Saints of the past can't seem to say enough about their ecstatic experiences with the words of Scripture. The writer of Psalm 19, for example, can hardly contain himself as he exclaims that God's words and ways have revived his soul, made him wise, brought joy to his heart, given him clarity and correct perspective on his life, and warned him of danger. Why should our experiences of the Bible today fall short of this standard? What are we missing? Spiritual formation experts James Wilhoit and Evan Howard argue that our ancestors in the faith responded to the special nature of Scripture with special habits of reading. In this step-by-step introduction to the practice of lectio divina, you will learn what it means to read your way into a new and life-changing intimacy with God. Their simple, easy-to-follow explanation of this ancient practice provides a perfect foundation for you to begin meeting God in his Word as you: read, meditate, pray and contemplate. Discover a new experience of God's Word--one that leads you to experience more of God himself.

Spiritual director Benner invites believers to discover openness to God as the essence of prayer, spirituality, and the Christian life. Using the four movements of "lectio divina," he explores prayer as attending, pondering, responding, and being.

The text offered here presents in an easy-to-read and systematic way the "meaning" and the "steps" involved in the practice of lectio divina.

If you’re looking to learn how to get the most out of prayer, this book is indispensable. As St. Augustine notes, When we pray, we speak to God; when we read Scripture, God speaks to us. The key to enriching our prayer is learning the language of Christianity, and the most effective way to learn the language of Christianity is an ancient technique known as lectio divina (“divine reading”). In these pages, you will learn: ● How God speaks directly to each of us in Scripture. ● How to overcome the obstacles to a consistent and fruitful prayer life. ● Why the fourfold method of lectio divina leads us directly into the heart of contemplative prayer. ● Strategies for reading - and praying - the Bible fruitfully. ● What Christian meditation is and how it differs from non-Christian approaches. ● How everyone - not just saints and mystics - can truly reach mystical union with God. In this succinct book, Catholic theologian and biblical scholar Dr. Tim Gray walks you through the Bible and the wisdom of the saints to reveal the practical steps of this great treasure of our Tradition. Learning the simple steps of lectio divina will provide a practical and effective way for you to enhance your prayer life through the power of God’s Word.

In the summer of 1995, Mary Earle returned from a vacation feeling refreshed and restored from her time away. A few days later, all that changed, when she was rushed to the emergency room with a case of acute and life-threatening pancreatitis. Being ill, she discovered, forces you to learn to live in whole new ways, ones often marked by limitation and fragility. As a priest and spiritual director, Earle began to explore ways in which her own prayer life might help her build a different relationship with her illness. Using the Benedictine practice of lectio divina, or sacred reading, she began to "read" her own illness, and discovered a way of befriending and helping to heal--if not cure--her body and her life. In Broken Body, Healing Spirit, Earle introduces this strategy to others who are hungry to find ways of living more fully despite chronic or serious illness or pain. Her practical, step-by-step approach to "reading the text of our illnesses," and learning to listen to what our bodies are trying to tell us will be of help to those who are currently suffering with disease or limitations, as well as to those who are caregivers and counselors.

This book compares Teresa's approach to prayer with the ancient tradition of Lectio Divina. St. Teresa of Jesus is the Church's great teacher of prayer, and lectio divina, the ancient Christian approach to praying over the Scriptures, is among the Church's most venerable prayer methods. In this booklet, noted Carmelite retreat director Sam Anthony Morello shows how the tradition of lectio can assist us in following the Teresian way of prayer, and how in turn Teresa's insights and attitudes can enrich our contemporary practice of lectio. In clear and practical language, the author explains the fundamental ingredients of Teresian prayer, and relates them to lectio (reading), meditatio (meditation), oratio (prayer), and contemplatio (contemplation), the four traditional elements of lectio divina. A closing series of reflection questions make this an ideal introduction to Teresian prayer for both group discussion and individual study.

"Eugene Peterson maintains that how we read the Bible is as important as that we read it. The second volume of Peterson's momentous five-part work on spiritual theology, Eat This Book challenges us to read the Scriptures on their own terms, as God's revelation, and to live them as we read them. Countering the widespread practice of using the Bible for self-serving purposes, Peterson here serves readers with a nourishing entrée into the formative, life-changing art of spiritual reading." - from the back of the book.

A comprehensive guide to living as an oblate - in the home, in society, at work and in the church. Written by experienced oblate directors from around the world, it is an essential, lifelong formative guide for anyone living or considering the oblate life.

Break open this ancient contemplative practice of listening deeply for God's voice in sacred texts. Drawing on her own experience as a monk in the world, Christine Valters Paintner introduces the foundations for a practice of lectio divina. She closely examines each of the four movements of lectio divina as well as the rhythm they create when practiced as a process.

Casey offers fascinating insights into how the prayerful experience of lectio divina can be sustained and invigorated by the techniques of sacred reading--techniques distilled from the author's deep acquaintance with the Bible and the ancient books of Western spirituality.