the love of God to man, but it is itself the completion of this love that is a world-event. The meaning of a revelation is that the believer knows himself loved with that very love which is the Father as for the Son and the Holy Spirit from all eternity. This is our central experience. We feel the love of Father and this meeting, this relationship between us and this love of Father is a world-event. For this reason Lectio Divina is the preparation for the Divine Liturgy.

[01:10]

The meaning of a revelation is that the believer knows himself loved with that very love which is the Father as for the Son and the Holy Spirit from all eternity. We monks should not imagine that in a chaotic age like ours, our function is to preserve the ancient attitudes and customs of our spiritual tradition or to keep alive in the world the memory of God. On the contrary, the sense of a monk in our time, now in the modernity, is to keep himself alive by contact with the living God. And we are alive only if we remain in Christ's love and we remain open to the loving freedom

[02:26]

of the Spirit. God is not that idol which often I build in my mind. Everybody here has an idea about God and often this idea, this concept is our idol, is not the true revelation of God. Therefore, theology is that way of living and of thinking which remembers to me who God is, a community of love and freedom, the Trinity, the perspective of Trinity. This is God, the Christian God, a community of love and of freedom.

[03:31]

And Lectio Divina is that spiritual practice of prayer, Lectio Divina is prayer, which lets me be a monk, that is to live the theological life centered in God. Theology is my memory of what is God, God is a community of love and of freedom. And Lectio Divina is that spiritual practice of prayer which lets me be a monk. It is very difficult to translate Lectio Divina into English, and this difficulty is also

[04:37]

present in the other modern languages. It is not only a problem of translation here, but it is above all a question of interpretation, because every translation is a work of interpretation. Also, when I translate the Bible from Greek, this work is an interpretation. I have found two English translations for Lectio Divina. The first is spiritual reading, and the second is meditative reading. But Lectio Divina is neither a spiritual reading nor a meditative reading. Lectio Divina and spiritual reading are similar, but they cannot be confused, at least today.

[05:47]

I can meditate on a book, but this practice is not Lectio Divina. I can read spiritually a poetic text, but also this reading is not Lectio Divina according to the traditional meaning of this expression. The field of spiritual reading is the largest, and it also includes the study of theology or problems of spirituality. But the field of Lectio Divina is listening to the Gospel and to the Bible, the center. The book, the excellent book for Lectio Divina, is only the Bible, and especially the Gospel.

[06:53]

Lectio Divina requires a slow, deepened reading. It is a method of reading which opens to hearing. In this sense, it is a hard reading of God's Word. But also, the word reading, strictly speaking, is not enough for us to explain this contact with the Scriptures. Lectio Divina is not only a reading, but above all an assimilation which asks, together with reading, for a rumination upon God's Word, in the Latin word ruminatio, rumination. The monastic ruminatio is a spiritual practice constituted by the personal reading of the

[08:08]

Gospel offered by the daily liturgy. Our Lectio Divina begins from this Gospel offered by the daily liturgy, by listening to the same text at length and at mass, by its repetition from memory throughout the day. I remember a sentence or some words, and during the day I repeat in my silence, in my prayer, this word, this evangelical word. This is ruminatio, reading, a reading which opens to hearing and repetition during the day. We can call Lectio Divina meditatio, but meditatio is only a moment of Lectio Divina and it cannot

[09:20]

exhaust the spiritual sense of Lectio. In other words, I think that we cannot translate Lectio Divina in the modern languages. For me it is impossible. Every translation would be inexact and incomplete. For this reason I prefer to maintain the ancient name of Lectio Divina, also in Italian. I have now used four key words for Lectio Divina. Reading, hearing, assimilation, ruminatio. Four key words. Why? Because Lectio begins when I learn to read the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is very, very important.

[10:22]

Lectio Divina begins when I learn to read the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Okay, I read. I have been in the school and I can read. But this reading is different. I like very much in this week the reading in the morning of Brother Gabriel. This man, when he reads, his reading is very deep. His reading comes from heart. This is very important. This is the reading of Lectio. And hearing, because the goal, the hand of Lectio Divina, the one thing necessary is listening to the word of God.

