Squeezing the Juice Out of Scripture: How to Pray Lectio Divina
by Mark Giszczak
Lectio divina consists in pouring over a biblical text for some time, reading it and re-reading it, as it were, ruminating on it as the Fathers say and squeezing from it, so to speak, all its juice so that it may nourish meditiation and contemplation and, like water, succeed in irrigating life itself.
-Pope Benedict XVI, November 6, 2005.
The phrase "lectio divina" means "divine reading" in Latin. The practice takes many forms, but at its heart it is a prayerful meditation on a Scripture passage. Here at ecatholichub.net, our goal is to provide a simple way for you to practice lectio divina and draw closer to God.
Our method gives you three columns. In the first column, we have selected key verses from the Sunday readings. The verses are intended to convey the nugget of truth which you can take away from the readings. In the second column, we provide you with a little bit of commentary about key words or historical context so you have a little background. The third column is for you!
In the third column, write your own meditations, reflections or thoughts that come to you while reading over the verses. These reflections could be questions you want to ask yourself or God, comments about your own life experience or keywords that will help you take a spiritual lesson away from your lectio divina.
Below is a diagram of the different parts of lectio divina. In the upper right hand of this page, you will find a sample lectio divina as well as reflections from recent weeks. Enjoy!
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