I/II- Understanding the Lectio Divina Contemplation
Introduction
Today we find many methods to practise Lectio Divina. The main one most often presented goes back to a mediaeval author (Guigo the Carthusian, see here) who summarised Lectio Divina in steps, ascending towards “contemplation”. Lectio (read), Meditatio (meditate), Oratio (pray), Contemplatio (contemplate).
Pope Benedict, in his letter Verbum Domini, added a fifth step: Actio (action). Actio, as far as one can gather, comes from Cardinal Martini – Archbishop of Milan – who, from the early 1980s, developed Lectio Divina in his diocese, adding, from his experience as a Jesuit, further steps such as consolatio (consolation), discretio (discernment), deliberatio (decision), and Actio.
Note: Cardinal Martini does not base Lectio on the daily readings; hardly anybody does. Pope Benedict says two things: first, that it must be linked to the liturgy, and second, that it “prepares for, accompanies and deepens the liturgy of the Word” (VD 86)) which clearly sends us to the liturgy of the Word and to the daily readings.
The interesting point is that we still do not have a clear explanation of what this contemplation specific to Lectio actually consists in. We have a vague definition of contemplation specific to “contemplative prayer” in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (a Gaze), but nothing on Lectio Divina. Regarding Lectio Divina’s contemplation, which is different normally from the Prayer of the Heart contemplation, I can quote four authors.
1- Here is what Guigo the Carthusian says about contemplation in his Letter on Contemplative Life “Contemplation is the lifting up of the heart to God tasting somewhat of the heavenly sweetness and savour.” “knock through praying, and the doors shall be opened to you to enter through heavenly contemplation to feel what you desire.” “contemplation is the sweetness that so delights and strengthens.” “And so prayer rises to God, and there one finds the treasure one so fervently desires, that is the sweetness and delight of contemplation. And then contemplation comes and yields the harvest of the labour of the other three through a sweet heavenly dew, that the soul drinks in delight and joy.”
2- Cardinal Martini says: “Prayer that begins from the text tends to become contemplatio, contemplation. Forgetting the details, one contemplates the mystery of God, which is the heart of every page of the Bible: the mystery of the Trinity — the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. One contemplates in a simple colloquy which is adoration, praise, offering, thanksgiving, petition for graces, or even a humble gaze. Not the poor gaze of one who looks and no longer knows what to do, but a gaze enriched by the whole of the Word that has been meditated upon — a gaze which is the response to the Word.
If the Lectio is an active listening, the contemplatio is the passive moment of intimacy. And it is important, because in fact it is only at the level of this intimacy that we begin to know God through experience, in the heart, and not only with the intellect. The Lord can certainly call to contemplation without passing through the word of Scripture, yet ordinarily it is Scripture that awakens in us faith in the Word, and from faith, contemplation.
These four steps could be sufficient; but if we wish to be more complete, we must point out some fruits which derive from contemplation.”
3- Pope Benedict says in his important Exhortation Verbum Domini: “Contemplation aims at creating within us a truly wise and discerning vision of reality, as God sees it, and at forming within us ‘the mind of Christ’ (1 Cor 2:16).” (VD 87)
4- Enzo Bianchi, one of the greatest early promoters of Lectio Divina after Vatican II says the following (Note: he is the one who unearthed Guigo’s Letter and published it): “Contemplatio Contemplation is indeed the final “step” of this ideal ladder. The believer feels visited by the Presence of God and knows the “indescribable joy” (1 Pet 1:8) of such indwelling. St Bernard spoke of this experience: “I confess that the Word has visited me, and several times. Although He has often entered me, I have not even noticed it. I felt that He was present, I remember that He had come; at times I was able to sense His coming beforehand, but not to feel it; nor did I even feel His departure, for from where He entered into me, or where He went when leaving me again, and by what way He entered or departed, even now I confess I do not know, according to what is said: ‘You do not know where it comes from or where it goes’” (Bernard, Sermons on the Song of Songs LXXIV, 5).
