Spiritual Reading
Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to come into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets, He explained to them the things written about Himself in all the Scriptures.
- Luke 24: 26-27 -
Getting Started
Reading in My Spiritual Life
There is a natural or perhaps better, a supernatural progression in the spiritual life. One normally begins with lots of vocal prayers, going through many different prayer books and that is a good thing, very pleasing to God. Then, God will give the person a hunger for spiritual reading in addition to their other forms of prayer and then one learns things about their faith very much like they learn things in any other course of study.
Lectio Divina
How do I prepare?
It is important to dispose ourself for Lectio Divina as we do for any prayer: with humility, confidence in God, and with perseverance. We must seek to remove disordered affections and have a pure intention. I must want to listen to the word of God.
Practically speaking, it is beneficial to find a quiet place to pray and dedicate a certain amount of time, ideally thirty minutes to an hour, to praying and meditating on the word of God. We can begin with a prayer such as below:
Prayer Before Reading Sacred Scripture:
Lord, inspire me to read your Scriptures and to meditate upon them day and night. I beg you to give me understanding of what I need, that I in turn may put its precepts into practice. Yet, I know that understanding and good intentions are worthless, unless rooted in your graceful love. So I ask that the words of Scripture may also be not just signs on a page, but channels of grace into my heart.
+Amen.
What are the basic steps?
Prepatory Prayer
I must put myself in a quiet place, place myself in the presence of God, and ask for light to know and do His will.
Step 1 – Lectio / Read
What does the text say?
It is more listening than reading. I can pick the Gospel passage of the day or something of similar length. What does it say? I’m reading the words.
Step 2 – Meditatio / Meditate
What does the text say to me?
We now go over the text again and again. What does the text say? What does it mean?
Step 3 – Oratio / Prayer
What do I say to God?
It flows from the heart and towards the divine word. I am praying with the ideas found in the text. I am seeking a theme such as faith or humility.
Step 4 – Contemplatio / Contemplation
What must I do to be like God?
This is simpler than prayer. We have aspirations of admiration, astonishment, it is a hymn of praise. We express the sweetness of what was read; it is similar to the joys of heaven. This is how St. Jerome read the scriptures.
Thanksgiving
We give thanks to God for the many graces recieved. This prayer is something that we should continue throughout the day, allowing us to be connected to God’s word during our various activities, for as St. Paul “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective” (Heb. 4:12)
Additional Resources
- Dei Verbum, Vatican II on the Word of God
- Verbum Domini, Pope Benedict XVI
- Basics of Lectio Divina
Growing in Virtue
Fr. Miguel Fuentes
Virtus Series
Fatherhood in Crisis
Additional Spiritual Reading
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