Reading the bible can teach you a lot about your faith. You can learn about the 10 Commandments, the life and teachings of Jesus, and the numerous things God spoke to our ancestors long ago. You can also discover what God is speaking to you today.
The Bible is not merely an ancient text but a living Word that continues to speak to us today. Many Christians turn to the pages of sacred scripture for guidance, comfort, and inspiration, and there are many ways they do this. Below is an introduction to two of the most commonly practiced forms of contemplative, or meditative, reading of Scripture. Try them out. You might like one more than the other, and you might enjoy both equally. Each method is intended to enrich your prayer life and enable you to immerse yourself in the passage you’re reading, hoping to discover what God is speaking to you at this moment in your life.
Lectio Divina
Lectio divina has a long history in the Church. The phrase is Latin for “divine reading” or “holy reading,” and it was first practiced by monks in the Middle Ages, going as far back as St. Benedict (480-547) or possibly St. Jerome (347-420). The practice of holy reading was designed to help monks come closer to God through a careful, deliberative reading of biblical passages, followed by prayer. Eventually lectio divina was adapted for laypeople as well, and many Catholics today use it as a form of meditation and reflection.
There are four basic steps in lectio divina:
Reading – What does this text say?
Meditation – What does this text say to me?
Prayer – What do I want to say to God after reading this text?
Contemplation – What difference might this text make in my life?
Before opening your bible, make sure to find a quiet place removed from all distractions. Take a moment to put yourself at ease, slowing down your mind so that you’re not thinking about the day’s worries or all the things you need to do. It’s important to clear your mind of all that noise and clutter so you can hear what God is saying to you. You might also say a simple prayer asking the Holy Spirit to guide you and open your mind and heart to the passage(s) you’re about to read.
Step 1: Read. Pick any passage you want. It could be from one of the readings for mass that day, it could be a passage from a book that you’re slowly working your way through (e.g. the Gospel of Mark), or it could be chosen at random. You might simply open up the book and read the first passage you find. Try to pick a passage that’s more than a verse or two but not terribly long either. A chapter of text is more than enough.
Now read it. Read it once to familiarize yourself with the text. Then read it again more slowly, paying attention to the words on the page. You should read it at least twice, and it’s best if you read it several times to fully absorb what the passage is saying.
Step 2: Meditate. In your reading and rereading of the passage, do any words or phrases jump out at you? This doesn’t have to be the moral of the story, although that’s fine too. If you’re reading Mark 12:28-34 and the command to “Love your neighbor as yourself” is what strikes you most, that’s great! Focus on that. But you could focus on anything in the passage that sticks out to you that day, even if it’s a minor detail. In this same passage you might find yourself drawn to Jesus praising his listener for “not being far from the kingdom of God.” If that’s what draws your attention, then ponder that for a while.
Feel free to look at your footnotes or any study aids you have to understand the passage better, although this is not necessary. Your chief aim in this step is to identify some aspect of the passage that strikes you as noteworthy that day. Perhaps you’re tired after a long day, and you find yourself moved by Jesus’ words “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and you will find rest” (Matthew 11:28). Stay with that for a while. Maybe you happen to focus on Sarah’s laughter in Genesis 21:6, and it moves you to find joy in your own life and thank God for all the opportunities to laugh and experience joy. Stay with that for a while.
The same passage might speak to you differently depending on the day. And it will likely speak to different people in different ways. That’s perfectly normal. God speaks to each of us in His own way, addressing our individual needs and desires. This step is not particularly hard, and you don’t have to strain yourself to make sure you get the right answer. All of the bible is divinely inspired, so all of the words are God’s. Be attuned to your own inner feelings and movements, and pay attention to whatever words or phrases jump out at you as you read.
Step 3: Pray. These individual words and phrases will stick out to you based on what’s going on in your life, so it makes sense to spend some time talking to God about these things. If you’re drawn to some aspect of the passage that has to do with hope, ponder what part of your life is yearning for that hope and speak to God about what you’re hoping for. If you’re drawn to something about service in the passage, think about that for a bit and talk to God about how you can serve others better.
This step is obviously very personal, and you will naturally want to speak to God from your heart here. The form of prayer that you offer will depend on what moves you about the passage. If reading the text gives you peace or even joy, your prayer will probably take the form of praise and thanksgiving. If the passage helps you see the pain and anxiety you’re experiencing at this time, your prayer might take the form of a lament or a petition asking for God’s help. Three are several different kinds of prayer, so choose the one that feels most natural here. Let the passage you’re reading be your guide, and see how you’re moved by it and impelled to speak to God about it.
Step 4: Contemplate. Spend as long as you like speaking to God, and then spend some time reflecting inwardly. Consider how wonderful it is to hear God speaking to you through the scriptures, and enjoy/relish the experience. God desires to love us deeply and to receive the same love in return, and like all good relationships, communication is key. So reflect on that for a bit and consider the bond you have with a God who cares for you and speaks to you intimately.
Your prayer should also translate into action. As you feel moved by some aspect of this passage, think about why that is and how you can grow in this area. Again, this will affect different people in different ways. In rare cases a person might feel called to a radically new way of life, but that’s definitely the exception. Most often lectio divina will lead to minor changes in your life that will help you along the right path in your spiritual journey. It might lead you to go on a retreat if you haven’t done one in a while, it might lead to doing more volunteer work or trying to improve your relationships with family members or friends, or it might lead to resolving to spend more time in prayer with God. However you feel moved, think about how to nurture your spiritual life and grow in your relationship with God and others.