Contemplation does not denote an ecstatic state, nor does it allude to “visions”, but rather indicates the progressive conformation of the human gaze to the divine gaze; thus, it signifies the acquisition of a spirit of thanksgiving and of compassion, of discernment and of makrothymía, of patience and of peace. As the Word tends towards the Eucharist, so Lectio Divina gradually forms a Eucharistic person, capable of gratitude and gratuitousness, of discerning the presence of the Lord in others and in the various situations of life. Such a person will also be a person of charity, capable of agape. Lectio Divina flows into life and manifests its fruitfulness in the life of a person.
Lectio Divina thus traces an arc from prayer to prayer: begun with the invocation of the Spirit, it flows into contemplation, thanksgiving, and praise. Lectio Divina tends towards the Eucharist.” (Enzo Bianchi, “La Lectio Divina: fondamenti e prassi” talk given to the Bose Community on 13 March 2007, our translation from Italian)
To be honest, we are none the wiser, and very far from the detailed explanation offered by the School of Mary.
If the majority today would accept that contemplation is an intervention from the Holy Spirit (formerly we used to say that contemplation is “infused”, a “supernatural” intervention from God), we still do not say much more. Some might say: it comes from God’s free intervention, when He wills, how He wills, and to whom He wills. This defines one aspect of God’s grace. We can indeed say it is a grace, given by God. A grace is always given freely. But all this does not explain what occurs in us and how it can occur.
We Are Necessarily Aware of it
In the case of the contemplation specific to Lectio, are we supposed to perceive something? In the case of the Prayer of the Heart, as in the Eucharist during communion, we are not supposed to perceive anything, because it focuses essentially on the spirit, which is beyond perception. (see the article on the Two Types of Contemplation) By contrast, the contemplation specific to Lectio takes place in the soul, in the conscious part of our being — mind and will essentially. We cannot say that we have had a Lectio contemplation without knowing (being aware of) what it was, or by saying: it was purely ineffable in its working or in its object.
First Phase of LD’s Contemplation is to Understand Clearly
Listening to God and putting into practice what He says implies not only perceiving in our intellect what He says but also understanding it with clarity. Otherwise, how could we put into practice what He says if we do not understand it clearly? So, the first phase of contemplation in Lectio is to understand, in a supernatural and precise way, what He wants from us (yellow arrow, diagram “b”). Imagine Jesus in front of you asking you to do something, and you do not know what it is. What will you say to Him? You will say: “Lord, I want to do your will, but I do not understand your will.” (diagram “a”, black arrow) Jesus replies. This is why the Scriptures say that the word of God (which is like the tip of the fiery sword of the Holy Spirit) penetrates the human being to the very junction between soul and spirit: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two‑edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (He 4:12) and “take… the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph 6:17). What an incredibly accurate description of the work of contemplation, of what the Holy Spirit does in us using the words of the text: God’s light, Jesus’ light, can fill the whole soul with His light and certainty, reaching the threshold between the soul and the spirit. But most importantly, the Word of God, touches the depths of our soul with clarity.
So, the first supernatural operation is this penetration of the Holy Spirit (the blue of the intellect becomes clear pink), using the Word of God, shedding His supernatural light on some shadow or obscurity in us (the grey half circle on diagram “b”). This is why, as an initial step of Lectio, we have “2- … entering into our conscience” (see the 15 steps) — because our conscience is the inner place where God’s voice resonates, where the Holy Spirit and we are alone, so to speak, and where God can act and shed light. “Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a man. There he is alone with God, Whose voice echoes in his depths.” (Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes 16)
This means that initially, in this specific area, He will shed His light where the soul lacks clarity, light, and self-understanding. We do not fully know ourselves, and there are many shades or even dark areas within our soul. God knows what He wants to do today. He will use some of the words of today’s readings to shed His new light, showing us His will — what He wants to change in us, the precise act He wants us to make (the yellow arrow pointing toward a “grey” areas, diagram “b”).
