For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

— Hebrews 4:12

Either before you arrive or as you wait for class to begin, find this short passage from Sacred Scripture in your Bible or through an online search. Reading it will prepare you for this week’s material.

—Psalms 1:1–6

We beseech thee, Lord, inspire and guide our works in their beginning, and accompany them unto fruition, that our every prayer and work may ever begin with thee, and through thee be accomplished. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

As you watch the video lesson, refer to these key highlights. Feel free to use the space provided to take notes.

• Intellectual virtues build up our minds to better know God and everything in light of God.

• Study of the Faith is an essential element in sanctification.

• Lectio divina is a meditative reading of Sacred Scripture.

• In lectio divina, one progresses through a series of stages or distinct moments: reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation.

• Lectio divina gradually creates a contemplative culture in the heart of the believer.

• The lives of the saints and the writings of the Fathers, theologians, and spiritual authors of the Church are testimony to the truth of the Catholic faith and solid food for our spiritual nourishment.

Wisdom of the Saints

[One] should . . . refer everything to our Lord, in whatever he reads or studies, conversing with Him and asking Him for understanding. While studying he should often turn his eyes away from his book for a moment, close them and hide himself in the wounds of Jesus Christ; then he should resume his reading.

— St. Vincent Ferrer

Take a moment to go through these questions with the group. For larger classes, divide them up into partners. Answers are provided to assist you in leading discussion.

1. For present purposes, why is it significant that we are made in the image of God? How are we, as rational creatures, intended to reach our perfection?

   In the tradition of the Church, when the Fathers and theologians speak of the image of God in man, they do so most often in terms of intellect and will—mind and heart.

   We most closely resemble or image God in that we are rational. And, among embodied creatures, man alone has these spiritual faculties. They are our highest powers.

   It follows that our ultimate happiness is a fruit of exercising these powers at their full capacity, of bringing them to their perfection; that is, of best expressing what most makes us like God whom we hope to imitate.

   As you recall, virtues are just habitual and firm dispositions to do the good. Thus, to improve our use of intellect and will means to grow in the relevant virtues. In the case of the intellect, this means wisdom, knowledge, and understanding (in addition to faith). Thus, a life of ongoing conversion will always involve some form of study.

2. Given what you have learned about Scripture to this point, why is it best to practice lectio divina on the Bible rather than on your favorite novel?

   The Bible is the Word of God. All of Scripture has God for its primary author, for which reason we speak of it as inspired (see CCC 105). In addition, the Lord preserves the Scripture from all error: “The books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures” (CCC 107).
   As such, the Scriptures continue to serve as revelation, directing the minds and hearts of believers to God. What is more, it contains an infinite richness of meaning, as God himself has breathed into the Scriptures a wealth of graces intended for his holy people (and for you personally).

For all these reasons and more, the Scriptures—above all other texts—merit a meditative reading.

1. What are the four steps of lectio divina? Give a brief description of each step.

The first step is reading. At this stage, you choose a particular passage (perhaps from the Gospels) and read it. It may be helpful to read it slowly a few times through, noting important or peculiar features of the text, asking the Holy Spirit to direct your attention wherever he wills.

The second step is meditation. At a certain point in reading, you may be prompted to inquire further into a particular word or phrase—something that stands out to you. At this point, you begin to mull it over mentally, asking questions of the Word and engaging actively in unpacking its content.

The third step is prayer. In the process of meditation, the text may provoke a desire, whether for light or insight or a greater share in the mysteries described. At this stage, that holy desire can be formulated as a prayer. This prayer may be one of wonder, adoration, thanksgiving, petition, or any number of other forms.

The fourth step is contemplation. At times, the Lord communicates directly to the soul in an especially simple fashion. Here, he bestows his healing grace and gives the things for which you pray. Whereas meditation is a kind of active engagement or inquiry, here the soul is more passive as the Lord does in you what you cannot do for yourself.

