(continuation...)
The common project of holiness
The common project of holiness
Let
us remember the “frame” of CLD (Common Lectio Divina): it is the same frame that of
“spiritual life” and of “christian life”: holiness. Seeking
holiness. Council Vatican II says very clearly that married couples
are as well called to holiness and that the Sacrament of Marriage is
a way to reach holiness.
The big difference between holiness in general and holiness in the
couple is that the latter in sought with two wills and not alone. Is
sought in a very close partnership, helping each other, sanctifying
each other, an “carrying” each other as well. Each member of the
couple provides support, love, advice, prayer to the other. And, as I
mentioned it various times: praying together is such a powerful means
of transformation that it should be used much more often in order to
change our homes, our communities, our society and the whole world.
Marriage
is a way for two to holiness, where the bond between two human beings
is unique, close, intimate, “mystical”. By the Sacrament, they
become really one body, one soul and one spirit. “one” and not
“two”, not “united” but “one” (which is more than being
united. “United” means we are still two). They breath from the
same air, they eat from the same food, they do many things together,
their project is a common project, the carry each other in their
body, soul and spirit for the best.
First
and foremost the couple needs to address, with great attention and
care, the fundamental question of life: what is the goal? What is our
common goal? What is holiness? Why is it our goal? How can it become
our goal? What would it change in our life? How can we get motivated,
for the rest or our life by this goal? How can we keep it alive, day
after day? How can we enrol all our energy, gather it, around that
unique and common goal?
CLD
is placed in his context or frame: striving to reach holiness. This
is why one should address first the “common project for holiness”
before speaking about CLD. The sacrament in fact has this central
goal and we often forget it. We might put “creating a family”,
“having children” as the first goal of marriage. They are
certainly the goals and the means of marriage, but they are not the
real first goal. Of course not all the couples would envisage their
married life or their couple in this way (seeking first and foremost:
holiness). Very few engaged couples are having that common goal and
project. But it should be the central aim.
Establishing
this great and central aim as their own common project, each members
of the couple becomes aware that he/she is invited to put his hand in
the hand of his/her partner in order to increase, and time the power
and chances to grow together. This means that they are here to help
each other.
If
on one hand the CLD helps the couple together, to seek together the
Light of God and His Word and to listen to it together, on the other
hand the PLD will have as well personal indications on how to help
the partner, how to listen to God through him/her, how to help
him/her and many other aspects related to marriage, the progress in
it and considering it as a way for holiness.
Extra
question on Lectio Divina
-
To what extent the light we received (personal or couple Lectio Divina) is
affected by our intellectual understanding of Scripture? For example
by reading the homilies of the Church Fathers is the light received
different if one had not read a homily on a particular text.
-
A
fundamental part of the teaching of LD (personal or couple) is to
explain the different levels of understanding of Scriptures, “reading
in the Spirit” (in the Holy Spirit). The spiritual exegesis. This
means that I don't leave the student in the School of Mary without
indicating this aspect of the reading of the Scriptures. I do for
that mention the Fathers of the Church, the way they read the Holy
Scriptures and I offer as a reading (you find it in the book: “Lectio
divina,
Mary and the Spirit”), a good sample from the Fathers of the
Chruch, the reading some made and how they did it, of the Good
Samaritain, and in doing so, I wish to open the inner eyes, and
intelligence of the student.
But
after that, experience shows that many of the students, since they
start to apply the lectio
divina
as I explain it, have experiences very similar to the one of the
Fathers of the Chruch, they come out with amazing things. This gives
me a great joy and demonstrates the the “times of the Fathers”
extend till today. This shows that the methods they used, are
explained by the Holy Spirit and should be collected in a systematic
way and treasured in order to show “how to read the Scriptures”.
You
can find (as quoted in my book cited above) some extracts from the
Catechism of the Church, on “reading in the Spirit”.
So
definitely, it is important to mention this aspect for the person who
is learning how to do lectio
divina.
It is comforting to have that type of teaching because sooner or
later it will happen. Let us remember that the connection made by the
Light of God during the lectio
divina
involves
a very specific supernatural event: two texts are saying the same
thing. So you imagine the effect of perspective, the spiritual
experience. It is part of it, it is the same thing: the lectio
we do, and how the Fathers of the Church.
I
would like to add something: some people think that in order for the
lectio
we do to work we have first to have a good preparation in exegesis,
studying the Bible. They think that if we don't have a biblical
preparation, we can't really enter in lectio
or it will be different. I do not accept this idea. I accept only a
simple preparation that is: just reading as an adult, at least once
the whole New Testament, to familiarise ourselves with it and large
extrats as well of the Old Testament. I don't think we need more
because I do believe that the Lord's language is simple, capable of
speaking to the average human being (remember that in order to speak
about the highest mysteries he uses examples taken from nature), and
that he takes us from where we are, and walks with us, deepening,
step by step our understanding of His Will. I do believe, like the
Fathers of the Church that the Scriptures walk with us, grow with us,
according to our need.
I
would add as well that very often the knowledge of God and of the
Scriptures that an average person that practices lectio
divina
has is much much higher than the one Exegetes often have. Because the
experience that Jesus gives us of the Bible in the lectio
divina
is supernatural: everyday, He transforms our understanding of a word
of God into an experience, a deep knowledge (remember the meaning of
the biblical “knowledge” (the Bible uses this verb to express the
experience a man has with his wife)). He helps us, by the direct
Action of the Holy Spirit, understand from inside (from His
perspective) the meaning of that word or expression.
There
is NO contradiction or opposition between modern critical exegesis
and Lectio
divina.
But there is just a different of levels: exegesis is an intellectual
knowledge while lectio
divina
is spiritual knowledge. It is all about the words, but seen from
different angles. They complement each others, and we need a balanced
and reasonable exegesis, but the biggest exegesis in the world is
still nothing compared to one Lectio
divina.
The spiritual experience is completely different. As Jesus says about
John the Baptist, that the smallest in the kingdom of God is bigger
than him, I would say exactly the same here, the biggest exegetes is
still smaller than the smaller person that practices Lectio
divina.
I
hope this helps.
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