[11:37]

And we read louder the Gospel for this, hearing. And assimilation, because the listening of Lectio is a receptivity. It is an opening of the heart to receive God's word. This is the final point of Lectio. If my heart remains closed, Lectio Divina, there is not Lectio Divina. And ruminatio, because the gift of Lectio Divina is the same presence of God's word within us. Why do I repeat during the day some word of Gospel?

[12:41]

For this reason, because this repetition is good news for me and for my community, for my life, for the history. It is good news. And this good news is the presence in my spiritual life, in community, in the history. Presence of God. Ruminatio, rumination, this repetition, consists in keeping alive the word within us, so it is repetition. So we begin to know God. We begin to know God. Or better, to abide in His love. It is clear that this knowledge is a comprehension of participation, union, and love.

[13:44]

In other words, Lectio Divina is not only a method of reading, but above all, an experience of God. For this reason, I repeat, Lectio Divina is the center of our spirituality. Lectio Divina is the soul of the monastic spirituality. Because Lectio Divina is a life experience of God. If we receive the word of Jesus Christ, if we receive the word of Jesus Christ, we remain in His love, and we abide in the Father. For Jesus is in the Father, and the Father is in Him.

[14:46]

But, as we have seen, the relationship between the Father and the Son comprehends the vinculum amoris. This is Latin. Marvelous words. For you, I don't know, but for me, it's... vinculum amoris. The ancient languages are very rich. This relationship between the Father and the Son comprehends the vinculum amoris, the bond of love, of the Holy Spirit. Hence, we can understand the Holy Spirit as a divine ecstasy of love in God.

[15:58]

Also, last night, my brother, what is his name? Owen. He remembered this relationship between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Trinity is this vinculum amoris, the presence of love of God. But the Spirit is ecstasy. How can you translate this in English? Effusion. Effulgence? Overflowing? Yes. Effusion. Of this relationship in the Trinity.

[17:02]

In this sense, Lectio is divina. Divine. Also, liturgy is divine. Divine liturgy. Because, listening to God's Word, we remain in the Son's love and we participate in His Trinitarian life. For this reason, it is divine. I live an experience of God, but in the Holy Spirit, in this ecstasy of love. Now, we can also comprehend the Trinitarian relationship between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit as an eternal prayer of worship and of love.

[18:05]

The prayer, the great prayer, is this relation in the Trinity. And we can pray because we participate in this divine liturgy of Trinity. Hence, I think of Lectio Divina as a prayed Word. This probably is a translation, a good translation of Lectio Divina. Prayed Word. Prayed Word. Parola Pregata. Prayed Word. Which lets us enter into God's prayer. That is, into the divine liturgy

[19:08]

of love, which is the Trinity. Our divine liturgy, also today, is the representation in our life, the concrete representation of this divine liturgy. For this reason, Brother Hohn, last night, he talked very much about the action of Trinity in the liturgy. So, the final goal of Lectio Divina is praise, which terminates, which is silence, adoration, before the Holy Mystery of God. Here, God is recognized not only in His good works,

[20:09]

but in His goodness itself. Here, God is worshipped and loved for Himself, not merely for salvation's sake. For this reason, I say that Lectio Divina is the center of the monastic spirituality because its final goal is doxology and adoration. When you say this, you wouldn't be making a strict distinction between Lectio and, say, liturgy, because liturgy is also the prayed word and liturgy is also doxology. Yeah. You're not saying that Lectio, in the sense of solitary reading of Scripture, is more important than Eucharist. Yeah. The problem here is the monastic spirituality

[21:10]

is different from the spirituality of today that is present in our church. Because for monastic spirituality, theology, spirituality and liturgy is one thing, is a unity. For us, instead, we go to the school for theology and to the hermitage for spiritual life and to the church for... But we have done the field. The distinction. Yeah, the distinction. But in the monastic life,

[22:11]

the reality is one. One. When I work, I pray, and my work, my life is doxology. Every moment is this transfiguration. It's clear. There are different moments. For example, now we celebrate the liturgy. In this sense, the Eucharist liturgy is the center of our day, the source, the revelation. But the Divine Liturgy is our goal, but also the point of beginning.

