Lectio Divina

“Today we will read from the book of experience” — St. Bernard of Clairvaux

The practice of Lectio Divina, or “divine reading,” is a form of prayerful scriptural reading that dates back to the earliest days of Christianity. It was formalized and given new emphasis in the twelfth century by the Cistercian monk St. Bernard of Clairvaux.

Traditionally, Lectio Divina is broken into four catagories: Lectio, Meditatio, Oratio, and Contemplatio, or read, meditation, prayer, and contemplation. There are many good guides online and in print that will help you to practice Lectio if you are interested. However, the most helpful words are those of St. Bernard: “today we will read from the book of experience.”

I am writing a series of short poems about my experience practicing Lectio Divina with the Song of Songs. The poems are based around the four stages — Lectio, Meditatio, Oratio, and Contemplatio.