As we choose spiritual practices for Lent, we might consider the practice of lectio divina, the prayerful reading of Scripture. (See part 1) This slow reflective reading may be done alone or within a group.

The method of lectio divina is often referred to as fourfold: lectio (reading the text), meditatio (reflecting and meditating on the text), oratio (praying from the text) and contemplatio (deep contemplation of the text).

“Reading as it were, puts food whole into the mouth, meditation chews it and breaks it up, prayer extracts its flavor, contemplation is the sweetness itself which gladdens and refreshes.” (Guigo II, Twelfth century monk)

Lectio—Reading

This kind of reading is slow and reflective, focused on absorbing the word itself in a reflective manner. St. Ambrose writes that calm, slow reading enkindles the ardor of prayer.

When doing lectio with a group, it is good to read through a short passage slowly several times, then allow time for silence. Then people in the group say one word or one phrase that struck them. An atmosphere of quiet, calm and peace is important.

Meditatio—Meditation, Reflection

The purpose of meditation is to assimilate the word of God, to allow it to become more and more a part of our hearts. The Jewish theologian and philosopher Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, “To meditate is to know how to stand still and to dwell upon a word!” In reading the word of God there can be one word or phrase that moves our heart. At the visit of the shepherds at Bethlehem, “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19)

Whatever speaks to the heart moves us to wonder, think and pray.

Oratio—Prayer

“Prayer is best understood as a dialogue or conversation between God and a person. The ancient practice of lectio takes for granted that we begin by first listening to God speak to us, then after we hear God speak, we respond; sometimes with a word of thanking and blessing God for divine goodness to us…other times with an acknowledgement of our weakness.” (Abbot Gregory Polan, OSB)

Abbot Gregory continues: “What has the sacred word said to me about growing deeper into the life of Christ? What has it said about a more authentic love of my neighbor? Of what has it accused me and called me to personal conversion?”

God’s word begins to call forth from us a reply.

Contemplatio—Contemplation

“Be still before the Lord and wait in patience.” (Psalm 37:7) Reflection on God’s word will lead us to a posture of peace before God. “Contemplation is a movement from darkness to light, from slavery to freedom, from doubt to belief, from uncertainty to hope.” (Abbot Gregory)

Reading a passage from Scripture in a slow reflective manner can be a practice for encountering the mystery of God in the Scriptures.

I close with a favorite prayer, Psalm 23; perhaps you would like to use it for lectio.

The Lord is my shepherd;
There is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
Where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
To revive my drooping spirit.

He guides me along the right path;
He is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
No evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
With these you give me comfort.

You have prepared a banquet for me
In the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil,
My cup is overflowing.
Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
For ever and ever.

Abbot Jerome Kodell, OSB is a retired abbot of New Subiaco Abbey, Subiaco, AR

Abbot Gregory Polan, OSB is Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Order and resides in Rome

We hope you enjoyed this Benedictine Reflection. Learn more about the sisters’ mission and the Year of Beauty by clicking the button below.

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During Lent it may help to have a prayer in your pocket. One that you can pull out on a moment’s notice. 

A prayer I keep close at hand, and “at heart” is Psalm 23, “A Prayer of David,” commonly called “The Good Shepherd Psalm.” This psalm can become a spiritual resource especially if it arises from the practice of lectio divina. 

Lectio divina literally means divine or holy reading. This is a way of putting on the mind of God. By absorbing the Word of God we let the divine scripture penetrate deeply so that we may be transformed by divine grace…(Abbott Jerome Kodell, OSB) One can ponder the Christian meaning of this psalm from the perspective of John’s Gospel: the Good Shepherd who gives his life for his sheep. (John 10) 

Lectio divina is associated with those who follow The Rule of St. Benedict. However, this practice of reading and praying the Word of God has begun to find a place in the spirituality of many people desirous of reading the Scripture in a reflective and prayerful way. Entire books are now written on the topic along with many articles in periodicals. 

The practice of lectio divina is best done in an environment of silence. (It helps to turn off communication media.) The writings of the major religious traditions emphasize the necessity of silence for coming into communion with God, with the sacred and with oneself. 

The desert was perhaps the earliest place of lectio divina. One can imagine St. Benedict in his cave with the sacred scriptures as his lectio. Today the monk’s cell could be the place. We need a space to listen attentively to the voice of God speaking to us through the divine word. 

The first word of The Rule of St. Benedict is the command to listen. St. Benedict specifies and denotes times during the day for the practice of holy reading and the practice of listening to the Word of God.  This reading and listening to the divine word has the formative effect of awakening in the heart the divine presence which can speak to a person at any moment and in any situation. (Abbot J Polan, OSB)  After reflecting on a passage from scripture it is common for a person to have that portion or word of scripture return to the mind and heart during the day. 