[23:14]

For this reason, I say, Lectio Divina is preparation for Divine Liturgy, but Lectio Divina is also prayer. And in this sense, it's liturgy also. Saint Augustine writes, Pray to comprehend the scriptures. And Isaac the Syrian adds, Don't approach the word of the scriptures without prayer, without asking God's help. Say, O Lord, give me the gift to receive the power which is in the gospel. You must think of prayer as the key which unlocks the truth of the scriptures.

[24:27]

Also, Saint Cyprian states a law of biblical reading. Either pray or Lectio, or read. But in the Latin text, there is here Lectio. And for Saint Cyprian, Lectio is not only read. It is the experience of God. Either pray or Lectio. Either speak to God or listen to him. In other words, without prayer, we can neither read the scriptures, nor hear God's word. In this sense, prayer is the support and the background of Lectio Divina, but it is also his final goal.

[25:31]

And the next time we will see together this relationship between prayer, Lectio, prayer. And the first prayer is different from the second prayer. Prayer, Lectio, prayer. And this second prayer is a new prayer. We have 20 minutes for discussion or questions. I would like to use a wonderful point, which I think is that one of the troubles about modern reading, in general terms, is that we don't know how to read aloud. Yes, very interesting. One of the things that was striking us in seeing Ambrose reading

[26:34]

was he didn't mouth the words, he didn't make noises, but there is a great advantage in actually hearing the sound, even in your own language, because it gives it a different quality. Now, in the school, we learn to read silently, and I remember when I was at university, I had prepared all my exams reading many books, but silently. But this exercise, the practice of Lectio Divina, is reading loudly. Why? Because when I read, I give my voice to the word.

[27:37]

We are John of Baptist. Voice, not word. The word is the gospel. And I give my voice to the word. And in this sense, there is an echo. And for this reason, Lectio Divina is not reading only, but is hearing. Especially in liturgy, where it is the proclamation of gospel. It's very important, this proclamation. Because a good proclamation helps me to receive the word. A deep and calm proclamation of gospel

[28:47]

is a wonderful help. Any questions? Again, this centrality of Lectio, is this practice, I have the impression, it's used in a strict sense, and then in a fuller sense. In the strict sense of being in the cell, reading aloud, that certainly is important, before the Eucharist and after the Eucharist. Then there is a fuller sense, as you say, where we are doing Lectio, maybe while we read, maybe when we minister to Brother Philip, right in the heart of the Eucharist. But for me, this is a second moment.

[29:47]

In the beginning, it's very important not to confuse these two moments. Because it's very important to begin with the Bible and to stay on the Scripture. And in the second moment, after one, two or three years, I find out that Lectio Divina is bigger. And also, Lectio is a conversation with a brother, a community. Lectio is a meeting... Lectio also is... But after this deep exercise upon the Scripture. But for me, Lectio, I prefer strictly...

[30:55]

In a strict sense. Presumably in the cell, alone, reading aloud, or maybe... But this is only the first step of Lectio. I will say, after many other things, what is Lectio. Meditatio, oratio... In Bible oratio, but presumably in some kind of unified moment. But then, I should say, which does extend, hopefully, to the whole day. But in the first moment... Lectio is not a practice for one hour. No, I begin for one hour. The old monks, they spurt Lectio probably for two or three hours. But sometimes in monasteries,

[31:57]

we don't have time for this practice. But I have, probably, in my day, one or two hours for Lectio. And in this sense, Lectio is reading, hearing, and... But also, a part of Lectio is also Ruminatio. This is very important. Ruminatio. To remember God's word. For me, in the first years of my monastic life, it was very important to ask in the afternoon, what do you read? Whatever you read today in the Gospel.

