Contemplative Outreach News
Volume 12, Number 2 · Winter 1998
The Classical Monastic Practice of Lectio Divina
Thomas Keating, OCSO
The classical practice of Lectio Divina--the prayerful reading of the Bible, the book Christians believe to be divinely
inspired--is being rediscovered and renewed in our time. At the same time a number of ways
of practicing it have sprung up leading to a certain confusion regarding its relationship
to the distinct practice of Centering Prayer. A few distinctions may be helpful.
First of all, we need to distinguish Lectio Divina from Bible
study, which is very useful at another time and provides a solid conceptual background for
the practice of Lectio Divina.
Secondly, Lectio Divina is not the same as reading the
scriptures for the purpose of private edification, encouragement, or getting acquainted
with the many-sided aspects of revelation, and especially with Jesus Christ, the Incarnate
Word of God. Lectio Divina is rather a way or formula for furthering these objectives.
Thirdly, Lectio Divina is not the same as spiritual reading,
which moves beyond the exclusive reading of sacred scripture to include other spiritual
books such as the lives and writings of the saints.
Finally, Lectio Divina is not the same as praying the
scriptures in common, a contemporary development that is sometimes identified with Lectio
Divina. The classical practice of Lectio Divina was done in private and consisted in
following the movement of the Holy Spirit in regard to the time one might devote to each
step of the process, as well as passing from one step to another during the same period of
prayer. Following a particular structure, such as is required in all forms of common
prayer, tends to limit spontaneity to the movement of the Holy Spirit, which is the heart
of the practice.
Praying the scriptures in common might well be regarded as a
kind of "Liturgy of Lectio Divina" or even better, as a kind of shared
"Liturgy of the Word." With some variations, it usually goes like this: A
passage is read out loud three or four times followed by two or three minutes of silence.
After each reading the participants apply themselves inwardly to the text in specified
ways. After the first reading, they become aware of a word or phrase. After the second
they reflect about the meaning or significance of the text. After the third reading, they
respond in spontaneous prayer. After the fourth reading, they simply rest in God's
presence and after a period of silence, those who wish are invited to do a brief faith
sharing on the text. In some cases there is a brief sharing after the third or fourth
reading and period of silence. Praying the scriptures in common during weekly Centering
Prayer meetings or at a separate time has proved to be a valuable experience and an
occasion of bonding the members together in faith and love.
The classical practice of Lectio Divina can be divided into
two forms: the monastic and the scholastic. The scholastic form divides the process into
stages or steps in a hierarchical pattern. Following the reading of a passage of
scripture, the first step was to allow a phrase or word to arise out of the text and to
focus on it. This was called Lectio. The second was the reflective part, pondering upon
the words of the sacred text, and was called meditatio "meditation." The
spontaneous movement of the will in response to these reflections was called
oratio,
"affective prayer." And as these reflections and acts of will simplified, one
moved from time to time to a state of resting in the presence of God, and that was called
contemplatio "contemplation." This way of doing Lectio Divina developed in the
Middle Ages at the beginning of the scholastic period with its tendency to
compartmentalize the spiritual life and to rely on rational analysis in theology to the
virtual exclusion of personal experience.
The monastic form of Lectio Divina is a more ancient method
and was practiced by the Mothers and Fathers of the Desert and later in monasteries both
East and West. It is oriented more toward contemplative prayer than the scholastic form,
especially when the latter developed into what we call today discursive meditation,
conceived as moving from one thought to another or as one stage in a series of steps. That
method is a good way of praying provided you don't get stuck there and fail to move on to
contemplative prayer. One of the purposes of the method of Centering Prayer is to help
people to detach themselves from the exclusive use of discursive meditation, which became
the predominant method of prayer in recent centuries, even in cloisters. Most Christians
are trained to reflect and to multiply particular acts of the will in order to go to God
and find it hard to imagine praying without following this procedure. Since praying the
scriptures in common involves discursive meditation, it is normally more appropriate to
have such a "Liturgy of the Word" after a Centering Prayer period rather than
before. Above all, the two practices should not be combined because each has its own
integrity and uniqueness.
