Other Practical Notes
a) For a lectio that influences life, time is needed. How much? Certainly not less than the
half-hour normally expected. A time that can be broken up, between evening and morning, for example. But a time that must be defended tooth and nail, ferociously. The power of the world is so strong that a strong and constant antidote is needed, to resist and counter-attack.
One of the firm points of a formation program must be: you can neglect everything, but not the lectio. “Nullo die sine pagina”.
But is what has been said realistic? Those who know present rhythms of commitments, courses, accomplishments might consider it a pious illusion, one of the many dutiful statements which must be said in these circumstances. We have to be clear here: what realism are we talking about? The realism of a person who has to do many things and therefore has to find time to stop a little, or the realism of a believer who is in mission, or, more specifically, of a consecrated person who is in mission?
Being in mission means being sent by the Lord, to say his Words, to repeat his actions, to represent his form of life which proclaims the primacy of God; how is it possible to live in this dimension without a “full immersion” in the reality of God?
The Gospel says of Jesus: “His reputation continued to grow, and large crowds would gather to hear him and to have their sickness cured, but he would always go off to some place where he could be alone and pray.” (Lk 5:16) If the Son needed this frequent dialog with the Father, right in the midst of an insistent mission, will not those who are in mission today, as his followers, also need it?
The realism of mission demands continual, fresh, renewed contact with the source of mission. Otherwise don’t speak of mission, but of work, which certainly has its dignity, but is something different from mission.
To be realistic is to be convinced that it is impossible to be in mission without a “solitary place to pray”, without adequate time to meet with the Father, listen to Him and respond in a unique and irreplaceable dialog.
b) For a fruitful lectio, normally and at least initially, good aids are needed. Some find the
exegetical aids sufficient. And, as a matter of fact, for a certain time small and large exegetical commentaries accompanied the meditation of the Word of God. Results includethe advantage of a better understanding of the text, besides an increase in a biblical education; and the risk of an approach to the Word of God that is inevitably and, often solely, didactic and intellectual.
We need to observe also that many who come to Scripture usually also need further
accompaniment of a guide who puts them into contact with the great lights of spiritual tradition and helps to connect them with our time.
Experience also tells us that in front of texts that are repeated, attention can slip away and
personal deepening can often disappear into emptiness.
c) For some years one can usefully follow the liturgical lectionary, both feastday and
weekday; this promotes a more aware and full participation in the liturgy of the day.
But with the passing of time, also for a better understanding of the entire Sacred Scripture, the books of Scripture can be taken individually, in their totality, beginning with the New Testament, especially the Gospels, without forgetting those most loved by the tradition of consecrated life, the Psalms, Exodus, the Song of Songs...
Here too, initially, it is good to be accompanied by some good commentary which helps both the understanding of the text and the reflection of the praying tradition of the Church and of consecrated life, which often has produced genuine jewels for spiritual depth and existential intuition...
d) As to the collatio, or the placing of “reflections” (resonances) in common; it is warmly
recommended by recent documents, even though, wisely, not imposed.
Normally it is easier with young people and with homogeneous communities. It is harder with heterogeneous communities who are in the midst of absorbing activities and endowed with different sensitivities.
From experience it seems we can say:
- the practice of the collatio helps to build fraternal communities in depth,
- but it requires a minimum of previous fraternal acceptance in order to have a real sharing of experiences of the Spirit of the Word.
- If in a formation community one can practice a sharing almost daily, in communities engaged in intense activity a weekly rhythm can be a good beginning.
- Everyone must have the conviction (and therefore previous catechesis) that it is not a matter of saying “beautiful reflections”, but to communicate “true experiences” aroused by the Word; this may be the most difficult movement.
And the charism that the title talks about?
Here too, only some notes:
1. Lectio, at first sight might seem to re-dimension the charism, since it nourishes
the Christian life, in first place.
It is true that some emphases on the charism, in these years, in spite of the undeniable progress in the knowledge of sources, have remained sterile, for lack of support by a deeply rooted Gospel mentality.
The charism in fact lives when the theological life of faith, hope and charity is alive. Without that vital environment the word charism risks becoming only synonymous with specialization, professionalism, presence and activity in a specific area and not of a gift that comes from above for the building of the Body of Christ.
2. On the other hand, we must observe that with the practice of the lectio comes the
rediscovery both of the new and special consecration and of the practical implications of the charism, because I place myself before the Word with my whole being, signed by my consecration in a definite charismatic project, with its particular way of seeing and living reality, with its consequent daily duties, with its necessary and typical incarnations of the Word.
The consecrated person is supported in living a special Gospel rootedness by his/her type of life, characterized by the apostles’ way of living ( “apostolica vivendi forma”), who “left everything” to follow the Lord Jesus effectively and affectively.
The charism of consecrated life, with all its peculiarity of Gospel reading “without
glossing” then is revivified: the hard words of the Lord are taken seriously because the value of the Reign has been understood.
In this way consecrated life must also tell the world today that one cannot do a selective reading of the Gospel, which is to be accepted as word of life, also when it requires an unconditional clinging to the Lord Jesus.
Moreover, my daily confrontation with the Word orients me in highlighting the Gospel quality of my approach to the charism, supporting dedication and unselfishness in service, nourishing religious and eschatological motivation (the penultimate realities in which we are immersed are not everything!), purifying intentions, putting my theological life in the forefront.
Without taking into account that the practice of lectio puts one in contact with the same source that nourished orientations and decisions of founders/foundresses, moved by a special light which the Spirit threw on a Word of the Lord seen as central and directional for living the whole Gospel.