United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

474 • Part IV. Prayer: The Faith Prayed

LECTIO DIVINA

and desire” (CCC, no. 2708). It is meant to deepen our faith in Christ, to convert our hearts, and to strengthen us to do God’s will. “There are as many and varied methods of meditation as there are spiritual masters” (CCC, no. 2707). Most prominent among these are the Lectio Divina of St. Benedict, the radical simplicity of Franciscan spirituality, and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. These spiritualities also include guidance for contemplation. Contemplative Prayer “Contemplative prayer . . . is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus, an attentive ness to the Word of God, a silent love” (CCC, no. 2724). Like all prayer, this form requires a regular time each day. When one gives God time for prayer, he will give time for one’s other responsibilities. Contemplative prayer is a gift to which we dispose ourselves by resting attentively before Christ. It involves hearing and obeying God’s Word. It is a time of silent listening and love. Lectio divina is a reflective reading of Scripture leading to medita tion on specific passages. This is a centuries-old practice of prayer which relies on the guidance of the Holy Spirit within the heart as the person praying reads a Scripture passage and pauses to seek out the deeper meaning that God wants to convey through his Word. “It is especially necessary that listening to the word of God should become a life-giving encounter in the ancient and ever valid tradi tion of lectio divina , which draws from the biblical text the living word, which questions, directs, and shapes our lives” (NMI, no. 39).