Lectio Divina by the Bishop of Incheon

A few days ago I received in the mail the third book of meditations written by our bishop Choi Ki-San of Incheon. The meditations are of Old Testament readings that the bishop selects and after reflection writes his thoughts down for publication. The first book was, "Words that call out for Happiness", the second, "Words that call out for Victory" and the last one, "Words that call out for Hope". I have translated these in my way, hopefully, they will not be far from the intention of the bishop.


The diocese of Incheon has about 420 thousand Catholics and 111 parishes. It is a big diocese with much to do but the bishop has taken quality time to immerse himself in Lectio Divina which has benefited not only himself but others.


Pope Benedict XVI stated: "I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of Lectio divina: the diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to him with trusting openness of heart (cf. Dei Verbum, n. 25). If it is effectively promoted, this practice will bring to the Church - I am convinced of it - a new spiritual springtime."

The five steps of Lectio Divina.

Lectio: reading the scriptural passage many times.


Meditatio: reflection on the words of the passage or part of the passage, thinking and letting the Spirit move us to grasp what is contained in the Scripture.

Oratio: Opening our hearts to God with a prayer a dialogue with God on what we have read.


Contemplatio: A loving focus on God. A long loving look at what has transpired. A wordless contemplation of God and rest in His presence.


Operatio: Have this change the way we live-metanoia. We are in someway changed by what has transpired.


The bishop has been involved in Lectio Divina for many years; despite the busy life he makes time for this prayer, a good example to those of us in the diocese.

Korea needs Fathers and Mothers

In continuation from yesterday's blog, Korea has been fighting the low birth rate and has taken steps to bring about a change. Yesterday's Chosun Ilbo had an article with the headline: monthly birth of new born babies on average dropped 1800-from last year. The number of marriages also dropped 7% from last last year. This means this year, Korea could see a birth rate of about 1.1, France (2) Sweden (1.37). The average of the economically developed countries would be 1.73. Korea's rate is the lowest in the world.

The government is seeing things getting worse. The economic conditions of society play a part, fewer marriages of the young, the difficulty of getting a job will affect the number of marriages. A sharp increase in the percentage of unmarried women in Korea is a factor behind the country's low birth rate. The article mentioned the spread of the "swine flu" is also responsible for a decrease.

Following Korean Astrology those born next year will be under the zodiac sign of the tiger and this is a concern for some government officials. The sign of the horse and tiger in Korean astrology are not good signs for girls: Korean folklore is still influencing the society even despite the role of Christianity.

The government has taken steps but have not proven helpful.
"Our efforts will focus on raising social awareness of falling birthrate and encouraging couples to have babies,'' said a spokesperson from the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs. "We will launch drives to prevent abortions, protect maternity in workplaces and encourage marriages.''

The article ends with the note that the birth rate could fall to the lowest in Korean history, with a rate of 1.o in 2011. There is sadness that our Christian families are not influenced more by their faith than things we would consider extraneous to a truly Catholic view of life.