Mike Buckler, Associate Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry
When teaching teens to pray, I have found Lectio Divina to be a best practice. We tried to create a culture among our teens that centered on the Bible: BYOB (bring your own Bible) to every high school night, middle schoolers had assigned Bibles they could pull off the youth room shelf. Every talk had a Scripture in it. Small groups would read and reflect on Scripture related to the day’s topic. But most importantly, we taught them Lectio.
We created a simplified, easy way for teens to learn Lectio, and then we did it roughly every other week over the course of two years. In that time, teens learned how to pray with their Bibles on their own. They felt they had a tangible tool for growing in faith. And learning to listen for God’s voice during Lectio helped them listen for God’s voice during Mass, adoration, or in silent prayer on their beds. The document below demonstrates how we taught Lectio to the teens of our parish. Try it, practice it, and create a culture in your ministry in which teens learn to use their Bibles.
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