Lectio Divina with Marisol Bazan
from our sister-church in Holguin, Cuba
Lectio Divina means divine reading and is a contemplative form of Bible study
“Hello church, I am sharing a Bible study with you that you can do at home as part of your daily devotional. You can do it individually or you can include your family. I hope it is a way in which God will continue to speak to you and that it will bring the words of the Bible to life.” - Marisol
Luke 15:11-32
“Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and tospare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father aid to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” - Luke 15:11-32
STEP 1: READING WHAT THE TEXT SAYS .....
Before you start reading, have a time of prayer. Then, read slowly. Be silent for a few moments, then read the passage again. You could even do this a third time.
Then ask: What does the text say? See the characters, places, times, feelings, and literary verbs.
Write down everything you discover from the story as you read.
If you are studying this as a group, each participant can share what they have discovered from the story. Remember, in this step, it is GOD WHO SPEAKS.
QUESTIONS FOR READING:
-Who are the members of the family from the text?
-What does the youngest son ask for?
-What does the father do?
-How does the youngest son use the money?
-Faced with distress, what does the youngest son think? What does he do?
-How does the father receive his younger son?
-How does the older son react?
-What does the father explain to the eldest son?
STEP 2: MEDITATION - WHAT DOES THE TEXT TELL ME Remember in this step IT IS GOD WHO SPEAKS TO ME. IT IS GOD WHO SPEAKS TO US.
QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION:
-As a general question, what attitudes of each of the characters are in my own heart today?
-When I depart from the path of the Lord, do I seek to return to my Heavenly Father, as does the younger son to his father?
-Am I capricious and a bit arrogant like the eldest son?
-Do I seek to have an attitude of love and mercy that the father has?
-If studying as a group: Share what God has taught you through the text.
STEP 3: PRAYER - WHAT I SAY TO THE LORD FROM THE TEXT
We are ready to respond to God through prayer, according to what we have meditated on.
Tips for your prayer time:
1. Write your prayer down in your own words.
2. Ask for forgiveness.
3. Give thanks.
4. Praise the Lord.
5. Make a specific request.
6.Have a familiar psalm or scripture that you can use in responding to the Lord.
You can use it another way ......
STEP 4: CONTEMPLATION - IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE, WE SEARECH TO INTERIORIZE AND WAIT.
Sing or chant an antiphony or song with the following phrase:
“The mercy of the Lord, every day I will sing.”
STEP 5: ACTION - THE CHALLENGE OF BRINGING THE WORD TO LIFE
Let us propose some concrete action that demonstrates our change from this text with which we have practiced the exercise of lectio divina. It is bringing into concrete life what God has revealed. How to put into practice what you have learned from today's reading .....
END THIS TIME WITH A PRAYER AND A SONG.