Looking back at the weekly messages of Father Paul Counce, first published in The Carpenter, our weekly Parish Bulletin
Published: January 10, 2021
Ordinary time begins this week. So I thought I’d point out something coming up a couple of weeks from now. Pope Francis recently designated the 3rd Ordinary Sunday each year (January 24 this year) as a special “Sunday of the Word of God.” While this may sound like a new idea, it really isn’t: the Catholic Church is the true Biblical Church, within which the New Testament was written and the entire Bible organized and used in service of the Lord Jesus. We not only formally proclaim four texts of the Bible each Sunday and Solemnity (three readings and a responsorial psalm), almost every other prayer of the Mass and other liturgies and devotions – like the holy rosary, for example – is taken from Scripture as well.
Since this means we have to cultivate a proper understanding and use of the Bible, we will be using this observance each year to focus on these ideas. It seems to me that one thing which all of us could do more of is the practice of reading the Bible known as “lectio divina.” This Latin term, which literally means “divine reading,” refers to a slow, prayerful, meditative way of praying Sacred Scripture. It’s not Bible study, it’s Bible prayer!
As God’s word, the Bible is THE basic text for Catholics to use in their prayer. While one can study the Bible – memorizing texts and historical facts – we more need to pray using it! As Pope Francis put it, “Since faith comes from hearing, and what is heard is based on the word of Christ (see Romans 10:17), believers are bound to listen attentively to the word of the Lord, both in the celebration of the liturgy and in their personal prayer and reflection.”
Whether done individually or in groups, the simplest description of lectio divina is that it opens us to what God wants to say to us by a reflective reading of the Bible in four successive stages: first, lectio (my slow, quiet reading of a Scripture passage); meditatio (meditating on what has been read – thinking about what God is saying to me); oratio (prayer to God in my own words, flowing from what He has just said to me); and contemplatio (silent adoration and thankful contemplation of the presence of God).
Let’s look a bit more at each stage. In the lectio (reading) stage, we simply read a brief Biblical passage, often several times, slowly – I recommend whispering it out loud! We want the Word of God to “sink in.”
The second stage is meditatio (reflection). It’s not a study of the text but instead is an honest attempt to discover its meanings. We use our hearts, not our head! The point is that we search for what God wants to share with us personally. It might be a lesson, an insight or something we just think about too little otherwise. It depends on the Bible passage. It could be a word of encouragement, or even a warning!
The third stage is oratio (prayer response). Our brain lets our heart speak to God. We may be prompted to give thanks, to ask for something, or even to complain! Again, our response is prompted by our reflection in the previous step: it will arise from it. It is often colored by emotion, as the Word of God affects the individual. Retired Pope Benedict has described this stage as “lingering to talk with God directly” in an unhurried, in-depth conversation.
The final stage of lectio divina is contemplatio (resting; I like the old-fashioned word “abiding” as very appropriate, too). We stop trying to do anything at all: we “let go” not only of our own ideas and plans but also of our words and thoughts. We simply “rest in the Word of God,” aware of Him at the deepest level of our being. In this kind of quiet moment, we are gradually transformed by the Lord, from within.
These four stages are not fixed rules of procedure but simply guidelines as to how the prayer normally develops. Good lectio divina rather naturally gets simpler and simpler, with less talking by us and more listening. The length of time given to each stage depends on the person or group using it. Over time, lectio divina grows more and more silent and restful.
The practice of lectio divina as a way of praying the Scriptures has been a fruitful source of growing in relationship with Christ for many centuries. Nowadays it’s being rediscovered by many more Catholics because – if you give it a chance – it’s pretty easy, and usually practical and satisfying. God, after all, speaks to us in His holy Word, and by it will transform us more and more into saints. All we have to do is open ourselves to that wonderful prospect!
The Holy Father is urging us to give it a try; why don’t we?
In Him who is the Divine Word made Flesh,
Very Rev. Paul D. Counce
