REFLECTIONS ON LECTIO DIVINA  (part 2)

by Nancy Moran

In the first 3 sessions of the Contemplative Outreach online e-course “Lectio Divina: Heart to Heart – Listening and Living with God”  we learned that the ancient prayer practice of Lectio Divina is a fluid 4 step dance with the Lord:  to read, to reflect, to respond and to rest.  This way of praying corresponds to a human relationship, relating with God in a natural, organic way and opening us to ever deeper levels of communication that ultimately disposes us to the gift of union.

In the next 3 sessions we learn about the “4 Senses of Scripture,” a term coined by the monks of the middle ages.  The 4 Senses of Scripture are literal, allegorical, behavioral/moral and unitive and they are reflected in the different moments of Lectio Divina:

The literal sense is Lectio

…I take the Word.

The allegorical sense is Meditatio

…I chew the Word.

The behavioral/moral sense is Oratio

…I digest the Word.

The unitive sense is Contemplatio

…I become the Word.

SESSION 4

The focus of session 4 is the Literal Sense – Lectio – Reading the Word of God.  This sense corresponds to the level of acquaintanceship in a relationship.

A text that we choose to read for Lectio Divina may have more than one literal sense, since literal understanding is affected by the literary conventions and the historical context of the time.  Authors may refer to more than one level of reality as poetry and parables so often do.

When reading a text we should not be concerned with how much we are reading but rather with the quality of the reading.  By reading deeply we allow the passage to open up to the levels of meaning.  We should not be concerned with mastering the text but with allowing the text to master us, and by putting aside critiques, analyses and problem solving thinking.  Instead, we read the Scripture with an attitude of humility, detachment and receptivity.  We read slowly, not rushing into reflective thoughts, but just sitting with the reading, letting it go to a deeper level within us.

SESSIONS 5 and 6

The focus of sessions 5 and 6 is the second sense of Lectio Divina – The Allegorical Sense – Meditatio –  Reflecting/Pondering the Word of God.  As we reflect on the text we become open to God guiding us.  Hidden meanings begin to emerge from the text and the symbols, metaphors, images and stories speak to us about our own life journey.

The Allegorical Sense of Scripture corresponds to the level of friendship in a relationship.  As our level of identification with Scripture deepens we are able to grow in trust and honesty in our relationship with God.  As we are confronted with our own attachments we can allow God’s necessary purification and healing process to occur.

Sister Maria Tasto, an author and retreat leader on the practice of Lectio Divina says in her book,  The Transforming Power of Lectio Divina,

“Listening to the Word of God challenges us to stoop down lower than we have ever stooped before.  In other words, we need to step out of our world and into the world of Jesus.  We need to come defenseless, ready to be influenced…vulnerable, open to learn, to change, and to be transformed.  This may entail a level of listening that we have never engaged in before. This is true receptivity to the Word – to take it in and let it speak to us.  This is the challenge of Lectio Divina.  It is about entering into relationship with the Word.”