1. Captatio: Autobiographical Sketch, especially the predominant Historical-Critical approach towards Biblical Studies at Gregorian and Biblicum, a situation that certainly prevails as well at USA graduate schools. Frustration at the content and tone of Bible commentaries, culminating in my review of The People's New Testament Commentary.
2. Narratio: Events that brought us to this moment
   1. Development of Historical-Critical Method since Divino Afflante Spiritu (1943): Commitment of Biblical Scholar to learn everything possible regarding the life-situation at the time Biblical texts are fashioned, e.g., languages, material evidence, archaeology, forms of expression, etc. Such efforts are certainly in keeping with the Catholic tradition's importance placed on the Literal Sense of Scripture as the foundation for spiritual reflection and any allegorizing.
   2. At the same time, the emphasis in Catholic Biblical Scholarship on the Historical-Critical Method has allowed these trends to develop:
      1. Positivism: the only thing that is true is what can be confirmed by the evidence; thus the voice of God that arrives through prayer and meditation is considered false by definition.
      2. Elitism: the only true knowledge of Scripture is held by experts, who have learned the ancient languages and have spent many years in specialized training. The rest of the faithful, unfortunately, are consigned to the back of the lecture hall as the experts hammer out the only true meaning of the text.
      3. Preference for extra-Biblical Verification: the Bible considered as one source among many for the determination of the truth of Scripture; and, in fact, the Bible is often assumed to be wrong unless proved correct by the discovery of contemporary material remains or literary documents;
      4. Hermeneutics of Suspicion: the writing and editing process that developed Biblical texts promoted people with power and marginalized people without power.
   3. Fundamentals of Catholic Interpretation of the Bible (see, for example, the PBC's 1993 document, Interpretation of the Bible in the Church); this document was prepared precisely to respond to questions and concerns that have arisen over the past 25 years as a consequence of the popularity of the historical-critical method and other recent methods.
      1. Primary Importance of the Literal Sense; all other senses of Scripture must derive from the Literal Sense in order to keep in touch with the Inspired Word and to avoid reading into Scripture whatever we want or need at the time.
      2. Tradition and Scripture flow from one divine source of revelation. Scripture and Tradition are not two distinct means of God's Revelation to us, but inter-related in a dynamic way from the very origin. (DV 9: "Sacred Tradition and sacred Scripture, then, are bound closely together, and communicate one with the other. For both of them, flowing out from the same divine well-spring, come together in some fashion to form one thing, and move toward the same goal" . . . DV 10: "Sacred Tradition and sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God, which is entrusted to the Church").
      3. The Truth of Scripture is a Saving Truth (DV 11: "Since, therefore, all that the inspired authors, or sacred writers, affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy S;irit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture, firmly, faithfully and without error, teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the sacred Scriptures"): the Truth of Scripture is not cosmological or geographical or historical, but soteriological.
      4. Christological lens: all of Scripture reveals something about Christ and God's revelation to the human race through Christ (DV 2: "The most intimate Truth which this revelation give us about God and the salvation of man shines forth in Christ, who is himself both the mediator and the sum total of Revelation").
      5. Importance of Liturgy, because Scripture should be read and interpreted in a context of community and in prayer, so that the interconnection between sacred Tradition and sacred Scripture can be easily seen.
3. Thesis: Along with these principles, the PBC document encouraged the practice of Lectio Divina; but this method must be updated "with the use of new methods."
   1. Magisterial Statements: Dei Verbum; PBC document; CCC.; Recent words of encouragement by Pope Benedict XVI (see handout): these statements reflect his two convictions, that the Truth of Scripture must not be the reserve of scholars, and that the "fuller sense" of Scripture must derive from the Literal Sense.
   2. Short History of Lectio Divina
      

      The term, Lectio divina ("Sacred Reading"), was first employed by Origin (ca. 185-254), who recommended it as a way of proceeding in stages through an entire section of the Bible. By the Middle Ages, Lectio divina had become the preferred method of reading the Bible among the monastic orders; the Rule of Saint Benedict (ca. 480-543), in fact, mentions it by name on numerous occasions. For example, in chapter 48 we read, "Idleness is the enemy of the soul; and therefore the brethren ought to be employed in manual labor at certain times, at others, in devout reading" and "During the days of Lent, they should be free in the morning to read until the third hour. . . . During this time of Lent each one is to receive a book from the library, and is to read the whole of it straight through. These books are to be distributed at the beginning of Lent."

      The most famous elucidation of this method of reading comes from a certain Carthusian monk of the twelfth century named Guido, who composed the booklet Scala Paradisi (popularly known as "The Ladder of Four Rungs"). In it, Guido lists the four steps of Lectio divina: Reading, Meditation, Prayer and Contemplation. He explains these four steps in these words:

      "Understand now what the four staves of this ladder are, each in turn. Reading or Lesson is busily looking on Holy Scripture with all one's will and wit.

