Reading as Sacred Encounter
In a world that rewards speed, productivity, and analysis, there is another way of engaging with text—one that draws us inward, invites presence, and attunes us to the sacred. This way of reading does not seek information, but transformation. It slows us down and opens us up, not to conclusions but to communion. We read not to master a passage, but to be met by it.
Spiritual reading, especially through the practice known as lectio divina, is a path of relational knowing. It allows words to work on us rather than us working on the words. The aim is not to understand more but to become more—more open, more attuned, more responsive to the presence of the Divine within and around us.
Lectio divina unfolds in four movements:
Lectio (reading): Engage the text slowly and reverently.
Meditatio (meditation): Reflect on a word or phrase that stands out and carry it with you throughout the day.
Oratio (prayer): Respond from the heart, offering your thoughts, desires, and vulnerabilities.
Contemplatio (contemplation): Rest in silence, receiving rather than seeking.
These movements are not steps to complete but spaces of encounter. They do not follow a strict order. The spirit guides the rhythm.
Affirmation
I open myself to the living presence in the text. I release striving and receive the grace of stillness and truth.
Spiritual Practice
Choose a brief sacred text or passage. Sit in stillness and read the passage slowly, without haste. Let one word or phrase surface naturally. Pause. Read again, even more slowly. Allow the text to speak to your heart, not your intellect.
Now carry this phrase with you. Let it move with you through your daily tasks. Let it question you, soften you, guide you.
When ready, turn inward and express any response that arises—sorrow, joy, longing, gratitude. Let this be your oratio.
Then, allow all words and thoughts to fall away. Rest in quiet awareness. Stay here as long as you wish. Let the silence be your teacher.
Guiding Questions (Journaling Prompts)
What word or phrase from the reading stayed with me?
How did that word move in me throughout the day?
What emotions or insights surfaced during the practice?
What did I offer in prayer? What did I receive in silence?
How is this way of reading different from how I normally engage with text?
Action Step
Commit to a short daily lectio divina practice for the next three days. Choose a passage that invites inner stillness, and let your only goal be to show up fully present to what arises. Let it shape you.
Closing Invitation
Approach reading not as a task to complete, but as an encounter to enter. Let the words wash over you, and let silence speak when the words fall away. The spirit meets you in your attentiveness. Let that be enough.