Catholic Central: Praying with the Bible - Lectio Divina

[caption id="attachment_127510" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Catholic Central hosts Kaiser Johnson and Libby Slater. Copyright 2017 Family Theater Productions. Used with permission. All rights reserved.[/caption]

Sometimes, it’s hard to get kids to figure out how to make the Bible come alive, understand the nature of Christ, comprehend the strange imagery of the Book of Revelation, realize how the Faith affects their social lives, and follow what’s going on in the Mass (live or livestream). Fortunately, those are all the topics we cover this week on “Catholic Central”! 

[caption id="attachment_170943" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Copyright 2020 Catholic Central/Family Theater Productions. All rights reserved.[/caption]

Despite Its Fancy Name, Anyone Can Read the Bible With Lectio Divina

With e-books, audio versions, apps and classic bound volumes, accessing Bibles can be easier than ever. Now that we’re at all home more, there might some extra time to devote to Scripture. But, how to bring it alive?  

Can you have a personal experience with God through the Bible? Is reading the Bible all about memorizing dates and facts, or is there another way to go about it? In “Praying With the Bible: Lectio Divina,” Kai and Libby show how to use the Bible to deepen your prayer experience and relationship with God.  

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https://youtu.be/lt2iGxLlqNY

Diving Deeper  

1. St. Jerome said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” How do you think praying this way could help you to better know Jesus? 

1. In the episode, Libby relates to the idea of hiding from God. Have you ever tried to run away or hide from God? What was the result? Are there ways you can strive to have deeper encounters with God?

1. In order to have a meaningful experience with Lectio Divina, it’s best to start with a mind that’s at peace and an environment free of distractions. Do you struggle with calming down your mind? What are the things that distract you the most? How can you take breaks from them? 

Activity  

Choose a passage from one of the upcoming Mass readings on Sunday. Practice Lectio Divina with it. Be sure to give yourself enough time to contemplate it and dialogue with God to find out what He might be wanting to tell you through it.  

Reflections 

Some scholars posit that the unnamed beloved disciple is all of us or more specifically the person reading the Bible passages. Read the Passion narrative from the Book of John (18:1-19:42). Pray the Lectio with it. With the context of the beloved disciple in mind, how might passages like these best facilitate the Lectio style of Scriptural prayer? Does Mary now feel like true spiritual mother? And Jesus as true friend? 

Copyright 2020 Family Theater Productions