Introduction
Lectio Divina is relatively a new concept for me. Although I have come across people who used this approach in their devotions, to come out straight, I was not quite drawn to it because, in my ignorance, I considered it as a kind of Catholic liturgy. So I was curiously interested when Lectio Divina was introduced in this course. A lot of my wrong assumptions were clarified and now, after going through the experience of practicing this approach in my daily devotion, it is a kind of enlightenment for me. I basically grew up chanting the Lord’s Prayer in the Convent school I attended. But never did I take the time to reflect or meditate on it. Thus the exercise of reading, understanding, conversing, and contemplating on the Lord’s
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To me, the very nature and characteristic of God is manifested meaningfully in the Lord’s Prayer. The phrase ‘Our Father’ is such an amazing assurance of our membership in God’s family. I was contemplating on ‘Our Father’ and praying for my family and my church members who are missionaries in Pakistan when the thought struck me that to be able to call God ‘Our Father’ is beyond human comprehension. It implies a personal, possessive and intimate relationship with the God of Hosts. And what right do I have to deserve such honour of being included in the divine family and to call God ‘Our Father’? It pointed me to Jesus who has made this possible by inviting us to share the relationship he has with his father. God’s abounding love is so amazing that through his son Jesus Christ, I am united with him despite of my sin and brokenness. It reveals to me that I am not an isolated individual but a member of my family, a member of my church, and a member of God’s big family. And we all share the same fatherhood! We are one big family and God is ‘Our Father.’ Therefore, in response to my membership in God’s family, I will have to break down all barriers of races, culture, class and any other distinction in my relationship with others and celebrate God’s love with my own family, church family and the Christian family around the