Receive before looking for an answer
Lectio Divina does not use Scripture as a store of sayings that confirm our existing views. We receive the text within the faith of the Church, attend to what it actually says, and allow God’s word to question us. This reading remains oriented to liturgy and life, where the Word is proclaimed and practiced.
Four movements for fifteen minutes
- Read
- Choose a short Gospel passage, read it slowly twice, and notice the word or image holding your attention.
- Meditate
- Ask what the text says to your situation without making every detail into a private message.
- Pray
- Answer God honestly with thanksgiving, repentance, petition, or intercession.
- Contemplate and act
- Rest in silence, then choose one small change to which the Word is inviting you today.
The sign of a living reading
A good time of prayer does not always produce a new idea. A deeper sign is a heart more willing to listen, less defensive, and more concrete in love. The Word is understood fully when it begins to take flesh in action.
Stop while you still want to read more. One short passage heard deeply often nourishes life more than several chapters read in haste.