This is why Jesus says: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mk 2:17) This is why our attitude when we practise Lectio is to act towards God knowing that there must be in us dark or shaded areas that need change and transformation. This is why we expose ourselves unconditionally to Him, to His Light — and it takes a determined and renewed effort every day. His light will not enter us unless we make it very clear to Him. He never violates our soul. We cooperate with God in the work of our own transformation and salvation. We open the way for Him in us, and then He goes where He knows it is needed today, according to His wisdom and prudence.
This light is not yet the fullness of contemplation (in diagram b, pink shows the initial light in the mind). It is the initial contemplation — the light God’s Word brings into us. But it is still in the mind and has not yet crossed the abyss into the will. It points towards something in the will but has not yet transformed the will.
There are two prayers in total (on diagrams “a” and “c”: arrows (1) and (2) going up): the first is “Lord, tell me what you want from me” or “with the help of your Holy Spirit show me what you want to change in me” and the second: “Now that you showed me clearly what you want from me, please give me your Holy Spirit so I can put it into practice.” Two prayers, followed by two steps in the intervention of the Holy Spirit: one on the mind (diagram “b”), and one on the will (diagram “d”) — listening to the word of God (understanding what He wants) and putting it into practice. It sums up all Lectio and defines it as the Lord does: Listen to Him and put what He says in practice.
Second Phase of Contemplation: Putting Into Practice
A first step in contemplation is the light shed through the mind (pink mind in diagram “b”). The second and final step — the completion of contemplation — is to receive the help of the Holy Spirit to put it into practice (diagram “d”). We then (when we put the word received into practice) experience a powerful, manifold effect:
1- We can put into practice today’s word. A miracle! The will has, for the first time, done what it could not do before. Real transformation. In diagram “d” we see the half-circle lighter — Jesus’ word, Jesus Himself, is starting to live in us, having transformed our will. God’s word, God’s will, and our will are united at one point.
2- The “abyss” between mind and will is narrowed. St. Paul notices the gap/ abyss/ division/ dichotomy between the mind and the will: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” — Romans 7:15.) Now, having put into practise Jesus’ word, it is as if the mind and the will are brought closer to each other. (This narrowing is shown on diagram “d”.)
3- This putting into practice by the will of the word received today has an effect on the mind. Mind and will are part of one reality — the soul. We do not have two souls or two separate parts of in our soul. What happens in the will affects the mind. The will determines and enacts the change. But it is not the case the other way around: initially, the mind, knowing Jesus’ will, does not change the will (the descent of the light – yellow arrow – makes the mind light pink) unless the will puts it into practice – the mind just sees the act to make, nothing more. This vision will be transformed into the second prayer (“help me put it into practise”). This is why St James in his letter says: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” — James 1:22–25, i.e., do not stop at the beginning of the light, when it shows you what to do, do not stop at merely seeing yourself in the Scriptures’ mirror, but rather put into practice what appears. The first light alone (light pink) is nothing if it is not put into practice; it remains sterile otherwise and blocks spiritual growth. (See the three articles: St. James Explains Lectio Divina)
This “putting into practice” by the will of the word received (the will becomes red in diagram “d”) illuminates the mind in a new way (in diagram “d” the mind becomes red too). Because of this “putting into practice”, mind and will are in full accord and share together a new “experience” of God’s Word — a new knowledge caused by the real change enacted by the will. Here contemplation reaches its final step and offers its real and stable fruition. One can say that this experience of Jesus’ word put into practice is contemplation. We see here clearly that Lectio’s contemplation involves both mind and will, faith and love.
