School of Sacred Word - lectio divina

The friars of the Institute propose san experience of listening to the Word of God  through the exercise of lectio divina. It is an alive and rich moment of encounter with the Lord, with ourselves, with others, being around the Word of God read, interpreted, meditated, prayed and shared  in the chapel.

Every year an illustrated guide book is being elaborated which gives the indications of the universal church and of the diocese of Padua. The experience of the Word of God is conducted in the Institute on the following two Sundays of every month (usually the second and the third), taking the same biblical passages.

The meeting begins from 9.00am and ends at 11.30am, which is followed by the celebration of the holy Eucharist.

programme of the year 2009-2010

“For while I was with you, I made up my mind to forget everything except Jesus Christ and especially his death on the cross… your faith, then, does not rest on human wisdom but on God’s power.” (1Cor 2, 2.5)

On the occasion of 800 years from the approval of the Rule of life of the Franciscans by the Pope Innocent III, the Franciscans Conventuals of the Institute of Theology “S. Antonio Dottore” are offering a serious of lectio divina during the years 2009-2010, intending to present passages from the New Testament, which have left a depth sign in the experience of St Francis of Assisi that have inspired his way of living, accordingly to the term expressed by Benedict XVI, an authentic “ living Gospel”.

Referring to the Bible text, some of the passages of the “Fonti Francescane” follow the traditional scheme of lectio divina: a lively meeting with the Lord, with ourselves, and with those who believe in the reading, interpreting, meditating, praying and sharing of the Word of God. Actually, in meeting with the poor Christ and his crucifixion, it gives us the opportunity to renew us in the Gospel’s spirit: “As Francis, always begin from yourselves. We are the first house, which God wants to restore. If you are always capable of renew yourselves in the Gospel’s spirit, then continue show off his look of a bride of Christ in a more pleasant way”. (Benedict XVI)

The steps...:

  1. “If one of you wants to be great, he must be the servant of the rest”
  2. “He was trying to see who Jesus was”
  3. “The glory of the Lord shone over them”
  4. “You have only the one Father in heaven”
  5. “Whoever wants to be first must place himself last of all and be the servant of all”
  6. “Your will be done”
  7. “All the believers continued together”
  8. “Be obedient to the Truth”
  9. “Do you love me?”
 
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 text and files sound mp3 in the italian page, here

The Word of Magisterium...

HE CHURCH HAS ALWAYS VENERATED the divine Scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord, since, especially in the sacred liturgy, she unceasingly receives and offers to the faithful the bread of life from the table both of God's word and of Christ's body.
She has always maintained them, and continues to do so, together with sacred tradition, as the supreme rule of faith, since, as inspired by God and committed once and for all to writing, they impart the word of God Himself without change, and make the voice of the Holy Spirit resound in the words of the prophets and Apostles. Therefore, like the Christian religion itself, all the preaching of the Church must be nourished and regulated by Sacred Scripture.
For in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them; and the force and power in the word of God is so great that it stands as the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, the pure and everlasting source of spiritual life.
Consequently these words are perfectly applicable to Sacred Scripture: "For the word of God is living and active" (Heb. 4:12) and "it has power to build you up and give you your heritage among all those who are sanctified" (Acts 20:32; see 1 Thess. 2:13).

II Vatican Council, const. dogm. Dei Verbum, n. 21