Chapter 11
Good Monday Morning to this new week 11 of 2023
Sacred reading (Lectio Divina)
Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. Psalm 97.2
Though Jehovah shrouds himself in mystery, and comes with irresistible might, it is the consolation of His people to know that His kingdom is founded upon righteousness. Here, as elsewhere, the Theophany of Sinai supplies the symbolism.
1. Divine presence and the revelation of God to humanity.
2. The burning bush, not being consumed by the flames, represents the presence of God that is both powerful and unchanging,
3. The mountain Sinai, the transcendent nature of God.
In relation to the practice of Lectio Divina, the symbolism of the Theophany of Sinai can be understood as a representation of the encounter between the reader and God through scripture. Just as God revealed himself to Moses in a profound and transformative way, so too can the reader experience a profound encounter with God through the practice of sacred reading.
A few quotes from David G. Benner’s book “Opening to God: Lectio Divina and Life as Prayer”:
The transformational potential is found in the experience of engaging with the words of scripture as a way of opening ourselves to the loving presence of God.
The purpose is not to master scripture, but to be mastered by it, to allow the words of scripture to transform us from the inside out.
The practice is a way of slowing down, of intentionally creating space in our lives for the presence of God. It can be practised anywhere, at any time, as a way of cultivating a deeper sense of connectedness to God and to the world around us.
The most important aspect is not the technique itself, but the relationship it fosters between the reader and God.
There are seasons in life when “standing still” lets you know you are indeed “making progress.
The truth is that we have brushes with the Divine every day but simply fail to notice the presence of Christ.
The geography of the soul is mapped in the Sacred Text. The Spirit provides the needed insight to identify the landmarks within our interiority.
The pursuit of Christ and the spiritual journey is not a one-time event or a destination rather, it is a continual process of striving, of growth and transformation to become more like Christ and to deepen one’s relationship with him.
Paul’s use of the word “perpetual” emphasises the ongoing nature of this pursuit.
Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead… For St. Paul, the “press” toward what was still to come was perpetual.
Be still, and know that I am God; Psalm 46.10a
May God work that same grace in us. May your week be filled with meaningful moments of the presence of God.
Philemon