectio divina lectio divina divine, or sacred, reading is the name given to a spiritual tradition among christians over the last two thousand years, in which they attentively and prayerfully read the word of god. Lectio divina, literally meaning divine reading, is an ancient practice of praying the scriptures. The practice of praying with scripture, lectio divina, begins with an active and close reading of the. A lover who is separated from the beloved doesnt let a love letter just sit on the kitchen table unopened for days on end with the evergrowing pile of junk mail, but instead quickly and eagerly opens it upon its arrival, reading and rereading it until the ink. The sacrament of evangelization and martyrdom by dr. Brant pitre, and the masterful artistry of the awardwinning augustine institute studios. Lectio divina is an ancient method for praying with the bible, and being open to hearing in the words of scripture a personally enlivening and transforming word from god. Faith practice lectio divina 2 lead spiritual practice retreat february 2014 3. Lectio divina and your spiritual life connect with us at. Lectio divina december 2017 the website of the carmelite. Centering prayer is a method of prayer in which we consent to rest in gods presence. Lectio divina and the problem of monologue in prayer what is sacred scripture if not a letter from the omnipotent god to his creature.
Our intention in this short article is to offer the steps the holy father suggests. The catholic commentator lectio divina and the spiritual life. Lectio divina benedictine sisters of elizabeth elizabeth, nj. The leaders guide is the key to facilitating an effective group study of eucharist.
Lectio literally means reading, as if you have a love letter in hand, reading each sentence as if for the first. There are many phrases for the eucharist the bread of life, the body and the blood of christ but do we truly understand what they mean. As a strong point of biblical ministry, lectio divina should therefore be increasingly encouraged, also through the use of new methods, carefully thought through and in step with the times. During lectio divina, the practitioner listens to the text of the bible with the ear of the heart, as if he or she is in conversation with god, and god is suggesting the topics for discussion. Dei verbum and lectio divinabenedict xvi crossroads initiative. I would suggest disclosing that this is an audio recording of a lecture, and to update the pdf to have more comprehensive information.
Saint joseph lectio divina is an authentic source of christian spirituality recommended by our rule. Download this newsletter in printerfriendly pdf format to read later. With a renewed emphasis on productive silence, individual cells, and time dedicated to meditation, the time was ripe for a return to lectio divina. Michael barber lighthouse talks the resurrection of jesus fact or fiction by steven smith walk the walk by dr. In lectio divina, we read and reread a scripture passage slowly and prayerfully as a means of furthering our intimacy with jesus and hearing his voice.
As our relationship with god deepens we will be renewed in our intention to rest with god in centering prayer. Reading as contemporary people know it and practice it tends to become a wholly silent affair. How to practice lectio divina by father luke dysinger, o. Gray is the coauthor with jeff cavins of walking with god. This simple way of prayer allows the person to encounter god in the scriptures in a way that includes spirit, emotions, intellect, and practical action. An outline summary of each video presentation session 7. The ancient practice of lectio divina literally means divine reading and is a method of prayer, study, and meditation fundamental to benedictine life since the 6th century traditionally practiced individually and privately, the lectio divina approaches the study and prayer of scripture as something to be calmly and carefully absorbed and understood. Now, in order to give you an example of meditation, i chose the treatise by guigo ii, a ladder from earth to heaven. Brant pitre, distinguished research professor of scripture at the augustine institute, and i received my ph. Sorry but there is no pdf for this years newsletter due to the pandemic so ive added last easters 2019 if you wanted to look back. As we discipline our hearts to move back into principles of truth, we discover how the christian story of suffering and glory.
Lectio divina and your spiritual life connect with us at facebook. Includes a concise guide to lectio divina, an anthology of. At this point, read the text again, slowly, with the word or image that you found in the text in your mind. May 21, 2014 over the past few years an old form of bible reading and interpretation has resurfaced and made quite an impact. Discover the relevant truth of scripture and the tradition of the catholic church with lectio, a videobased study series from the augustine institute featuring trusted presenters, like dr.
Lectio divina is a reading, reflecting, responding and resting in the word of god that helps one grow in relationship with god. Lectio divina and centering prayer lectio divina and centering prayer are two distinct prayer forms. Lectio divina it was with the renewal of religious life at the second vatican council that lectio divina reclaimed its rightful place in monastic life. Discovering the mass in the bible renowned teacher dr. The role of scripture in the spiritual life of the individual disciple lectio divina.
