Lectio Divina workshop draws Catholics deeper into God’s word

The practice of Lectio Divina can help deepen our relationship with God and “root our lives in the Scriptures — the living word of God — and his revelation to the world,” Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli told catechists and other local faithful on Nov. 9 at the Evangelization Center at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison.

At the sold-out workshop, 80 faithful filled St. Paul’s chapel that night to hear Bishop Serratelli talk on Lectio Divina — reading, mediating on, praying over, and digesting Scripture. In his workshop, “Praying Lectio Divina: the Heart of Catechesis,” he said the practice promotes Catholic’s communion with God and increases knowledge of God’s word. The diocesan Office of Catechesis and Faith Formation sponsored the talk by the bishop, who led the Diocese of Paterson from 2004 to 2020.

“Lectio Divina, which goes back to the third century, is a way for us to respond to God’s word and rest in whatever attitude comes to us — like gratitude, penance or praise,” said Bishop Serratelli, a Scripture scholar and former seminary professor. Practitioners are invited to read a Scripture passage or a reading for Mass, meditate on it — or a word in it, pray over it, and then reflect on its meaning in their lives. “The practice is becoming more widespread. It’s not a difficult form of prayer,” he said.

Bishop Serratelli’s workshop was one of four presentations last month about Lectio Divina held in the three counties of the diocese by the Office of Catechesis and Faith Formation. Father Yojaneider Garcia, the office’s director, gave a talk in English at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Sparta and another in Spanish at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic. Trinitarian Father Gustavo Amell of the Shrine of St. Joseph in the Stirling section of Long Hill Township spoke in Spanish at Sacred Heart/Holy Rosary Parish in Dover.

The workshops helped participants, both catechists and parish laity, understand Lectio Divina, be able to lead a group that conducts that practice, grow in their relationship with the Lord, and “gain a deepened appreciation of the importance of meditative reading of Scripture in their daily walk with the Lord,” said Father Garcia, who spoke at Bishop Serratelli’s workshop.

“Knowing and understanding Scripture is essential to the life of a catechist. These workshops explored how God’s word, transmitted in Sacred Scripture, ground and deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church. In Scripture, we see the sweeping plan of God, the history of salvation unfolded. We hear his stunning and steadfast invitation to communion with him,” Father Garcia said. “Sacred Scripture must permeate all forms of catechesis and our personal lives as catechists. Through creating lesson plans statured with the Scriptures, we foster a profound challenge, wisdom and hope, forgiveness and mercy and the means to know God and ourselves,” he said.

Stressing the importance of the practice, Father Garcia quoted Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI; “[T]he ancient tradition of Lectio Divina ... will bring to the Church a new spiritual springtime.”

In his workshop, Bishop Serratelli explained that Scripture is the word of God through Jesus Incarnate — the fulfillment of God’s revelation. Scripture is used as prayer, such as when Jesus prayed the psalms on the cross. In Lectio Divina, the Church developed a discipled method of praying the Scriptures, the bishop said.

Then, Bishop Serratelli led participants in the practice of Lectio Divina, using a passage from the Gospel of Matthew.

Bishop Serratelli came to his workshop with experience in Lectio Divina. He practiced it with priests of the diocese during monthly meetings with them at St. Paul’s and with seminarians when he served as rector of St. Andrew’s College Seminary in South Orange.

“Bishop Serratelli was a wonderful presenter. He is a scholar and has a passion about Scripture,” said Father Garcia, who noted that the workshops have inspired many participants to want to start their own Lectio Divina groups.