Diocese of Aversa
Parish of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe
Via Pigna 24 Giugliano in Campania (NA)
Tel. 081 3300222 - Email:
What is Lectio Divina?
"Lectio Divina" means "divine reading" and describes the way of reading Sacred Scripture: gradually moving away from one's own schemes and opening oneself to what God wants to tell us. In the 12th century, a Carthusian monk, called Guigo, described the most important stages of the "divine reading". Individual or group practice of Lectio Divina can take different forms but Guigo's description always remains fundamental.
Guigo wrote that the first step of this form of prayer is lectio (reading). It is the time when we read God's Word slowly and carefully so that it penetrates within us. Any short passage from Sacred Scripture can be chosen for this form of prayer.
The second step is meditatio (meditation). During this stage the biblical text is reflected and mulled over so that we take from it what God wants to give us.
The third step is the oratio (prayer), it is the time to leave aside our way of thinking and allow our heart to speak with God. Our prayer is inspired by our reflection on the Word of God.
The last stage of the Lectio is contemplatio (contemplation), in which we abandon ourselves totally to holy words and thoughts. It is the moment in which we simply rest in the Word of God and hear, in the deepest level of our being, the voice of God speaking within us. As we listen, we are gradually transformed from within. Evidently, this transformation will have a profound effect on our behavior and, from how we live, we will witness the authenticity of our prayer. We need to apply what we read in God's Word to our daily life.
These stages of the Lectio Divina are not fixed rules to follow, but simply guidelines on how to normally develop prayer. We seek greater simplicity and a willingness to listen and not speak. Gradually the words of Sacred Scripture begin to free themselves and the Word reveals itself before the eyes of our heart.
For many centuries the practice of Lectio Divina, as a way of praying Sacred Scripture, has been a source of growth in the relationship with Christ. In our day, many individuals and groups are rediscovering it. The Word of God is alive and working, and it will transform each of us if we open ourselves to receive what God wants to give us.