In Christianity, Lectio Divina (Latin for "Divine Reading") is a traditional Benedictine practice of reading the scriptures, meditation and prayers intended to promote fellowship with God and to increase knowledge of God's Word. It does not treat the Bible as a text to be learned, but as the Living Word.
Traditionally, Lectio Divina has four separate steps: read; contemplate; pray; contemplate. First a passage of Scripture is read, then its meaning is reflected. This is followed by prayer and contemplation on the Word of God.
The focus of Lectio Divina is not the theological analysis of the passages but seeing it with Christ as the key to its meaning. For example, given Jesus' statement in John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you the peace I give you", an analytical approach will focus on the reason for the statement during the Last Supper, the biblical context, etc. In Lectio Divina , however, practitioners "enter" and share the peace of Christ rather than "dissect" it. In some Christian teachings, this form of meditation leads to an increasing knowledge of Christ.
The roots of reflection and biblical interpretation returned to Origen in the 3rd century, after St. Ambrose taught it to St. Augustine. The monastic practice of Lectio Divina was first established in the 6th century by Saint Benedict and later formalized as a four-step process by Carthusian Guigo II monks during the 12th century. In the 20th century, the Constitution of Dei verbum of the Second Vatican Council recommended Lectio Divina to the general public and its importance was confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI at the beginning of the 21st century. century.
Video Lectio Divina
History and development
Initial
Prior to the advent of the Western monastic community, the key contribution to the foundation of Lectio Divina came from Origen in the 3rd century, with his view of "Scripture as a sacrament". In a letter to Gregory of Neocaesarea Origen writes: "[W] You dedicate yourself to the divine reading... searching for the meaning of the hidden divine words of most people".
Origen believed that the Word (ie Logos ) was incarnated in the Bible and therefore could touch and teach readers and listeners. Origen taught that reading the Scriptures can help transcend basic thinking and discover the higher wisdom hidden in the "Word of God".
In Origen's approach, the major interpretive element of the Bible is Christ. In his view all biblical texts are secondary to Christ and only as much revelation as they refer to Christ as the Word of God. In this view, using Christ as the "interpretive key" opens the message in the biblical texts.
Origen's "primordial role" in interpreting Scripture was recognized by Pope Benedict XVI. Origen's method was then studied by Ambrose of Milan, who toward the end of the 4th century taught them to Saint Augustine, thus introducing them into the Western monastic traditions thereafter.
In the 4th century, when the desert Fathers began searching for God in the deserts of Palestine and Egypt, they produced early models of Christian monastic life that survived in the Eastern Church. These early communities awakened the Christian life tradition of "continual prayer" in monastic environments.
Although desert monks gather to hear the scriptures read out in public, and then will recite them personally in their cells, this is not the same practice as the later Lectio Divina because it does not involve a step meditation.
monastic 6th to 12th century
After Origen, the Church Father is like St. Ambrose, St. St. Augustine, and St. Hilary of Poitiers uses the terms Lectio Divina and Lectio Sacra to refer to the reading of Scripture.
According to Jean Leclercq, OSB, founder of the medieval tradition of Lectio Divina is Saint Benedict and Pope Gregory I. However, the method they use has precedents in the biblical period in both Hebrew and Greek. A text incorporating these traditions is Romans 10: 8-10 where the Apostle Paul refers to the presence of God's word in the "mouth or heart" of believers. It is a reading of the biblical text which gives the reason for Lectio Divina .
With the motto of Ora et labora ("Pray and work"), everyday life in the Benedictine monastery consists of three elements: liturgical prayer, manual labor and Lectio Divina, Praying Bible. This slow and wise reading of Scripture, and the contemplation of its meaning, is their meditation. This spiritual practice is called "divine reading" or "spiritual reading" - namely lectio divina .
Benedict writes:
- Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Therefore, the male members must have a certain manual labor period as well as for prayer readings [ lectio divina ]. "
The Rule of Saint Benedict (chapter # 48) sets the time and specific behavior for Lectio Divina . The whole community in a monastery is to take part in reading during Sundays, except those who have other duties to do.
At the beginning of the 12th century, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux was instrumental in re-emphasizing the importance of the Lectio Divina in the Cistercian order. Bernard considered the Lectio Divina and the contemplation guided by the Holy Spirit as the key to growing Christian spirituality.
Formalization during the end of the 12th century
Look for read and you will find in meditation ; tap prayer and it will be open to you in contemplation - Four stages Lectio Divina as taught by John of the Cross.
The development of Bible reading, to meditation, prayer, to loving attention to God, was first formally described by Guigo II, a Kartusian monk and before Grande Chartreuse who died at the end of the 12th century. The Carthusian Order follows its own Rule, called the Statute, not the Rule of St. Benedict.
The Guild II Book The Ladder of Monks is subtitled "a letter about contemplative life" and is considered the first description of a methodical prayer in western mystical tradition. In the first four Guigo stages of reading, it leads to thinking about (ie contemplating) the meaning of the text; the process in turn leads people to respond in prayer as the third stage. The fourth stage is when prayer, in turn, refers to the gift of solitary silence in the presence of God, called contemplation.
