The Catholic Prayer Bible: Lectio Divina Edition. A Benedictine oblate blog

Paulist Press’s web site announced the February 2010 publication of The Catholic Prayer Bible: Lectio Divina Edition. I think it’s my next book purchase.

Lectio divina is Latin for divine reading.

While I follow a slightly different method of lectio divina (described here), than the four-step process described by Paulist Press, The Catholic Prayer Bible: Lectio Divina Edition seems structured to help the reader be “led to prayer through meditation on [the Biblical] passage” which is the essence of lectio divina regardless of how it is further explained when people are told "how to do lectio divina."

Being led in prayer and meditation by God while reading the Bible distinguishes lectio divina from the more analytical methods of reading — which are other ways Christians should study the Bible, and, which of course, should also be based in prayer.

I could not find a place on the Paulist Press's web site to order the book now, an alert reader may be able to find one, and I will try to post ordering information as soon as it is available. However, here is Paulist Press's Home Page so you can order it from them when available. It can be pre-ordered at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and Autom.

Paulist Press has these other lectio divina books. There is renewed interest in the ancient monastic practice of lectio divina:


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Footnotes:

Pictures are from the Paulist Press

Catholic Prayer Bible, lectio divina edition. A Benedictine oblate blog

The Catholic Prayer Bible, lectio divina edition, is expected to be published in March 2010 by Paulist Press. Thanks to the Catholic Bibles blog, I learned about the publication and called Paulist Press to inquire about the publication date.

I could not find a page about the new Bible on the Paulist Press web site, but the Catholic Bibles blog has a brief description of this new Bible which includes the comment that this is:

“An ideal Bible for anyone who desires to reflect on the individual stories and chapters of just one, or even all, of the biblical books, while being led to prayer through meditation on that biblical passage.”

Interestingly, the description of the Bible also refers to a quote from Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 that the practice of lectio divina will bring about a “new spiritual springtime.”(1) The Pope’s reference to the new spiritual springtime was the primary inspiration I used in the naming of the Oblate Spring web site.

I like reading from several Bibles and may buy this one when it is published.

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Footnotes:

Picture is 100_6182.JPG by cohdra and is subject to license.

(1) From the 40th Anniversary of the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation "Dei Verbum," 16 September 2005. Also see my About Page on the Oblate Spring web site.

Lectio divina described here.