The ancient practice of lectio divina (sacred reading) can be an effective guide to creating a successful parish Bible study. Rooted in the Jewish tradition and nurtured throughout the centuries of Christianity, lectio divina is a way of studying the biblical text as a personal encounter between God and the reader. In attentive study and listening to the Scriptures, God speaks and invites our response in prayer. This ancient method – lectio, meditatio, oratio, collatio, and operatio – contains all the important elements of Catholic Bible study.

This time-honored method of Bible study is experiencing a revival in our day. At a recent conference in Rome entitled “The Bible in the Life of the Church,” Pope Benedict XVI said this: "If the practice of lectio divina is effectively promoted, I am convinced that it will produce a new spiritual springtime in the Church… The ancient tradition of lectio divina should be encouraged through the use of new methods, attentively pondered, adapted to the times.”