Guigo named the four steps of the "ladder" of this prayer with the Latin lectio, meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio / i> me. In the 13th century, the Carmelite Rules Albert instructs the Karmists about daily prayers meditating on the Word of God, contemplating day and night of the Divine Law. Lectio Divina in addition to the daily celebration of the liturgy is to this day the pillars of prayer in Carmel.
Lectio Divina is practiced by St. Dominic de Guzman, founder of the Dominican Order.
In the 14th century, Gerard of Zutphen was built on the "Guigo Staircase" to write his masterpiece On Spiritual Ascent . Zutphen warns against meditation that is considered without reading the scriptures, and teaches that reading prepares the mind, so that meditation will not fall into error. Similarly, he taught that meditation prepares the mind for contemplation.
16th century
At the beginning of the 16th century, the method of "methodical prayer" had reached Spain and St. John of the Cross teaches the four stages of Guigo II to his monks. During this century, Protestant Reformers like John Calvin continue to advocate Lectio Divina . The Reformed Version of Lectio Divina is also popular among the Puritans: Richard Puraxe, a Puritan theologian, championed this practice.
Rise of 20th and 21st
By the mid-19th century, the historical critical approach to biblical analysis that had begun more than a century earlier, and focusing on the determination of the historicity of the episodes of the Gospel, had taken some of the emphasis on the spreading of Lectio Divina in outside the monastic community. However, the early part of the 20th century witnessed a resurgence in practice, and books and articles on Lectio Divina intended for the general public began to emerge in the middle of this century.
In 1965, one of the main documents of the Second Vatican Council, the dogmatic constitution Dei verbum ("The Word of God") emphasized the use of Lectio Divina . On the 40th anniversary of Dei verbum in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI reiterated its importance and stated:
I especially want to remember and recommend the ancient tradition of Lectio Divina: read the Scriptures diligently along with prayer bringing intimate dialogue in which the one who reads speaks the Lord who speaks, and in prayer responds with the open heart sincere [cf. Dei verbum , n. 25]. If it is effectively promoted, this practice will bring to the Church - I believe in it - a new spiritual spring.
In his Angelus address on November 6, 2005, Benedict XVI emphasized the role of the Holy Spirit in Lectio Divina: In his annual address to priests in the Diocese of Rome, Pope Benedict - especially after the 2008 Synod of Bishops on the Bible - emphasized the importance of Lectio Divina , as in 2012, when he used Ephesians 4: Ã,â € "1-16 in a speech on certain issues facing the Church. Previously, he and Pope John Paul II had used the question and answer format.
One condition for Lectio Divina is that the mind and heart are illuminated by the Holy Spirit, that is, by the same Spirit that inspired the Scriptures, and that they were approached with a "respectable hearing" attitude.
Since the latter part of the twentieth century, the popularity of Lectio Divina has risen beyond the monastic circle and many lay Catholics, as well as some Protestants, practiced it, sometimes making "Lectio journals" in which they recorded thoughts and their contemplation after each session. The importance of Lectio Divina is emphasized in Anglican Communion as well.
Maps Lectio Divina
Four moves Lectio Divina
Historically, Lectio Divina has become a "community practice" conducted by monks in the monasteries. Although it can be taken individually, the elements of the community should not be forgotten.
Lectio Divina has been likened to "partying": first, take a bite ( lectio ); then chew it ( meditatio ); enjoy its essence ( oratio ) and, finally, "digest it" and make it part of the body ( contemplatio ). In Christian teaching, this form of meditation leads to an increased knowledge of Christ.
Unlike the practice of meditation in Eastern Christianity - for example, hesychasm, where the Lord's Prayer is repeated - Lectio Divina uses different parts of Scripture at different times. Although a section may be repeated several times, Lectio Divina is essentially not repetitive.
Lectio ("read")
these are the things God revealed to us by His Spirit. The Spirit seeks all things, even the deep things of God
The first step is to read the Scriptures. To achieve a calm and quiet state of mind, preparation before Lectio Divina is recommended. The biblical reference for the preparation through silence is Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God." An example will sit quietly and in silence and recite a prayer inviting the Holy Spirit to guide the reading of the Scriptures to be followed.
The biblical basis for the preparation of returning to 1 Corinthians 2: 9-10 which emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in revealing the Word of God. As in John the Baptist's statement in John 1:26 that "Christ stands in the midst of those who seek Him," preparatory steps should open the mind to find Christ in the passage that is being read.
After preparation, the first movement of Lectio Divina is a slow and gradual reading of the scripture passage, perhaps several times. The biblical basis for reading back to Romans 10: 8-10 and the presence of God's word in the "mouth or heart" of believers.
The attentive reading begins the process through which a higher level of understanding can be achieved. In the traditional Benedictine approach, this section is slowly read four times, each time with slightly different focus.
