What is Lectio Divina?
Lectio is Latin for Reading; Divina is Latin for Divine. So we can say it is Divine Reading or perhaps Sacred Reading. It is a time for us to Listen to God. Above all Lectio Divina is Prayer!
History: Lectio Divina is a dynamic way of reading the Scriptures that has been around since 300 AD. The roots of the practice stem from the Desert Mothers and Fathers. It became more formalised by St. Benedict in the sixth century. It is mentioned often in the Rule of Benedict and he encourages his monks to practise this daily.
The Practice
It follows a four-step approach of:
- Reading (lectio)
- Meditation (meditatio)
- Prayer (oratio)
- Contemplation (contemplatio)
Lectio Divina gives us a space to respond to what we feel God is saying to us personally and helps us to encounter God in everyday life with all its joys, challenges and also the boring, uninteresting bits.
A full explanation of this practice is given on our web page here Lectio Divina (Listen to God)