Praying With the Bible

Praying With the Bible | Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J. | Editorial for Homiletic & Pastoral Review | July 2009

At the Roman Synod on the Bible in October 2008, which I covered for HPR, the most common topic mentioned was the need to recommend “Lectio Divina” as a pious practice among the faithful. You have probably seen the phrase mentioned in recent articles about the synod.

“Lectio Divina” (LD) literally translated means “divine reading.” What it really means is praying with the Bible by selecting a passage and meditating on it. It can be done alone by an individual and it can also be done in a small prayer group. LD has a long history of being practiced in monasteries by monks, especially the Benedictines. The bishops of the world, represented by those in Rome, are now recommending this practice to the faithful.

One problem with this is that many Catholics do not have a Bible. One of the proposals at the synod was that bishops should try to get a Bible into the hands of every Catholic. Almost everyone has a rosary—why not also a Bible, which contains the Word of God which is a love letter addressed to each one?

Read the entire editorial...

Comments

[fidelis]

As a lay student of the Bible and one who teaches it on a parish level, I would LOVE to see Bibles put into the hands of every Catholic that doesn't have one. My fear based on past experience, however, is that at the local level little or no attempt would be made to follow up and instruct the faithful on the rudiments of Lectio Divino or any other Bible study based solidly on orthodox Catholic teaching and Tradition. I hate to be cynical, but if this were somehow attempted, I would hate to see it resulting in either the faithful given watered down, liberal and limp-wristed pablum in the place of solid instruction, or worse, there being given no instruction at all and the copies of Holy Writ being placed on the shelves of Catholics to be despised and gather dust.

[bill bannon]

The Vatican needs to research why a Newark security guard with little education and attending Holiness church in the blake ghetto will memorize more of the Bible than a Catholic priest will....let alone more than a Catholic layman will. The mystery is that we were a detailed Bible quoting Church in the persons of the Fathers and a doctor of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas.
When Protestants after 1517 started quoting the Bible with the memorization extent of Aquinas (but not the wisdom of Aquinas), Catholics moved away from the challenge and toward catechisms whence the competition ended since now the two groups were reading two different things.

[rd]

if many catholics don't even pay attention to the readings of sunday mass, how can they be expected to obtain a bible, let alone to open it?

[arizona car insurance]

I think many Catholics have a bible. I would disagree with that statement. But whether they are reading it is another question. But if you do not read it whether you have ownership is a mute question. Catholics do put alot of value into the Eucharist, which is very important to the Catholic faith. If you are not Catholic you would not understand.