In the monastic way of doing Lectio Divina we listen to how
God is addressing us in a particular text of scripture. From this perspective there are no
stages, ladders or steps in Lectio Divina, but rather there are four moments along the
circumference of a circle. All the moments of the circle are joined to each other in a
horizontal and interrelated pattern as well as to the center, which is the Spirit of God
speaking to us through the text and in our hearts. To pay attention to any one of the four
"moments" is to be in direct relationship to all the others. In this
perspective, one may begin one's prayer at any "moment" along the circle, as
well as moving easily from one "moment" to another, according to the inspiration
of the Spirit.
Paul writes, "Know you not that your bodies are the
temples of God and that the Spirit of God dwells within you?" (1 Cor.3:16). Suppose
you were struck by that question as you are reading a section of your scripture reading
for the day, say a dozen or so verses, and you felt nudged to let your attention linger
over those words to savor them. The early monks read scripture aloud so they were
actually listening to it. They would then choose a phrase, or a sentence at the most, that
impressed them. They would sit with that sentence or phrase without thinking of stages or
following some predetermined schema, but just listening, repeating slowly the same short
text over and over again. This receptive disposition enabled the Holy Spirit to expand
their capacity to listen. As they listened, they might perceive a new depth to the text or
an expanding meaning. A particular insight might also be singularly appropriate for them
in their particular life situation or for the events of the coming day. According to
scripture, the Spirit speaks to us every day. "If today you hear his voice, harden
not your heart" (Psalm 95). The monks listened not so much to understand the text,
not to conceptualize or analyze it, but just to hear it. And to hear it without any
preconceived purpose of what they were going to do with it.
This is already a deep form of receptivity. Those who
practice Lectio Divina in this way are already moving toward the fourth "moment"
of this dynamic process leading to resting in God. In response to a new insight, they
might be inclined to respond in thanksgiving or with interior movements of love, praise or
gratitude. As this listening attitude stabilizes, they might experience moments of
contemplative prayer in the strict sense, in which they are just present to God, or
quietly engulfed in the divine presence. In this situation, one's attentiveness to God
expands into the sheer awareness of the divine presence. For the moment, we break through
the veil of our own ways of thinking. The external word of God in scripture awakens us to
the interior Word of God in our inmost being. When that awareness dissipates, we may go
back and read more of the text, provided of course, if we have the time.
This monastic way of doing Lectio Divina always begins with
prayer to the Holy Spirit. The four moments along the circumference of the circle are
reading in the presence of God, reflecting in the sense of ruminating (not in the sense of
discursive meditation), responding with spontaneous prayer, and resting in God beyond
thoughts and particular acts of the will.
By "ruminating" I mean sitting with a sentence,
phrase or even one word that emerges from the text, allowing the Spirit to expand our
listening capacity and to open us to its deeper meaning; in other words, to penetrate the
spiritual sense of a scripture passage. This leads to the faith experience of the living
Christ and increases the practical love for others that flows from that relationship.
As we repeat the phrase or sentence slowly, over and over, a
deeper insight may arise. For example, take the words of Jesus, "I will not call you
servants but friends." All of a sudden, it might dawn on us what it means to be a
friend of Christ. Our awareness expands without our having done anything but allow the
Spirit to act. It is a heart-to-heart exchange with Christ. We think the text but we do
not think about the text. If we are thinking in the sense of reflecting, we are dominating
the conversation. That can be done fruitfully some other time. Here it is a question of
receiving and resting in Christ's presence as the source of the word or phrase.
Lectio Divina is a special kind of process, and to benefit
fully from its fruits, its integrity has to be respected. The ripe fruit of the regular
practice of Lectio Divina is assimilating the word of God and being assimilated by it. It
is a movement from conversation to communion. It also enables us to express our deep
spiritual experience of union with God in words or symbols that are appropriate. There is
thus a movement not only into silence, but from silence to expression.
In the Trinity, the Eternal Word is always emerging from the
infinite silence of the Father and always returning. The persons in the Trinity live in
each other rather than in themselves. The Father knows himself only in the Son, the Son
only in the Father and the Spirit expresses their unity, bringing together into One
relationships that are infinitely distinct. The Trinity is the basis for the oneness and
diversity that we see expressed throughout creation. In this way of doing Lectio, one is
recognizing the presence of the Word of God in all creation and in every occurrence,
experiencing what the author of John's gospel wrote in the prologue, "Without Him was
made nothing that has been made." In contemplative prayer, we are in touch with the
source of all creation; hence, we transcend ourselves and our limited worldviews. As a
result, we feel at one with other people and enjoy a sense of belonging to the universe.
The fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Jesus, according to Paul. The Divinity begins
to dwell in us bodily in proportion to our capacity to receive it as we grow in union with
the Eternal Word. This process needs to be nourished both by the interior silence of
contemplative prayer and cultivated by Lectio Divina (in the sense of listening). The
awareness of the divine presence will also begin to overflow into ordinary activity.
The scholastic method is a good way to learn Lectio Divina
whether privately or in a group, but at a certain point when people have gotten the idea,
we should carefully explain the monastic method which is oriented from the start toward
resting in God by establishing us in a listening attitude. The dynamic interaction between
those four "moments" of Lectio-reading, reflecting in the sense of ruminating on
a particular word or phrase, responding in prayer, and resting in God puts us more and
more at the disposal of the Holy Spirit.
Letter from the Executive Director
Dear Friends of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.,
As this newsletter is going to press, we are busy preparing
for our First Annual Meeting of the expanded voting membership. I am happy to
report that we expect 80 people to attend and we are really looking forward to
this landmark event
CONTEMPLATIVE OUTREACH UNITED IN PRAYER DAY is scheduled for,
March 20, 1999. Please join us as we reach out across the globe in a silent
network of prayer. You will find more information in the article below.
We have a brand new audio album (6 tapes) featuring Fr. Thomas
Keating entitled: The Gift of Contemplation and the Spiritual Journey! These
tapes, recorded during conferences in Houston in 1998, represent a deeper, more
comprehensive inquiry into an understanding of the gift of contemplation. The
excellent content sheds light on insights and challenges that face us as we
progress on the spiritual journey. To order this album, use the Order Form on
page 10.
We generally hold four Board of Trustees meetings a year in
different parts of the country.
This newsletter costs us approximately $15,000 per mailing and
we are grateful for your willingness to support our effort with your
contributions of $4,800. The enclosed envelope may be used for any contribution
you wish to make towards these costs.
As always, we welcome your support and prayers as we continue
the adventure of the Spiritual Journey.
Many blessings,
Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler
Executive Director
Bits and Pieces
Heart of the World
Ilse Reissner
That was the theme of the John Main Seminar 198 held in San
Francisco on August 6th. Those of us who have heard and watched Thomas Keating
before were amazed to watch him going on and on and on with so much energy and
enthusiasm! When we mentioned it to him, his comment was "it wasn't my
energy--I got if from the audience and, of course, the Holy Spirit." But
there was something else that struck me--it reminded me of my visit to Medugorje
many years ago, where I didn't see the sun dance, but I witnessed what was in my
eyes the biggest miracle of all--people from all over the world joined together
to pray the Rosary in different languages and to attend Mass officiated by many
priests from all over the world--all this in the heart of what was then still
Communist country. There was something significant about this Conference--people
from all over the world united in prayer! We were the heart of the world!
Reflections from an Intensive Retreat
Liliane Gagnon & Sue Allen
"We are 30 strangers--embarking on a
remarkable spiritual journey.
We all look so ordinary."
"I am inundated with the quiet beauty of this place while
I'm resting in the Lord. It's all-embracing serenity."
"A Contemplative Mass is a joy-filled experience. In silence and
prayer the group bonds together in a very special way."
"My room is a womb-like dwelling.
The silence resounds with my heart beat."
About Contemplative Outreach's
Pat Johnson
Excerpt from Bishop DeFalco Retreat Center
Journal, Winter 1997
Pat met Bob in Irwin, Pennsylvania when they were teenagers.
Forty-plus years of marriage, nine children and many geographical and spiritual
moves later, she is still seriously in love. To see this type of
commitment is not only refreshing, but also causes us to experience a respite
from our weary routine and take a little sip of hope.
Love, faithfulness, commitment--these are the principles that
Pat tries to live by, but in 1982 this commitment was still tempered by a search
for meaning. "In 1982 I had been out of the Church for 17 years even though
I had been born and raised a Catholic. In 1965 something was missing. There was
an internal longing that wasn't being nourished." That was the year Pat and
Bob moved from Seattle, their home of 20 years, to work at the Lama Foundation
in New Mexico.
