Settings for Visio Divina

1.     Elementary school, middle school, high school in classroom learning, liturgy and retreats

In this setting, it is wise to start with a form of centering prayer to focus students’ attention on the topic. This will also create a boundary between regular classroom activity and this prayer experience. If possible, hold the visio divina in a chapel or room where interruptions are less likely. It is also important to set aside time to encourage questions. If open discussion is challenging for the class, ask students to write responses and/or questions on sticky notes. Another consideration would be to display the main image as a poster. In working with Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal Son, I’ve asked students to respond in one word to their initial reaction to the painting on a sticky note, which is then placed on the margins of a poster that has been plaque mounted. I also had the image projected and had postcard size images for each person. I’ve also used this approach in asking students to write down any questions they would have liked to ask the painter.

2.     Adult Faith Formation

I’ve used visio divina in university settings in leading large groups and smaller classes in as part of Religious Education formation. There were multiple reasons for using art. The first was to introduce the technique of visio divina. The second was to help those learning to be Religious Educators about an aspect of their faith and their place in faith development. The third was to help them observe the process of learning in the Spirit. In other words, to help them learn about their own faith growth so that they could help students in theirs. I used Raphael’s portrayal of St. Paul Preaching in Athens to teach about the concept of enculturation alongside St. John Paul II’s identification of social media as the new areopagus. St. Paul was preaching in the old areopagus. I challenged students to find similarities between the passage in Acts 17:16 – 34, the art and the Holy Father’s remarks about the new areopagus. As a metacognitive conclusion, I also asked participants to reflect on their own emotions and thoughts during the activity. I used a similar process in days of reflection with school board staffs. I often use Monet’s Waterloo Bridge (Chicago Art Institute) to invite teachers to reflect on their vocation as a bridge.  Over the past few years, I’ve practiced visio divina online using Microsoft Teams and Zoom. It is useful to have a partner who can deal with the logistical issues of admitting people and muting inappropriate open mics. Sharing can take place at designated times out loud or in the chat.

3.     Parish Settings

a.     Breaking Open the Word

Breaking Open the Word is a process for understanding Lectionary readings; usually Sunday and particularly the Gospel. It has been used with Bible Study groups, liturgical planning teams and in Christian Initiation. In these visio divina particular attention needs to be paid to the last section where we bring our insights into our ministry or life. Bible study groups may ask, how do the insights from this week’s study resonate with this visio divina? Liturgical planning teams can ask, what does this mean for our preparations for this week’s Sunday liturgies? In the RCIA or other similar programs we could ask, how does this reading apply to my formation in the faith?

b.     Sacramental Preparation

I’ve used visio divina in formation of parents for the Sacraments of Initiation and First Reconciliation as well as of catechumens for first Reconciliation, Communion and Confirmation. The subject of the art is related to the Sacrament and tends to stress our relationship with Jesus Christ. In the Confirmation sessions, there’s also an exploration of the understandings of the Pentecost. I’ve also used the church itself as a visio divina subject for Confirmation. I ask confirmands where they see Christ present in the architecture and sacramentals of the Church.

c.     Missions and Retreats

Visio divina can work well with a larger parish group if it is possible to project images either in the main church or church hall. A workaround would be to distribute postcard sized images of the main works. Smaller hand-held images are useful also because some have better near vision than distance vision. They also serve beyond the visio divina to remind people of the event. Colour photocopies of the images can also be used. I have conducted a mission over three evenings in which the first evening introduces visio divina; the second evening applies visio divina to the liturgical season; while the last session is a visio divina of the church building to help congregants grow in the visual language of the Church. Other retreats have focussed entirely on the liturgical season such as Advent, Lent or Easter.

d.     Bible Study

I’ve added visio divina to Bible Study in a modified form. I select the art to match either the liturgical calendar or a theme from the day’s scriptural topic. The scripture is omitted because we have explored it extensively during the study. I then lead a brief prayer of consideration before inviting the group to contemplate the divine presence in the art in light of the Bible Study session. Typically, this form takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

4.     Individual faith development.

We can independently practice visio divina through reading both scripture and reflection on the art. The method is essentially the same. I daily practice visio divina by reflecting on the daily Gospel and the art that accompanies it using the suggestions of Fr. Patrick Van Der Vorst in his christian.art website. I prepare myself for prayer, view the art, read the Gospel for the day, meditate of God’s presence, read his commentary on the art and contemplate how these insights relate to my life. I’ve created a form for recording my thoughts that you can find on my website, lesmiller.ca Art can be used in formal or informal spiritual direction. Juliet Benner’s book, Contemplative Vision,outlines the many ways that praying with art has nurtured faith growth. She sees this practice as honing our spiritual vision, learning to see with the eyes of our heart. We train ourselves with the dance between scripture and sacred art and apply our deepened vision to seeing the sacred in everyday life. Brenner writes, “As we prayerfully gaze on the painting, we enter the scene it depicts – into its time and place. When we do this, all time becomes present time, and we are led into the eternal presence – into the One who is ever present to us. Such openness allows us to be filled more completely with the Spirit and drawn into a deeper relationship with God.”  Juliet Brenner, Contemplative Vision page 19.

5.     Creation walks

Visio divina can be applied to meditating on our place in creation through experiences in nature I call creation walks. I lead the group through a walk through a variety of scenes. I stop about eight times (give or take a few stops) to take in the way creation is speaking to us at that place. I ask participants to look to the skies and pay attention to what they see. I help them understand the weather in context of the larger systems in play across the continent. At night, we look at the skies. On a clear night, we can contemplate the stars and planets and the scale of our existence. All this is informed by Psalm 19. At other stops we look at the geology, post-glacial history, watersheds, and ecological communities, individual plant and animals. These stops are interspersed with silence and scripture. All the time we are open to the creator in creation.