Lectio divina is "letting our Divine Friend speak to us through his inspired and inspiring Word," according to M. Basil Pennington, the late priest, retreat master, and prominent lecturer in the Centering Prayer movement. This ancient Christian practice requires faith, humility, openness, and fidelity. Father Pennington sets the process of praying the Scriptures in the context of meditation, contemplation, compassion, and action. He calls it "a way of friendship" wherein we pay attention to "the love letters from the Lord." Lectio, as a satisfying mental and emotional experience, can be enhanced by reading different translations of the Bible, using commentaries, participating in Bible study groups, and using the resources of Scripture-oriented websites.
Fr. M. Basil Pennington, O.C.S.O. (1931 2005) was a Trappist monk and priest. He was a leading Roman Catholic spiritual writer, speaker, teacher, and director. He received a licentiate in Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) and a licentiate in Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Pennington became known internationally as one of the major proponents of the Centering Prayer movement begun at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spenceer, Massachusetts, during the 1970's.