Praying the Word: An Introduction to Lectio Divina

by Enzo Bianchi

By Enzo Bianchi; Translated by James W. Zona Scripture brings the Word of God to us when we read and welcome it in faith as the Word which comes from God and leads to God. Scripture is the means by which we live in God. The ancient monastic (and patristic) way of reading Scripture involves reflection (meditation) and prayer. It is listening to the Word, allowing the Word to become active in our lives. It is, in the words of Saint Jerome, 'opening our sails to the Holy Spirit without knowing on what shores we will land.' This book is a Cistercian Publication.

Genres: Prayer, Spirituality

120 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 1996

About the author

Enzo Bianchi è un saggista italiano, monaco laico, fondatore della Comunità monastica di Bose, a Magnano, della quale è stato anche priore dalla fondazione fino al gennaio 2017.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is of a book for religious practice. Consider yourselves warned. :-)

When one discusses the practice of Lectio Divina, the degree of care required is stupendous. It is important to under, first and foremost, that Lectio Divina is not Bible study, neither is it a pipeline to God, it is a method by which we prepare our hearts to encounter a small amount of scripture, perhaps no more than a verse or two, read it slowly, and then watch for the word or phrase that sticks with us.

That's just the beginning, because the you meditate upon that phrase, letting all the natural images or thoughts that phrase brings to mind flow through. You read the passage again, and this time, you silence your thoughts, and open your heart to God.

Enzo Bianchi does a fantastic job of leading the reader through each stage of the process, for it does not stop with opening your heart to God. For some people just getting that far is a minor miracle in itself, and Bianchi all but admits the fact. It is one of his stated reasons for writing the book. This takes practice, it is not like pouring a glass of water, and it certainly is not magic. No window from heaven opens and no light pours down blinding you. The experience is subtle, and is best when practiced everyday.

Many authors have addressed this subject, some more or less competently, but I found Bianchi to be one of the best. So why only four stars? Bianchi does not say enough. Clocking in at a mere 120 pages, there is not room for him to develop each step of the process more fully. It feels more like a technical manual, than a guide to some of the most intimate prayer one can experience.

Still, I gave it four stars because he treats the subject in such a way that it makes sense to the beginner, if, and that is a big if, the beginner is willing to work at the process.

[A.i.sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short book; maybe one hundred pages if you don't count the notes. There are three parts to this book. Part One begins with an overview of particular aspects to consider when beginning Lectio Divina. I thought about skipping this part since I mainly wanted to read the book for some practical tips and guidthe author might have, which in fact he does in the Second Part. The third and final part of the book consist of two letters the author wrote to two individual concerning the practice of Lectio Divina. Again, I thought about skipping this last part as I had already found what I was looking for, mainly in the Second Part.

Overall, this was an easy book to read with the only downside being that the translation could be a bit clunky. But the author's knowledge and wisdom concerning the subject more than makes up for it.

[Leonardo]

Enzo Bianchi es el fundador de la comunidad de Bose.