Lectio Divina (​“divine, or sacred, reading”) is the name given to a spiritual tradition among Christians over the last two thousand years, in which they attentively and pray​erfully read the word of God.

Although there is an element of study in “Lectio Divina”, it is not the same as Bible study, or exegesis, where one seeks to interpret the sacred text through analysis, and with the help of the work of scripture scholars.

In Lectio Divina we seek not to master or grasp the sacred text, but rather through it, prayerfully and silently, to come into the presence of God. We seek to be humbly a​ttentive to God’s Holy Word, to savour it, and to let it enter into our heart as much as our heads, so that it may transform us.

One approach to Lectio Divina is simply to move systematically though a book of the Bible, but it never involves worrying about “covering” a certain quantity of text: what matters more is the quality of our humble attentiveness. We choose a small portion of the sacred text, and reflect prayerfully upon it.

Lectio Divina is not intended to increase our intellectual knowledge of the Bible (though it also has that effect); instead, it is intended to draw us closer to God, and to transform our attitudes and behaviour.

We begin with Vespers (Evening Prayer) at 7 p.m. followed by Lectio Divina from 7:30 to 8:15 p.m.

LIVESTREAM: Lectio Divina is livestreamed via the St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica website. 

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Lectio Divina for 2020-21 focuses on the Psalms and Canticles 
The Psalms and Canticles are the songs of the Bible. For 3,000 years, they have given life to the People of God in times of sorrow and joy. On the Cross, Jesus prayed a psalm. Since the earliest days of the Church, the psalms have been at the centre of private prayer and liturgical prayer - in the Mass and in the Liturgy of the Hours prayed throughout the day by priests, deacons, religious and laity.

Join us in meditating upon selected psalms during Lectio Divina in 2020-2021.. This month's Lectio Divina is on:

October 4, 2020 
Download booklet
The Two Ways (Psalm 1)