Audio Divina
/“Contemplation is taking a long loving look at the Real.”
Audio Divina (Divine Listening), is a contemplative way of paying attention to how our soul is stirring and how the Divine is moving within us as we prayerfully engage our sense of hearing.
This practice is modeled after the more popular Lectio Divina (Divine Reading) which, in the Christian tradition, we see this approach in the third and fourth century with the Desert Mothers and Fathers. They spent a great deal of time developing a contemplative approach to life – a way of “seeing”, of putting on the mind of Christ. We can assume that Audio Divina would have been a part of their practice.
By employing our sense of hearing, we are focusing ourselves to hear God in everything. We pay attention to what is capturing our attention and we sit with it. You can listen to the bird-song or urban traffic, the flow of water, a song, or the hum of conversation in a coffee shop. Absolutely everything can be a portal to connecting with God.
There are four simple steps. Provided below is the Latin root and the English meaning.
AUDIO (Hearing) | Take time to identify what you are going to listen to. Notice what is stirring within you as you go for a walk, or turn on a piece of music. What elements are “jumping out”, or “shimmering” to you. Is it a part of the melody or harmony? Is it the pace or the way an instrument sounds? What images, feelings, memories, ideas are coming up for you as you spend time listening? Spend as much time as you’d like. If it is a song, make sure you repeat it a number of times. (Note: if you use a piece of music, it might be best to choose an instrumental piece rather than one with words).
MEDITATIO (Meditate) | Take note of what was coming up for you as you listen. Here, we move into a time to meditate on these images and feelings and see how they connect to your specific life. Is it reminding you of a relationship? A struggle? Something you’re thankful for or anxious about? Simply asking yourself the question: why is this particular thing jumping out at me and how does it connect to my life today?
ORATIO (Speak) | This is where we bring our conscious thoughts we’ve been meditating on into our relationship with the Divine. You can speak your prayer out loud or to yourself, but it is your conscious time of prayer, bringing your thoughts into your relationship with God.
CONTEMPLATIO (Contemplate) | Here we rest. We let our thoughts and conversation with God fall to silence, trusting we have been heard. We enjoy just being present with Presence, instead of doing anything. You are not expecting to hear anything back from God. You’ve experienced this in your human relationships… there is something sweet in being in the quiet company of someone you trust - words fall away and just being with one another is where your heart is content.