"The objective of Lama Foundation was to
give people a time out to develop their spiritual path and be exposed to other
spiritual paths and then take what you've learned to the world. It was
ecumenical; there were no gurus or teachers. There would be a Rabbi and
Buddhist, a Christian, a Sufi, A Native American; you name it." Then in
1983 Thomas Keating came to Lama to give a two week retreat; and Pat realized
that he was saying exactly what she had to leave the Church to find out.
"For 17 years I had been going inward," she said.
Pat asked to be the Lama liaison for the next
retreat with Thomas Keating. That was in 1983. In October of 1984 she left Lama
with her husband Bob and children Jenifer, Sarah and Matt (her children that
remained at home) and went to work for Contemplative Outreach, and organization
founded by Trappist priest and monk Thomas Keating to help people form a deeper
relationship with Christ through Centering Prayer.
"I administrate all the retreats, the
correspondence and registration. Everything that support the retreat." Two
weeks a month Pat takes care of the office end of things and the other two weeks
she is on retreat--cooking, leading periods of Centering Prayer and helping with
spiritual direction (what she calls the walks of spiritual friending).
Pat takes her daughter Sarah to most retreats.
Sarah had spinal meningitis when she was only a year old; as a consequence she
is handicapped due to a massive brain injury caused by the fever. Pat says that
Sarah has been her biggest teacher.
"What she teaches is total love; she is
always in the present moment. When I watch her look at a person I know that she
never sees personality, she always sees core. We're unable to do that. We
respond to the personality--she responds to the core, which is always goodness.
It is such a learning when that's right in your face all the time."
from the east coast to the west coast to the
desert southwest, Pat now lives and works with Sarah and Bob high in the
mountains of Colorado. She isn't shy about telling you that she turned sixty
this year, but I will tell you that her energy and optimism dwarf those of a
much younger person. Cross-country skiing is her main recreational hobby; she
took it up when she was fifty. She says they've had so much snot, the skiing has
been incredible.
Thank you, Pat and Sarah, for the love and
generosity you shower on us!!!
Alta, ID
A recent retreatant from Philadelphia, who facilitates inner city conflict
meditation, just couldn't get enough of the awesome serenity and simplicity
offered beneath the Grand Tetons of Wyoming! A woman from the busy offices of
Chicago delighted in her private room and the small size of our retreats. She
asked that we "never expand." Yes, Alta is a small operation and we
hold a space for those who wish to enter deeply into the Silence. In our
tradition, all are welcome and find life and breath in our monthly intensives.
Be sure to consider Alta when booking your next year s retreat.
Walden, NY (St. Andrew's Retreat House)
St. Andrew's is in its third year, and following the Chrysalis House model, adds
something new to each year's schedule--a 5 day Workshop "Theology for
Contemplative Living" designed to reflect in faith on some of the essential
foundations of our Christian lives, Oct. 21-25, 1998 and March 24-28, 1999; a 7
day Intensive Retreat and 7 day Post Intensive Retreat Feb. l6-22, 1999; the
Formation for Contemplative Outreach Service August 20-27, 1999 and each August
thereafter. The Nine Month Course: The Practice of Contemplative Living is now
in its tenth year (the third at Walden). Our Contemplative Living Communities
now number four and we are having our first Retreat the weekend of December
18-20.
Our Contemplative Day of Prayer in Ramsey with Fr. Thomas will
not be in the Spring, but the Fall of 1999. Heartfelt thanks and appreciation
for all of you who continue supporting our Retreats and programs. Cathy McCarthy
Washington, DC
June 23-28 at Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, NY, Contemplative Outreach
of Metropolitan Washington (COMW) sponsored a 5-Day Intensive. Thirty people
from across the country, ranging in age from 18 to 68, attended the retreat.
They were lay people and clergy, Catholic and Protestant, and several from
religious orders. It was led by Eugene Sutton and Janet Aldrich of COMW staff.
In the Spring of 1999, COMW will have a Service Formation Retreat. Date to be
announced. COMW Sponsors retreats, Introductory Workshops, and leadership
training events.
How does the Sacred word facilitate letting go?