Note: It is good to remember that the contemplation proper to the Prayer of the Heart, as described by St. John of the Cross is a loving contemplation “noticia amorosa”, it involves mind and will. We see here that contemplation is not an abstract gnosis or knowledge (abstract = speculative = intellectual = desincarnated). This is the paradox: we use a word or a verb (contemplation or to contemplate) which seems to deal with the mind and we discover that to be a proper and christian contemplation it has to involve the will. In other words we have a dead faith or a living faith animated by charity. “the principal characteristic of contemplation, on account of which it is here called a ladder, is that it is the science of love. This […] is an infused and loving knowledge of God, which enlightens the soul and at the same time enkindles it with love, until it is raised up step by step, even unto God its Creator.” (Dark Night II,18,5)
As we saw, contemplation follows two steps:
1- An incomplete step (light pink in the mind only): having understood clearly what He wants. God’s supernatural light really entered in the mind by has not crossed yet to the will.
Note: Let us remember also that this stage itself has two moments: general light and then particular light. Example: “forgiveness”, and then, “forgive this specific person”. The light begins as general; then, by persistent begging, it becomes particular and clear (see: Finished an Unfinished Lectio Divina).
2- The final and complete step of contemplation (red in both mind and will): having put the word into practice, which gives us a blessed enjoyment in both will and mind. “Blessed enjoyment” here is used in the sense of experience — luminous, but not “abstract luminous”; rather, warm, incarnate luminous — a knowledge of Christ Himself, coming from the transformation and the new intimacy created by the fact that we put into practise the word. The new word put into practice unifies: 1- us with Jesus, 2- our mind and our will. Whoever puts His words into practice has an experience of Him, a greater intimacy with Jesus; Jesus begins to live in him.
As we can see, contemplation is the full descent and incarnation in us of a word given to us by Jesus — through putting it into practice. It is a descent through the mind, and with the collaboration of the mind, into the will. A word becomes flesh in us: a true, small Annunciation.
The Church Fathers say that Mary conceived the Word in her heart by her obedient faith before conceiving Him in her womb. In Lectio, every day we receive not the full Word of God, the Eternal Son, like Mary, but one of His healing and transformative words — a word that sheds light, liberates us, draws us closer to Him, and unites us ever more to Him. (see the entire Part III on “Mary and Lectio” in the book “Lectio Divina at the School of Mary”)
The Holy Spirit acts directly and personally during these two steps — in the mind and in the will. We are aware of his interventions.
What Do We See in This Contemplation?
Question: The verb “to contemplate” seems to imply “seeing something”. What are we “seeing”?
1- First, we see the word — the message the Lord wants us today to put into practice.
2- After having put His word into practice: we see the Word received, from within us, transformed. This seeing cannot be compared with the first seeing.
The first “seeing” is like looking at a pool. The second “seeing” is like swimming in the pool. No comparison. We cannot stop at merely watching the pool. The same difference exists between engagement and marriage; consummating the marriage is the key. It is a deep knowledge — a knowledge that comes from the experience of Jesus’ Word, from having put it into practice.
Conclusion
This is why it is good to define the contemplation specific to Lectio as the contemplation of a word given to us by Jesus — a contemplation that is the fruit of putting it into practice. It is the effect, in our mind, of our putting into practice Jesus’ word. Our mind and will “vibrate”, so to speak, on the same wavelength as this new incarnate Word. This “vibration” is new and can be called contemplation.
A part of us is “born” in Jesus; a part of Jesus is born in us today. This birth — this new existence of Him in us — is a noticeable, decisive experience.
II/II- The Working of the Holy Spirit in Lectio Divina Contemplation
Contemplation is a work of the Holy Spirit. By understanding how the Holy Spirit works in general, we can refer to this series of articles at the following link. In these articles, we will gain a clearer understanding of the difference in the working of the Holy Spirit between the General Help of the Grace of God and the Particular Help of the Grace of God. The Particular Help is the direct and personal intervention of the Holy Spirit in us. We will discover its decisive importance in the spiritual life.
