At the School of Lectio Divina

Once at the School of Lectio Divina, I was deeply impressed with the organization of the School, the quality of the faculty, including the companions with whom we would meet several times during the School, and the amount of quiet time we would have.

One of the first intriguing issues that arose was the issue of whether or not to keep silence outside of the actual teaching times. S. Meg Funk led us through a discernment process to find what was the will of the Holy Spirit about keeping silence or being free to talk and discuss between the teaching sessions. One of the aspects of discernment that I appreciated was the practice of looking for a confirming sign for any provisional decision. If there would be no confirming sign, the (an) other alternative would be explored and then a confirming sign sought for that also.

This issue of keeping silence was important, at least in part because this was the first School of Lectio Divina offered in this way and open to both monastic and lay participants. This decision would create a pattern that would in all likelihood be followed in subsequent Schools.  We decided to keep silence, which we did until the evening before the last day and our leave-taking.