A continuous script version of Sunday’s Gospel passage is weird, to say the least. I often wonder if anyone else in the world is deconstructing a text to make it intentionally difficult to read. If anyone knows, please let me know.
I encourage you to sound out the passage below (literally put it on your lips and hear yourself saying the words) and continue mumbling the words in a repetitive manner. Go slow. As something stands out, take time with it, savor it, continue repeating it and allow it to speak to you. Meditate and pray. Then, mumble on.
As a way of further orienting you to this practice, I want to highlight a beautiful description of lectio from Fr. Francis Martin:
Sit down with the Bible, in reverence, quiet before God, and begin to read. After a while, if something strikes you, reflect on it. Simply and naturally begin to speak to God, allowing what you have read to console you or free you from some attachment; or perhaps have a few moments of quiet praise. It may be that God’s presence will be so perceptibly though intangibly obvious that you simply rest in unreflective silence. This awareness may not last very long before there is distraction; so resume reading again in simplicity and peace. This is a simple, organic activity, a way of prayer—not a production-oriented function, but a way of lifting all of you as a human being, mind, imagination, emotions, spirit, quietly to God.
If you’d like to read more about the continuous script (scriptio continua) format, please check out the intro to this presentation of the Gospel from a few weeks ago, or this article.
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This text comes from the Catholic Public Domain Version. You can find the official lectionary readings for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time here. You could also look up the passage in your own Bible. It is from Matthew 22:34–40.
On Saturday, I’ll offer some of my own reflections on this passage, and hopefully some of you will share your own in the comments section.
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