Sacred Study and the Consecration of the Mind (Part 1) | Fr. Stephen Ryan, O.P.

The Thomistic Institute

Christianity, Society & Culture, Catholic Intellectual Tradition, Catholic, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Thomism, Catholicism

4.8 • 729 Ratings

🗓️ 22 August 2024

⏱️ 16 minutes

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Summary

In this first of two lectures Fr. Stephen Ryan explores the concept of Lectio Divina as a uniquely Christian form of meditation, rooted in Scripture and Christ's teachings. He outlines the process of sacred study, which involves reading, meditation, and prayer, highlighting the importance of engaging with Scripture as a means of encountering God. The speaker also emphasizes the transformative power of God's word and the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding prayer, while distinguishing Christian meditation from Buddhist, Hindu, and mindfulness practices.

This lecture was given on June 29th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies.

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About the Speaker:

Fr. Stephen Ryan was born and raised in Boston and entered the Order of Preachers in 1987. He was ordained a priest in 1993 and, on completion of doctoral studies in Scripture, was assigned to the Dominican House of Studies in 2000. He teaches Scripture and the biblical languages.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Tomistic Institute podcast.
0:06.8	Our mission is to promote the Catholic intellectual tradition in the university, the church, and the wider public square.
0:13.1	The lectures on this podcast are organized by university students at Temistic Institute chapters around the world.
0:19.1	To learn more and to attend these events, visit us
0:22.2	at to mystic institute.org. Our session this morning is sacred study in the consecration of the mind.
0:29.9	My topic is scripture and prayer and sacred study, with a focus on the alternating rhythm of reading and prayer that it's really at the heart
0:41.9	of Lexio-Devina. In thinking about this topic, I want to make three simple points. First,
0:49.2	Christianity has its own proper form of meditation. Lexio-Deivina is a good example, and it has roots in
0:58.0	and flows from Scripture and the teaching of Christ. Second, this Christian tradition of
1:06.0	meditation differs in important and fundamental ways from Buddhist and Hindu meditation.
1:12.6	It differs from mindfulness training as well,
1:16.0	which aims at a kind of intentional, present moment, non-judgmental awareness.
1:24.4	Mindfulness training can be helpful in a number of ways, but the prayerful reading of Scripture
1:30.3	goes beyond in seeking and finding living contact with a three-person God.
1:37.3	For now, St. Augustine said in a sermon, treat the Scripture of God as the face of God.
1:47.0	Third, Lexio Divina can be practiced in a great variety of ways.
1:52.4	The familiar presentation of a four-step format from reading to meditation, to prayer,
1:58.4	and to contemplation is pedagogically useful, but it's also misleading
2:04.0	and limiting. With regard to prayer, St. Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 3 are worth recalling.
2:11.3	Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2:18.3	The Holy Spirit is the great director of our prayer.
2:23.3	In a letter written from prison and known as his letter of joy,
	...

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