Christianity is the religion of the “Word” of God, a word which is “not a written and mute word, but the Word which is incarnate and living.” If the Scriptures are not to remain a dead letter, Christ, the eternal Word of the living God, must, through the Holy Spirit, “open [our] minds to understand the Scriptures.”

— CCC 108

Discuss these questions with the group, pair them with a partner, or ask them to meditate on their own.

1. Holiness, as we have said, is a matter of both the head and the heart. What steps can you take to develop a habit of study in your pursuit of holiness?

   Begin with small, regular commitments: set a specific time each day or week for reading and study, even if it’s only 15–30 minutes. Choose good primary sources (Scripture, the Catechism) and one accessible secondary resource (a short spiritual classic or a readable commentary). Use a simple method—read, reflect, pray, and journal—so study becomes integrated with prayer. Join or form a study group or find an accountability partner to discuss insights. Schedule periodic retreats or days of recollection for deeper progress, and ask for the grace of perseverance in prayer.

2. When beginning lectio divina, it can be difficult to focus or stay awake. How can you cultivate an environment that is suitable for a meditative reading of Scripture? Think in practical terms: Is it possible at home? Do I have a good chair? How do I make a holy space? Do I have a good Bible that I enjoy reading with a nice typeface?

   Yes—it is possible at home. Create a simple, consistent space: a comfortable chair, good lighting, and minimal distractions (silence or soft instrumental sacred music). Remove or silence devices, place a Bible you like and a notebook nearby, and add small sacramentals (crucifix, icon, candle) to set a prayerful tone. Keep sessions short at first to build attention, and consider a regular time when you are naturally alert. Experiment with posture, breathing, and a brief opening prayer to settle your mind.

3. As RCIA winds down, what particular topics have piqued your interest? Where might you turn next to deepen your knowledge of the Faith?

   Identify the topics that engaged you—sacraments, prayer, Church history, moral teaching, lives of the saints—and pursue structured next steps: parish adult-education classes, Bible study groups, a parish catechism course, or continuing RCIA sessions. Good resources include the Catechism of the Catholic Church, recommended books (introductory works on prayer, sacraments, and Church history), trusted websites (USCCB, Vatican, Catholic Answers), and spiritual direction or mentorship from a parish minister. Regular participation in the Mass, confession, and a local faith community will also deepen understanding through lived practice.
   

   

After concluding your group discussion, return to watch the second video where converts to the Catholic faith discuss their conversion and how they live today as Catholics.

Rome to Home

In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them; and the force and power in the word of God is so great that it stands as the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, the pure and everlasting source of spiritual life.

— Pope Paul VI, Dei Verbum, no. 21

Lectio Divina: A meditative reading of Scripture, which begins with reading and proceeds through the stages of meditation, prayer, and contemplation.

Contemplation: A form of prayer in which God’s initiative is especially pronounced. Whereas, in other forms of prayer, the mind and heart of the human person are more actively engaged, in contemplation, God works in us and without us. It is alternately described as a form of wordless prayer in which the mind and heart focus on God’s greatness and goodness in affective loving adoration (see CCC 2628, 2715).

Fathers of the Church: Church teachers and writers of the early centuries whose teachings are a witness to the Tradition of the Church. They occupy the period after the death of the apostles and before the medieval theologians.

God’s Word

Come to me [wisdom], you who desire me,
and eat your fill of my produce.
For the remembrance of me is sweeter than honey,
and my inheritance sweeter than the honeycomb.
Those who eat me will hunger for more,
and those who drink me will thirst for more.
Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame,
and those who work with my help will not sin.

— Sirach 24:19–22

Grant us grace, O merciful God, to desire ardently all that is pleasing to thee, to examine it prudently, to acknowledge it truthfully, and to accomplish it perfectly, for the praise and glory of thy name. Who live and reign, forever and ever. Amen.

This serves as a review of the material that your students can read after each class, but it may be helpful for you to read as well. Consider reading it before each class to better prepare you for group discussion.

