Praying the Bible: An Introduction to Lectio Divina

by Mariano Magrassi OSB, Edward Hagman OFM Cap (Translator)

The Second Vatican Council stated: all . . . should immerse themselves in the Scriptures by constant spiritual reading and diligent study. . . ." The Church is still far from adequately carrying out those words, but recent years have seen a revival of interest in the Bible. During that revival, both the knowledge and the practice of lectio divina have become more widespread. In Praying the Bible Mariano Magrassi reintroduces us to this practice of prayerful reading of the word of God which is our heritage.

With his vast knowledge of the Fathers and medieval monastic writers, Archbishop Magrassi synthesizes the unique and extraordinary experience of lectio divina. What is it? What are its key ideas? What are the necessary personal dispositions? What are the steps by which prayed reading is transformed into genuine contemplation? In Praying the Bible Magrassi answers these questions, providing a discussion that contains a healthy challenge and an invitation to grow.

Chapters are "Liturgical Proclamation and Lectio Sacra," "Lectio Divina: Meaning of the Term," "Lectio Divina: Key Ideas," "Lectio Divina: Concrete Dispositions," "Lectio Divina: Four Acts," and "The Ancient 'Conference' and the Modern Review of Life."

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Genres: Biblical Studies, Theology, Christianity, Nonfiction, Religion

126 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1998

Reviews

[Kyle Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredible—short, accessible, inspiring, thoroughly cited, and eminently quotable. I read a library copy in three days and, since I couldn't mark it up, I ended up using sticky tabs everywhere. About halfway through I decided I needed to own this book. There are SO many quotes and references to a whole world of literature on lectio divina, especially from the early church fathers and medieval period. You will also be introduced to a number of medieval characters you've probably never heard of before. Magrassi is a beautiful writer in his own right. However, the book as a whole is like a skillfully arranged mosaic—the patristic and medieval quotes are seamlessly integrated into Magrassi's own writing, style, and thought. The book functions on two levels. First, it is a quick-moving yet impressive introduction to lectio divina. Second, it is a sustained argument for the rediscovery and practice of lectio divina today. In Magrassi's mind, piety and exegesis have been wrongly cleft. Our pride swells because of the advent of scientific methods applied with analytical rigor while our spiritual bellies swell because of malnutrition and starvation. Magrassi shows us how differently the church approached Scripture before the advent of scholasticism—as a source of living water, a kiss of eternity, a living Book, the saving power of God, an inexhaustible mystery, a mystical container of Christ. The connection between reading and prayer is stressed throughout, as is the indispensability of a deep, experiential encounter with the living, person of Christ as we appropriate the sacred text.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to deepen their experience of reading Scripture.

[CJ Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful exhortation to prayerful reading, heavily quoting from the church fathers, who not only had a very high view of Scripture, but who loved the Word.

[Nathan Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite spiritual book outside of the Bible. I do not know how many times I have read it. Each time I read it I get fresh inspiration to spend more time in Lectio and in prayer. The author alludes and quotes to the best in Christian spirituality throughout the book, especially the Latin Monastic tradition, and describes how slow, careful, daily prayerful reading of the Bible can lead to spiritual transformation through hearing God's voice in Scripture. The author is a Benedictine abbot, and later a bishop. This is Benedictine spirituality at its best.

[Eliza Weigelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

126 pages of an Italian monk telling you how he & Christians for centuries have encountered the beauty and wonder of intimacy with God through the practice of lectio divina. I’ve never felt more inspired after reading a book about a devotional practice. If you really want to hunger for the Word, you should read this. Magrassi’s deep affection is contagious.

Quote/concept highlights (aka where I drew a bunch of stars in the margins):
1) “For the ancients, “the text breathes”…Beneath its formulas they saw his mysterious presence. Scripture is God present who speaks to me. When I hear his words, it is as if I could see his mouth. More precisely, when I go beyond the letter of Scripture to its spirit, I personally encounter the living Christ. He is present to explain his own Word, which is gradually revealed to the eyes of faith…At this table set for us by Christ, our whole spiritual life is nourished…” (21-22)
2) lectio divina as experiencing “a kiss of eternity” (take that, “sloppy wet” haters!!)
3) “Between the sacred author, moved by the Spirit to write the text, and the reader, moved by the Spirit when reading it, a deep communion is established. Time’s differences do not matter because both are in communion with the Word of the living God.” (29)
4) Scripture as “an exploration that will never end.” (38)
5) Lectio divina as the search for the Beloved. wow.
6) “No technique gives access to a vital experience of the Word. The crucial factor is the light of the Spirit, a free gift that comes from him, its source. But the gift must be actively received. It presupposes on our part an attitude of radical receptivity, namely, purity of heart…” (58)
7) “Hunger for the Word is a need of love…Love inevitably brings with it an irresistible need to know. Everything pertaining to the beloved takes on special interest and becomes the object of intense searching…It is not intellectualism. It is the discovery of the mystery of a Person deeply loved, in whom every truth comes together like the lines on his face. He is the Truth, and every text of Scripture speaks of him.” (65)
8) “The Bible helps me to know myself more deeply…the story of the Bible is my story. To reach Christ I must travel the same path traveled by Israel, the same path the Church is traveling. And since the entire Bible is for me…it must continue to be fulfilled in me. In some way it continues to be prophecy for me until it is fulfilled in my life.” (98)
9) “The most important attitude before the God who speaks is openness…we moderns, when we read, are usually in a hurry. Our haste stems from curiosity and a thirst for novelty…but this is deadly when dealing with a Word that holds the mystery of God.” (105)

