Lectio Divina
Reading Scripture slowly until the words become prayer
Lectio divina is the prayerful, meditative reading of Scripture as a path to communion with God. Rooted in Origen and the monastic tradition, it was given classic shape by Guigo II, who described moving from reading to meditation, prayer, and contemplation. Rather than studying the text for information, the practitioner dwells on it slowly, letting the words draw the heart toward God. It remains widely practiced across Christian traditions.
How it traveled
- The Letters of St. JeromeBethlehem · c. 420 CEapplies
- The Conferences of John Cassian. Part I. Containing Conferences I-XMarseille · c. 435 CEexplains
- Thoughts Helpful in the Life of the SoulZwolle · c. 1471 CEapplies
Key passages(20)
Each passage is tagged by what it does with the idea: explains it, applies it in practice, redefines it with a new meaning, or challenges it. Relevance shows how directly the passage is about this idea.
Letter II. Placed circa 358, on Basil’s retiring to Pontus. Translated in part by Newman, The Church of the Fathers, p. 131, ed. 1840. With the exception of the passages in brackets [], the version i
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Letters of St. Augustin · Augustine of Hippo
7. Be regular (instate) in prayers at the appointed hours and times. In the oratory let no one do anything else than the duty for which the place was made, and from which it has received its name; so
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The Conferences of John Cassian. Part I. Containing Conferences I-X · John Cassian
Ps. lxix. (lxx.) 2. It is not impropable that this chapter suggested to S. Benedict the use of these words as the opening versicle of the hour services, a position which it has ever since occupied in
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The Conferences of John Cassian. Part II. Containing Conferences XI-XVII · John Cassian
But as the renewal of our soul grows by means of this study, Scripture also will begin to put on a new face, and the beauty of the holier meanings will somehow grow with our growth. For their form is
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The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great · Pope Gregory the Great
But what shall I say of the bodies of the blessed apostles, when it is well known that, at the time when they suffered, believers came from the East to recover their bodies as being those of their own
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On the Duties of the Clergy · Ambrose of Milan
84. The voice, too, should not be languid, nor feeble, nor womanish in its tone,—such a tone of voice as many are in the habit of using, under the idea of seeming important. It should preserve a certa
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The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great · Pope Gregory the Great
For in defence of feasts your Fraternity mentions the feast of Abraham, in which by the testimony of Holy Scripture he is said to have entertained three angels (Gen. xviii.). In view of this example,
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The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and Philemon · John Chrysostom
Homily XIII. 1 Timothy iv. 11–14 “These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in
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The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom · John Chrysostom
For if ye retain these things, ye will the more encourage us with respect to what is to come; but if ye reject and cast them from your mind, we shall be the more backward as to the rest. Just as no hu
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The Letters of St. Jerome · Jerome
6. I must needs give way here and not attempt to describe what defies description. In the effort to explain the greatness of that joy past all belief, the flow of Tully’s eloquence would run dry and t
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The Letters of St. Jerome · Jerome
9. And let it be her task daily to bring to you the flowers which she has culled from scripture. Let her learn by heart so many verses in the Greek, but let her be instructed in the Latin also. For, i
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6. One night he began to hear the wailing of infants, the bleating of flocks, the lowing of oxen, the lament of what seemed to be women, the roaring of lions, the noise of an army, and moreover variou
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The Letters of St. Jerome · Jerome
Letter LVIII. To Paulinus. In this his second letter to Paulinus of Nola Jerome dissuades him from making a pilgrimage to the Holy Places, and describes Jerusalem not as it ought to be but as it is.
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The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John · John Chrysostom
[3.] If now we will thus search the Scriptures, exactly and not carelessly, we shall be able to attain unto our salvation; if we continually dwell upon them, we shall learn right doctrine and a perfec
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A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles · John Chrysostom
But, as I said, for the present let us take shame to ourselves (when we think of) the eunuch, both in his baptism and his reading. Do ye mark how he was in a station of great authority, how he was in
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Internal Consolation · Thomas à Kempis
SPEAK, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.” 1 Kings 3:9. Ps. 119:125. Ps. 119:36. Deut. 32:2. Exod. 20:19. Not so, Lord, not so do I pray. Rather with Samuel the prophet I entreat humbly and earnestl
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The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great · Pope Gregory the Great
It is to be observed also that no schedule of the property and charters of this monastery must be made by ecclesiastics, if ever circumstances require one: but let the abbot of the place with other ab
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The Church History of Eusebius · Eusebius of Caesarea
Egypt, exclusive of the cities Alexandria and Ptolemais, was divided into land districts, originally 36 in number, which were called νομοί (see Mommsen’s Provinces of the Roman Empire, Scribner’s ed.
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The Confessions · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter IV.—In the Country He Gives His Attention to Literature, and Explains the Fourth Psalm in Connection with the Happy Conversion of Alypius. He is Troubled with Toothache. 7. And the day arrive
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Expositions on the Book of Psalms · Augustine of Hippo
Psalm CXX. Lat. CXIX. 1. The Psalm which we have just heard chanted, and have responded to with our voices, is short, and very profitable. Ye will not long toil in hearing, nor will ye toil fruitles
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