Saint Benedict
Terracotta by fr. Antoine
Tamié Abbey
• Lectio divina alone
Follow the advice link of Enzo Bianchi
• Lectio divina in group
Some practical advice:
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The group should not exceed 12 people to allow effective participation of everyone.
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The place of prayer must be prepared to encourage recollection
(Bible book, candles, flowers, etc ...)
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Limit the time devoted to Lectio divina to 1 hour.
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A member of the group must ensure the "timing" and invite,
by a small signal, to pass to the next "time". (see grid below)
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1st step: Invocation to the Holy Spirit 5 min
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2nd step: Lectio 15 min
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3rd step: Meditatio 20 min
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4th step: Oratio 20 min
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Distribute to everyone:
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The text of the Gospel or another biblical text, taking care to give the same translation to everyone - preferably the AELF liturgical translation - and 1 pencil
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Either Lectio four-step method above; the second being more suitable for young people, children.
It is important to specify that we do not need to be a specialist in Sacred Scripture to let ourselves be touched by the Word of God; it suffices to have an open heart to the Meeting. Christ is there knocking at the door ...
"Despite the omnipresence of images in our civilization, it is common for Christians to have a very cerebral approach to the Gospel texts, which takes away much of its suggestive power. It is therefore important to arrive, thanks to the imagination, to give back to the text all its power. Each Gospel passage is a story to be remembered, to be relived alongside Christ. It is the imagination that makes it possible to make the text a living path to encounter Christ. "
Marc Rastoin sj in "Entering the Gospel with Saint Ignatius"
Download the 1st method below
Lectio divina on the Sunday Gospel
The 'lectio divina' consists in reading the Word of God within a moment of prayer to allow it to illuminate and renew us.
This prayerful reading of the Bible is not separated from study to identify the central message of the text; on the contrary, we must start from there, to seek to discover what this message itself says to our life. The spiritual reading of a text must start from its literal meaning. Otherwise, we will easily make the text say what is right, what serves to confirm his own decisions, what fits his own mental patterns. It would ultimately be to use something sacred to one's own advantage.
1. We place ourselves in the presence of God, we welcome each other. We prepare ourselves internally to meet the Lord in his Word.
It is the Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of the biblical text.
It is he who gives us the intelligence of the heart to enter it.
Let us call on him with faith.
2. Someone is reading the gospel aloud.
Each reread the text silently: I spot the words,
the characters, the movements, the place.
I picture the scene to myself and notice what catches my attention.
At the given signal, everyone is invited to simply share, so that the others can hear, the word (s) that touched him / her without commenting ...
3. Another person reads the gospel aloud.
Everyone rereads the text in silence.
I look at Jesus. He speaks to me through that Word. What does the text tell me about him? What faith is expressed there? How does this testimony of faith resonate with me? What is joining me today? How am I enlightened?
Affected? Interested?
At the given signal, each one, speaking in “I”, summarizes in 2 or 3 sentences how this text questions and sheds light on his faith, in what he was touched.
To properly approach this second step, it is a question of remaining in the attitude of listening and availability.
Convinced that this Word of God is addressed to us for today, do not rush to seek immediate concrete applications. Let us not fix ourselves on ourselves but on God. Let us look at Christ by focusing first on contemplating the grandeur and the beauty of the revealed Mystery. And our faith tells us that through his Word the Lord, slowly but surely, shapes us and leads us on the path of greater love.
This step is more personal. Sharing is expressed as an “I” while of course respecting its “secret garden”.
4. In silence, each reread the text and let their answer come up:
I let my heart speak freely to God, in praise,
the request for forgiveness, supplication, intercession ...
Those who wish to take up one or two expressions of their prayer in front of the others, if possible based on words from the text, inviting them to collect what has been shared and what still lives in hearts,
We end by praying to OUR FATHER
which connects us to all men.
Download the 2nd method below (more suitable for young people)
PRAY THE WORD
1st step:
Prepare internally to meet the Lord in his Word, by a very simple word of faith addressed to the Lord, a movement of the heart:
"Lord, I believe that you love me and wish to speak to me today",
"Jesus, I trust in your presence by my side",
"Holy Spirit, be my light, lead my prayer"
2nd step:
Slowly read the proposed text for the first time
Identify what my attention is focused on with simplicity and underline in the text.
Is it a word from Jesus or from another character? Is it an attitude of Jesus or of another character? Is it a word, an expression?
Is it a look, a displacement?
3rd step:
Reread the text a second time
Identify the element of the text on which my attention is deepening and focus my attention on what this look / word / word / expression produces in me.
How am I affected? moved? enlightened ? comforted? arrested? consoled?
I write down on the sheet in a few words what I saw in contact with the Word.
4th step:
I speak internally to the Lord about what is touched in me by his Word and end this time of prayer with a thank you or a request or forgiveness.
NB For other advice, see the Vicariate website
The official Sunday logo
of the Word of God
An icon of the encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus has been chosen as the official logo for the worldwide Sunday celebration of the Word of God.
The colorful logo is based on an icon written by the late Benedictine Sister Marie-Paul Farran, a member of the Congrégation Notre-Dame du Calvaire, who lived and worked in her monastery on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
The logo was presented to the press during a press conference at the Vatican on January 17, ahead of the new Sunday of the Word of God, which will be celebrated on January 26, 2020.
Pope Francis has called for the third Sunday in Ordinary Time each year to be observed as a special day dedicated to celebrating, studying, and spreading the word of God.
The logo shows the risen Christ holding a parchment in his left hand, which is "sacred scripture that has found fulfillment in his person", Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Life, told reporters. evangelization.
Beside him are two disciples: Clopas and his wife, Mary. They both fix their gaze on Christ while Clopas holds a staff to indicate "a pilgrimage", the archbishop said.
Mary holds one hand up and with her other hand appears to touch the Lord, reaffirming that he has fulfilled the ancient promises and is the living Word to be proclaimed to the world, he said.
Holding the rod in one hand, Clopas' free hand points the way forward, which all disciples are called to take in order to bring the Good News to all, Bishop Fisichella said.
There is a star symbolizing evangelism and "permanent light" guiding their journey and showing them the way, he added.
It is also important to notice that the feet of the three are depicted as being in motion, representing that the proclamation of the risen Christ cannot be accomplished by "tired or lazy disciples", but only by those who are "dynamic". and ready to find new ways of speaking so that Holy Scripture becomes the living guide in the life of the Church and her people.
