Praying the Scriptures

When I was growing up, our family never read the bible or prayed with Scripture. In school we had Bible History classes and sometimes dramatized the stories, but it seemed play-like. Even my early days in the monastery we did not study the bible, except for the psalms which we prayed every day. Of course, we had the daily Mass readings, and the celebrant sometimes spoke about their meaning in his homily.

During our retreat this year, the director used Scripture in a way that was very different. She showed how stories from the bible could speak to us here and now. She was so familiar with Scripture, so deeply attuned to its messages that her talks resonated with our daily lives. I was reminded of Richard Rohr saying, "We must approach the Scriptures with humility and patience, with our own agenda out of the way, and allow the Spirit to stir the deeper meaning for us."

I began journaling about the retreat talks and even wrote a couple poems. The more I reflected, the more I was moved by the stories from both Old and New Testaments. For example, the story of the Annunciation was more than Gabriel telling Mary she had been chosen to have a son, Jesus. I thought about how she would feel, how would this happen, what would Joseph do and what about Elizabeth's pregnancy? All the mystery surrounding these marvelous revelations made me more aware of God's mysterious presence in my life.  

This breaking open of Scripture made praying with the Word easier. Even stories I thought I knew so well seemed fresh and new. The characters became more real and human. I really appreciated the viewpoint of a woman director too, one who had been steeped in the waters of the Word and was able to guide us through the treasures buried there. Thank God for people who are able to share God's revelation in more accessible ways.