Pitre tells us that what we believe about the eucharist is going to affect how we see all of. This new series is intended to be less a study and more an introduction to lectio divina. Robert bellarmine catholic church scripture study flushing, mi. Lectio divina is an ancient prayer method that is most literally known as divine reading. Brant pitre leads us through scripture, history, and church teaching to illuminate the wonder and miracle of the eucharist. The truth of scripture the tradition of the catholic church. The lectio eucharist badge explores the depth of the meaning of the eucharist for our lives.
A journey through the bible and the author of praying scripture for a change. Lectio divina and your spiritual life christ lives in his body. It is a way of praying the scriptures that leads us deeper into gods word. It is a very natural way of prayer and was developed and practised by the early monks and thus came to the first carmelite hermits. Although there is an element of study in lectio divina, it is not the. Lectio divina is not meant as an intellectual study of the bible, but as a means of communion with god. Lectio divina is a monastic practice used for scripture reading and prayer that is gaining popularity among many christians today. Lectio divina is a contemplative way of reading the bible. How to start lectio divina divine reading in 2 simple. Lectio divina and the problem of monologue in prayer. Where others have, i think, come up with novel ways of critiquing it, helm heads straight to the bible.
This fivedvd set features ten episodes with over seven hours of video presentation filmed. Lectio divina lectio divina means divine reading in latin. Michael barber the body of christ and the bride of christ. Essentially, he says that lectio divina often leads. Eucharist with this special kit including the dvd box set 10 episodes on 5 dvds and the corresponding study guide. Calm your anxieties and thoughts, and acknowledge gods presence. It is a form of prayer that focuses on listening and responding to gods word. There are four phases in the classic practice of scriptural reading or lectio divina. Have you ever wanted to learn to mediate on sacred scripture. Franciscan university presents pope benedict xvi and jesus of nazareth with guest, dr. The new rachel thoughtprovoking questions practical tips for including lectio divina in your daily prayer life. Lectio divina sacred reading i would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of lectio divina. Pitre is an extremely enthusiastic and engaging speaker who lectures regularly across the united states.
The following pages represent a product or sampling of this ancient exercise practiced not just in monastic communities but in more recent years has gained acceptance by a growing number of laypersons. Guiding lectio divina it would be most helpful for you to. Its an ancient practice that teaches us how to read, meditate on and live the word of god. The term lectio divina is derived from patristic tradition and literally translated means divine reading, with a double intention. Dr brant pitre thursday morning session 2 applied biblical. Shop now the woman at the well and the love of christ. Reading also tends to be something that is done as speedily as possible, such that it tends to become a means to some other end of ours, rather than being an end in itself of course, people do still read for pleasure, but even when this still happens, the desire is to finish the book, not to savor it. It is meant to facilitate an encounter with god through an engaged reading of the scriptures. There can be no true christian life without lectio divina. We therefore practice it every day, so that we may develop a deep and genuine love for it, and so that we may grow in the surpassing knowledge of christ. Discovering the mass in the bible is the key to getting the full lectio experience. Centering prayer is a gift to lectio divina as it frees us from obstacles to hear the word of god on a much deeper level in lectio divina. Prayer, using the discipline of lectio divina to show you how to make prayer an. We invite you to join the best scripture study youve ever encountered.
Introduction to lectio divina father boniface hicks, osb. Spiritual theology and christian prayer brant pitre. Brant pitre, scripture scholar and bestselling author, uses biblical and historical evidence to bolster the case for jesus by exposing the problems with the many false theories that have been introduced over the past hundred years resulting in widespread skepticism about the reliability of christian faith. History tells us that it was the blessed guigo the carthusian, who wrote the most important stages of this way of meditating the word.
How to do lectio divina and what are the steps of lectio. Since then i have spent my time teaching, writing, and giving lectures on the bible and on the jewish roots of. Brant pitre guides us through scripture, history, and church teaching to illuminate the wonder and miracle of the eucharist. Guiding lectio divina it would be most helpful for you to read this outline thoroughly before leading your group reflection. Faith practice lectio divina 1 lead spiritual practice retreat february 2014 introduction lectio divina, divine reading. Welcome to lectio eucharist archdiocese of cincinnati. Brant pitre guides us through scripture, history, and church teaching to illuminate the wonder and miracle of the. Lectio bible study unveiling scripture and tradition discover the relevant truth of sacred scripture and the beauty of the tradition of the catholic church with lectio.