It will show us that our effort—corresponding to the General Help—if implemented properly, will trigger the Particular Help. One triggering the other means they work hand in hand: one leads to the other, and the latter depends on the first. It is not that we produce the effort, relying on the General Help for a long phase, waiting until one day God has mercy on us and gives us, when He wills and how He wills, His Particular Help. No—they work hand in hand. He is at the door of our heart, yearning to give Himself, waiting for us to “open the door” to Him.
How does this apply in our life?
The Working of the Holy Spirit
If we are in a phase of growth prior to the Second Conversion—where we do not yet perceive Jesus’ call and are implementing, with great fervour, the initial catechetical formation—our Lectio Divina is primarily a meditation. At this stage, we draw from the text luminous indications from God and put them into practice, growing in virtue and commitment.
Once the Second Conversion occurs, the Particular Help of the Grace of God needs to operate in a more constant and active way in order to trigger spiritual growth, purification, and transformation. The supernatural Lectio begins to function and becomes the most powerful force of change and growth.
The daily conditions for Lectio to work—for the Particular Help of the Grace of God to be active—are the same as in the Prayer of the Heart: to return to the simplicity of the little child, entrusting everything to the Lord and trusting Him totally, placing ourselves entirely in His hands, in the care of Mary. Let us remember the “ingredients” from our meditation on Mary’s response to God in the Annunciation: she is ready from the first moment to listen to God; she is pure in heart and poor in spirit, depending entirely on Him; she is ready to offer herself totally: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord” (ecce ancilla Domini).
It is also important to know that the mode of the Holy Spirit’s work in us, in the Particular Help, adjusts to our stage of growth. In the beginning, the “Old Man” within us is still very active. God adapts to our weakness, so the intervention of the Holy Spirit is at first in a “human mode” or modality (cf. St John of the Cross and the articles in the section The Holy Spirit in Spiritual Life). With the progress of purification, this modality adapts to our increased capacity. The deepest purification—the Dark Night of the Spirit—will lead us from the human mode to the divine mode of acting. The Holy Spirit will purify the deepest roots of our being, and His intervention in Lectio Divina will change accordingly.
It is always the same Holy Spirit who works in us in the Particular Help of the Grace of God. He transforms our capacity, purifies it, deepens it, and therefore also adapts His work in us to that capacity. As we can see, the nature of contemplation develops and becomes ever purer.
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit and Lectio Divina
Another aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work in us is His use of His seven gifts in Lectio Divina: 1- Wisdom, 2- Understanding, 3- Knowledge, 4- Counsel, 5- Piety, 6- Fortitude, and 7- Fear of God. We often imagine the seven gifts operating separately. Yet in the process of Lectio Divina, they are all involved in the descent of the Word of God within us. They act like a chain of transmission, each interacting with the Word of God in a unique way, leading it in its descent from the highest functioning of the mind to the humblest functioning of the will. The Holy Spirit activates His gifts, facilitating the descent and incarnation of Jesus’ Word within us. It is a marvellous work.
Our mind has four ways of operating—from the highest (closest to God) to the lowest (closest to the will)—and our will has three ways.
This allows us to see, in precise detail, seven steps in the daily descent of Jesus’ Word within us. Here, contemplation is understood as a descent, not merely as a single light shining in our mind or in both mind and will. As we saw above, and in keeping with what has been said regarding the mind and the will, we can now distinguish more clearly the four steps in the descent through the mind and the three steps in the descent through the will.
1- In the mind, the initial perception of Jesus’ Word is seen from above, from the highest functioning of the mind, through the gift of Wisdom. This is truly elevated—it is the starting point, where the details and implications of the Word are hardly perceived. Wisdom sees things from above, as from the summit of a mountain overlooking a valley: a general view that embraces the whole.
2- The mind is then introduced into the Word itself, invited to see it from within—what it means in itself- through the gift of Understanding. Take, for example, God’s mercy. The mind is drawn inside the mystery of God’s mercy, to perceive it from within. It is like gaining the intelligence of it—intus legere (“to read from within”). At this stage, we are still perceiving mercy in itself, without yet considering practical implications.
