Lectio Divina: A Way of Interpreting Scripture in Liturgical Celebrations to Address Contemporary Issues in Indonesia

Abstract

The Holy Scriptures are fundamental to liturgical celebrations as they form their theological basis; consequently, they are always read or proclaimed to the assembly. Those participating in liturgical celebrations draw meaning from these readings to serve as a guide for their lives. One way of interpreting the Holy Scriptures within liturgical celebrations is through lectio divina, a practice that has been in use since the early Christian era and continues to this day. In the introductory section, this study examines the tradition, function and significance of lectio divina as a practice for the faithful, which will subsequently be applied to the context of the Church in Indonesia to interpret it as a guiding spirit for its activities. The study will utilise primary source texts from three key figures in lectio divina—Pachomius, Benedict and Gregory—presenting foundational texts relevant to the research. To elaborate on these texts, a text-analytical approach based on the works of these authors is required; this will be presented in the findings section, and the results will be synthesised in the discussion, demonstrating that lectio divina aims to interpret the Holy Scriptures as the foundation and spirit for daily life and vigilance in one’s work.