If you’re new to lectio divina, follow these steps mechanically at first. Go through each one carefully, although don’t expect each to take the same amount of time. Some will take longer than others. Eventually you might find that you won’t always go through these steps in the exact order, and maybe you do a few simultaneously without intending to. That’s fine. There’s no exact formula that must be followed meticulously, and different people adapt lectio divina in their own way once they’ve become more experienced with it.
The whole process should probably take you at least 15 minutes but could last longer. If you want to practice lectio divina daily or a few times a week, try to carve out a 15-minute slice of time in your day (maybe before you go to work or school in the morning or before going to bed at night). It doesn’t have to be a daily exercise, but the more time you’re able to devote to lectio divina, the more fruitful this type of reading will be for you.
Ignatian Contemplative Reading
Ignatius Loyola is most famous for founding the Jesuits in the 16th century. He is less known for his contributions to spirituality. Throughout his lifetime, Ignatius had many pivotal experiences like a brush with death, a visit to the Holy Land, and multiple conversations with the pope. He interacted with peoples of all walks of life, rich and poor, powerful and ordinary, and these interactions not only brought him closer to God but enabled him to help other people do the same.
His near-death experience was the key turning point in his life, and while he was recovering from his injuries Ignatius devised a set of prayers that eventually became known as the Spiritual Exercises. These exercises are meant to help people become stronger in their faith, just like physical exercises are meant to help our bodies become stronger. There isn’t enough space here to go into all of the exercises, so we’re just going to focus on the one that pertains to reading Scripture.
Ignatius was fascinated by the life of Christ, and his spirituality is very much centered on the gospels. When reading passages from the gospels, Ignatius didn’t just run his eyes over the page but made use of his imagination as well. He wanted to visualize what Christ looked like, he wanted to hear the sound of his voice, and wanted to be fully present in the scene and tried to employ all his senses in the process. He encourages us to do likewise.
Step 1: Select a passage from the Gospels. You can try this method on other stories in the bible too, but Ignatius really wanted to develop a strong relationship with Christ. So he recommended choosing a passage from the New Testament gospels, preferably one where Jesus is interacting with other people. To illustrate the Ignatian Contemplative Reading of Scripture, we’ll practice on the story of Jesus Healing a Paralytic in Mark 2:1-12.
Step 2: Read the passage. Read the story, and then read it again so that the story and all its details become familiar to you. Just like lectio divina, read the passage carefully and pay attention to everything that’s going on.
Step 3: Insert yourself in the story. Now read the story again but include yourself as a character in the scene. You can choose any character mentioned in the biblical text, or you can add a new one, like a bystander off to the side who observes everything that’s taking place. You could also pick Jesus if you want, but it’s better to pick someone other than Jesus so you can see how this type of reading affects your relationship with Christ.
As a character in the story, use your imagination and your five senses. What does Jesus look like? How does he interact with other characters in the story? How do the others react to him? What are the people saying to one another? What do you see, hear, feel, or even smell and taste? What’s it like to be in the presence of Jesus, and how do you react to his words and actions?
Spend some time with this step. You can pick any character you want. There are no right or wrong answers here. In the story of the Healing of the Paralytic, you might be the man who is healed, or one of his friends carrying him on a stretcher, or someone inside the house listening to Jesus’ teaching, or one of Jesus’ apostles. Whatever you decide, please be attentive to how you are moved by what you observe in the scene. Different people will be moved in different ways.
Step 4: Meditate on the experience. Consider your experience of being in the scene with Jesus. Think about how you are moved and how this feeling affects your relationship with Christ. Are you perplexed by the episode, needing to rethink your understanding of Jesus and how he relates to you? Are you overjoyed at Jesus’ words or actions in the story and want to express your heartfelt gratitude? Are you ready to drop your mat, leaving everything, and follow Jesus wholeheartedly? There are many types of reactions you can have. Meditate on your own reaction, and stay with that for a while, trying to keep your gaze on Jesus the whole time.
Step 5: Pray. Just like with lectio divina, this spiritual experience should move you in some way. Based on your encounter with Christ in this story, what do you want to say to him in reply? Again, these could be words of curiosity where you ask Christ why he did or said that instead of something else. You might thank him from the bottom of your heart for being forgiven or for being healed. You might just want to give him a hug. Each person will react in their own way, depending mostly on which character they select and what’s going on in their lives currently. In fact you might have a different reaction to this story than you will if you read it a year from now.
This contemplation will likely lead to action as well. Ponder your internal reactions to this prayerful reading of Scripture, and then consider what actions you want to take in response. Maybe you’ll resolve to spend more time in prayer, maybe to devote more time in your week to reading the bible, or maybe you’ll make a habit of showing the same forgiving and healing touch to others.
The tips for practicing lectio divina on a regular basis apply here as well. Carve out some time in your day or week to read a passage from the gospels. The whole exercise could be as short as 15 minutes. Make sure to find a quiet place, and calm your mind first. Over time you might make your way through an entire gospel like Mark, or you might jump around to different passages. If one passage doesn’t move you, try another. If you’ve done it for a while and need a break, then do that too. The goal is to deepen your relationship with Christ, and to let that deepening enrich your relationship with others. As long as you’re experiencing these things, the details are less significant.
For examples of this way of reading Scripture, click the button below. You can also visit Creighton Online Ministries.