Dear brothers and sisters,
I am very sure that many of us (perhaps all of us) have a Bible at home. How many times do we open the Bible and read it? Do we really understand the message that God has for us? I know that some parishioners go to Bible study, which is every other week on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the parish (if you want to join this study, check the bulletin, or call the parish office for information). The Bible is the Word of God. For this reason, I would like to introduce you to Lectio Divina (Divine Reading). Lectio Divina is a Christian practice of reading the Bible, meditating, and praying. It is a traditional monastic practice that dates back to the early centuries of Christianity. These are the steps to listen to God’s Word through this wonderful practice.
Prayer: Invoke the presence of the Holy Spirit to understand better the Word of God. “Before I open my Bible and heart to the Word of God, I first open my mouth in prayer.”
Lectio or reading: Read the text two, three or more times. What does the text say? Look at what the characters are doing, places, actions, settings, and so on. Try to understand what the text is saying.
Meditatio or meditation: What does the text say to me? Think about what the phrase that stood out to you meant to the original audience, and what the author might have been thinking when he wrote it. Picture yourself in the setting and context of the passage. Play out the scenario in your head. Think about the specific part of the pas- sage that spoke directly to you. Focus intently on why the Holy Spirit might have chosen these words to speak to you today. Reflect on how it might apply to your life. Is it relevant to something that you are going through? Does it bring to mind a struggle that you have been dealing with? Do certain people come to mind that God may want you to reach out to or reconcile a relationship with? Is there a strong sense of a movement or change that needs to happen? When you are thinking about a passage in God’s presence, ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate that passage so that you can grasp the message in terms of your own life.
Oratio or prayer: What do I want to say to God about the text? Take all the thoughts, feelings, actions, fears, convictions, and questions you have meditated on and offer them to the Lord in prayer. Talk to God and tell him what you are feeling, just like you would with a good friend or family member. It is so important to ask God to help us in the areas in which we need improvement.
Contemplatio or contemplation: What difference will this text make in my life? Sit in the presence of God and feel His tender love and embrace. We are to continue to resist worrying about our cell phones, work, friends, illnesses, and whatever else holds us back from God and sit in the love that is shared between us and Jesus. Commit yourself, with the help of God, to “do” the truth that he has implanted in your heart. It is our submitting to God’s Word, our living it out, that God is calling us to. Living out our faith is a following of Jesus that happens naturally as we know Christ and become like him.
Let us practice Lectio Divina and let us allow God’s message to come to us, discovering the wonderful plan that He has for each one of us.
Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.
God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!
Father Jorge Ramirez