[33:01]

And sometimes, I didn't remember one word. One word. Oh my God. Which Gospel? What? And for many months, for many years, for me, it has been a good exercise to remember the Gospel. My only question is, I can see in the fuller, developed sense, Lectio as the center of monastic spirituality. As I think you could say in a different way, the Eucharist is the center of monastic spirituality. Or Opus Dei. Nothing is to be preferred to the Word of God, to the Opus Dei. That is, if you take any of these central moments in their fullest, each one of them is central

[34:02]

because ultimately Christ is central in Paschal history, etc. But to say that Lectio is the center in a more restricted, almost controversial way, I think that just gets into a necessary polemic. I do a picture for this, for me, my opinion, my experience. But also, the tradition. Terrible picture. Here, the Word. We have the Word. Because I celebrate the Liturgy one time during the day. But the Liturgy also is the Liturgy of Hours for us. Lord's Vespers, etc.

[35:03]

But this Liturgy comes always from the Word. Because the center of the Liturgy of Hours is the Proclamation of the Word. When I pray Psalms, this is preparation to hear the Proclamation of the Word, the Lord's in the Vespers. Lord's and Vespers are the central moment of the Liturgy of Hours. Because in the Lord we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and in the Vespers we remember the death of Jesus Christ. It is a circle. But the center is always the Proclamation of the Holy Scripture. Also in Matutino,

[36:05]

Vigil, we have two readings. From the Old Testament, the first, the patristic reading, but this is homiletic. And the third reading, not every day, but on Sunday, is the Gospel. This is the center of the Liturgy of Hours. We pray Psalms not for blah blah blah, but it is a preparation, a spiritual preparation, a prayer to hear this Proclamation. In this sense, the word is the center. But it is an opening for the Eucharistic of Divine Liturgy.

[37:07]

And also this is the true center in our spirituality, in our thing. But in the Divine Liturgy, in the Eucharistic Liturgy, we have also here two moments, because we have the Liturgy of the Word and the Eucharistic Liturgy. But for the Council, true, the Second Vatican Council, the Liturgy of the Word and the Eucharistic Liturgy are at the same level. Because I eat this Word. I must

[38:10]

eat this Word to eat the Eucharistic Bread. So that's very helpful, this. Both the central. So it's not either or. And in this sense, there is also circles. What Eucharistic Liturgy and vice versa. And the final moment, which would be a silent, almost ecstatic contemplatio, that could be at the heart of the Eucharist, or at the heart of the Word, that also isn't in rivalry to the centrality of this, but a final, perhaps, step. But not today. I have a question. When you were telling the translations of Lectio Divina, why do you think they didn't just say

[39:12]

Divine Reading? Why did they have to say Meditative Reading or Spiritual Reading? It seems like Divine Reading would have been a more direct translation. Yeah, Divine Reading is possible, but it's too much literal. And it's good. Probably I prefer this translation than Spiritual Reading or Meditative Reading. Divine Reading is possible. But Lectio Divina is another thing. Well, good. I prefer prayer, prayed word. Because in this sense we can understand that my reading

[40:12]

is prayer. It's not only an exercise of reading. But no problem. Assimilation could be similar to a word like incorporation. Oh, good. And could be like remember. Is that what you're saying? Remember word, sentence throughout the day. Ruminatio is... I don't understand Ruminatio. But it's working on you though. Ruminatio is like a mantra or like a plow digging up the soil. By remembering it's digging, it's going deeper, deeper. It's not just thinking over a phrase. Mulling over? Ruminatio. I wasn't trying to imply that that was like that. I'm just trying to give

[41:14]

an answer. That doesn't help. Yeah. No, it is difficult. For me, in this meeting, it's important to explain Ruminatio as repetition. Why? Because this exercise has been very important in monastic tradition. The repetition of the word. And I think it's a gym. Gym, palestra. Gym, palestra. Oh, gym. Monastic life, for me, is a gym. Gym of spirit. No? Gym of

[42:15]

spirit. Of the spirit. And this repetition is very important. Repetition also the name of Jesus. The prayer of Jesus. The repetition of the name. But also this is a preparation for Lectio. To repeat a sentence or a word part of the Gospel. Because in this sense this word enters into me and the work and change purifies me. In this sense it's mantra. It's not only repetition through memory. No. In English I have