      Meditation is a studious in-searching with the mind to know what was before concealed through desiring proper skill.

      Prayer is a devout desiring of the heart to get what is good and avoid what is evil.

      Contemplation is the lifting up of the heart to God tasting somewhat of the heavenly sweetness and savour.

      Reading seeks, meditation finds, prayer asks, contemplation feels. ‘Seek and you shall find: knock and the door will be opened for you.' That means also, seek through reading, and you will find holy meditation in your thinking; and knock through praying, and the doors shall be opened to you to enter through heavenly contemplation to feel what you desire.

      Reading puts as it were whole food into your mouth; meditation chews it and breaks it down; prayer finds its savour; contemplation is the sweetness that so delights and strengthens.

      Reading is like the bark, the shell; meditation like the pith, the nut; prayer is in the desiring asking; and contemplation is in the delight of the great sweetness.

      Reading is the first ground that that precedes and leads one into meditation; meditation seeks busily, and also with deep thought digs and delves deeply to find that treasure; and because it cannot be attained by itself alone, then he sends us into prayer that is mighty and strong. And so prayer rises to God, and there one finds the treasure one so fervently desires, that is the sweetness and delight of contemplation. And then contemplation comes and yields the harvest of the labour of the other three through a sweet heavenly dew, that the soul drinks in delight and joy."

   3. Preparation for Lectio Divina
      1. Be at Peace and Quiet. The practice of Lectio is essentially a time when the holy Spirit who inspired the sacred authors now can speak to us, and this means that we must make ourselves available for that encounter.
      2. Prayer. We must declare in words that we are available. This prayer should be simple and heart-felt.
      3. Read Slowly. There is no need to rush through a text or through a book of the Bible. Focus on one episode or section at a time. Any good English translation provides headings, so use them as the boundaries for a text. Following this regimen, the reading of the Gospel of Mark can take one 2 months.
      4. Focus on one whole book at a time, and feel free to choose which book of Bible based on your interests, the interests of the group, or the liturgical season. There is no need to begin at Genesis and end with Revelation.
      5. If done individually, budget 30 minutes per day; if done in group, allow for 45-60 minutes.
   4. Essential Elements of Lectio Divina
      1. Lectio ("Reading"): God Speaks and We Listen. This step gives the Literal Sense, i.e., the meaning which the original sacred author intended to communicate, and this is when one can bring in "the use of new methods." Depending of whether one is engaged in Lectio at an individual or group basis, some reading of a specialized commentary should be done so that one gets a good general idea of the original situation behind the text and the general purposes of the original sacred author.
         
         But two types of reading need to be distinguished:
         • The first is the research type of reading, and this is not, strictly speaking, prayerful reading—and so should be done separately from the activity of Lectio.
         • Then, after learning about the literal sense, one begins the activity of Lectio, by which one receives the information as if a gift.
         • The first type of reading requires us to be active; but the second type of reading asks us to be at rest.
      2. Meditatio ("Meditation"): God's Word Taken into our Hearts. This step gives the Christological sense, i.e., we consider how the text before us tells us something about God's revelation in Christ.
      3. Oratio ("Prayer"): God's Word Put into Action. This step gives the Ethical or Behavioral Sense, when we express our desire for the good and thus consider how the text should guide our actions.
      4. Contemplatio ("Contemplation"): We Meet the Living God. This is the Mystical or Spiritual Sense, when we experience the peace and joy of communion with God.

      [When done individually, these steps can be done silently or in a whisper; but when done in a group, members should be encouraged to share the fruits of the spirit]

      [See the short essay by James Swetnam, S.J., for elaborations and expansions]

4. Conclusio: Thanks, encouragement, distribution of Swetnam handout.

   This mode of reading the Bible prayerfully can be adapted for both private and small-group situations. The key thing is to begin, even tomorrow, perhaps to take Saint Benedict's recommendation to heart and to make it a special part of one's Lenten observance. The Gospel of Mark is a good text to read for this season when we prepare ourselves in a more focused way for the great events of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. And perhaps some of you can initiate a parish-based program.

Bibliography

Casey, Michael. Sacred Reading: The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina. Ligouri MO:

Triumph, 1996.

Dysinger, Luke. "The Process of Lectio Divina."

Flannery, Austin. Documents of Vatican II. New York: Costello, 1975.

Guido, "The Laddar of Four Rungs."

Listening for God Through John. Lectio Divina Bible Studies. Indianapolis: Wesleyan,

2005.

Masini, Mario. Lectio Divina: An Ancient Prayer That is Ever New. New York: Alba

House, 1998.

Pontifical Biblical Commission. Interpretation of the Bible in the Church. Boston:

Pauline Books & Media, 1993.