On the what of lectio divina **

A few weeks ago I suggested some options on what to read for lectio divina, that included looking at the psalms; taking the texts of the Sunday liturgical cycle; reading the Gospels systematically; and reading (the rest of) the Bible.  And I noted that I am posting aids to lectio divina in the form of notes on the psalms in the context of the Benedictine Office, and notes aimed at reading St Matthew's Gospel systematically over the quarter on my other blogs.

I've just come across a rather curious post by Father Mark over at Vultus Christi who, in a letter to Oblates of his monastery, argues that a systematic program of Bible reading , or reading the books of Scripture right through is downright uncatholic.

I'm not actually sure whether his post was meant as a direct response to my post (or queries from his Oblates generated by it); probably not, I'm far from the only one to suggest such systematic approaches.
But I have to say I find his a rather extreme position, so herewith a discussion of his arguments. Alas, wordpress won't, for some reason, allow me to post a comment on his blog, so I'm posting it over here instead.

Reading the Bible in order is Protestant?

Fr Mark points rightly to the privileged place Scripture has in the liturgy, and of Scripture as, in a certain sense, a product of the liturgy rather than something that should be viewed as entirely independent of it.  And he points out that Scripture is not a personal book, but something that can only be understood in the midst of the Church.  Thus far I agree.

But he then takes that view a step further than I think can really be sustained, arguing that as a general principle, as Catholics, we should only read the Bible in the context of the readings set at Mass and in the Office:

"Unlike Protestants who may open the Bible at random, or follow a personal reading plan, or use it to prepare a teaching or sermon, Catholic and Orthodox Christians submit to the Church’s use of the Bible in the liturgy...What should one read in lectio divina? In my long personal experience, it is best to focus on the very texts that will be chanted or read, and heard on a given day, in Holy Mass and in the Divine Office..."

He consigns the reading of Scripture in order to rare special occasions:

"There are also moments in life, notably during a retreat or on the occasion of a special anniversary, when one may want to read a particular book of the Bible continuously from start to finish..." 

St Benedict and the tradition on lectio divina

Now I'm all in favour of one option for lectio divina being to base it around the readings in the liturgy.
But to claim this is the only option we should ever adopt seems to me a step too far!

Here is why.

First, St Benedict himself in his Rule sets the precedent in favour of reading books in order, requiring his monks to read least one book a year consecutively (and this would normally have been a book of Scripture) during the season of Lent (RB 48).

Secondly the Fathers (including Benedictine monks like St Bede) and later theologians did not simply stick to the Sunday (or Sanctoral) readings, but produced many commentaries on complete books of Scripture, long viewed as essentially products of lectio divina.  Using them in anthology form obviously has value, but so too, surely, does treating them as complete works in their own right.

Thirdly, many of the Fathers adopt a 'canonical' reading of Scripture, an approach that is regaining popularity today, that interprets sections of Scripture by reference to its placement in the particular book of the Bible.  In the case of the psalms, for example, the particular number of certain psalms is regarded as significant in and of itself.  And canonical interpretation becomes supremely important in the case of obviously carefully crafted orderings of the material such as occur in St John's Gospel in particular, which is structured around 'signs' and 'days'. If we only ever read the snippets of Scripture prescribed for a particular day in the Mass we will surely miss this rich layer of meaning that comes from context.

Fourthly, others have suggested that in fact the monastic tradition is to read the books of the Bible through over a year: in fact, as Dom Christopher Lazowski, in an inspiring post from a few years back on New Liturgical Movement states that:

"There is a monastic adage that states that a monk should pray the Psalter in a week, and should read the Bible in a year...The rest of the Bible is read in a systematic way at the night Office...But the reading of Sacred Scripture is not limited to the liturgy. It is the chief matter of lectio divina, the meditative and prayerful reading, sliding in and out of prayer, that is a vital element of monastic life."

Dom Christopher notes that novices in his own monastery are given a plan for reading the Bible in a year 'which is inspired by the way the different books are read at the Office, with the addition of the books that the Office omits, but without the psalms and the Gospels'.

Finally, there are practical reasons for reading the books straight through as well, not the least of which is that if we only read what occurs in the liturgy we will remain ignorant of large chunks of Scripture (yes even the Novus Ordo lectionary omits whole psalms, chapters and verses of the Bible from its cycle).  Yet the Church has always insisted that all of Scripture is provided for our instruction.

St Matthew continues!

