The Lectio Divina

(A Prayerful Reading of the

Bible )

Acknowledgment:
VERBUM DOMINI Apostolic Exhortation
of the Holy Father Benedict XVI on The
Word of God in the Life and Mission of
the Church
Faith and New Evangelization by Bishop
Teodoro C. Bacani, Jr. with Foreword by
Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, D.D.

A Brief Historical
Overview of Lectio Divina
From Verbum Domini, Apostolic
Exhortation of the Holy Father
Benedict XVI, September 10,
2010
3

LECTIO DIVINA
Divine Reading or Holy Reading
Scriptural Reading or Spiritual Reading
Essentially a form of prayerful reading of Holy
Scripture

Aim of Lectio Divina

It aims to bring the one who does it to
a deeper knowledge of Gods word
and, ultimately, to a greater union with
God.

The Lectio Divina as a Monastic Tradition

Desert Fathers like Evagrius,

Anthony and Cassian, and
Fathers of the Church

 Contemplatives i.e. Saint Benedict,

Pope Gregory 1, Bernard of Clairvaux,
Hugh of St. Victor,
Mystics like Gertrude the Great,
St. Theresa of Avila and
St. John of the Cross
7

 Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of

Loyola

 The Biblical Revival, end

of the 19th Century,
especially in the 20th
Century, Pius XIIs encyclical
Divino Afflante Spiritu
9

 The Return to the Bible

movement was further
accelerated by Vatican IIs
Dogmatic Constitution Dei
Verbum.
10

 Liturgical Reform
Lay Faithful is encouraged
to read the Bible
11

 From Breviary to Liturgy of the

Hours
Bible Sharing and Bible Study
Groups
12

 Catholic Charismatic Renewal

under the guidance of the Jesuits,
Dominicans and other religious
spearheaded the rediscovery and
dissemination of this prayerful
use of the Bible.
13

 Catechism of the Catholic

Church, 1992 mentions
Lectio Divina (#1177 and
#2708)
14

 Pope John Paul II, in Novo Millennio

Inuente (#39)
Listening to the Word of God
should become a life-giving
encounter, in the ancient and evervalid tradition of Lectio Divina.

15

 Pope Benedict XVI during the

12th Ordinary General Assembly
of the Synod of Bishops focused
on the Word of God in the Life
and Mission of the Church.
16

Theological Dimension of
Lectio Divina (Bible
Sharing)
A community of believers
welcomes the risen Christ
The words of the Bible become
sacramental signs

17

ols in Praying the Bible

Bible and Daily Reading Guide.

Other Bible Version/s
Prayer Journal or Notebook
Colored Pens or Highlighters / Writing Pens
Dictionary (e.g. Webster, Bible Dictionary if
available)

The Lectio Divina

(A Prayerful Reading of the
Bible )

Benefits of Practicing Regularly the

Lectio Divina

To encounter and experience the

presence of the Risen Lord in a
personal way and also as a
praying group of believers.
To encourage deepening of
faith by personal sharing.

 To create trust and bonding

among the members of the
group.
To create a spiritual
atmosphere for action planning.

Lectio Divina for Individuals

and for Small Groups

Steps of Lectio Divina

Individual

Community (Small and Big Groups)

1. Invocatio

1. Invocatio (Invocation)

2. Lectio

2. Proclamatio (Proclamation)

3. Meditatio

3. Meditatio (Meditation)

4. Oratio (Response)

4. Oratio (Individual response to God)

5. Contemplatio

5. Contemplatio (Contemplation)

6. Actio

6. Collatio (Sharing)

7. Oratio (Closing)

7. Actio (Action)
23
8. Oratio (Groups response to God)

Lectio Divina for

Personal Prayer

1) Invocatio
2) Lectio
3) Meditatio
4) Oratio (Individual response to God)
5) Contemplatio
6) Actio
7) Closing Prayer

The Details of Each Step

1) Invocatio (Invocation)
a. Sing a hymn or prayer to the Holy Spirit.
b. Invite Jesus in a prayer.
2) Lectio
a. Open Bible to the Gospel ofChapter
b. Read verses
c. Read again, if possible, from a different
translation/version.

