Lectio Divina as an Experience of Synodality in Action
During the season of Advent, and in the context of reading, meditation and prayer on the sacred Scripture, our fourteen Lectio communities reflected on the question of ‘Synodality’ – Communion, Encounter, Listening, Participation, Discernment and Mission – and how we are being called to grow. What follows is the fruit of the process. (See also appendix for a synopsis of the responses).
In this crucial moment in the life of the church, Pope Francis has invited Catholics worldwide to make a journey together as a Synodal Church. Synod literally means “walking or journeying together.” The theme which Pope Francis has chosen for the synodal process 2021-2023 is: For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission. We in the Dominican Lectio Divina communities wish to respond fully and enthusiastically to this request at a local, national and international level.
Pope Francis puts before us the two fundamental Synodal questions to be considered by everyone over the next two years: How is this “journeying together” happening today in our local church? What steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow in our “journeying together”?
Many of the key terms and concepts used in the Synodal document are familiar to our lived experience of following this Lectio way – a lived experience of journeying together with the Word as the people of God.
Given that Lectio Divina is such an ancient practice in our church, several different versions, giving emphasis to different aspects of the journey, have emerged down through the years. The version of Lectio Divina that we follow here has been promoted by Fr Michel de Verteuil, a Holy Ghost Trinidadian priest and theologian. We celebrate the Word becoming flesh not only in Jesus in the past but also in Jesus Today – as expressed in our mission statement, “Experiencing together the Word of God Alive and Active today” – with the emphasis on “today”.
ENCOUNTER. Lectio Divina offers everyone a deep encounter with the Word of God, with the person of Jesus Christ and, through him, a deep encounter with his presence in each person and in the world around us. By walking with Jesus in the Gospels we develop a closer relationship with him. We become familiar with his ways, his character, his charisma, his passion for people of all kinds and especially for the poor and afflicted. We see his compassion, his mercy, his forgiveness, his joy and his everlasting hope for the coming of the kingdom and, in doing so, we humbly begin to embody his presence more and more today.
In our Lectio experience there is inclusiveness and mutual respect for each other and all the people of God- lay, religious and clerical- women and men, young and old, married and single, coming from different faiths and backgrounds, gather together in small communities on the level ground around the Word.
While recognizing the spirit of inclusiveness in Lectio Divina, we realise the potential for Lectio to welcome those who feel excluded through age, gender, past regrets or lifestyle choices. Lectio has the potential to reach out to those who are on the periphery- the divorced, the poor, the marginalised and those of different ethnicity. We have also experienced the joy and richness of welcoming people of other denominations into our Lectio communities, and we see the potential to grow in this area.
PARTICIPATION. Everyone is welcomed and respected as a member of the Lectio community, and invited to grow together in faith and love around the Word of God. Each person’s presence is a gift and equally valued and everyone has a contribution to make. The presence of each one is a gift- we come to listen and to respond. Together we meet in a safe, sacred and respectful space, each person met where they are at and free to be themselves. We come as equals on the level ground. All that is necessary to participate on the journey is life experience. No other qualifications are required.
LISTENING. In community, we actively participate by listening attentively to the passage being read. Where did it happen? Who was there? When did it take place? What happened back then? Through the power of the Spirit, we begin to enter into it through our life experience – letting the passage remind us of where and when we have lived a similar experience, or where we see similar movements of grace and sin going on in the world today. Our experience is further enriched as we listen deeply to each other’s recognition of the Word made flesh, as the passage becomes alive for each of us. The richness of the passage can speak to us in a myriad of different ways. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we come to love the Word as it opens the ears and eyes of the heart to a new listening and a new seeing of the presence and activity of God in our own personal lives, in family, workplace, parish, society and the world at large.
COMMUNION. Through meditation, prayer and contemplation we enter into deeper communion with God the Father, and in relationship to his Son Jesus. Lectio nourishes a real, vibrant, life-giving encounter with Jesus Christ, and this relationship has the power to transform our lives. This personal encounter is at the heart of discipleship. Together we pray in thanksgiving for what we have seen, touched and heard of God’s work among us and in the world. Our prayer offerings are life-giving, empowering and healing. We are in solidarity and fellowship with each other and our brothers and sisters throughout the world.
Just as the Word opens our eyes to where God is at work today, at the same time we come to see where and how our actions and attitudes can be the obstacles in his path. For this we ask forgiveness.
In our prayer of petition we express our longing and desire for God’s presence and love to become even more manifest in our lives and our world – Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus! Come more fully today!
As the prayer deepens we use fewer and fewer words as we entrust our hearts silently and receptively in the presence of God our Father. In this way, Lectio Divina puts contemplative prayer within the reach of all of us. With God, with all of humanity and with all of creation we experience true communion – the ground of all real fraternity in the world today.
Communion with the Word nourishes real communion with one another. There is companionship, support, friendship, togetherness and mutual support which confirms us in the truth that we need each other, that we are not meant to be alone, that we are at our best when we work together in community.
Through the words of sacred Scripture we encounter the risen presence of Jesus among us today and this, in turn, deepens and enriches our experience of his real presence in the sacrament of the Eucharist…Holy Communion.
DISCERNMENT. As part of our journey with the Word we come to reflect on what we have learned from the passage, any new insight or understanding that has been given to us into the meaning and purpose of life. It is a search to uncover the sacred truths that make sense of our lives. In truth, this is an experience of doing theology together – our faith seeking understanding and bearing fruit in our lives. Through the power of the Spirit we are seeking, searching, learning and growing together. These insights have the power to transform our lives. In Lectio we experience how God is calling us all to grow – challenging us to build with him a better world of justice, fraternity and solidarity with all of humanity.
Together we grow in love (with the heart of Jesus), in wisdom (with the mind of Jesus) and in our commitment to action (the work of Jesus) for the coming of his kingdom.
MISSION. Our mission is to ponder the Word of God together with our hearts and minds so that we might grow in the image and likeness of Jesus Christ and give birth to his presence in new and creative ways in our world today. By becoming more fully aware that everyone is a beloved child of God we are encouraged and inspired to grow in solidarity, fraternity, compassion and tenderness with all our brothers and sisters.
The Lectio journey nurtures a deeper appreciation of the dignity, beauty and wonder of human life, of the environment and the cosmos. Through personal transformation the Lectio journey fosters the creation of a more humane, caring, just and dignified life for all.
Conclusion.
From experience, we believe that the Lectio way is one of the movements of the Spirit which God is calling us to embrace today. We appreciate and honour the extraordinary tradition of sacraments, dogmas, rituals, and liturgies of the Church and we believe the power to renew and to revitalise this precious treasure resides in the Word. “Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life”(John 6.63). The Lectio experience is one where we are never static but always being called to grow- we are forever pilgrims on the journey. We passionately share this offering of synodality with the hope that all will find in it new life, new hope and a new and exciting future for the Church of tomorrow.