There is certainly a good case for taking the texts of the Mass and/or Office as the basis for our lectio for at least once cycle.  But equally, I think, there is a case for appreciating that God inspired the Sacred authors to write complete books that should be treated as such.  So, assuming you are not an Oblate of Silverstream (since obedience to one's abbot is a key virtue regardless of whether you think he has it right or not!), please do feel free to join me over at my Lectio Divina notes blog for a chapter by chapter read of St Matthew this quarter!

**Just to note that Fr Mark has written a subsequent post rather modifying his position, and suggesting that reading through the Gospels systematically would be acceptable as a source of lectio.

Feast of the Commemoration of the Baptism of Our Lord

Today's (not the) Octave Day of the Epiphany feast, of the Baptism of Our Lord, marks the formal end of the Christmas season in the 1962 calendar.  The greater Christmas season continues, however, for as the Baronius Missal comments on the season after Epiphany:

"This period, which begins the day after the Octave of Epiphany, is an extension of Christmastide..."

The Office readings for today includes this sermon by St Gregory Nazianus (Second Nocturn):

(Reading 5): I am not able to restrain the outbursts of my happiness. I feel changed and elated. I forget my own meanness while I undertake and try to discharge the office of the great John. It is true that I am not the Forerunner, but at least I come from the desert. Christ is enlightened, or rather, He enlighteneth us with His own light. Christ is baptized; let us go down with Him into the water, that we may come up with Him.

(Reading 6):John is baptizing. Jesus cometh. He cometh that He may make holy him who baptizeth Him; He cometh to bury the old Adam in the waters; He cometh to hallow the blessed flood of Jordan. He Who is Flesh and Spirit cometh to open for all that should ever be baptized that power of generation whereby new peoples are constantly begotten of water and the Holy Ghost. The Baptist will not receive Him. Jesus striveth with him. I, saith John, have need to be baptized of thee. Thus speaketh the candle to the Sun, the voice to the Word.

(Reading 7): Jesus came up out of the water, having, in a manner, washed the whole world, and brought it up with Him. And He saw the heavens opened not divided, even those heavens which Adam had once shut upon himself and us his descendants, when the cherub's fiery sword barred the gates of Paradise.

(Reading 8): And the Holy Spirit bare witness, witness unto Him Who is of One Substance with Himself. And witness was given from Heaven, unto Him that came down from heaven.

Not the sixth day of the Epiphany Octave

Octaves traditionally served a number of purposes: they signalled the importance of a particular feast; and through the repetition of the texts for that feast, helped the laity to truly learn certain key texts of Scripture.

These days we tend to prefer to constantly seek novelty, and disdain the idea of learning things by heart.  Yet constantly repeated texts help shape our mindset, forming us spiritually in a particular way of thinking.

And these traditional octaves also provide an opportunity, through the readings set set at Matins for the feast, to penetrate the mystery of the feast more deeply.

Accordingly, here are the readings that were previously set for the sixth day of the feast in the Benedictine office, courtesy of the excellent Divinum Officium website:

Homily by St Ambrose, Bishop of Milan.
Book ii. on Luke ii.
What are the gifts of the faithful and true? Gold to our King, frankincense to our God, and myrrh to Him Who died for us. The first is that whereof are made the royal honours of kings, the second is that mystic offering which is used in the worship of the Divine Power, and the third is that wherewith we pay respect to the dead, whose bodies it keepeth from corruption. My brethren, let us who hear and read these things, make offering out of what treasures we have albeit we have it in earthen vessels. 2 Cor. iv. 7. If we confess that all that we have, we have, not from ourselves, but from Christ, how much more should we confess that whatever we have is not our own, but Christ's?

The wise men out of their treasures presented unto Him gifts. Wilt thou know how pleasing to Him they were? The star appeared to them, but disappeared when it came near Herod. Then it appeareth to them again, leading them on the way that led to Christ. This star then was the way, and we know that Christ calleth Himself the Way. John xiv. 6. And truly also in the mystery of His Incarnation He is called a Star; as it is written There shall come forth a Star out of Jacob, and a Man shall rise out of Israel. Where Christ is, there is a Star; yea, He is Himself the bright and morning Star. Apoc. xxii. 16. And the light that leadeth to Jesus is His own.

Remark another point. The wise men came by one way and departed by another. They that had seen Christ, knew Christ, and they departed better than they came. There are two ways, the one which leadeth to destruction, the other which leadeth to the kingdom; the one is the way of sin, which leadeth to Herod; the other is Christ, the true Way, Who leadeth us home to the fatherland, from that journeying here, whereof it is said My soul hath long dwelt as an exile. 

