Our Prayer as Benedictine Sisters includes Lectio, Centering, Liturgy of the Hours

Our Prayer as Benedictine Sisters includes Lectio, Centering and Liturgy of the Hours

Listen often to holy reading, and devote yourself often to prayer. Rule of Benedict

“Benedictine prayer rolls on, as daily as marriage and washing dishes … (becoming) a part of a Benedictine’s physical as well as spiritual life, acting on the heart to slow it down, something I came to know as I often came to noon prayer with my mind still racing with the work I’d interrupted. Beginning to recite a psalm such as 62, which begins: ‘In God alone is my soul at rest,’ I’d feel as if I were skidding to a halt.” — Kathleen Norris, The Cloister Walk

In fact, praying together three times daily during Liturgy of the Hours forms the rhythm of our lives, reminding us of who we are and why we chose to become Benedictines. Communal prayer graces us with abundant blessings just when we need them, at the start of the day, after morning’s work, and as the day is done.

We engage in other forms of prayer, as well. We join in the celebration of the Eucharist every day. Many Sisters practice such ancient monastic prayers as Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer. Others pray the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross and Eucharistic Adoration. Whatever our prayer of choice, the purpose is union with Christ, both together and in private.

A Sister of St. Benedict prays in the Eucharistic Chapel at St. Mary Monastery.

Lectio Divina:

Listening with the Ear of your Heart

Lectio Divina, the monastic practice of Sacred Reading, dates back to ancient times when illiterate monks listened to their literate sisters and brothers read scripture. Their purpose was not to study Bible passages, but to be moved by them; to, in the words of Thomas Keating, “think the text (but not) about the text,” or to, in the words of St. Benedict, “listen with the ear of the heart.”

Lectio is the practice of listening to a scriptural passage without preconceived thought or intellectual study. It is not Bible study; nor is it an opportunity to share or discuss. It is an opportunity to quiet oneself and be receptive to God speaking through the Holy Spirit.

“Lectio is a prayerful process of reading the scriptures in the light of

the Holy Spirit,” Sr. Audrey Cleary, OSB, explains. Sr. Audrey, who holds Master’s degrees in spirituality and theology, as well as certification in spiritual direction and pastoral counseling, has taught Lectio, as well as the closely related Centering Prayer, for almost 30 years. She says Lectio has undergone changes in popularity over the centuries, but that it is growing in popularity now.

“Monasteries began teaching Lectio after Vatican II, because of a new emphasis on scripture,” Sr. Audrey explains. “Everyone can do it, although some are more attracted to it.”

For those who are more comfortable with structured prayer, Lectio may not hold much allure. But, practitioners would urge others to try it, because the benefits are so strong.

“As you practice Lectio, it will begin to change you,” Sr. Audrey notes. “You’ll begin to absorb what you’re reading, whether you’re alone or in a group. You’ll begin to put on the heart and mind of Jesus. You’ll begin to act like what you’re reading.”

Ask those who practice Lectio how it has affected them, and you will hear impassioned responses. Kay Mallon, Peoria, Ill., says she became curious about Lectio when she worked as a counselor at Lutheran Social Services in Peoria.

“One of my coworkers was Sr. Catherine Cleary (from St. Mary Monastery in Rock Island),” she remembers. “I knew how stressful her job was, but she always had a calm about her. I asked her how she did it. She told me about Centering Prayer and Lectio, and I started attending a group that practiced it. It has helped me be calm and balanced. I feel like I have my priorities right.”

Benedictine Sister Audrey Cleary works on an online retreat for Lent.

Those priorities include being open to other people.

“I compare Lectio to physical exercise,” she explains. “I go to the gym for the strength to pick up my grandkids, and the agility to get down on the floor and play with them. I do Lectio for the strength to be in relationship with others. I am able to listen better, to be open to other people’s views and ways. I don’t need to state my way of thinking as much. I’m less critical. Day to day, Lectio might be the furthest thing from my mind, but the effects of it are with me.”

The effects remain for Sr. Margaret Murphy, OSB, too.

“I don’t always have deep insights during Lectio, but I feel more reflective and observant all day,” says Sr. Margaret, who is a St. Mary Monastery Benedictine but also lives in Peoria. “Many times something will click later. For example, I ride the bus quite often. One day, a man got on with crutches. Then someone got on with a seeing eye dog. I looked around, and there were two women from India, two African Americans, and one Asian. I thought, ‘I’m right in the middle of the Gospel.’ I thanked God for all of us, and prayed for those who are crippled and blind, in physical and sometimes in spiritual ways.

“Lectio helps me to develop an openness and receptivity to the Word of God in Scripture, as well as in nature and in events. It helps me see God everywhere, and hear what God might be saying.”

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