Part two of this article explains the “method” for lectio divina, along with my favorite translation of Psalm 23 the Good Shephard Psalm. Click here to read part two.

We hope you enjoyed this Benedictine Reflection. Learn more about the sisters’ mission and the Year of Beauty by clicking the button below.

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The quote above was part of our reading at midday prayer on October 4, 2018 for the commemoration of Francis of Assisi. What struck me was how important story is in shaping our lives. Benedictines are great story tellers. Besides reading the Rule of Benedict, we recount the stories of Benedict and of our community. These stories help us understand that the Rule is a living document that developed as wisdom distilled from real human life lived together in community.

In the sisters’ community at our chapter meeting each morning, we read about the sisters who have gone before us on the date of their death. Those who knew the sister tell a story about her so the rest of us can have a sense of who she was.

Our foundress, Gertrude McDermott, OSB befriended chief Sitting Bull when she took him in one night in a storm. She learned the Lakota language and was the first white woman to enter his camp. She went to warn him that the US Calvary were intending to attack his people. What a pioneer she was. Our community has continued to be pioneering, in becoming the first ecumenical Benedictine women’s community in the US.

At meals with guests and in classes with sojourners and novices we also tell stories about our community life and ministry in the past. The stories show the character and flavor of our community. It is one thing to state that our community had a hospital in Sioux City, Iowa before we moved to Madison, Wisconsin. It is another thing to hear about the ministry in the hospital. Working men lined up around the block at lunch time every day to receive a noon meal at the hospital. The sisters worked seven days a week in the hospital, never took any wages and were paid in chickens and eggs and other produce in the early days. No one was ever turned away because they couldn’t pay. One of the sisters took in the men who hung around lower Fourth Street where the taverns were located, gave them a room in the hospital and cared for them until they dried out. When we read the stories of our past sisters, we notice that a number died within a few years of making profession. Many of those sisters worked in the laundry which we can imagine was a risky place to work in a hospital in those days. No constitution or rules can compel us to give our lives in service. But stories can inspire us to go the extra mile to serve as our sisters did in the past.

Of course, it is the stories in the Bible that inspire Christians to serve after the example of Jesus. The practice of lectio divina, or prayerful reading of Scripture, helps us assimilate the stories for ourselves.

What stories guide your life? Stories from your family or Scripture? Stories from your own experience or from literature?

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A Spirituality for the Easter Season
by Joanne Kollasch, OSB

In morning prayer today we recited these words:

Let all creation bend to you:
For you spoke, and they took shape;
you breathed: they came alive.
Nothing can resist your voice.

Or, in words recently shared by Margaret Mandernach, OSB:

 “There is only one life, one love, one energy…namely, God. All of creation shares in that one life, one love, one energy, in varying degrees and at various levels—from plant life to humans.”   (from Sisters & Friends, Spring 2016, St Benedict Monastery, St Joseph, MN)

It is good to reflect on these words during Easter time. We are surrounded with new plant life, all creation is awakening, birds and animals and us humans. How do we attune ourselves to this spiritual energy that is all around us?

I would like to make a suggestion. There is a monastic tradition that is called lectio divina, translated as prayerful reading. Lectio divina, for Saint Benedict, would have been the reading of the scriptures, the word of God. Creation can also become our lectio divina. We can read creation. We can reflect on the presence of God that surrounds us, just as we do in scripture. That is the first step of lectio divina; just as we reflect on the Bible, we turn to creation. Pope Francis, St Benedict, St. Francis of Assisi all use phrases like “the book of creation.”

Lectio divina is composed of four steps. In reading the book of creation, first look and read creation. The second step is to reflect, to stand still for a moment and look at the tree that is budding or the bird or the geese that are flying, or whatever we choose…and reflect. Prayer arises in our hearts, because of this beauty, because of this energy, because of this presence of God. And finally, silence or contemplation is our response.

So you needn’t have a scripture to do lectio divina. You can do sacred reading when you go for a walk, or when you’re out planting in the garden, or wherever you are. But it requires taking time. Take time to:

• look at the scene,
• reflect on it,
• be grateful for it, and then to
• be silent in its presence.

What a wonderful antidote to changing financial markets, world issues and political views, personal or communal losses, or challenges at work.

And so, we come back to the words of Sister Margaret Mandernach:

“There is only one life, one love, one energy…namely, God. All of creation shares in that one life, one love, one energy, in varying degrees and at various levels—from plant life to human.”