[43:17]

found to learn oh my god my memory by heart. By heart. To learn by heart. This is marvelous for me. To learn by heart. Yeah. Is that a little bit clear? We have also ten minutes. I don't know. I like the phrase that I use for Lectio is listening as communion. And then I think what you're saying is the whole life it's not seen as in opposition to Eucharist

[44:19]

which is communion. But Lectio when we start with the scripture eventually it teaches one this listening as communion throughout one's whole life. Everything is listening as communion. So I agree with the way you say that. To me it's the center of the Christian life and it's the center of biblical spirituality as I understand it. It's to listen as communion. Because everything is word. Everything is God's word. And the scripture is the way that we learn and then there's an expanding that goes on. And then the role of silence and solitude with the scripture is to me very very important because at least for modern people we don't know how to listen. And the silence and solitude teaches us which usually the first thing we start hearing is our own busy head. But eventually to go deeper and so the scripture part the strict as Robert was saying the strict Lectio in the cell, in the solitude

[45:21]

the scripture is very important. It's pedagogic in that sense. I agree. And it's clear after 10 years of monastic life and practice for example of Lectio, my Lectio now also to see the ocean here but for me it's not only a beautiful view but for me it's a gift this view a great gift for me and for us and because this is a manifestation of creation in this sense I can begin a Lectio about this. Or

[46:23]

a conversation with a brother in community or my work in community many kind of aspects of daily life but the support the base is the Lectio in this sense I begin from scripture because it's very easy for us to fly the monastic life is very concrete our spirituality is very concrete Semitic in this sense interesting that translation of hearing as community because Lectio seems to be what we do, reading but as you were saying

[47:24]

it wants to be a reading that is a hearing and the Semitic Shema so the Lectio Divina is kind of paradoxical because it's a practice, something we do and yet it's divine because it wants to go quite beyond and so that's for this reason in the monastic practice there is also Colassio this is the moment of communion because after my Lectio, my personal Lectio there is Colassio and this is the Lectio of community and another Lectio because I don't hear only now in Colassio the Holy Scripture but also my brother

[48:25]

is Lectio and this is a gift for our communion in Trinity but my scriptural Lectio should teach me to go beyond the surface as we go over text over and over and the meaning and when I meet my brother to go beyond the surface of his outer personality or his quirks to teach me to go to listen deeper even than his words and that scripture is very important because your first reading you get a certain sense but you go back and back and there's deeper and deeper meaning that Pauline thing don't just stop at the level of the word, the letter of the law, you know, Cenzo says we have to do that same dynamic with scripture, with other people, with our community, with the church that's just a basic dynamic of going beyond the

[49:27]

letter Were you explaining rumination by learning by heart? Is that what you were saying a little earlier in response to the question right here? That learning by heart? Because the sense this is an idiom in English but for me it's very important here the word art in these idioms and the meaning is tener memoria to memorize it's different, you're talking about learning by heart, literally yeah, yeah because our experience of memory is different from ancient people and ancient monks today I remember something for my youth

[50:27]

but the experience of memory is not this the true experience it is a little bit difficult because in our culture sometimes especially technological culture, I remember my computer it's used but this is functional memory functional memory in Lex Divina the memory is wise wise sapiente wise sapiential and

[51:31]

in this case memory is presence it's not functional sometimes I remember many, many words and many texts in the Bible also I know from memory some Psalms in the Bible I can say while I walk etc ok, this is a good memory but in this case, when I repeat Psalms this memory is a presence divine presence and presence as presence as maybe we could say

[52:34]

one is memory for information the other is memory for formation one is being formed in the memory process one is being shaped because presence divine presence is dynamic, it's active it's the spirit it's not static presence which information is, you just store it it's static for me it's a good exercise also, remember when I remember the face of the people I don't remember the name but the face I remember always the face what is the face of it is your revelation your face is a revelation is a gift for me and it is a presence

[53:34]

I don't remember your mouth or your eyes also, but I remember the unity and for example the icon is very important and the face of Jesus Christ of Saint of Mary and this memory is a presence ok thank you very much

[54:17]

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