The following article was published in April 2000 by Suite101. Here, the author begins to discuss practical ways of doing the "lectio."
"The lectio divina arose as a form of personal prayer in that solitude which, having all the characteristics of that prayer "in secret" (Mt. 6:6), allows one to have a transforming experience with the Lord, ..." Luciano Pachomio, Lectio Divina, p. 50
The previous articles have described in a general way the theory behind "lectio divina". In this and in the following articles, I wish to discuss "how" it is done. This being the first article on the practical aspects of the lectio divina, I will share with you some guidelines drawn from the practise of the monks and the Fathers of the Church relevant to the practice of the lectio.
Let us begin with three important rules:
- Have a good translation of the Bible;
- Have a fixed time and place for the reading of the Bible
- Choose a book of Scriptures, and read it through.
Rule 1: Have a Good Translation of the Bible. There are many translations of the Bible, thanks to the work of scholars. In deciding which translation is "good", three things must be taken into consideration:
(a) the translation must reflect the findings of current biblical scholarship; (b) the translation must be in a language that is understandable to the reader; (c) the translation must have all the books of Scriptures.
The translation must reflect the efforts of current biblical scholarship. Bible translations serve to bridge the gap between the contemporary reader and the "mind" of the sacred author who wrote at a time, place and culture far removed from that of the former. Considering the advances made in the biblical sciences during the past thirty or forty years -- advances that makes us understand more deeply the culture of the sacred author and his work, in a way that was not possible before -- the lectio divina practitioner would do well to choose a translation that reflects the findings of modern scholarship. Most often, these findings are incorporated in notes (whether marginal or foot notes), that offers the reader some insights into the way a particular word is rendered in different stages in the transmission of the sacred text, some fact about a particular biblical place, custom, or practice, the history of interpretation of a particular text, etc�. All these extra notes are geared towards the helping the reader get a much broader understanding of a particular word, phrase or a paragraph that was not possible before. The use of modern bible translations is to be considered an essential requirement of the understanding of the sacred text, since the human aspect of the inspired Word must also be revered in the same way as we revere the humanity of the Risen and Glorious Lord.
The translation must be in a language that is understandable to the reader. This statement seems so obvious as not to merit further discussion. The variety of "English" now current in the translations we use should make us ask ourselves the question: what does "understandable" mean? In the Philippines, for example, English Bibles can have Shakespeare's English (King James Version), American English (NAB), U.K.'s English (Jerusalem Bible) or Filipino English (Christian Community Bible). Since there are so many choices of English translations, one must ask which of these one is comfortable with. Some people choose the King James Version because the English language it uses seems ancient and appropriate to an ancient and sacred text. What is important is not really whether a translation brings across the impression of the Bible's antiquity, but whether the translation can be understood. The Good News Bible for example (TEV) has the advantage that it employs English words that are used in the newspapers and therefore makes certain phrases sound current (and in some cases bring the original idea better than most other English translations).
The translation must have all the books of Scriptures. The document Dei Verbum stresses the rule that for a biblical statement to be understood, it must be read in the light of the whole of revelation. This is also one way of saying that a biblical word or phrase cannot be understood apart from the whole of the Scriptures. The idea behind the phrase "all books of Scriptures" is understood differently by Catholics and non-Catholics. While both Catholics and non-Catholics use the same number of New Testament books, their Bibles have two different lists for the books of the Old Testament. Non-Catholics use the list of OT books as found in the Hebrew bible; Catholics use a list based on that of the Greek Septuagint -- a list, may I add, that is older than that of the Hebrew and was already current during the time of the apostles. Whether Catholic or non-Catholic, the reader must seriously take the fact that the whole of Scriptures means both the books of the Old and the New Testaments.
Rule 2. Decide on a Time and Place and Stick to it. Routine is necessary for receiving the fruits of lectio divina. It is like working out in the gym or studying to have good grades: a routine helps one to make lectio divina a habit, one's "second nature". As in any human activity, time and place is important. As a rule, the lectio must be made within thirty minutes at least; this period of time would allow the practitioner to have enough time for the slow reading, meditation, and prayer that the lectio requires. What is the best time for the lectio? I would suggest either the early morning or in the evening just before bedtime, but never when one is in a hurry or is too tired. Further, the place where the lectio is done must be conducive for prayer, since the lectio is prayer. The practitioner should make it a point to stick to his/her schedule once it has been decided on.
Rule 3: Choose a Book of Scriptures and Read Through It. It must be remembered that the Scriptures is not just one book but a library of books and collections of books, each having a particular weight in respect to the mystery of salvation, the main content of which is the mystery of Christ. The Church prioritizes the books of the New Testament over the Old Testament without disregarding the importance of this latter. Among the books of the New Testament, importance is given to the Gospels. In the choice of a book to be read, it is not always advisable to begin with Genesis in order to end with the Apocalypse. The more advanced reader of Scriptures can choose whichever book to start with, but for beginners, the best starting point would be the Gospels. Second, it is most in keeping with the spirit of the lectio that the book chosen coincides with what is being used during a particular liturgical season. Thus, if the Sunday Cycle of Readings favors the Gospel of Luke, the practitioner would do well to read the Gospel of Luke. Third, once the book has been chosen, the reader should read it through until the end, not in one sitting, but continuously through successive sittings. The Gospel of Mark, for example, can be read through in ten sittings of 30 minutes each. The important thing is that the practitioner reads through the whole book continuously.
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