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Homilies by Rev. Andrew Collis unless indicated otherwise.

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Homily

Ordinary Sunday 16, Year C
South Sydney Uniting Church
July 21, 2013

Genesis 18:1-10a; Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42


‘Lectio divina’

Jesus defends and encourages Mary in her desire for prayer and study. That’s our encouragement today. There will be no homily. Instead, we’ll practice together a form of meditation called lectio divina or divine reading. God be with you …

The lectio divina is a form of private or corporate meditation introduced by St Benedict, a late-fifth/early-sixth century abbott who wrote a Rule for monastic life (counter-cultural, genuinely personalist community) marked by concerns for balance in life together: work, study, creativity, prayer and rest. The Benedictine Rule is arguably the most influential rule of monasticism in the Western tradition.

Father Luke Dysinger is a Benedictine monk from California. The handout features his summary of lectio divina – which entails three readings of the Gospel, three periods of silence and three opportunities for sharing responses in a Spirit of deep listening – attending to the Gospel and to our own hopes and memories “with the ear of the heart”.

Fr Dysinger says: “Lectio divina is a slow, contemplative praying of the Scriptures. Time set aside in a special way for lectio divina enables us to discover in our daily life an underlying spiritual rhythm. Within this rhythm, we discover an increasing ability to offer more of ourselves and our relationship to Abba God, and to accept the embrace that God is ever extending to us in the person of the Beloved, Jesus Christ.”

(1) The first reading is for the purpose of hearing a word or passage that touches the heart …

(2) The second reading is for the purpose of “hearing” or “seeing” Christ in the text. Each ponders the word that has touched the heart and asks where the word or phrase touches his or her life …

(3) The third and final reading is for the purpose of experiencing Christ “calling us forth” into doing or being …

We will conclude with each person praying for the person on the right of him or her … Amen.