Though dates differ, Guigo II lived from about 1115 to 1198. His official title was the Ninth Prior of the Grand Chartreuse of Carthusians. That's a mouthful. Here's what it means: The Carthusians are an order of monks who are particularly strict (for example, they wake up every night at 11:45 P.M. and pray for three hours!). The headquarters of their order is the Grand Chartreuse (Charterhouse), which is just outside of Grenoble, France. The Prior is the leader of the Charterhouse and, therefore, of all Carthusians around the world. Guigo II was the ninth monk to lead the order.
In about 1150, Guigo II wrote The Ladder of Monastics (also known as The Ladder of Four Rungs). He compares the way monks pray and seek God to the ladder that Jacob saw climbing to heaven at Bethel (see Genesis 28:11-19). Guigo begins his book by telling about how all this occurred to him while he was working in the garden:One day I was engaged in physical work with my hands and I began to think about the spiritual tasks we humans have. While I was thinking, four spiritual steps came to mind: reading (lectio), meditation (meditatio), prayer (oratio), and contemplation (contemplatio). This is the ladder of monastics by which they are lifted up from the earth into heaven. There are only a few distinct steps, but the distance covered is beyond measure and belief since the lower part is fixed on the earth and its top passes through the clouds to lay bare the secrets of heaven.
While earlier Christians prayed lectio divina in something of a "web" form, jumping in and jumping out of steps in any order they chose, Guigo changed the metaphor to that of a ladder. With that hierarchical model, lectio divina has a specific starting point and ending point. We begin, he writes, on earth, reading God's Word. Then we climb the rungs of meditation and prayer, finally arriving in the clouds of heaven in contemplation. Guigo compares this ladder with a couple found in the Bible, as he continues:
This is the ladder Jacob saw, in Genesis, that stood on the earth and reached into heaven, on which he saw heavenly angels ascending and descending, with God leaning upon the ladder. From the ascending and descending of the angels is understood that the heavenly angels delight us with much spiritual comforting and carry our prayers up to our Lord in heaven, where he sits on high, and bring back down from him the desire of our hearts, as is proved by Daniel. By God's supporting the ladder is understood that he is always ready to help all who by these four rungs of this ladder will climb wisely, not fearing nor doubting that such a ladder will really help us.Guigo's format is the one we're going to follow in this book. Maybe I'm a slave to formulas or maybe I'm not as good at lectio divina as I ought to be, but I find his metaphor helpful. You may graduate to a more fluid method of praying Scripture, and I'm sure even Guigo would say that we are not bound to his formulation. But the linear structure of a ladder is a good starting point to learn lectio divina.
If you want to read more, I invite you to check out Divine Intervention: Encountering God through the Ancient Practice of Lectio Divina.
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Chris asked "Do you think that you ascend to heaven by doing the rosary?"- in a way. I'm fulfilling my duty as a Father Who Keeps His Promises by teaching my son the ways of the faith. And thus, I'm doing my duty which will eventually get me to heaven- though quite probably purgatory first, as I'm not pure enough to go to heaven.
Chad,
No really the ladder is far more than a metaphor. Those who practice LD are not climbing a metaphorical ladder in order to metaphorically experience God.
The goal of the ladder (the four rungs) is to experience God and the desired experience is not metaphorical.
As for God being 'bigger' than our formulas. That is just a silly and lame statement.
Again the question I asked is the key question, Where has God promised to be? Or put another way, Where has God promised that we can experience him (and we're talking about far more than just recognizing God omnipresence.)
The scriptures tell us where we can experience God and where God has promised to be.
There are no promises in scripture regarding experiencing God through LD, journaling, prayer labyrinths, candle lighting, sleeping on rough surfaces, making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, locking yourself in a monastery or eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
What is this insatiable desire that people have for 'spiritual experiences'? God is not electricity. You don't experience God by sticking your fingers into a spiritual wall socket of your own making.
Again I ask WHERE has God promised to be with us?
Let's start with the BIBLICAL basics on this matter and lay aside all this man-made tripe.
Matt. 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
1Cor. 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
1Cor. 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
Acts 22:16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
Luke 11:2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:
“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread,
4 and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”
Acts 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Col 2:11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
Put, simply God promises to be there for us in His Word and the Sacraments, NOT in our man-made spiritual practices no matter how well intentioned and clever they may be.
Experiencing God looks like a group of believers gathered in the name of the Triune God to hear God's Word and break bread.
Experiencing the forgiveness of sins tastes like wine and bread.
Experiencing God is participating in the blood of Christ and the body of Christ by eating the bread and drinking the wine which Jesus said are his very body and blood.
Experiencing God is having your sins washed away in the waters of baptism.
Experiencing God is being buried with Christ in the waters of baptism.
Experiencing God is having your heart circumcised by the hand of Christ in the waters of baptism.
Experiencing God is saying the simple words that Jesus told us say when we pray.
I will take ANY of these Biblical practices that have God's stamp of approval and have His CLEAR promises attached to them than ANY man-made ladder ANY day. Because God has promised to be there in these things I then can know that I am not wasting my time or fooling myself into thinking I'm experiencing God when I may not be.
"The goal of the ladder (the four rungs) is to experience God and the desired experience is not metaphorical." - Chris R.
Oh. My. God. Are you telling me that there are Christians who desire to experience God in their devotional reading of scripture? I had no idea of just how sinister this issue is. You should do all you can to stop this damnable practice immediately. For I am certain that without your intervention God's desire for creation will be thwarted.
Thanks for the scripture references. They only serve to show that God is with us by the means listed. None are to the exclusion of others. For example, I imagine that your prayer life includes more than the words Jesus gave in Luke 11. If you utter something outside the Lord's Prayer than by your own logic you are dipping in nothing more than "man-made tripe."
I'm sorry, Chris, but you don't get to decide where God is and where God is not. And you sorely misunderstand LD if you think it is some works-righteousness garbage that humans devised to get God to like us or be with us.
Ryan:
Nothing you listed indicates that Guigio II was influenced by Buddhist teaching. It seems lectio divina very well may have originated completely separate from Buddhism (even if you find parallels between it and Buddhist practices). I think you'd be better served to just disagree with ancient Christian practices that you find out of step with Scripture, rather than attempting to associate them with other religions as a means of critique.
quoting scripture is wonderful and enriching, but experiencing God is a profound experience, done in many ways. through our relationships, in nature, looking at a little baby, through dreams, the bible, prayer etc...human experience is how we experience God. we are saved by the grace of acknowledging HIM and begging HIS beautiful love and forgiveness.
if something like letico divina helps you then do it!!!
if recieving the sacrements as determined by th catholic church helps then do it!!!!
if a rosary is the way then do it!!!!
personally I like spiritual music, it keeps me grounded, reading the bible, prayer and....meditating on joy through watching my children play, it has shown me more clearly Jesus's expectations
blessings!!!!!!
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