This Substack has one purpose: to help the reader (and the author) seek God in the words of Scripture and in the “stuff” of life. It’s built on a simple thesis that comes down through generations of monastics, that by attending to the voice of God in the words of Scripture, we can better attend to that voice during the course of the day. God wishes to speak with us at all times but we won’t hear him if we don’t set aside specific times to listen to him — to listen to him in Scripture, the sacred page.
Surprising things happen. Maybe Lectio & Life can generate a small community of people interested in seeking the Lord through lectio and we can help each other along the way.
The Writing (and Reading) Plan
Sunday, the Lord’s Day, is the beginning and end of the week. As such, it’s the center of the week and it will stand at the heart of my efforts, here. The Catechism explains the place and importance of Sunday as follows:
The day of Christ’s Resurrection is both the first day of the week, the memorial of the first day of creation, and the “eighth day,” on which Christ after his “rest” on the great sabbath inaugurates the “day that the Lord has made,” the “day that knows no evening.” The Lord’s Supper is its center, for there the whole community of the faithful encounters the risen Lord who invites them to his banquet (§1166).
To aid my readers in preparing for the Lord’s Day, I will post the Sunday Gospel reading on Thursday of each week. Of course anyone can look ahead at this reading in their lectionary, devotional magazine, online, or on their preferred prayer app. However, I will be posting the Gospel in a unique format that mimics how the monks would have encountered a text when lectio divina first emerged as a practice. You can read more about the reading format in this article.
On Saturdays, I will publish my own reflections on the Gospel after praying with it for several days. I believe Saturday into Sunday presents the greatest opportunity for an experience of community, as I welcome readers to share their own reflections and we can share in something like what St. Gregory the Great described about communal lectio: “For I know that in the presence of my brothers and sisters I have very often understood many things in the sacred text that I could not understand alone.”
Then, on the other side of the Lord’s Day, I will frequently post theoretical or practical articles on the topic of lectio divina. I’ll aim for Mondays or Tuesdays for these. They could cover a range of topics, from helpful tips to interesting nuggets drawn from the long history of lectio. These articles may be short pieces offering help, or longer essays with a bit more of a scholarly edge.
Audience
In terms of readership, I have in mind the person I would call the “spiritually serious.” By spiritually serious, I mean someone who is striving in the spiritual life, regardless of whether that person is a beginner or an experienced traveler. Consequently, I aim for writing that is thorough yet accessible, helpful yet deep.
A Part of a Whole
Lectio & Life exists as a critical piece of what’s become a larger project. For years, lectio divina has served a foundational element of my own spirituality and my approach to ministry, though this has coalesced in interesting new developments recently. Personally, I am pursuing Benedictine oblation, and lectio forms a pillar of oblate life because it’s a pillar of monastic life. In my work at Stella Maris, I’ve developed two distinct mini-courses on lectio. I also run a weekly Bible study called (not surprisingly) Lectio and Life. In 2027, Cascade will be publishing my latest book: From Lectio to Life: A Guidebook for Listening to God in a Noisy World. You can see the convergence of forces, here. The book will certainly function as the flagship of the thing, but a book is time bound. Plus, a book is simply a launchpad for deeper inquiry and a range of experiences. Hence the reason for this Substack. It will allow me to continue developing thought around this topic and make relevant conversations about lectio even more accessible.
Immersive Experience
I hope Lectio & Life can offer all of us a kind of immersive experience into the world of lectio divina. It really is another world. It’s a world where words matter, things have deep meaning, and the events and circumstances of our lives are perceived as manifestations of God’s providence. And all with thematic threads running through them, threads that help us understand God and ourselves. In some small way, this Substack may help us enter this world.
After years of prayerful reading, I can say with confidence that lectio does change your life, and it does so gradually and gently. It probably won’t be immediately noticeable, but it will change. Stick with it and you’ll become more perceptive to God’s voice and more open to his way. So, if you don’t want your life to change, don’t pray lectio — because it will transform you. Conversely, if want your life to change, pray lectio and watch out.
Well said and it will change your life.