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Anthony Quintiliani, Ph.D, LADC

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July 12, 2019 By Admin

Expanded Lectio Divina for Self-Development

Expanded Lectio Divina for Self-Development

In this post I will provide an expanded version of this process by combining information from Origen,  the Carthusian  Monk  Guigo II,   and  Augustine of Hippo.   The presented process of 12 steps may be used  to enhance internalization of sacred writing and/or to support internal healing of the participants.  You  have three choices here: read sacred scripture based on your personal spiritual and religious practices; make up your  own  deep  healing  mantra  and  write  it  down;  and/or  combine  both  practices  noted above.  The wording  of  this  post  will  be  based  on  the  second possibility above. Note that if this is done  in a  group format,  people  take  turns  reading  scripture/self-healing  mantras  aloud  and sharing from time to time their  emotional   responses  with   each   other.      Personal   deep   respect   and   values-driven  cognition,  emotion,  and  behavior  apply  here.      The process may work best if you practice it with cognition, affect, behavior, sensations, intuition, and with all your senses.

  1. Opening Invitation or Prayer: Invite  your higher self, the power  of  nature, or  your  personal  deity (God, Jesus, Buddha, Shiva, etc.)  into  your  soft, warm heart-soul.    Allow  the  feelings  you  notice.
  2. Lectio: This is the first reading of the sacred words or your self-healing mantra.  Pay close attention.
  3. Brief Silence:  Do your best to remain in deep silence in mind, brain, body, tongue,  heart, and  soul.
  4. Meditatio:  Complete  a  second  reading  of  the passage, this time a bit slower with more  attention.   You  may repeat  the  reading  if  it  is  helpful  to  deepen  your  personal  meanings   and   emotions. Ruminate on it as you connect meaning/insight with your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, memories.
  5. Brief Silence:
  6. Key Word, Phrase, Sentence:  Select the most meaningful word,  phrase,  or  sentence.   Repeat  this several, times as if you were trying to memorize it. Allow the words and meaning/emotions to enter the depths of your heart, soul, body.   Be  one  with  it!  Discern closely how you feel inside your body.
  7. Oratio:  Read the passage (word, phrase, sentence) again.  If  in  a  group this is the third read aloud experience.  If doing this process alone, you have already repeated the reading several times by now. Attune and pay even deeper, stronger attention. God/your deity, love or personal higher self love are at work. Consecrate this process and the words deeper and deeper into yourself. Allow your true self to experience this feeling of soft love, and especially allow yourself to re-visit the deep suffering  you have experienced. By integrating soft love with your suffering, you may notice the beginning of your personal healing at the most deep levels of personal, emotional experience. ALLOW IT ALL TO BE!
  8. Brief Silence:
  9. Collatio: On  voluntary basis you may decide to share some of what you have experienced thus far in your  inner  healing  and/or  deep  connection  with  the  divine.     Such  sharing  must  be  brief  but meaningful  for  it  to  have a profound effect on yourself and on others who may be with you at  this time.  Brevity  is  also  important so that deep emotional experience is not limited by consciousness.
  10. Contemplatio:  Now  go  into  even  more  depth  and  strengths  as  you delve deeper into the words and/or your personal connection to inner healing or  inter-connection  with  the  divine.   Very deep contemplation is required so you can move from spiritual DOING to simply BEING in your current state of self-healing connection and/or a connection on a different dimension and power with  your selected deity.       Go as deeply as possible into the feelings of your current existence in  integration.
  11. Closing Chant and/or prayer:       This could be in silence or if in a group as a  whole-group   activity.
  12. Action: Some forms of Lectio Divina promote your personal actions in the real world you  live  in  to live in the same way you experienced this sacred process. By kind, compassion, generous, non-violent, caring, supportive, and live a life based on your improved higher self or your selected  deity.

For more information refer to Guigo II (Re-published,  1978).  Ladder of Monks and Twelve Meditations. Coletti, J. (July, 2011). “Guigo II and the Development of Lectio Divina.”  Also  refer to various writing  of Augustine of Hippo and The Augustinian Way of Life. See also Dei Verbum  of the Second Vatican Council and Pope Benedict XVI in his support for lectio divina at the Papacy of the 21st century.

Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC  

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont and the Home of The Monkton SanghaChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

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