Hello there,
I was just wondering what anyone here thinks of the following practices: Hesychasm and Lectio Divina.
Now, when I say hesychasm I am not talking about the near monastic life of a hesychast. I am simply talking about the practice of sitting in a quiet spot, holding a prayer rope and saying, "Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner." My prayer rope has 100 knots on it so I say it 100 times. Now, this is a not a mantra where the practice is simply to say the words. I do my best to focus on them, meditate on them, clear my mind of all other things and focus on the light of the Logos (Jesus) coming over me.
The second meditative practice I've taken up is Lectio Divina. It is a Benedictine practice which sums up as 'Read, Meditate, Pray, Contemplate'. I take a verse from the Scripture and read it slowly, then I meditate on parts of it the Holy Spirit (Sophia) point out to me. From there I say a prayer to God about anything which came to me out of the meditation. Lastly I contemplate and allow what I learned from the other phases to become a part of me.
I have been practicing these for the last few days and I was just wondering what these two practices mean to you. I understand that Hesychasm is Orthodox and Lectio Divina is Roman Catholic, but what do you think of these ancient arts of meditation?
I was just wondering what anyone here thinks of the following practices: Hesychasm and Lectio Divina.
Now, when I say hesychasm I am not talking about the near monastic life of a hesychast. I am simply talking about the practice of sitting in a quiet spot, holding a prayer rope and saying, "Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner." My prayer rope has 100 knots on it so I say it 100 times. Now, this is a not a mantra where the practice is simply to say the words. I do my best to focus on them, meditate on them, clear my mind of all other things and focus on the light of the Logos (Jesus) coming over me.
The second meditative practice I've taken up is Lectio Divina. It is a Benedictine practice which sums up as 'Read, Meditate, Pray, Contemplate'. I take a verse from the Scripture and read it slowly, then I meditate on parts of it the Holy Spirit (Sophia) point out to me. From there I say a prayer to God about anything which came to me out of the meditation. Lastly I contemplate and allow what I learned from the other phases to become a part of me.
I have been practicing these for the last few days and I was just wondering what these two practices mean to you. I understand that Hesychasm is Orthodox and Lectio Divina is Roman Catholic, but what do you think of these ancient arts of meditation?