Do parishes encourage small faith groups involved in Scripture study?
A parish often recommends groups like this, and even offers general invitations, especially during Advent or Lent. Parish leaders themselves can be discouraged, however, when opportunities are provided, but people find their lives too filled with work to take advantage of the program when offered. Those who take the plunge often are the ones best able to give personal testimony to the spiritual energy which such opportunities can provide. What is Lectio Divina? Lectio Divina, or “Divine Reading” is an ancient practice developed by the early monks to make reading the Bible an attractive experience. A common method would suggest that an individual, or even better a small group of people, listen to a passage read aloud … or read it themselves. The participants first point out any word that struck them. Then they hear the same passage once more, and expand from a word to an idea reflected in the passage. After a third reading the members of the group take time to describe briefly about how
