How do we pray with Sacred Scripture?
(excerpt from USCCB)

May issue of Give Us this Day  prayer books are available at the church, under the portico. We ask you not to make a  special trip to get this prayer book but stop by as part of your regular outings or chores. We also ask you to practice safe social distancing and use the sanitizer provided before and after.

Holy Spirit Parish has been offering to our community a monthly copy of the “Give us This Day” prayer book for many years. And many of us have come to reply on it for our daily prayers. It is centered on the Word of God and contains the daily readings and prayers for Masses, daily inspiration from the lives of saints, reflections on Scripture, and simplified daily prayer for morning and evening. One way of praying with the Scriptures is called Lection Divina or Divine Reading.

Spiritual reading of Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, is an important form of meditation. This spiritual reading is traditionally called Lectio Divina.

– The first element of Lectio Divina is reading (lectio): you take a short passage from the Bible, preferably a Gospel passage and read it carefully, perhaps three or more times. Let it really soak-in.

– The second element is meditation (meditatio). By using your imagination enter into the Biblical scene in order to “see” the setting, the people, and the unfolding action. It is through this meditation that you encounter the text and discover its meaning for your life.

– The next element is prayer (oratio) or your personal response to the text: asking for graces, offering praise or thanksgiving, seeking healing or forgiveness. In this prayerful engagement with the text, you open yourself up to the possibility of contemplation.

– Contemplation (contemplatio) is a gaze turned toward Christ and the things of God. By God’s action of grace, you may be raised above meditation to a state of seeing or experiencing the text as mystery and reality. In contemplation, you come into an experiential contact with the One behind and beyond the text.

We hope this help you and your family pray together especially during this unprecedented time. It is also be good to make this a habit and be part of your prayer and spiritual life. Stay safe and be well.