“’Shema Israel: Hear, O Israel!’” ~Deuteronomy 6:4

Lectio is the first traditional step of lectio divina. “Lectio” means reading. Read…extra…slowly. 

“When you hear God in His Word, He speaks to you”

St. Cyprian

We can substitute the word, “lectio”, with another “L-word”…LISTEN. To properly listen, we must till the soil of our souls to sow the seed of His Word.

How do we till this precious soil? First, we practice “Praeparatio”. Don’t be afraid of another Latin term, embrace it! It is only a fancy way of saying “Preparation”. In order to hear Our Almighty God’s Voice, we have to cultivate stillness. Establish a routine of first calling upon the Holy Spirit and then lighting a candle or kissing the Sacred Scripture as you open it. Before we sow the seed of His Word, we have to learn to sow silence. God calls your name in His Word. Reply as Moses did, “‘Here I am.’ God said, ‘Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your fathers'” (Exodus 3:4-6). You are standing on holy ground in His Presence as you enter His Sacred Word.

Now that you have prepared, read a selected Scripture text (such as the upcoming Sunday Gospel reading) slowly within your heart (lectio).
Read it a second time vocally with your lips. Visualize the text as you read it both times.
What does the text say? Focus on the nouns and the verbs. Seeking Him in silence, we should “listen carefully…and incline the ear of your heart” as one of our patron saints, Saint Benedict, instructs in the Rule of St. Benedict.

“‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'” ~Samuel 3:10

Next Step: Meditatio