LECTIO DIVINA The royal road called the Way

Chapter Six (continued)

The "royal road" called "the Way" in the New Testament
is echoed in the oldest papal encyclical found also in
the New Testament in 1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen
race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation." St. Peter
calls all believers "royal" since Christ is the "royal
high priest and king". We, therefore, travel on a
"royal road" as heirs of heaven.

During the Middle Ages culture absorbed this idea of
the "royal road" and gave it a new nuanced meaning.
"The royal road becomes the equivalent of the monastic
life." (132). Monks, nuns and priests in the monastic
system are the new privileged class.  They learn
grammar in order to read and write. It is the monastic
system that carries on lectio divina and ascetical
life. What belongs to all of Christendom "the royal
road" is now seen as the spiritual profession of those
privileged to canonically belong to a religious order
and monastery. 

It is through this system, however, that the model and
theology of lectio divina and the spiritual life are
developed for the whole Church. Vatican II has opened
wide the doors to the great treasury store rooms of
the Church that contain the gems of lectio divina and
asceticism making them not only available to everyone
but also encouraging all the faithful to participate
in a pro-active movement to embrace these treasures in
their daily lives in order to effecuate change
throughout the world. 

Jean Leclercq, O.S.B., The Love of Learning and the
Desire or God. A Study of Monastic Culture. (NY:
Fordham University Press, 1961, 1974) 
ISBN 0-8232-0406-5

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Capuchin



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