| An intimate book with prayer and lectio divina as goal | | | | 55 pages. Most people will find their way through that |
| For some time now I have owned the title, "Too | | | | and find it fruitful. |
| Deep for Words: Rediscovering Lectio Divina" by | | | | The four parts to lectio: Read the word of God; |
| Thelma Hall. I have used it for prayer, and I have | | | | reflect on the word; where the word touches the |
| used it for lectio. The hallmark use I have put the | | | | heart, or meditation on the word; and, contemplating |
| book to is its selections of scripture readings for | | | | the word of God. Through this we may come |
| prayer. This is not to say that the purpose of the | | | | through the night to a new dawn. Or as I read it, we |
| book, lectio divina and its prayer form, its reading | | | | may leave behind some of our darker side and come |
| form of the scriptures is to be ignored. No, the | | | | to a lighter side of inspiration with scripture, and |
| author's writings regarding this method of intimacy | | | | illuminated so gain a special relationship with God. This |
| with scriptures is worth the time to read. | | | | is reachable, to some degree, by most people who |
| A comfortable book, and by that I mean it is an | | | | are so willing to be devotional. |
| inviting read, one can enter into the monastic method | | | | To stretch the idea more, as an invitation, the writer |
| of prayer. Here, in the introduction, the author calls | | | | says this is what to do: |
| lectio an entry way to contemplation. It is "...generally | | | | "--To receive, and place no obstacle to the Holy |
| accepted that contemplation was an extrordinary | | | | Spirit. |
| grace..." but here the intent is to open lectio and also | | | | "--Follow attraction to interior silence and remain in |
| contemplation to Christians as part of their spiritual | | | | loving attentiveness. |
| life. | | | | "---Abandon all activity and let oneself be drawn into |
| If I may interpret a little bit, the writer says that | | | | the darkness of God's love, forgetful of self. |
| with this people can enter more loving relationships | | | | "--When it becomes possible to meditate again, do |
| with others, and with God. A means to accomplishing | | | | so, until and unless interior silence becomes habitual." |
| this is through lectio divina. She says, "...we grow in | | | | The book is a traditional teaching, and Thelma Hall, a |
| love of God as we grow in any intimate love | | | | retreat leader is a religious (member of the Religious |
| relationship..." A prerequisite is to trust God and know | | | | of Cenacle) in Bedford Village, New York. A book |
| he is faithful to us. The practice of lectio divina is | | | | recommended to me by monks of New Camaldoli in |
| fourfold, and I have learned this method a number of | | | | Big Sur, the book is recommended by others |
| times from others and Thelma Hall is right on the | | | | interested in similar spirituality. The publisher is Paulist |
| money as I know it. In fact, one may rely on her for | | | | Press, a Catholic Church publishing house. I think |
| this kind of prayer and relationship in prayer with God. | | | | anyone interested in expanding their horizons of |
| The book has an integrity to it. | | | | prayer life and entering more fully into scripture will |
| Though not specifically a how-to book, this is a | | | | find this an interesting and worthwhile book that |
| mini-retreat and not so long of one in text form. The | | | | leads to a more fruitful life of the spirit. |
| text part, not counting the scripture readings, is only | | | | |