Prepare for Sunday Mass with a ‘Lectio Divina’ group

By Vivian Gonzalez Marino
NOLA Catholic Parenting

In mid-September 2022, I received a text from a friend inviting me to attend a Lectio Divina group that she would host weekly at her home. She had been praying for potential participants to invite to the group, and the Holy Spirit brought my name to her attention. My response to the invitation was an immediate yes!

After the yes, I had to look up and see what, in fact, Lectio Divina was, because I had no idea.

Lectio Divina is Latin for “divine reading.” It is the practice of reading and listening to the word of God, and it dates to the sixth century when St. Benedict established it as a regular practice in monasteries.

Basically, it is a different way of praying with Scripture to encounter the living word. It is not a prayer group; rather, it is reading Scripture and listening to messages delivered by the Holy Spirit.

Lectio Divina involves several steps: reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation. In our group, we begin with prayer and advance to the reading portion.

In this first step, the chosen Scripture passage, which is the Gospel for the upcoming Sunday Mass, is read aloud twice. After it is read, we take time to circle or underline words that stand out to us.

This is followed by the second step – meditation. In brief, we take time to write down anything that is brought to our hearts and minds in relation to the passage, and then we begin journaling. Once everyone is finished, participants are invited to share their thoughts without interruption. Each person voluntarily takes a turn around the table, no questions are asked, and everything remains confidential within the group.

Next, we thank God for his Word in prayer and we contemplate by writing a letter either written to us by God or to God from us. Again, we are invited to share one by one without interruption. Finally, we conclude with a prayer.

Our Lectio group consists of 11 people; not all attend the weekly meetings lasting between an hour and 90 minutes. It is truly a gift to attend, and I leave the meeting renewed in mind and spirit.

The beauty of Lectio is that we get to dive deep into the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel so that when we arrive at Mass, we can sit back and enjoy the richness of the Word and the homily.

I have known most group members in some way through my kids or other friends, but others I have met from attending. I can tell you, we have gotten to know each other on a different level. I may not know their birthdays or the names of their children, but as one member said, “We know each other’s souls.”

We are like soul sisters meeting at a moment in time to discuss the living Word. It’s as if heaven and earth collide for that one hour, and we are there to bear witness.

Anyone can practice and lead a Lectio Divina group. With the help of the internet, you can gather more information and print out literature guiding members on the steps. However, I would suggest participating in a group first to gain the skills needed to lead.

So many fruits have come from this group, and one is the start of a Sunday weekly rosary at 4:30 p.m. at Bucktown Harbor in Metairie. From one group, another is created, and we are casting our nets wide. We have been meeting for several months now, and it has been a great way to pray the rosary with the community and meet new people. Our prayer is to increase participants and thus spread our love of the rosary. 

All are invited!

Vivian Marino is a wife and mother to four children living in the New Orleans Lakefront area. She graduated from St. Mary’s Dominican High School, LSU with a bachelor’s degree in science, and then earned her master’s in exercise physiology at the University of New Orleans. She has done research at Tulane School of Public Health and worked as a personal trainer. She is busy raising her children – two boys and two girls ages 18, 16, 14 and 8. Her favorite things include spending time with her family, weekend dinners with her husband, hiking whenever she gets the chance and praying the daily rosary with her favorite online community, “Many Hail Mary’s at a Time.”