A Light for our Path
“Your word is a lamp for my steps, Lord,
and a light for my path” Ps 118
Our Carmelite Rule bids us to “ponder the Lord’s law day and
night”, as Mary did. The Word is a lens through which we learn
to see and judge all that happens in our daily lives and world. It
is a school of daily conversion, where we meet Jesus and grow
into his mind and heart; we put on his attitudes, as portrayed in
the Beatitudes.
Lectio Divina
“Lord, who can grasp all the wealth of just one of your words?”
St Ephraem
Each Sister spends time every day in Lectio Divina, i.e. “sacred
reading” of the Scriptures. Lectio Divina dates back for centuries.
The early hermits on Mount Carmel would take a single word or
short passage from Scripture, carrying it in their hearts
throughout the day, ruminating on it and often repeating it
aloud, savouring it…
Once a week we come together for a shared group Lectio Divina,
usually on the Gospel for the coming Sunday. We gain new
insights and spiritual nourishment from listening to each other.
It is surely a sign of today’s new springtime that the Holy Spirit is
opening up this “living power among us” (1 Thess 2:13) through
Lectio Divina, helping us to discern today the signs of the times
and the way forward.