The goal of lectio divina is to invite the holy spirit to. Eucharist discovering the mass in the bible with dr. Created to help you lead others deeper into scripture, this comprehensive resource for leaders presents practical help to make the most of adult faith formation with your study group. Lectio divina grounds our imaginations in the word. An introduction to lectio divina, the luminous mysteries, sacraments in scripture, and mission of the messiah.
Brant pitre, professor of sacred scripture at notre dame seminary in new orleans. Lectio divina, the personal drawing close to the scriptures is a right of every baptised person and must be made accessible to them. Lectio divina is the classical monastic practice of the prayerful reading of the bible. Discover the relevant truth of scripture and the tradition of the catholic church with lectio, a videobased study featuring trusted presenters, like dr. Brant pitre is distinguished research professor of scripture at the augustine institute in denver, co. Centering prayer for everyone is a welcoming, accessible, and practical guide focusing on five practices lectio divina, visio divina, walking meditation, chanting the psalms, and especially the silent practice of centering prayer. I appreciate david helms critique of this method in in his little book expositional preaching. The leader guide is the key to facilitating an effective group study of eucharist. I am going to refer to his handouts and add my own comments. Watch to learn how you can pray using lectio divina, a dynamic fivestep method of praying with the scriptures in the catholic tradition. Offer a prayer to the holy spirit for inspiration and guidance.
But all the posts and more can be found below with links, videos and much more if you like too. Dr brant pitre thursday morning session 2 applied biblical studies steubenville conferences. This powerful resource was created to lead you deeper into scripture as you read, reflect, and respond beautifully and thoughtfully crafted, this personal study guide that leads you deeper into the mystery of the eucharist and provides you with incredible. Created to help you lead others deeper in scripture, this comprehensive resource for leaders presents practical help to make the most of adult faith formation with your study group. Pope benedict xvi encouraged us to go deeper in our prayer life by using a classical methodlectio divina. The steps of lectio divina choose a text of the scriptures that you wish to pray. The ancient practice of lectio divina is the mainstay of the benedictines personal prayer. Pitre gives a fresh perspective for understanding the mystery that is the eucharist. Lectio divina edition pa ulis t press will be publishing the catholic prayer bible. This unique videobased study series is presented by nationally renowned catholic scholars including dr. It shows how each week include study material for 5 commit days of lectio divina to read, reflect.
Brant pitre looks at guigo iis ladder from earth to heaven the ladder of the monks and. Chaplet of the divine mercy christianity church conversion culture of death culture of life currentevents divine mercy doctrine dr. Despite my disappointment, i send my thank you for dr. Brant pitre economy of salvation ending abortion and the culture. Bible journaling as lectio divina the littlest way. Lectio divina is a traditional way of praying the scriptures so that the word of god may penetrate our hearts and that we may grow in an intimate relationship with the lord. Secondly, the pdf is found lacking information, as it provides only references, one of which i dont have access to, namely ratzinger. The process of l ectio d ivina a very ancient art, practiced at one time by all christians, is the technique. Coming in both hardcover and paperback editions, this is an ideal bible for anyone who desires to reflect on the individual stories and chapters of just one, or even. We leave our thinking aside and simply let our hearts speak to god. Lectio divina is a slow, contemplative praying of the scriptures.
Time set aside in a special way for lectio divina enables us to discover in our daily life an underlying spiritual rhythm. Lectio divina is an exercise in listening to the word, which captures the mystery of the incarnate word, therefore penetrating the very mystery of god. The pontiff strongly exhorted followers of christ to utilize the word of god as fertile ground for delving into the depths of prayer. The latin words lectio divina, which mean divine reading or spiritual reading, refer to the slow, meditative reading of a passage from scripture. Bible journaling as lectio divina i loved this example from tim grays book. The mind of christ and the secret of joy 2015 steubenville abs duration. This inclusive handbook explicitly welcomes everyone to these practices whatever their beliefs or doubts. It should never be forgotten that the word of god is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path cf. Brant pitre looks at guigo iis ladder from earth to heaven the ladder of the monks and explains what lectio divina is and how to do it. It dates back to the early centuries of the christian church and was established as a monastic practice by benedict in the 6th century.
918 202 1339 505 15 313 1157 22 689 808 119 490 233 1507 1317 1163 212 1111 505 1277 228 721 1049 125 837 451 722 596 1118 376 1246 215 125 705 839 1372 1110 413 1083 1086 969 549 700 823 1258 452 1255