Lectio Divina

“Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father, that by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him from whom by the sloth of disobedience thou hast gone away.”
(Prologue to The Rule of St. Benedict, Trans. Rev. Boniface Verheyen OSB, 1949)

Lectio divina (holy reading) is practiced in Benedictine communities across the globe as a way of reflecting on scripture and listening to God.The practice was developed by St. Benedict and came into its final four step process centuries later. There are four steps: lectio (read), mediatio (meditate), oratio (pray), and contemplatio (contemplate). Communities also start their practice with a prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Lectio divina is a spiritual practice that takes practice. Don’t worry if your mind wanders. If your mind does wander, take a deep breath, and come back to the practice.

Pray to the Holy Spirit, “Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten my heart and mind to listen to your word.”

Lectio reread the text a few times. Don’t worry about how fast or slow you read. This is sacred time set apart from the rest of your day.

Meditatio on a word or phrase from the reading that sticks with you.

Oratio inspired by the reading and the Holy Spirit. Contemplatio be still and allow God to act in you.

Click here to download step by step instructions from the Conception Abbey Download

Click here for a translation of The Rule of St. Benedict

We are going to use this practice to read through John’s gospel. You can follow along in the Grace News or on our website. The weekly readings will be announced on Tuesdays. If you have any questions please reach out to our Assistant Program Director, Angie Smith (graceelcaapd@gmail.com)