Fr Ben Garren

“My siblings, let us pray as God our master has taught us. To ask the Father in words his Son has given us, to let him hear the prayer of Christ ringing in his ears, is to make our prayer one of friendship, a family prayer. Let the Father recognize the words of his Son. Let the Son who lives in our hearts be also on our lips. We have him as an advocate for sinners before the Father; when we ask forgiveness for our sins, let us use the words given by our advocate. He tells us: Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. What more effective prayer could we then make in the name of Christ than in the words of his own prayer?”
                                                                                                            ~Saint Cyprian of Carthage

Dear Friends in Christ,

Most of us have encountered Lectio Divina as a form of Bible Study. Generally this involves reading a passage of the bible three or more times with minutes of silence in between the readings. Sometimes participants are prompted to name a word or phrase in the passage that speaks to them. The hope is to engage how a passage is impacting our hearts and to place aside debates about interpretation and meaning. This is the momentary practice of Lectio Divina.

The lifelong practice of Lectio Divina is to read, hear, and pray a passage of scripture so often that it works its way into our marrow. Passages one can recite while readily thinking about something else entirely. Passage one can pray when everything else is so overwhelming that they are the only words we know. The intensity of monastic discipline can be gauged by how often members of the order are expected to pray the entire psalter… daily, weekly, monthly? The goal being that over decades of recitation the whole psalter would work its way into the core of monks and nuns.

The Lord’s Prayer is the scripture that most of us have a lifelong practice of Lectio Divina to work with. On this feast of Saint Cyprian, I want to suggest we deepen that practice a little further. Allow the prayer to become more part of the blood forming in our marrow. As Christians have joined Jesus in praying this prayer again and again, day after day, our hearts, minds, souls, and strength have joined together. We are one family praying to the same beloved parent. Use the lord’s prayer to connect with that love. On this feast day, and all days.

Peace,
Ben