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Seminar 11:
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In the Prologue to the Holy Rule, St Benedict begins with the word "Listen" – "listen to the precepts of the Master". This advice, given to the one who wishes to advance in the spiritual life and the understanding of the Word of God is crucial. Benedict goes on to expand the listening process to hearing "with the ear of the heart" so that we may truly drink of the bountiful wisdom given us in the Word enshrined in the Scriptures. The gentle listening is the vehicle that enables us to be attuned to the presence of God in His Word. The practice of Lectio requires of us a certain Ascesis – a disciplined attitude to Lectio that can help us develop an attentiveness to the Word of God. This attention to the Word sharpens our response and deepens the covenant relationship that already exists between us and our God. It gives us the opportunity to be touched and changed by the One who calls us into the prayer of Lectio.
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