By: Carolyn Berghuis, MA, CTN, ND, MS

Meditation and prayer will unite you with the friendship God offers, the friendship your soul craves. Inside this friendship you will discover all the happiness your heart could ever desire. Lectio Divina is a beautiful way to enter into this friendship – its one of my favorite forms of meditation. When we meditate we open a pathway of communication for God to speak to us. However, in order to open this pathway we may need a tool to help our mind quiet. Lectio Divina, a practice Benedictine monks observed in their daily lives dating back to the early monastic communities of the 6th century, can beautifully transform your heart and align it with the heart of God.

Lectio Divina, or sacred reading, was used by the monks as they embraced the Word of God – sacred scripture. There are four steps to follow when praying and meditating on scripture in this way. I invite you to use a small number of verses. I often use one verse when I practice Lectio Divina. Take your time and enjoy.

  1. Faith – read your chosen verse slowly and reflectively, knowing that God is really there with you.
  2. Silence – read the verse again in a meditative manner, keeping silence in your heart.
  3. Openness – read the verse a third time leaving your thinking aside, keep your heart open to God.
  4. Rest – read a forth time and rest, listen at your deepest level to God’s small voice within.

How could there be any blessing you could pray for that I (God) would not joyously grant you? Your pleasure is my pleasure. Your endless delight in me brings me unending delight. – Julian of Norwich (1)


If you would like to schedule a session with Carolyn or inquire about inviting her to speak at an upcoming event or retreat of yours we invite you to click here: Carolyn Berghuis, MS, ND, CTN


1 Julian. The Showings of Julian of Norwich: A New Translation, ed. trans. by Mirabai Starr. (Charlottesville: Hampton Roads Publishing, 2013) Ch. 24, p. 60.