Scripture, Personal Prayer, and Liturgy

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“‘Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Therefore, the brothers should have specified periods for manual labor as well as for prayerful reading.’ With these words, Saint Benedict begins chapter 48 of his Rule in which he suggests a suitable way of arranging times for work and times for lectio divina in the monastic schedule. Prime time, about three hours a day, is to be spent in lectio divina. Literally, lectio divina means “divine reading.” It is “divine” because the texts are mainly scripture. It is “reading” in the ancient sense of speaking aloud the written words so that the tongue which shapes the words and the ear which hears them can give their meaning to the mind.” –Page 63