3- The Word then descends further, reaching another way of functioning of the mind: Knowledge (scientia). Here, the Holy Spirit shows the mind the various possible implications of mercy in different situations and in different forms. It becomes practical, yet multiple, encompassing many possibilities—a magnificent vision of mercy in our human life.
Note: At each stage of its descent in the contemplation of the Word of God, we are tempted to remain there and not move on. Each stage is a marvel. Each stage appears to be a dwelling place for our mind. We must be careful here, because the richness of the Word of God can entice us—due to our human greed and weakness—to linger and not proceed (“Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (Matthew 17:4, NIV; cf. Mark 9:5; Luke 9:33)). Yet the movement of the Word of God is a full descent within us, from the highest realms of heaven, so to speak, down to the lowliest and humblest soil where our feet are touching. The journey of the Word of God within us is a union of heaven and earth in our very being: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We are indeed called to contemplate God’s Word with our mind, in four different ways and at four different levels, but it must not stop there. Its impulse is to descend and fill us completely—our will—and to touch the soil, the earth, and walk upon it. Contemplation is not a departure from life on earth, flying away to the sky and clouds. Such a notion is false or incomplete. True contemplation—proper to Lectio Divina, proper to listening to the Word of Jesus—is a descent. It follows the very movement of the Incarnation. This is a vital indication, counsel, and tool of discernment. Many people mistake false contemplation for true contemplation. Many seek the pleasure of being suspended in heaven, enjoying the escape and yearning for it. God, in His very nature, is both light and love—together, as fire is both light and warmth. The very being of God descends. St Augustine speaks of the pondus amoris—the “weight of love” (cf. Confessions 13.9.10)—which draws us downward in humility or upward toward God, depending on its direction. St Thérèse of the Child Jesus says that God’s love delights to lower itself, to descend, to humble itself: “Le propre de l’amour étant de s’abaisser” (“The characteristic of love is to lower itself”). The mystery of God’s descent is the mystery of the Incarnation itself—love that does not remain in inaccessible heights but bends down to touch the lowliest places of our human condition.
4- The final stage of the descent of the Word of God in the mind is guided by the gift of Counsel. This is the hinge gift which enables us to see with true clarity what God wants from us. We cannot overemphasise the importance of reaching this point in the descent. Very often, we remain in the previous stages and halt the descent—or, worse, we intervene with our own human reasoning, taking some aspect of the knowledge we have perceived and applying it in our own way. This is a serious but all too common deviation which prevents Lectio from reaching its completion. How sad! God is God—let us allow Him to lead the descent. First, we must permit the descent to take place; second, we must let Him guide it, showing us where in the will He wishes to act and what kind of act He wants the will to make.
This function of the mind is decisive: it is entirely practical, and it is directed towards the will—our will, not the will of others—towards what we can do and what depends on us. We do not do the Lectio of others. This stage directs the Word in the right way, towards the will. Many go astray at precisely this point.
Note: At times, we may encounter in certain people the habit—or temptation—of thinking they are particularly gifted in one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, rather than in the others. This leads them to focus heavily on developing that one gift while neglecting the rest. They imagine this to be the right approach, in effect transforming the gifts into “charisms.” St Augustine, and later St Thomas Aquinas, are very clear that all the gifts must operate at the same level and grow together. It is not a matter of personal preference.
Thus, the work of the mind, led by the gift of Counsel, interacts with Jesus’ Word, showing us what He desires us to do. This, in fact, marks the end of the first phase of Lectio—the phase of listening (Phase II in the 15 steps).
5. Now the Word, received in the mind and understood with clarity through its descent into the mind until it reached the discernment stage—assisted by the gift of Counsel—must be met with the full energy of the will in order to receive it and put it into practice. Here, the will must gather all its strength and focus it on one point: what the Lord is asking. We are now in the third part of the fifteen steps, the stage of Putting into Practice. At this point, we once more gather all our energy with the whole of our will, asking the Lord to give us His Holy Spirit—through the gifts of Piety, Fortitude, and Fear of God—so that we may be enabled to carry out His will.