Not the fifth day in the Octave of the Epiphany

The readings for the old Octave of the Epiphany that would have been used today in the Benedictine Office are as follows:

Homily by St Jerome, Priest at Bethlehem.
Bk. i. Comm. on Matth. ii.
We have seen His star in the East. In order that the Jews might be confounded by hearing from the Gentiles of the birth of Christ, the star rose in the East. They knew that it would come, by the prophecy of Balaam, whose successors they were. See the Book of Numbers, xxiv. 17. The star led the wise men to Judea, that the Priests, having it demanded of them where Christ should be born, might have no power to plead that they knew not of His coming.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea, this is a mistake of copyists. In our opinion, what the Evangelist wrote must have been, not of Judea, but of Judah. Thus it is in the Hebrew text. Nor is there any town called Bethlehem among any other people, that this should be called of Judea to distinguish it. But it is fitly distinguished as of Judah, because there is in Judea another Bethlehem, namely, the one in Galilee. See the Book of Joshua the son of Nun. xix. 15. Finally, the passage cited, which is in the prophet Micah, v. 2, hath But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah(, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel.)

And treasures they presented unto Him gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. The mystic meaning of these gifts is thus neatly expressed by Juvencus the Priest, To God made man, born Israel's King, Frankincense, myrrh, and gold they bring. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. They who had presented unto the Lord gifts, were honoured by receiving a warning, not from an Angel, but from God Himself; whereas even Joseph was warned only by an Angel. They departed into their own country another way, that they might not be brought into contact with the unbelief of the Jews.

Not the fourth day within the Octave of the Epiphany...

Five reasons why the Church should revive the Octave of the Epiphany

1. To emphasise the importance of the mission to convert the whole world, symbolised by the worship of the Magi.

2.  To emphasise that God truly reveals himself to us in a miraculous way, in theophanies such as occurred at the birth of Jesus, at his baptism and through the miracle of Cana, thus countering those who prefer to interpret the Gospels as merely 'allegorical'.

3.  To promote the reappropriation of Christmas as a religious feast consisting of twelve days, with Epiphany providing a demarcation line, and not just a secular 'happy holiday'.

4.  To extend the season of Christmas, and thus contribute to a proper balance between feasting and fasting - the Christmas season was originally forty days in length, to match the duration of Lent.

5.  To promote ecumenism with the Eastern Churches using the Julian calendar, and thus celebrating Christmas Day around our feast of the Epiphany...

St Gregory on the wise man's return by another route

And in the meantime, for your meditation during this season of Epiphanytide, the former readings used today in the Benedictine Office, courtesy of the Divinum Officium website:

"The wise men teach us a great lesson in that they departed into their own country another way. That which they did, being warned of God in a dream, we ought to do. Our country is heaven; and, when we have once known Jesus, we can never get there by returning on the way wherein we walked before we knew Him. We have left our country far, by the way of pride, and disobedience, and worldliness, and forbidden indulgence we must seek that heavenly Fatherland by tears, by subjection, by contempt of the things which are seen, and by curbing the fleshly appetites.

Let us then depart into our own country another way. They that have by enjoyment put themselves away from it, must seek it again by sorrow. Therefore, my dearly beloved brethren, it behoveth us to be ever fearful and watch, having continually before the eyes of our heart, on the one hand, the guilt of our doings, and, on the other, the judgment at the latter day. It behoveth us to think how that awful Judge will surely come, Whose judgment is hanging over us, and hath not yet fallen the wrath to come is before sinners, and hath not yet smitten them and the Judge yet tarrieth in order that, when He cometh, there may haply be less to condemn.

Let us afflict ourselves for our faults with weeping, and, with the Psalmist, let us come before His Presence with thanksgiving. Let us take heed that we be not fooled by the appearance of earthly happiness, or seduced by the vanity of earthly pleasure. For the Judge is at hand, even He That saith Woe unto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep, Luke vi. 25. Hence also Solomon saith Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness, Prov. xiv. 13. And again: I said of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it? Eccles. ii. 2. And yet again The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth, (vii. 5.)"