3) Meditatio (Meditation)
a. Read silently the first reading of the
day; read again the Gospel and look for
important words.
b. Enter into the events of the Gospel.
c. Visualize the people, the scene, etc.
d. Feel, See, Touch and Hear

e. Wrestle with
meanings/insights.
f. Pick-out words or short
phrases; read them aloud
prayerfully.

4) Oratio (Individual Response to God)

a. Pray your responses to God
b. Write in your journal your
reflections and prayers.
c. Pray the responsorial Psalm of
the day.

5) Contemplatio (Contemplation)
a. Keep silence for minutes.
b. Listen to God
Be still and know that I
am God

6) Actio (Action Plan)

a. What does God tell you
personally?
b. Write personal pastoral plan

7) Oratio (Intercessory/ Closing

Prayer)
a. Pray for your action plan.
b. Intercede for parish,
community & society.
c. Closing Hymn or Prayer.

The Lectio Divina

(A Prayerful Reading of the
Bible )

Step 1: INVOCATIO
a. Sing a hymn or say a
prayer to the Holy Spirit.
b. Invite Jesus in a prayer.

Why invoke the

Holy Spirit?

Invocation
A speech or prayer at the beginning of a
ceremony or meeting

This initial step is

placing ourselves in
Gods presence with
the help of the Holy

Invocation
Lectio Divina is never a solo flight, even when it is done individually.
It has to be a tandem the Holy Spirit and us.

36

Why invite Jesus in a

prayer
Here I am!
I stand at the door and
knock.
If anyone hears my voice and
opens the door, I will come in
and eat with him, and he with
me.
Revelation 3:20

John 3: 1-20
Jesus and
Nicodemus

Matthew 13:18-23
Jesus explains
the parable of the
sower.
How do we invite
Jesus?

Biblical people who

invited Jesus:

People in Cana
Mary and Martha
Levi and the tax collectors
Disciples on the way to
Emmaus

Summary: We invite the

Lord

To make real
the promise of
Jesus in
Mathew 18:20

JESUS is the WORD behind

the many words of scripture.

Step 2: LECTIO
a. Bible to the Gospel of
Chapter
b. Read verses
c. Read again, if possible, from a
different translation/version.

TEV

JB

RSV

NIV

The Lord answered

her, Martha,
Martha! You are
worried and
troubled over so
many things, but
just one is
needed. Mary
has chosen the
right thing, and it
will not be taken
away from her.

But the Lord

answered:
Martha, Martha,
he said, you
worry and fret
about so many
things, and yet
few are needed,
indeed only one.
It is Mary who
has chosen the
better part; it is
not to be taken
from her.

But the Lord

answered her,
Martha, Martha,
you are anxious
and troubled
about many
things; one thing
is needful. Mary
has chosen the
good portion,
which shall not be
taken away from
her.

Martha,
Martha, the
Lord answered"
you are worried
and upset about
many things, but
only one thing is
needed. Mary
has chosen what
is better, and it
will not be taken
away from her.

TEV

JB

RSV

NIV

The Lord answered

her, Martha,
Martha! You are
worried and
troubled over so
many things, but
just one is
needed. Mary
has chosen the
right thing, and it
will not be taken
away from her.

But the Lord

answered:
Martha, Martha,
he said, you
worry and fret
about so many
things, and yet
few are needed,
indeed only one.
It is Mary who
has chosen the
better part; it is
not to be taken
from her.

But the Lord

answered her,
Martha, Martha,
you are anxious
and troubled
about many
things; one thing
is needful. Mary
has chosen the
good portion,
which shall not be
taken away from
her.