Piety, in this context, is the gift of the Holy Spirit that draws together all the energies of the will around one single goal: putting into practice what the Lord has said, allowing the Word received by the mind to cross the abyss between mind and will, to enter the will itself, changing it, purifying it, and transforming it.
As at the beginning of Lectio, we made a persevering effort to recollect ourselves, to be entirely present with the Lord, attentive to Him and to His Word—and all of this was guided by our prayerful reading: “Lord, tell me what You want from me.” Now, having discerned what He wants, we must make a fresh effort to gather our energy, renewing our total commitment and desire to put His will into practice.
We know that what He is asking may appear impossible to accomplish; yet, since He is the one asking, it means that His Holy Spirit will free us, purify us, enable us, and raise us above our weakness so that we may do His will. This is why we begin with Piety—this attitude, moved by the Holy Spirit, which enables us to draw together all our energy.
What is at stake now is receiving Jesus’ Word in such a way that it truly enters into us and changes us—not merely touching or guiding us, but genuinely entering and transforming us. This is why all the previous phases cannot be described as final contemplation. They may bring a certain delight because we have received Jesus’ light within us, but that light has not yet transformed us.
Again, we must be very careful not to fall into the illusion of thinking that perceiving Jesus’ will supernaturally in the mind is Lectio in its fullness, or its completion. It is only the first step—a supernatural one, a real descent of the Holy Spirit into the mind—but it must pass through the will, be incarnated, and transform us.
Some have described Lectio Divina merely as the discovery of the spiritual senses of Scripture, even going so far as to cite the Fathers of the Church as an example. This is, in truth, a deviation. What good is it to understand Scripture more deeply with the mind if we do not put it into practice? It is not by understanding the Scriptures, even in a spiritual way, that we are doing Jesus’ will—it is by carrying it out.
Christianity is not salvation through intellectual, disincarnate knowledge. Christianity—and the words of Jesus—are capable of changing the human person and transforming him, enabling Jesus and the Holy Spirit to live ever more fully within him until he reaches the fullness of growth, “the full stature of Christ” (cf. Ephesians 4:13).
This step is important and is guided by the prayer: “Jesus, now that You have told me what to do, please graciously give me Your Holy Spirit so that I may put it into practice. Help me to gather all my energy around Your Word.”
6 – Now comes the moment of making the act. The act proceeds from the will and fully engages it, with all its energy. At this stage, we need the intervention of the Spirit’s gift of Fortitude to enable us to put His Word into practice. This is the decisive moment in Lectio, when we finally move beyond merely hearing or understanding Jesus’ will to actually doing it, with the help of the Spirit of Fortitude.
For example, if at the beginning of my Lectio, when the Lord began speaking to us through both texts, we understood that “mercy” was the theme, we allowed the Word to descend, and it then became clear—at the level of discernment—that He wanted me to forgive a particular person. Recognising that I first needed healing because that person had hurt me, I then asked the Holy Spirit to help me receive the forgiveness He wanted me to extend. Now comes the very moment when this act of forgiving takes place—by the help of the Holy Spirit.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We have understood His will “in heaven” (in the light of our mind), and now, upon the “earth” or soil of our will, that will is about to become incarnate in us.
What a marvel! Christianity can only be measured by this reality—by this fulfilment. If this is not accomplished, what is Christianity? If the Gospel cannot take flesh in us, our faith is empty, dry, dead. The Gospel—all the Gospel—is meant to become incarnate in us. This is why this descent is so vital: Jesus enters into us, transforms us, and chooses to dwell in us. In this way, He delights to make His home within us: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments, and My Father will love you, and We will make Our dwelling with you” (John 14:21, 23).