Not the third day within the octave of the Epiphany

Giotto

Continuing this series on the readings from the old Office of the Octave of the Epiphany, today's homily comes from Pope St Gregory the Great:

The wise men brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold is the fitting gift to a King, frankincense is offered in sacrifice to God, and with myrrh are embalmed the bodies of the dead. By the gifts, therefore, which they presented unto Him, the wise men set forth three things concerning Him unto Whom they offered them; by the gold, that He was King; by the frankincense, that He was God; and by the myrrh, that He was to die. There are some heretics who believe Him to be God, but confess not His Kingly dominion over all things; these offer unto Him frankincense, but refuse Him gold. There are some others who admit that He is King, but deny that He is God; these present unto Him gold, but will not give Him frankincense.

There are some other heretics who profess that Christ is both God and King, but not that He took a dying nature; these offer Him gold and frankincense, but not myrrh for the Manhood. Let us, however, present gold unto the new-born Lord, acknowledging His universal Kingship; let us offer unto Him frankincense, confessing that He Who hath been made manifest unto us in time, is God before time was; let us give unto Him myrrh, believing that He Who cannot suffer as touching His Godhead, was made capable of death as touching the manhood which He shareth with us.

There is also another signification in this gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold is a type of wisdom; as saith Solomon x In the mouth of the wise abideth a treasure to be desired. Frankincense, which is burnt in honour of God, is a figure of prayer; witness the words of the Psalmist: Let my prayer be set forth as incense before thee. By myrrh is represented the putting to death of the body; as where the holy Church saith of her labourers who strive for God even unto death My hands dropped with myrrh.

Not the Octave of the Epiphany!

The removal of most of the octaves from the liturgical calendar was perhaps an understandable decision.  

But it was, I think, one of those reforms that went more than a few steps too far, most obviously in the abolition of the octave of Pentecost in the Ordinary Form calendar.  

Bring back the octave of the Epiphany and time after the feast!

Another case in point, in my opinion, is the abolition of the octave of the Epiphany, which is, I think, one of those decisions which it would be nice to reverse as a means of giving some genuine impetus to the 'New Evangelisation'.

The calendar reforms of the twentieth century saw a progress reduction in the importance of Epiphany, starting with the abolition of the octave of the feast, and culminating in the outright abolition, in the Novus Ordo calendar, of the traditional season of time after Epiphany.  

Yet Epiphany is, above all, the great feast of the revelation of God to the gentiles, represented by the three wise men.  So how could reducing the importance of this feast possibly be thought consistent with the objective of making the Church more missionary oriented? 

The 1962-63 Benedictine Office does at least retain the remnants of the old octave, in the form of the so-called 'Ordinary of the ferial office in the epiphany season' (January 7 to 12), including Benedictus and Magnificat antiphons for each day.  But I thought it might be of interest to provide the readings previously used during the Octave at Matins as well (from Divinum Officium).

Homily of St Gregory (for second day within the previous Octave of the Epiphany)

From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew

Matt 2:1-12

When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. Saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? And so on.

Homily by Pope St Gregory (the Great)

10th on the Gospels.

When Herod knew of the birth of our King, he betook himself to his cunning wiles, and lest he should be deprived of an earthly kingdom he desired the wise men to search diligently for the young Child, and when they had found Him, to bring him word again. He said, that he also might come and worship Him, but, in reality, that, when he had found Him, he might put Him to death. But, behold, of how light weight is the malice of man, when it is tried against the counsel of God. It is written There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel, against the Lord, Prov. xxi. 30. So the star which the wise men saw in the East, still led them on; they found the new-born King, and presented unto Him gifts; then they were warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod. And as it came to pass that, when Herod sought Jesus, he could not find Him even so is it with hypocrites, who, while they make pretence to seek the Lord to worship Him, find Him not.

It is as well to know that it is one of the opinions of the Priscillianist heretics l that every man is born under the influence of a star; and, to confirm this notion, they bring forward the instance of the star of Bethlehem, which appeared when the Lord was born; and which they call His star, that is, the star ruling over His fate or destiny. But if we consider the words of the Gospel concerning this star, they are It went before, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. Whence we see that it was not the young Child Who followed the star, but the star which followed the young Child, as if to show that the young Child ruled the star, instead of the star ruling Him.

But I pray that the hearts of the faithful may ever be free from the thought that anything ruleth their destiny. In this world there is but One Who ruleth the destiny of man, even He Who made man; neither was man made for the stars, but the stars for man; and if we say that they rule his destiny, we set them above him for whose service they were made. When Jacob came out of his mother's womb, and his hand took hold on his elder brother Esau's heel, he could not have done so unless this his first movement had been behind his brother, and, nevertheless, such was not in after life the position of those two brethren whom their mother brought forth at one birth.