Martha,
Martha, the
Lord answered"
you are worried
and upset about
many things, but
only one thing is
needed. Mary
has chosen what
is better, and it
will not be taken
away from her.

Living Bible

Philips Modern
English

New English Bible

But the Lord said to

her, Martha, dear
friend, you are so
upset over all
these details!
There is really only
one thing worth
being concerned
about. Mary has
discovered it and I
wont take it away
from her!

But the Lord

answered her,
Martha, my dear,
you are worried
and bothered
about providing so
many things. Only
one thing is really
needed. Mary has
chosen the best
part and it must not
be taken away from
her!

But the Lord

answered, Martha,
Martha, you are
fretting and
fussing about so
many things; but
one thing is
necessary. The
part that Mary has
chosen is best; and
it shall not be taken
away from her!

Step
3:
MEDITATIO
a. Read silently the first reading of the day; read
again the Gospel and look for important words.
b. Enter into the events of the Gospel.
c. Visualize the people, the scene, etc.
d. Feel, See, Touch and Hear.
e. Pick-out words or short phrases.
b.

Lectio and Study

Lectio is literally, reading. But it is not simply
reading. It is studying a scriptural passage in
order to find out its literal meaning.
Aside from the literal meaning there is the
spiritual meaning a true meaning when
understood in the context of the whole
revelation.

To arrive at the spiritual meaning, we

have to see the biblical text in the
context of the whole Bible; in the
context of the unity of the Bible with
Sacred Tradition, and in the context of
the whole revelation as understood by
the Church.

Why read the 1st

Reading?

Why read the 1st Reading

The Old testament is an integral
part of our Scriptures.
St. Augustine: The New
Testament is hidden in the Old and
the Old is made manifest in the
New.

Why read the 1st Reading

St. Gregory: What the Old
Testament promised, the New
Testament made visible; what the
former announces in a hidden way,
the latter openly proclaims as
present.

Step 3: MEDITATIO
a. Read silently the first reading
of the day; read again the Gospel
and look for important words.

 Know the story.

Be acquainted with the
characters of the story.
Know the setting (the
place where the story
happened).
Visualize the events.
John 6:1-15
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand Men

Look for important words

Underline words or short phrases that
struck you(e.g. keywords)
1. admonitions/warnings/cause and effect
2. commands/exhortation/encouragement
3. promises
4. explanation
5. prescriptions/procedures

Luke 10: 38-42

The Lord answered her,
Martha, Martha! You
are worried and
troubled over so
many things, but just
one is needed. Mary
has chosen the right
thing, and it will not be
taken away from her.

4) Oratio (Personal Response to God)

a. Pray your responses to God
b. Write in your journal your
reflections and prayers.
c. Pray the responsorial Psalm of
the day.

Write what you have heard

in your heart.
Write what you believe is Gods personal
message to you.
Do not be concerned about grammar, style
of writing, etc.
Write in your own dialect or in any language
most comfortable to you.
Write also your response to Gods message.

5) Contemplatio (Contemplation)
a. Keep silence forminutes
b. Listen to God
Be still and know that I
am God

We let God speak to us in silence

We keep silence for minutes

and allow God to speak to us.

What do we do during this period of

silence?
Marys example:
She was listening with her whole body,
she sat next to Jesus
she looked at him
she drank in his words,
she enjoyed the Lords company,
she allowed herself to be loved by Jesus.

Contemplatio - Listen to
God
Simply rest in Gods
presence with an
open mind and an
open heart.
Trust God that He will
speak in your heart.
Let Go and Let God.

CONTEMPLATIO
It is the time to enjoy Gods gift of
contemplation;
The sweetness of His presence in us and
our presence in Him;
The time to experience a foretaste of the
bliss that the Lord has in store for all
those who love Him.

May
May He
He give
give you
you the
the desires
desires of
of
your
your heart
heart and
and make
make all
all your
your plans
plans
succeed.
succeed.
Psalms
Psalms 20:4
20:4