Logos) was incarnate in Scripture and could therefore touch and teach readers and hearers. seek the meaning of divine words which is hidden from most people". In a letter to Gregory of Neocaesarea Origen wrote: "hen you devote yourself to the divine reading . History and development Early beginnings Origen considered the focus on Christ the key to interpreting Scripture.īefore the beginning of the Western monastic communities, a key contribution to the foundation of Lectio Divina came from Origen in the 3rd century, with his view of "Scripture as a sacrament". In the 20th century, the constitution Dei verbum of the Second Vatican Council recommended Lectio Divina to the general public and its importance was affirmed by Pope Benedict XVI at the start of the 21st century. The monastic practice of Lectio Divina was first established in the 6th century by Benedict of Nursia and was then formalized as a four-step process by the Carthusian monk Guigo II during the 12th century. The roots of scriptural reflection and interpretation go back to Origen in the 3rd century, after whom Ambrose taught them to Augustine of Hippo.
In some Christian teachings, this form of meditative prayer is understood as leading to an increased knowledge of Christ. In Lectio Divina, however, the practitioner "enters" and shares the peace of Christ rather than "dissecting" it. For example, given Jesus' statement in John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you", an analytical approach would focus on the reason for the statement during the Last Supper, the biblical context, etc. The focus of Lectio Divina is not a theological analysis of biblical passages but viewing them with Christ as the key to their meaning.
This is followed by prayer and contemplation on the Word of God. First a passage of Scripture is read, then its meaning is reflected upon. Traditionally, Lectio Divina has four separate steps: read meditate pray contemplate. In the view of one commentator, it does not treat Scripture as texts to be studied, but as the living word. In Western Christianity, Lectio Divina ( Latin for "Divine Reading") is a traditional monastic practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God's word.
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