Tower Topics ~ Spring 2003

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Lectio divina: A conversation with God
by Fr. Denis Dougherty, O.S.B.

Many Catholics feel that they don’t know the Bible very well, certainly not as well as some of their Protestant neighbors. That may be true and in many cases probably is. However, sometimes we think this simply because we can’t quote Bible verses as well as the neighbor. Quoting the Bible doesn’t mean you know the Bible because the quote has to be seen in context to be understood. Taken out of context, either of the particular passage in which the verse is found or of the Bible as a whole, Bible quotes can be used to prove anything.

Also, understanding the Bible means, first of all, understanding its literal meaning. That does not mean taking it at face value. The literal meaning is the meaning which the original author had in mind when he wrote the passage. This is the inspired meaning. Not that we can’t apply the Bible to our own problems, but we need to be aware that we are doing this and make sure the new meaning doesn’t contradict the original literal meaning. We Catholics have an advantage in understanding the literal meaning because we have a Church which has been studying and interpreting the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit for nearly two thousand years. Very importantly, if we don’t know the Bible now, that doesn’t mean that we can’t begin to learn it. The important thing is to get started.

Moreover, you probably know the Bible better than you think. You have certainly heard a lot of it if you listen at all to the three-year cycle of readings during Sunday Mass. And if you go to daily Mass, you have heard much more. But to truly understand the Bible you need to spend some time with it, reading it privately, even daily. I hope to give you a method of reading it more meaningfully, the ancient monastic approach called Lectio Divina (divine reading). (For monastic purists, I have to admit that this may be my adaptation of Lectio Divina.) It is a way of reading the Bible as a conversation with God.

(1) First of all, you greet God by consciously reflecting on God’s presence within and around you, giving yourself over to him and asking him to speak to you through his holy word.

(2) Then you begin to read the chosen Bible selection. I suggest that you begin at the beginning of a book and read straight through, taking your time reading. It doesn’t matter if it takes you several months to read one book. You aren’t reading to finish a certain number of books. You are simply using them as God’s words in his dialogue with you.

I suggest you start with the New Testament, probably the Gospels first. Remember, you are in no hurry, you are just visiting with God. In this case, listening to him. When something strikes you, just stop and reflect on it, trying to understand what God meant by that statement in its literal meaning (intended by the author as he wrote it).

(3) Then meditate on the passage, thinking of how this message applies to your life and situation. This is going beyond the literal meaning to the spiritual meaning, which is really applying it to your life here and now. (God won’t be telling you something that contradicts the literal meaning but he surely can apply the word beyond the original meaning and speak to you about your life and situation.) At this stage I often try to think how I can explain this passage meaningfully to my parishioners.

(4) Next, talk to God about what he has just said to you through the reading. Dialog with God as you would dialog with a friend. Tell him about how you feel about what you just learned. Ask his help in applying his words more effectively to your life.

(5) When you are done talking to and listening to God in your heart, repeat the steps of reading, meditating and talking again to God as you read further in the book for as much time as you have available.

One last thing I recommend for some of your Lectio Divina exercises. I call it contemplation. I may not have the right term but it is just resting in the Lord. Let yourself relax with the Lord, not listening, or talking but just “being” with him, like two friends sitting together in silence.

Finally, when it’s time to take up the other tasks of the day, thank the Lord for the conversation and then throughout the day reflect on what he said to you and continue your conversation with him in a less formal way.

I recommend that you try this Lectio Divina approach to reading the Bible. Don't make it too complicated. Just put yourself in the presence of God. Talk to him, read the Bible as if you were listening to him, stop and meditate, and then talk to God again.

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