Lectio Divina, Latin for “divine reading,” is an ancient practice of scriptural reading, meditation, and prayer that is intended to promote communion with God and increase knowledge of God’s Word. The focus of Lectio Divina is not academic study or exegesis, but on allowing the Holy Spirit to lead the practice so the Bible passage being read speaks personally and spiritually.
The traditional practice of Lectio Divina has four separate steps:
- Lectio – Reading. A passage of Scripture is read slowly and reflectively several times.
- Meditatio – Reflection. This is a time to reflect on the Scripture passage, ruminating on key words and themes in the passage.
- Oratio – Response. The practitioner offers a spontaneous response to the passage in the form of a prayer or dialogue with God.
- Contemplatio – Rest. Time is spent in silence, simply being open to God and His presence without trying to achieve anything.
The roots of Lectio Divina come from the ancient monastic practice of Lectio Sacra (“Sacred Reading”), dating back to the Desert Fathers in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. The Desert Fathers sought to escape distraction and draw nearer to God through meditating on Scripture. Over time, this practice developed into the four-part progression now called Lectio Divina.
In the 12th century, Guigo II, a Carthusian monk and prior, mapped out the steps of Lectio Divina that are commonly used today. He described the progression from lectio to meditatio, oratio, and finally contemplatio. Each step flows into the next in progression, as the practitioner remains open and surrendered to the presence of God.
There are no hard rules for practicing Lectio Divina, but traditionally the process starts with the slow and thoughtful reading of a short passage of Scripture. The practitioner gently focuses on the passage and then lets the meaning naturally well up in their mind, desiring insight and direction from the Holy Spirit. The key is cultivating an attitude of receptivity, contemplation, and listening.
Silence and reflection follow the initial reading. The passage is read again, and the practitioner attends to details and mine any insights supplied by the Holy Spirit. This is not analytical study but a meditative reading that lets Scripture penetrate the heart and speak intimately and tenderly.
Out of this meditation comes oratio – a prayerful response to God. The words of Scripture are transformed into prayer. The practitioner may pray spontaneously from the heart, offer thanksgiving, intercede for others, and commit themselves anew to God.
The final stage of contemplation is simply resting in God’s presence. Words fall away as silent adoration of God takes over. There is no need to achieve anything but simply be still before the Divine and experience the companionship of the Holy Spirit.
For those new to Lectio Divina, the practice usually starts with the reading or re-reading of a Scripture until some word, phrase, or theme catches the practitioner’s attention. The Holy Spirit will highlight something relevant to the practitioner’s life. The pondering of this “word” allows its significance to come into focus. Meaning surfaces in the stillness.
Lectio Divina is not fundamentally different from other devotional practices – it is a way of being with Scripture that engages thought, imagination, emotion, desire, intuition, and creativity. But the distinctive dynamic is how Scripture serves as a means for being drawn into an intimate relationship with the living God. Relationship, not information, is the goal.
Paradoxically, direct focus on the experiential dimension of a text can allow its meaning to penetrate into one’s inner being. For example, take Jesus’ statement in John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” A conceptual analysis results in the theological insight that Christ is the source of spiritual vitality. But when this verse is slowly absorbed, the reader may begin to actually feel Christ’s life-giving sap flowing through the branches – his disciples. The word is no longer just a piece of information but part of an experience.
Lectio divina is generally not concerned with biblical exegesis nor extracting doctrine from the text. It treats Scripture as a sacrament – embodying the Living Word that is Jesus. The words on the page make Christ’s presence tangible, giving the practitioner real, existential contact with Jesus.
The experience of Christ speaking intimately through Scripture moves the practitioner toward greater love for God. The process involves engaging imagination and passion – picturing yourself following the Lord up to Jerusalem, hearing the roaring waves as Jesus calms the storm, and feeling the anguish and abandonment of the cross. This experience of interacting with God’s Word transforms the reader.
Lectio divina is meant to supplement – not replace – analytical study, active meditation, and other devotional practices. But it wonderfully complements these practices, engaging a contemplative, experiential dimension that differs significantly from the conceptual treatment of Scripture. The lectio divina approach offers practitioners firsthand spiritual encounter with Christ through the vivid proclamation of the Bible.
Key points about lectio divina include:
- The focus is on cultivating an intimate relationship with the Living God through meditating on His Word.
- Scripture is approached with a listening ear. The text is meant to speak directly to the practitioner.
- Lectio divina employs imagination and empathy to enter inside the text and experience it intimately.
- The major concern is dwelling with a word or phrase from Scripture, not exegesis or extracting doctrine.
- Silence, contemplation and openness to God are essential to the process.
- This “divine reading” of Scripture intimately exposes the practitioner to Jesus Christ and His revelation contained in the Bible.
The benefits of Lectio Divina include:
- Deepening love for Scripture as the “living and active” word of God (Hebrews 4:12).
- Increasing intimacy with God through meeting Him in His word.
- Receiving personal spiritual direction and existential contact with Jesus Christ.
- Becoming open to the subtle movement of the Holy Spirit.
- Cultivating relaxed stillness and sensitivity to God.
- Slowing down and appreciating the richness of individual words or phrases.
- Learning to calmly dwell in ambiguity and “listen” to Scripture speak.
- Bringing heart and head together in experiencing God through His word.
However, the goal of Lectio Divina is not to gain deep exegetical insight or achieve a new mystical experience. The goal is simply to meet and know the God of Scripture intimately. The process is spiritual encounter with the Living God.
Those interested in practicing lectio divina may find the following tips helpful:
- Set aside time and space without distraction or interruption.
- Open with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit for guidance.
- Read and re-read a short passage slowly until something resonates.
- Gently meditate on the word/phrase the Holy Spirit impresses.
- Let Scripture give rise to spontaneous prayer and response.
- Rest in silent stillness and receptivity to God.
- Stay surrendered to God throughout the whole process.
- Don’t force insights but relax into reflective engagement.
- Keep returning to Scripture; it is the anchor and centering point.
The practice of lectio divina may seem foreign and challenging at first. But persistence and relaxing into God’s loving presence in Scripture can open up new vistas of encountering Christ – the Living Word. The Lord delights in speaking tenderly to believers through meditative engagement with His written word.
In conclusion, lectio divina is an ancient spiritual practice of “divine reading” that facilitates intimate communion with God through prayerful reading, meditating on, and being open to personal encounter with Scripture. Approached with humility and faith, lectio divina allows practitioners to dwell in the presence of the Lord and the Lord to dwell in them through engaging His living and active word.