and last but not least, a quote that I think captures the essence of this book:
“To contemplate means to enter into a relationship of faith and love with the God of truth and life, who has revealed his face to us in Christ. That face is revealed to us on every page of the Bible. All we need to do is look: open ourselves to the light and desire that it shines in us. Look with admiration: ecstasy in the presence of the good and the beautiful. With a child's eyes, that is, with a clear gaze that opens on reality as after a dream, delights in it, is amazed, and sees its perennial newness. In silence: the atmosphere in which the most important communication and the deepest insights occur…Standing before this awesomely beautiful picture, what else can we do but contemplate?” (116)

[Nicole Greenfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most influential books I have ever read. For the academic struggling with the bifurcation of biblical studies and faith, I recommend this book; For the lay person who finds reading the Bible a lifeless task, I recommend this book.

I think reconnecting with the mystics is becomming necessary if we are to continue (or maybe begin...) living vibrant lives of faith, for what lies to be rediscovered among the ancient monks and mystics is this: "a living and coherent faith in the transcendence of God’s Word; a sense of Scripture’s infinite fruitfulness and inexhaustible riches; a deep admiration for the biblical world where beauty is a reflection of God’s face and truth a foretaste of the vision toward which he is leading us; a profound sense of the unity of Scripture, so that everything is seen as a single, vast parabola, one great sacrament of the Christian realities; above all, a way to read it as a Word that is present and puts me in dialogue with the God who is living and present; an ease in translating reading into prayer and using it to shed light on questions of existence in order to model my life on it... And if we do not reach their level of fervor, we will at least avoid turning our present aridity into theory. We will no longer believe that a little historical criticism plus the deliberate caution of our methods are enough to enter into the mystery of a Word that is divine Act," (13).

[Ruthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luminous.

A few quotes:

"A philosopher more than a theologian, he [John Scotus Eriugena] prefers to compare the Bible to creation. Creation is God's first book. Augustine, too, was fascinated by this idea. Using one of his clever word plays, he said that the universe was written by God as a book, and Scripture was made by God as a universe."

"The Bible is both revelation and history....it is the history of revelation and the revelation of history. in any case, the two ideas are closely connected, because the Word of God is creative. It creates the event and moves the course of history ahead, at the same time shedding light on its salvific meaning. Gregory says this concisely the Moralia: "With the same words it tells a story and reveals a mystery."

"We cannot venture into the Bible as tourists; we must become inhabitants of the land."

"If Truth is not reducible to the laws of the mind, then the latter must cease to impose its categories and mental structures on the Word. What is needed is just the opposite: it must get rid of these categories and humbly adopt those of the Word."

[Ibrahim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is highly engaging, and once you start reading you won’t be able put it down as it is written with such warmth and depth from a praying heart that has such longing for the Abba within. I would be sure to read the works of Carlo Maria Martini in addition to that. From there on you won’t be reading a text from the beautiful Book without turning it into beautiful prayer, as it is the Spirit that will be praying through you.

[Ian McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magrassi does a brilliant job examining church Fathers, mystics, and medievals, and their practice of praying the Bible. Through this, he develops a theology of lectio divina, essentially. For anybody wanting to grow in a desire to read the Word, this book is for you.

[Conor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book that I hope will change the way I read and pray the bible.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Old Testament professor had us all read this book on lectio divina. It quotes often from the old church fathers who were obsessively captivated by scripture-- which reminds me of a story I once heard a missionary tell of an old African woman who had no money but spent all she had on candles so she wouldn't have to stop reading the Bible when the sun went down....

This is a beautiful book about reading The Beautiful Book, richly connected with the broad company of those who have found the Bible to be truly sweeter than honey.

[Andrew Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to Lectio Divina; but that makes it sounds easy and superficial, which it certainly isn't. It takes reading the Bible to many new levels (for me at least) drawing on the depth of wisdom of the Desert Fathers as well as more recent sources. One of those books that will re-pay re-reading at least a couple of times to get the most out of it - and put it into practice.

[John Coatney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read through this little treasure three or four times now, and I'm consistently surprised and pleased with all of the wise insight it has to offer. It provides powerful reminders about the true goals of reading the Scriptures, and about the best, time- and Church-tested means of achieving those goals.

[Jeremy Pedersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book. there is much to ponder here concerning how I read the Scriptures and pray. He argues that the ancient church saw reading Gods Word as a way of praying by listening and that call to listen by"praying the Bible" is needed for today's busy world.

[Dougald · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better books I've read on reading the bible. It is great for those who are coming out of academic studiest (or perhaps currently studying), or for those who feel that their reading of the text is dry.

It is a must read.

[Joshua Rodning McIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have ever read.

[Katie Mangum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stunningly beautiful reflections on Holy Scripture from both ancient and contemporary voices. I found it to be a circuitous and repetitive read, however.