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There is a lot of excitement here at the monastery because winter is coming. We finished the work at the garden. First, we cleaned the garden—there are no more tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, squash, potatoes or bell pepper plants there. Then we took off the garden’s fences. After all there is nothing left that the deer can eat. In the orchard we picked all the apples. Then we prepared the land for winter. We covered the ground under the trees with mulch. The prairie needs a lot of preparation too. We have collected seeds, tons of seed; it is work that needs many hands to be done. And at the prairie seeding day, we spread seeds in a new area, so in the spring the seeds will be ready to grow. Thanks be to God the monastery has a lot of volunteers to help with this job, otherwise it would be almost impossible to do it.

All this winter preparation is completely new for me. In Mexico all I needed to do was to add some sweaters to my wardrobe and I was ready. In Houston I saw snow for the first time in December 2009. For a couple of days the city wore a beautiful white dress. No need to tell that I was freezing. It was really cold for me. So this time I need to take this preparation more seriously. But I am preparing in another way too.

I call this personal preparation, advent. Advent is the time of expectantly waiting and preparing for something. I am preparing myself to get out of La Noche Oscura del Alma or the dark night of my soul or the winter of my soul. Gradually, without being too obvious, I am preparing myself.

I feel safe and protected at Holy Wisdom. The rhythm of the life here helps me in my preparation. Each morning I do lectio divina; I read the psalms and meditate in what God wants to tell me that specific day. The psalms are not easy for me, but I continue reading them each morning. We also pray three times a day and do centering prayer twice a day. Is so difficult for me to stop my thoughts. Many times I need to remind myself: stop thinking, just concentrate on your breath, Paz.

Each time that we pray in the oratory, we sing a hymn, some psalms and a canticle. This would be awesome, if I had a beautiful voice or at least some music literacy. But I do not. Each time that we sing, I get distracted thinking first about the correct pronunciation, then about the meaning of some other words. Finally about the pitch, that is, trying not to mess up the singing of others.

The sisters ask the sojourners to lead prayer sometimes. This means singing solo—with my voice! Big problem if you have my singing and pronunciation skills, so the sisters offered me music classes with Lynn Lemberger. She is so sweet and so patient with me. Some days, it looks as if I am getting the pitch, but just when we are going to the next line, I get it wrong again. She hasn’t complained, not yet at least. When it was my second time leading prayer, it was not perfect. But nobody complained. Some people even told me that I am improving the pitch. (pictured above: Lynn Lemberger, left, director of worship & music, working with Paz on singing lessons)

Advent is the time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the nativity of Jesus at Christmas. Hopefully this means Jesus will be reborn in me. The preparation is not always easy, but I enjoy each minute here. And the day always follows the night after all.

_________________

Read this post in Spanish. Para seguir a paz en español: Preparandome para el Invierno

Read more from Paz in her blog series, Little notes from a prairie journey.

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• What is the purpose of my life?
• With whom do I want to live and how will I express my love?
• How can I use my gifts and talents and whom do I want to serve?

Benedict’s emphasis in discernment is on listening with both the head and the heart.  His Rule begins: “Listen, child of God… with the ear of your heart”.  We are called to listen to Scripture; to the Spirit’s movement in our hearts; to our communities, friends, and the wise guides in our lives.

Benedictine’s listen to Scripture in the practice of lectio divina, a prayerful reading of Scripture. As we practice reading slowly and savoring the words, the Word may stir us, challenge us or move us to new ways of being and behaving. Benedictines are immersed in Scripture throughout the day at the Liturgy of the Hours. If you are discerning the next step in your life, spending time reading and praying with Scripture each day can help you become sensitive to God’s longings for you.

Psalm 4:5 says: “Attend to your heart.” (International Committee on English in the Liturgy translation)  Attending to our hearts is an important aspect of discernment as we seek to know God’s desire for us. God’s basic desire is to give us abundant life. Benedict knows that God’s call to abundant life is marked by joy, persistence and desire. He describes God’s call in the Prologue: “What is more delightful than the voice of the Lord calling to us?” In discernment, you may ask yourself, does this choice give my heart joy? Does it lead to abundant life?

Finally, discernment cannot be done in isolation. We need the wisdom and feedback of others who know us well such as family members, good friends, a pastor or spiritual guide. They can help us see those places in us where we are yet free to make a choice. We need their help to perceive where our gifts may best be used. A wise guide can also help us attend to God’s movement in our hearts.

Discernment takes time and patience, prayer and support.  These lines from a prayer by Thomas Merton are often a comfort and inspiration at times of discernment:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.

Perhaps you would like to explore further. You might consider coming for a visit or spending time with us as a Benedictine Sojourner. We would be happy to walk with you in your discernment.

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