Lectio Divina

January 1, 2019

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9).

This morning I started a short Bible reading regimen focusing on Christian meditation. Last year’s plan took us through the entire Bible in a year, which was good, but at times I found myself reading almost mindlessly, just to get through the volume of Scripture needing to be read each day to stay on track. I needed to pull back a bit, take shorter texts and take the time to actually reflect on what I read. It’s the ancient practice of meditation.

One of the most well-known meditation disciplines is called Lectio Divina, Latin for “the Divine Word.” It has four components: Lectio (Receive), Meditatio (Reflect), Oratio (Respond), Contemplatio (Rest). Too often in our reading of Scripture, we read but don’t receive, think but don’t reflect, pray but don’t respond to what we’ve read, and never get around to resting in the Presence of God. We’re too busy, too rushed, too pressed for time to let the Divine Word take root in our souls. And when we read long passages of Scripture (which we ought to do at least occasionally), there is too much to digest. It’s like sitting down at a Thanksgiving meal, gorging ourselves till we hurt, and wonder why we aren’t absorbing the nutrients we need to get healthy.

So these words from St. Paul caught my attention this morning, causing me to stop and reflect.  I think this will be my theme verse for 2019; to love unconditionally, without selfishness, ambition, or expectation; to abhor evil, and cling to what is good. I abhor some evil—usually that found in others—but too often compromise and form secret alliances with it when it comes to the sins to which I am drawn. 

Then there is this “cling to what is good.” One would think that as a Christian I would be automatically drawn to what is good, but Original Sin still has a few of its hooks in me. It is almost always easier to ignore what is good than to actually do it. I think that’s why Paul tells us to cling to it. It is like a life preserver to a drowning man. What is good can be slippery when we’ve fallen overboard and are struggling with the waves. I need to cling desperately to the Cross, to what is good, with every ounce of strength I have, aided by the Holy Spirit. Why? Because my very life depends on it. 

So I’ve received the Word, reflected on it; now it’s time for me to respond to it in prayer, then to simply rest and rejoice in the Presence of the Christ whose death on the Cross enables and moves me to even begin this journey.