Lectio Divina
I ~ Lectio: Read
Gently read the scriptures, slowly savouring and repeating the parts of the text that speak to the depths of your
heart. Listen to the Word “with the ear
of your heart’, and be willing to linger on portions of the text that seem to
speak to you in a special way.
Through repetition, gently allow the text
to percolate into your memory. Be willing
to set the printed text aside and to listen quietly to the Word that you have
taken into your heart.
II ~ Meditatio:
Reflect
Lovingly and slowly repeat the text you
have internalized. Allow this interior
“mulling over” to help the text “yield its savor”. Allow the text to interact with your
memories, your hopes, your concerns.
Don’t be afraid of “distractions”; simply acknowledge them and let go of
them, always returning to the portion of Scriptures you have taken into your
heart.
III ~ Oratio: Respond
Let the text summon you to a place before
the Lord all of yourself. Make the Word
you have taken into yourself be a real word of consecration – a Word of
blessing and a means of offering to the Lord your deepest hopes and
concerns. Let the gentle repetition of
the Word lead you into dialogue with the God Who originally inspired the text,
and Who has now used the Scriptures as a way of drawing you into His presence.
IV ~ Contemplatio: Rest
As you feel called to do so, simply rest
silently in the presence of the Lord. Be
willing to let go of the text that has let you into God’s presence. Enjoy the sweetness of silent communion with
the God Who stands behind the Scriptures.
Conclusion
Recognize that these steps are not stages
in an orderly process: they are a way of allowing the inner rhythms of our
spiritual lives to become more and more charged with the presence of God. We are not to judge the quality of our Lectio by how much or little time we
spend in any of the above activities.
The rhythm of the Lectio Divina
reflects the rhythm of our lives: we may move from one step to another without
realizing it; and we may find several steps coexisting at the same time. Lectio
Divina is simply a way of experiencing in our reading of the Scriptures
what God intends our whole lives to become – a continuous experience of His
Presence, a continual and unending prayer.
Who Will Lead Me Into the Strong City?
Who will lead me into the strong city?* who
will bring me into Edom? – Psalm 108: 10 BCP
Lectio: Read,
Reflect, Respond, Rest.
Read:
the Text over several times and
commit to memory.
Reflect: This
part of the Psalm is quoted from Psalm 60:7-12; the first part of the Psalm can
be found in Psalm 57:7-11. The question
is rhetorical. The prayer is addressed
to Elohim who has said, “I will exult and parcel out Shechem; I will divide the
valley of Succoth.” – v. 7. The Psalmist
knows the answer before he asks his question, and he expects that you also will
know the answer.
My appreciation of this verse is based on
prior experience. I have literally
ridden on horseback into the strong city, into Petra in Jordan. When I entered what I saw was splendid ruins,
faded glory, conquered and devastated power, and behind the glorious façade small
empty rooms.
The ‘strong city’ is a metaphor for
difficult challenges. After the strong
city has been broached one often finds that only ruins remain.
In the course of life I have with God, Elohim, the Triune God, conquered many
personal “enemies,” many situations which in themselves, apart from grace, were
too big for me to tackle.
“With God we will do valiant deeds,* and he
shall tread our enemies under foot.” – Psalm 108:13. The word ‘valiant’ is khali.yil also meaning strength, might, efficiency, wealth, and
army. I note that ‘efficiency’ is
included in the extended meaning of ‘valiant’.
Lest I be overcome with the call to be valiant, strong and efficient, I
hear St. Augustine say, “Give what you command. Command what you will.” The Psalmist says, “On the day I called, you
answered me; my strength of soul you increased” [Psalm 138:3]. When he calls us to be valiant, He stands
ready to give us the strength when we ask for it.
There is no strong city that by grace I
cannot overcome. “Grant us your help
against the enemy,* and he shall tread our enemies under foot.’ – psalm 108:13
Respond: “Looking at it that way my Lord, the
challenges of this particular day are small in comparison with those that I’ve
faced in the past. And even if this were
not so, still by your grace, I can overcome whatever is placed before me. Sometimes I make the mistake of projecting,
of bringing tomorrow’s challenges into today, and I have to remind myself to
live one day at a time. Thank you for
the grace and strength to meet the challenges before me.”
Rest: “Seek the
LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!” [Psalm 105:4]. In
sharing this as a group Lectio Divina it was apparent that the members of our
Chapter were experiencing the Presence of God at this point on our Lectio.