If the Gospel does not become incarnate in us, we must revisit our faith, our plans, and our formation. Lectio is not a fashionable or novel method of prayer—it is simply the Gospel itself: “Listen to My Word and put it into practice.” This is the truest description of Our Lady.
This is the criterion of our prayer life, the measure of our growth. Let us ask ourselves: Is the Gospel truly changing me? Am I meeting Jesus in the Holy Spirit every day?
7 – Finally, when the act has been made, we come to the last step: a rooting, a consolidation. Notice that when the Lord says, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments, and My Father will love you,” He adds: “and We will make Our dwelling with you” (John 14:21, 23).
Here is a profound mystery: this is something stable. It is not only that we have become God’s adopted children through Baptism, but that the immense and unique grace of Baptism now sends down active roots within us through the daily choices we make. The central choice in Lectio is to put His will, His Word, into practice. This allows the Lord to “pitch His tent” in us (cf. John 1:14).
St Teresa of Avila, in The Interior Castle, says that the Lord dwells in the sinner as if in a prison. But here, when we do the will of Jesus, we not only move progressively from darkness into His light; we also allow Him to live and act in us in a true collaboration. He holds our hand in His and shows us how to act. In this way, He dwells and acts in us freely, and as we grow, His life and action in us become increasingly “fluent”. In this sense, He dwells in us and takes His delight in us: “My delights were to be with the children of men” (Proverbs 8:31, DRB).
We are thus drawn into a living relationship with our Father, becoming day by day more responsive to His Spirit: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (Romans 8:14, NRSV). We no longer wish to grieve God by any bad behaviour; we do not want to stray from His holy will or from His Holy Spirit. For “the New Law is the very grace of the Holy Spirit written in our hearts” (cf. Jer 31:33; Ez 36:27; Rom 8:2–4; CCC 1965).
This is the filial fear of God the Father which His children acquire. They become His dwelling place. Amen.
Regarding still the fear of God, it is important to remember another key point: the spirit of gratitude greatly helps us remain rooted in God’s grace. When we experience the descent and incarnation of Jesus’ Word within us, it becomes essential to thank the Lord and cultivate a continual sense of gratitude throughout the day. The more we recognise and appreciate His grace, the more we express our thanks, and the more God pours out His gifts, helping us remain firmly grounded in Him. Since each Lectio is really like a small Incarnation, our heart should sing everyday: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden; behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed. For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.”
(Luke 1:46–49)
Conclusion
As we can see, the Holy Spirit, who is light for the manifold functions of the mind and love for the functions of the will, brings about true contemplation: the real, daily putting into practice of Jesus’ Word in our lives. This is an essential work. He employs His seven gifts, which are not only interrelated but also serve as steps along the way, or mileposts, on the road of the Word’s descent, facilitating its incarnation in us. These gifts are connected, guiding, so to speak, the Word from one level of descent to another.
When Our Lady asked, “Who will be unto me?” the angel replied: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you…” Indeed, it is the Holy Spirit who is the maker of the Incarnation. He is at work in bringing Jesus’ Word to dwell within us. The gifts of the Holy Spirit operate together and depend on one another in a descending order. One could say that, instead of Guigo’s Ladder, we need the Holy Spirit’s ladder! But His ladder does not ascend; it descends, as the Lord indicated in the Our Father: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Each baptised person is called to unite heaven and earth in their own life. This is not only a sacred task but also a vital necessity, our noble mission.
At the end of this journey of exploring contemplation through Lectio Divina, we see how concrete and practical it truly is. The work of the Holy Spirit is a masterpiece of descent, not only engaging with our faculties—the mind and the will—but entering into the very details of their operation: four for the mind and three for the will. It is a marvel of God’s work in us, simultaneously describing the action of the Holy Spirit and revealing who we are and how we must collaborate with God at every stage of the Word’s coming into our lives.
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace…
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord;
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, full of grace…
V. And the Word was made flesh;
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, full of grace…
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
Read Also
– Two Types of Contemplation : Lectio Divina and Prayer of the Heart