Visio Divina

What is Visio Divina?

Visio Divina is a Christian practice of drawing closer to God through meditation on visual objects. Visio Divina is Latin for “divine seeing.” See also Introduction to Visio Divina.

How did Visio Divina begin?

Although the name is new, praying with images has long been part of the Christian tradition. Images of Christ appeared in the early Roman churches. Orthodox traditions developed holy icons as ways of prayer and worship such as the Rublev icon shown above. Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals gave worshippers glimpses of heaven in the stained glass, statues and architecture. Renaissance and later Baroque art was nurtured by the Church as ways of relating the sacred story. In recent years, “Visio Divina” has come to be used as a phrase that describes practices of praying with art.

How is Visio Divina related to Lectio Divina?

Lectio Divina or Divine Reading is an ancient practice from the Benedictine Tradition that focusses us on deep reading of scripture. Through stages of prayerful attentiveness to the passage, the listener comes closer to God. In recent years some spiritual writers have connected the structure and intent of Lectio Divina to the long history of praying with images to create Visio Divina.

How is Visio Divina prayer?

Prayer can be seen as both communicating with God and being with God. Visio Divina can lead us into deeper communion with God by inviting us into prayerful presence where we can rest in God’s presence. Visio Divina aspires to have us pray with sacred eyes. This prayer practice asks us to open the eyes of our hearts to see contemplatively, meditatively, and gratefully.

How does Visio Divina work?

Here is one method. Look at Art Resources for Visio Divina for others.

PREPARING

Prepare the resource material for the Visio Divina: make sure the art is visible to all if this is group prayer. This can come from digital, print, video or a live guide. If the art depicts a Biblical scene, open the Bible to that passage. Settle yourself in an appropriate prayer space. Centre yourself in quiet prayer.

GAZING

Gaze at the image. Look at the different sections. What do you notice? On what details do you focus? What emotions does it evoke? Gazing goes beyond looking. When we gaze, we go beyond the image into a sacred realm. We become aware of the glimmers of grace radiating through the image.

RESPONDING

If the passage depicts or evokes a Biblical scene, read the passage from the Bible slowly and meditatively. Respond to the image with prayer. How do you see or feel the sacred in this image?

CONSIDERING

Engage your imagination. Where are you in the artwork? What do you see from that perspective? View, listen to or read the resource material slowly. Take a second, deeper look. What insights did the resource material produce? What questions remain?

RESTING

Gently gaze at the image for a while. How does this image lead you closer to God? Did it open a new awareness, or spark a conviction? Rest in this sacred space. Offer gratitude for insights gathered or questions raised.

ACTING

The outbreath of prayer is action. How does this prayer experience connect with your life? How can your insights help others? Which insight or part of the image do you most want to carry with you? St. Clare called this step, “Imitation.” How does this prayer help us to imitate Christ?

Explore more information on Forms of Visio Divina.

You can download these resources to help you pray with art.

A Guide to Visio Divina

This one page summary guides you through a six-step process of conducting Visio Divina

Visio Divina Journal

Use this journal worksheet to record your insights as you conduct your Visio Divina individually or in a group.

How can Visio Divina promote faith development?

Visio Divina is related to the sacramental principle that permeates Catholicism. Sacramentality tells us that God’s grace extends through creation and humanity’s creative responses. Visio Divina promotes the practice of seeing the divine all around us. If we can visualize it, we can pray with it. Although it may be easier to start with Visio Divina of sacred art, we can expand our prayer objects to several spheres: