Lectio divina is a really flexible reading practice. St. Augustine said that the meaning of every part of the bible is love, and you can find love in it everywhere if you look long and hard enough. So once you’ve become familiar with the Lens, Mirror, Window pattern, you can apply it to literally any verse of the bible, even a single line or phrase chosen at random. But in the beginning, especially with younger readers who may be new to this sort of thing, you might want to choose some passages that make themselves more available to this type of reflection. We’ve included a list of them below to get you started. There are a variety of readings here, but we’ve focused on stories, since they are easier to think with, or other passages directly addressing love.
Again, these are just a beginning. As you gain practice, you might look at a random psalm, or work your way through one of the gospels chapter by chapter, or just flip to a random page and point. Anything is possible: love is everywhere.
Genesis 4:1–16 (Cain and Abel) handout
Genesis 45:1–15 (Abraham and the Three Strangers) handout
Exodus 3:1–12 (The Call of Moses)
1 Samuel 16:1–13 (God Chooses David Over his Brothers)
1 Samuel 25:1–35 (David and Abigail)
1 Kings 17:7–16 (Elojah and the Widow at Zaraphath)
Jonah 3:1-4:11 (Jonah at Nineveh)
Hosea 6:1-11 (God wants us to love)
Micah 6:1-16 (God wants us to love)
Matthew 5:1-12 (The Beatitudes)
Mark 10:46-52 (Blind Bartimaeus)
Mark 12:41-44 (The Widow’s Mite)
Luke 14:7-14 (The Wedding Feast)
Luke 15:11-32 (The Prodigal Son)
Luke 19:1-10 (Zacchaeus)
Luke 24:13-35 (The Road to Emmaus) (handout available)
John 8:1-11 (The Woman Caught in Adultery)
1 John 4:7-21 (God is Love)
Romans 12:1-14
1 Corinthians 13:1-8 (The Gift of Love)
Colossians 3:8-16
Revelation 21:1-6 (The New Heaven and the New Earth)
Recommended for ages 12+