(Excerpted from a paper for a Formation group in
NYC
--by Lyla Yastion)
What seems bothersome in
the practice of Centering Prayer is the sometimes constant bombardment of
thoughts. The aggravation arises from a misunderstanding of the way the mind
works. There is a paradoxical simulataneity in the mind of a natural movement of
the being towards stillness, as towards its 'home', and a constant production of
and absorption in thoughts. There are, as Fr. Thomas describes it, two levels of
mind; the more superficial ordinary level of consciousness where these streams
of thought with their 'boats and debris' tend to occupy our attention--rather
like a movie screen of images calling for our attention --and a deeper level of
consciousness which also calls us in a more essential way. But that inner
'voice' can be obscured by the busy-ness and seeming significance of the more
superficial voices which can appear as banal wanderings of the imagination or
more trenchant thoughts which claim our attention through the emotional charge
which they ignite--rather like the Sirens that beckon Odysseus to sleep and
certain death. It is important to understand these two levels of consciousness
so that we learn all that is necessary in the moment of awareness of this
dichotomy is a conscious choosing or preference for the deeper level of
stillness. A gentle return to the sacred word at that point facilitates
remembrance of what is truly significant and brings the mind and heart back to
renew the initial consent. In regards to this ongoing process during the
practice period Fr. Thomas gives some pithy reminders: 'Do not oppose violence
with violence' and 'this does not demand effort but surrender.'
In
other words what is suggested is that we just pay no attention to the extraneous
thoughts, regardless of their seeming potency; if they are starved of attention
they have to recede. Instead of being captured by them, he advises that we
attend gently to the Sacred Word until silence is reconnected to. It is rather
like a problem with the electricity where the line of connection is routinely
short-circuited. We need a simple way to reconnect the wires. It my own
practice, it is when I become more interested in the nurturing of an intimacy
with God and therefore with my own true Self that it doesn't matter what kind or
how many thoughts swirl in the mind. If the consent is there, and renewed as
needed by the Sacred Word, then the letting go process takes care of itself.
Meditation in Folsom
By Inmates of Folsom State Prison, Contemplative Fellowship
In the suburbs of Sacramento, California, there's a small town
aptly named Represa. It has its own post office and a small housing community.
In the back yard of several homes stands a thirty-foot granite wall. Behind this
wall are housed approximately 4,000 people. The place is Folsom State Prison.
Three years ago, something very unusual started to happen
behind that wall. With the help of an outside sponsor and the Contemplative
Outreach Fellowship, the inmates in Folsom State Prison started a group of their
own. The Contemplative Fellowship came into being inside the walls.
We were a small group to begin with, about fifteen inmates,
mostly lifers and long-timers. This small core of inmates, that once met on
Friday nights, now meets in one form or another every day of the week it has
grown to over 150 regular members and is continuing to grow daily.
Our group has chosen Centering Prayer as taught by Fr. Thomas
Keating in his book Open Mind, Open Heart as our main form of meditation. It is
now taught by inmates to all new members who choose to attend, with a
"sit" occurring at every meeting. It is a remarkable situation in that
we are convicted felons from different ethnic backgrounds and have different
religious beliefs, yet we set all of that aside and meditate (pray) together as
a family. There have never been any problems with violence or discipline within
the group.
We have representatives in every building in the prison which
houses inmates who are able to share meditation with them. Our group has also
developed and maintains a library with books and cassette tapes that are
available to members; there is also a growing selection of video cassettes that
are used during the meetings to teach and further the knowledge of the group.
The library is the result of donations of books and materials by many groups and
individuals--it is much appreciated and used.
Inmates are using Centering Prayer to improve their lives. It
has become a very real tool in self-rehabilitation. In the three years that the
group has been meeting, inmates who have been active members have not returned
to Folsom after belong released. This fact is extraordinary when one considers
that the return rate to prison is over 80 percent. Whether it be a parole
violation or a new crime; the majority of inmates released from prison come
back. With meditation, the inmates learn how to cope with and overcome problems
of everyday life and, upon release, become productive members of the community
and stay out of prison.
It is now time for us to combine contemplation with action.
Our group is looking to expand its efforts into other prisons. It is our hope
that people who are willing to become sponsors in other prisons will contact us
and learn the information needed to start a group. There are over thirty prisons
in the State of California alone. This program should be in every one of them
and in every prison across the country because it is changing lives.
Prison life is not easy and yet we have found a way to free
our spirits and share with God in our quiet-times. Using our Sacred Word, we
allow Him to work within us, giving us a freedom that transcends prison walls.