Illuminate Our Minds

Man is made in the Image of God. By exercising our faculties of intellect and will, we ascend to God by knowledge and by love. In order that we may rise by a kind of steady progress, God builds up believers with stable and lasting virtues which fix us more firmly on our goal.

We think especially of faith in the mind and charity in the heart, but there are many more virtues that come with the life of grace. Interestingly enough, quite a few of these virtues are intellectual in nature; for example, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Thus, to more perfectly reflect the image of God in one’s life, all Christians are called to grow in the life of virtue. In the case of the intellectual virtues, this growth comes about, in part, by study. It is of paramount importance that we continue to learn about and ponder the nature of God and the natures of all things in light of God.

When it comes to what we should study, the Church gives special preference to the Sacred Scriptures. Uniquely among all texts, the Scriptures are authored by God and so contribute in a special way to our salvation. To engage fruitfully with Scripture, the teachers and saints of the tradition commend to us the practice of lectio divina.

Lectio divina, or sacred reading, is simply the meditative reading of Scripture. In this form of prayer, one approaches the Scriptures not as mere story or moral code but, above all, as revelation. As the letter to theHebrews has it, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb 4:12). In lectio divina, one tries to cultivate the kind of attitude in which it becomes possible to encounter Jesus Christ on the sacred page as revealing, enlightening, and saving.

In a method proposed by Guigo the Carthusian, which has become standard, we begin by a slow (and perhaps repetitive) reading of the text at hand; this is step one: read. From this point, one begins to meditate or ponder certain curious or noteworthy features of the passage. This is also the time to begin asking questions of the Word. Where is Christ? How is he saving? This is step two: meditate. From this, the soul is prompted to pray, asking God for a more profound wisdom, a greater desire, and a deeper love for the holy things described. This is step three: pray. Finally, one passes to the stage of contemplation in which the Lord makes himself known and the soul becomes more passive before the simple truths of the awe-inspiring Word. This is step four: contemplate. Rarely do these stages succeed one another in a neat and tidy fashion. One’s time may be taken up initially with staying awake or fending off distractions, but if lectio divina becomes a steady habit, one will begin to experience the whole breadth.

It is worth mentioning that lectio divina is not so much about forming resolutions to live a more upright life, nor is it necessarily ordered to getting involved in service projects. It is first about meeting the Lord and delighting in the discovery of him (for this reason, many prefer to begin with the Gospels in which it is easiest to encounter the Lord). One can reasonably hope that moral reform and ministerial inspiration will follow in turn, but what is principally intended is the contemplation of God and his mysteries, and in that gaze he is sure to convert us more and more.

One can also think about lectio divina as forming the Christian to have a kind of scriptural mentality or culture. Gradually, by a habit of lectio divina, the words, poetry, and imagery of Scripture becomes the vocabulary and grammar of one’s very life. It is a concrete way in which one puts on the very mind of Christ.

It is also profitable to consult the Fathers of the Church when readingScripture. When it comes to dark passages, overly familiar stories, or even texts that may otherwise prove uninteresting, the thoughts of Fathers enliven our study. To speak more generally, we find many riches in the theologians, pastors, and saints of the Church. The saints are men and women in dialogue with the Word of God, and their deep personal holiness and experience of the Lord give them insights into the words of Scripture and the meaning of life more broadly.

It is possible to cultivate a steady habit of study throughout one’s life. Study does not have to be the kind of burden many associate with high school or college. Rather, it will often arise spontaneously from the joy of discovery. Jesus Christ is, after all, a divine friend, and friends quite naturally desire to know more of each other. The Church makes a variety of resources available to help believers learn more of the Faith in all its various dimensions. When brought into dialogue with the experiences of our lives, the Church’s teachings prove supremely fruitful and enriching. Through a greater appreciation of the Church’s history, Scripture, theology, liturgy, and prayer, one discovers many ways of penetrating more deeply into the heart of God.

Casey, Michael. Sacred Reading: The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina. Liguori, MO: Liguori Press, 1995.

Gray, Tim. Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina. West Chester, PA: Ascension Press, 1999.