Lectio Divina - a very ancient art, practiced at one time by all Christians, is a slow, contemplative praying of the Scriptures which enables the Bible, the Word of God to become a means of union with God. Together with the Liturgy and daily manual labor, time set aside in a special way for lectio divina enables u to discover in our daily life an underlying spiritual rhythm. Within this rhythm we discover an increasing ability to offer more of ourselves and our relationships to God, and to embrace that God is continuously extending to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

Lectio-reading/listening
The art of lectio divina begins with cultivating the ability to listen deeply. When we read the Scriptures we should allow ourselves to become women and men who are able to listen for the still, small voice of God (1 kings 19:12); the “faint murmuring sound” which is God’s word for us, God’s touching our hearts.

In order to hear someone speaking softly we must learn to be silent. If we are constantly speaking or if we are surrounded by noise, we cannot hear gentle sounds. The practice of lectio divina, therefore, requires that we first quiet down in order to hear God’s word to us. This is the first step of lectio divina, appropriately called lectio reading.

The reading or listening, which is the first step in lectio divina, is very different from the speed-reading that modern Christians apply to newspapers and magazines. Lectio is reverential listening; listening both in a spirit of silence and of awe. We are listening for the still, small voice of God that will speak to us personally-not loudly, but intimately. In lectio we read slowly, attentively, gently listening to hear a word or phrase that is God’s word for us this day.

Meditation
Once we have found a word or a passage in the Scriptures which speaks to us in a personal way, we must take it in and reflect on it. Christians have always seen a scriptural invitation to lectio divina in the example of the Virgin Mary “pondering in her heart” what she saw and heard of Christ (Luke 2:19). Thus we must take in the word-that is memorize it, - and while gently repeating it to ourselves, allow it to interact with our thoughts, our hopes, our memories, our desires. This is the second step of lectio divina- meditation. Through meditation we allow God’s word to become his word for us, a word that touches us and affects us at our deepest levels.

Prayer
The third step of lectio divina is prayer: prayer understood both as dialog with God, that is, as a loving conversation with the One who has invited us into an embrace; and as consecration, prayer as the priestly offering to God of those parts of ourselves that we have not previously believed God wants. In this consecration-prayer we allow the word that we have taken in and on which we are pondering to touch and change our deepest selves. God invites us in lectio divina to hold up our most difficult and pain filled experiences, and to gently recite over them the healing word or phrase God has given us in our lectio and meditation. In this prayer we allow our real selves to be touched and changed by the Word of God.

Contemplation
Finally we simply rest in the presence of the One who has used the Scripture word as a means of inviting us to accept the transforming embrace. No one who has ever been in love needs to be reminded that there are moments when words are unnecessary. It is the same in our relationship with God. Wordless, quiet rest in the presence of the One who loves us has a name in the Christian tradition-contemplation. Once again we practice silence, letting go of our own words; this time simply enjoying the experience of being in the presence of God.

The Practice of Lectio Divina in Summary

• Choose a text of Scriptures that you wish to pray. Many use in their daily lectio divina one of the readings from the Eucharistic Liturgy for the day. Any text is fine as long as one does not set a goal of covering a certain amount of text: the amount of text covered is in God’s hand not yours.
• Place yourself in a comfortable position and allow yourself to become silent. Focus on your breathing or perhaps recite a beloved prayer in order to become interiorly silent. Use whatever method is best for you and allow yourself to enjoy silence for a few minutes.
• Then turn to the text and read it slowly, gently. Savor each portion of the reading, constantly listening for the small still voice of a word or phrase that somehow says I am for you today. Do not expect lightening or ecstasies. In lectio divina God is teaching us to listen, to seek in silence. God does not reach out and grab us; rather it is a soft, gentle invitation inviting us ever more deeply into the Divine presence.
• Next, take a word or phrase into yourself. Memorize it and slowly repeat it to yourself, allowing it to interact with your inner world of concerns, memories, and ideas. Don’t be afraid of distractions. Memories or thoughts are simply parts of yourself which, when they rise up during lectio divina, are asking to be given to God with the rest of your inner self. Allow this inner pondering, this rumination, to invite you into dialog with God.
• Then, speak to God. Whether you use words or ideas or images orb all three is not important. Interact with God as you would with one who you know loves and accepts you. And give to God what you have discovered in yourself during your experience in meditation. Experience God using the word or phrase that God has given you as a means of the blessing, of transforming the ideas and memories, which your pondering on the Word has awakened. Give to God what you have found within your heart.
• Finally, simply rest in God’s embrace. And when God invites you to return to your pondering of the Word or to your inner dialog with God, do so. Rejoice in the knowledge that God is with you in both words and silence, in spiritual activity and inner receptivity.