Although Lectio Divina involves reading, it is less of a reading practice than one listening to the inner message of Scripture conveyed through the Holy Ghost. Lectio Divina did not seek information or motivation, but fellowship with God. It does not treat the Bible as a text to be learned, but as "the living Word."
The second movement in Lectio Divina thus involves meditation and meditating on the scripture passage. When pericopes are read, it is generally advised not to try to give meaning to them at first, but to wait for the action of the Holy Spirit to enlighten the mind, as discussed above.
The English word contemplating comes from the Latin foundation which is related to the mental activity of weighing or considering. To reflect on the read part, it is considered light and gentle to be considered from various angles. Again, the emphasis is not on analyzing that passage but to keep the mind open and allowing the Holy Spirit to inspire meaning for it.
An example of a passage may be a statement by Jesus during the Last Supper in John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you, my peace which I give unto you."
An analytical approach will focus on why Jesus said it, the facts that are said at the Last Supper, and the context in the biblical episode. Other theological analyzes can follow, eg. the cost at which Jesus the Lamb of God gave peace through his obedience to the will of the Father, etc.
However, this theological analysis is generally avoided at Lectio Divina , where the focus is on Christ as the key that interprets the passage and relates it to the meditator. So instead of "dissecting the peace" in an analytical way, the Lectio Divina practitioners "enter into peace" and share the peace of Christ. Thus the focus is on achieving peace through closer fellowship with God than the biblical analysis of that passage. Other similar parts may be "Stay in my love", "I am the Good Shepherd", etc.
Oratio ("pray")
In the Christian tradition, prayer is understood as a dialogue with God, that is, as a loving conversation with God that has invited us to embrace. The Dei verbum Constitution authorizing Lectio Divina for the general public, as well as monastic arrangements, cites Saint Ambrose on the importance of prayer along with the reading of the Bible and states:
And let them remember that prayer must accompany the reading of Scripture, so God and man can speak together; because "we speak to Him as we pray, we hear Him as we read the divine proverb.
Pope Benedict XVI emphasized the importance of using Lectio Divina and prayers in the Scriptures as guiding light and the source of direction and states:
It should never be forgotten that the Word of God is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.
Contemplatio ("contemplate")
Contemplation takes place in the matter of silent prayer that expresses love to God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines contemplative prayer as "hearing the Word of God" in an attentive mode. It states:
Contemplative prayer is silence, "the symbol of the world to come" or "silent love". These words in prayer are not speeches; they are like firewood that feeds the fire of love. In this silence, unbearable for the "outsider", the Father speaks to us His incarnate Word, who suffers, dies, and rises; in this silence the Spirit of adoption allows us to share in Jesus' prayer.
The role of the Holy Spirit in contemplative prayer has been emphasized by Christian spiritual writers for centuries. In the 12th century, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux compares the Holy Spirit with a kiss by the Eternal Father that allows practitioners of contemplative prayer to experience union with God. In the 14th century, Richard Rolle viewed contemplation as the path that leads the soul to unite with God in love, and regards the Holy Spirit as the center of contemplation.
From a theological perspective, God's grace is regarded as a principle, or cause, contemplation, with the benefit given through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Other Christian methods
While Lectio Divina has become the main method of meditation and contemplation in the Benedictine, Cistercian and Carthusian orders, other Catholic orders have used other methods.
An example is another four-step approach, which by Saint Clare of Assisi is shown in the opposite table, used by the Franciscan order. Saint Clare's method is more visual than Guigo II, which seems more intellectual than it is.
Saint Teresa's "recollection" method from Avila using parts of the book to maintain focus during meditation has something in common with Lectio Divina using certain Scripture sections as the center of the meditation and contemplation sessions. It is likely that Teresa was initially unaware of Guigo II's methods, although he may be indirectly influenced by those teachings through the works of Francisco de Osuna which he studied in detail.
See also
- Christian Meditation
- imaginative contemplation
- Midrash
- Divine Ascent Ladder
- Lectio continua
- Lectio Sacra
- Anubhava, India's contemplative practice
Further reading
- Basil Pennington (1998), Lectio Divina: Renewing Ancient Practices Bible Prayer (ISBNÃ, 0-8245-1736-9).
- Geoff New, Imaginative Readings: Bible Prayer for God to Speak Through You , Global Langham Library, (ISBN 9781783688999).
- Sr Pascale-Dominique Nau, When God Speaks: Lectio Divina in Saint John of the Cross, Stairs of the Priory and Carmel's Rules (Rome, 2012). [Sr Pascale-Dominique Nau, When God Speaks: Lectio Divina in Saint John of the Cross, Stairs of the Priory and Carmel's Rules (Rome, 2012. [1]
- Guigo II the Carthusian, The Ladder of Monks translated by Sr Pascale-Dominique Nau, OP, Rome, 2013 [2].
Note
External links
- Benedictine Resources for Lectio Divina
- Lectio Divina on the Carmelite Website
- Jeff Cavins Podcast at Lectio Divina (Teaching)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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