LECTIO DIVINA SERIES #1 – SESSION THREE
FORMAT FOR EACH SESSION
(1) Lectio & Meditatio (reading and meditation)
Read the scripture passage below. In reading and meditating on Sacred Scripture, we begin to ascend the ladder of LECTIO DIVINA as we open our hearts and minds to hear and understand God’s words to us. We need to do this in silence and individually.
What to do?
(a) Read (individually) the scripture passage
(b) Find the passage, phrase or verse that especially touches you
(c) Take notes about why you chose that passage, phrase or verse
(2) Oratio (pray – conversation with God)
In this step, we experience how to make the most of our oratio and enjoy the fruits of an intimate conversation with our Lord. This includes speaking to God and listening to God with our hearts.
What to do?
(a) Write a prayer or simply think of a petition, thanksgiving or praise you are inspired to say to God as a result of what you have discovered from the scripture reading
(b) Take your time to be silent during this conversation with God and be patient to listen, God will wait until our hearts are attuned to his voice
(c) Do this more than once—repeat this process of LECTIO DIVINA over again for a few prayer sessions allowing all of this to soak into our souls
(3) Contemplatio (contemplate)
The desire of the Christian heart is to see God. In contempatio, we rest at the pinnacle of the ladder of prayer, gazing upon God in love. This contemplation includes silence, an elimination of distractions and a surrendering of the soul to prayer. It takes time to develop this skill.
What to do?
(a) Take notes or think about a reality in your life—an event, situation, a relationship with someone, a reality you are recently facing
(b) Try to find a connection between the scripture reading and that reality
(c) Try to find a conclusion about what the scripture is directing you to do
(4) Resolutio (resolution)
At the end of lectio divina, we take the step of resolutio and resolve to live out God’s love as we put our prayer into action. Our prayer, reflection, conversation and connection with God and His Living Word, transfers into our daily life and helps us along the road to heaven.
What to do?
(a) Take notes about what you can do to resolve or take away with you from your time of prayer
(b) See if there is an opportunity to make a choice based on the conclusions you arrived at during your lectio divina prayer
(c) Create a plan of steps in order to follow the path you discovered from God via this time of prayer
(d) As a conclusion, offer a thanksgiving prayer to God for the graces and blessings received during lectio divina
SESSION THREE – SCRIPTURE PASSAGE
Luke 10:17-24
The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’
At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’
Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.’
WEDNESDAY DISCUSSION LINK
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 at 7:30 PM ONLINE DISCUSSION LINK
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