What does meditation consist of? The Pope explains it in the audience"The Bible is to be our main prayer book."Bible translation, a possible task?The Bible is one of the most famous books in the world, and it has been so for centuries now. And even though all Catholics know about it, sometimes it’s difficult to understand how to add the Scriptures to our prayer lives. In this interview with Omnes, Rev. Raymond Studzinski: helps us to understand how to use the Bible by answering some questions that we all could have when approaching these texts.
Raymond Studzinski, O.S.B., is the editor of the International Journal of Evangelization and Catechetics and the director of the Catechetics and Pastoral Studies areas in the School of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America. He teaches and publishes in the areas of religious development and spiritual practices. A recent book is"Reading to Live: The Evolving Practice of Lectio Divina" (Cistercian Publications).
Why is the Bible a good book to use in prayer. Can we all use it?
–People often describe prayer as talking with God. St. Cyprian (d. 256) observed that reading the Bible is allowing God to talk to us. The passages we read from the Bible become a part of the dialogue we have with God when we pray. Another early Church figure, Origen (185-234) noted that the Bible speaks to us at whatever level of the spiritual life we happen to be. If we are beginners, we find God’s word in the Bible directing us on how to live virtuous lives and avoid sin. For those more advanced in the spiritual life, the Bible brings us God’s invitation to a deeper relationship with our triune God.
The point is that the Bible has a very personal message for us wherever we find ourselves, if we read it much as we might read a letter from a very close friend. As we read slowly and savor what we read, the Bible shapes and forms us into the Lord’s disciples. We begin to view the world and ourselves from God’s perspective.
How can we tell the difference between something that comes from God because it is something He wants to tell us, and an interpretation we make ourselves when praying the Bible?
–In the early Church, Christians believed that the same Spirit who inspired the writers of the sacred texts is at work in us as we read the Bible. St. Paul reminds us that the fruits of the Spirit are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22). If those signs of the Spirit are absent or if we find ourselves out of harmony with what the Christian community believes, we have evidence that we are guided by some spirit other than the Holy Spirit.
The Scriptures function as a mirror in which we see our true condition and also serve as a measuring rod for assessing our progress in the Christian life. The Holy Spirit as we read the Scriptures works to shape us into people who love as God loves us.
What should we do when there’s something in the Bible that we don’t understand?
–Many find a Catholic Study Bible helpful as they read the Scriptures because difficult passages are explained in footnotes and in introductions for each of the books of the Bible. Christian readers also learn to look for deeper meanings in a text when the literal sense does not seem to apply. The prayer that should accompany reading the Bible can take the form of a request for understanding what the text is communicating about the divine and our growth in Christian discipleship.
If we want to start praying with the Bible, where’s the best place to start?
–Admittedly, some books in the Bible are easier to understand and to apply to what is going on in our lives. The Gospels, the Letters of St. Paul, the Prophets, and the Psalms are texts that many turn to for nourishment in their spiritual lives. If we are just beginning to incorporate reading the Scriptures into our spiritual practices, those writings are a good place to start. The Bible then functions as a spiritual trainer guiding us to exercises that are foundational in Christian living and help us to mature spiritually.
When talking about the Bible, it is easy to hear the term "Lectio Divina". What does it mean?
–Lectio Divina (Sacred Reading) is a spiritual practice involving a slow, meditative reading of the Scriptures or some other classic spiritual text. It typically includes four steps:
- slow reading of a short passage, letting words sink in;
- meditating/pondering on what God is communicating to the reader through that passage;
- praying for what the passage describes or asks;
- contemplating/resting in an experience of God that may come because of reading the passage.
A belief undergirding this practice is that the text has something particular to communicate to the reader in his or her unique circumstances. Texts have layers of spiritual meaning in addition to their literal meaning. Those devoted to this practice usually spend twenty to thirty minutes daily doing lectio divina.
What would you advise a person that told you: “I’ve already read the Bible many times, there’s nothing more to learn from it. Now what?”
–We read the Bible not for information but for formation. Consequently, readers believe the Biblical text never loses its potency to transform them as they continue their journey of faith.
It provides the reader with a sacramental experience of an encounter with the divine. They may know the story presented in the passage very well, but that sacred story continues to impact them and their personal life story. What they read is a script that they are to enact. It is not simply to be thought about but to be performed and that is a lifelong task.
