Lectio Divina #1 Definition, Steps

Last Saturday, in the London Course 2013, we just addressed "Lectio Divina" and its practise.

What is Lectio divina?

Lectio Divina is: With the help of the Holy Spirit, to listen to the daily Word Jesus wants to give me and to put it into practise.

"the daily Word": is an allusion to the fact that in the Mass Jesus comes to speak to us personally, through the daily readings (please find them here, under "readings")

So it is all about:

1- listening to the Word that Jesus wants to give us,

and

2- putting it into practise.

You'll certainly notice that practising Lectio divina is one of the best ways to love God:

- "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15)

- "He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me" (John 14:21)

- "If a man loves me, he will keep my word" (John 14:23)

- "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love" (John 15:10)

To love Jesus-God is the First Commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment." (Mt 22:37-38). We just saw that "to love" means to put into practise the word. This then means that if the first commandment is to love God-Jesus "with all our heart, all our soul and all our mind", this means that we should seek to listen to Jesus' Word and put it into practise "with all our heart, all our soul and all our mind".

This gives us an idea of the type of commitment (and a priority) we need to have for Lectio Divina.

Let us see now the Lectio divina steps in greater detail.

lectio divina steps

I- PREPARING 

1- Sit in a quiet place

2- In the presence of Christ, entering in my conscience

3- Consider His desire to speak to me

4- I choose Him again as my First priority

5- I give myself to Him, unconditionally

II- Listening

Active phase: seeking understanding 

6- Read (1) in order to understand the text

Listening phase: asking for the help of the Holy Spirit

7- Read (2) in order to discover Christ’s will

8- Read (3) until I see only one light

9- Read (4) until the light becomes clear

10- Write down the words from the readings that touched me

III- REalisation

11- Asking the Holy Spirit’s help in order to put into practice the Word

12- Giving thanks, being immersed in Him

13- Putting into practice the Word I received

14- Echos during the day

15- In the end of the day: giving thanks

Suggested reading list for Lectio divina:

- Daily reading of the Bible (please click here and on the page click "Readings" to find them).

- The Gospel. Luke 24. Isaiah 53.

- Catechism of the Catholic Church. nn° 50-141.

- "Dei Verbum", Council Vatican II

- "Scripture in the tradition", Henri de Lubac

- "History and the Spirit", Henri de Lubac

- "The Lord's Sermon on the Mount", Saint Augustine.

- "Saint Augustine’s Homilies on the First letter of John"

- "Lectio Divina", Jean Khoury CTS London (on Kindle as well)

- "Lectio Divina, Mary and the Spirit", Jean Khoury (on Kindle)

- "Lectio Divina and daily life", Jean Khoury (published soon)
- A short video presentation on Lectio Divina

- A short video explanation
- Join me on Lectio Twitter: @LectioDivinaUk