Praying with the Bible this Advent: Lectio Divina and Week of Guided Prayer The University Chaplaincy invites all students and staff to prepare for the Christmas Spirit with a reflective tone. It is thus offering a number of opportunities. Two of these opportunities are an invitation to build a deeper relationship with God through the Bible through Lectio Divina and the Week of Guided Prayer.

For some the Bible is simply the Christian's Book, for others it recounts the story of the Biblical people. But for others the Bible is the story of a personal relationship with God. After all, as the Bible speaks of how God enters the story of the people, so the Bible can also help us to see how God enters into our own life.

The first opportunity is that of praying with the Bible through the ancient art of Lectio Divina - a process of praying with the bible through reading, meditating, contemplating and finally speaking to God about the text. Through this art the bible becomes alive and a means of union with God, having every verse and word communicating personally. Fr Paul Sciberras, will be exploring this art and helping people pray, by focusing on the Gospels of the Sundays throughout Advent. This activity will be held in a group setting on the 25th November, 2nd, 7th, 16th December at the University Chapel at 6.30pm. Those interested are asked to inform the Chaplaincy.

The second opportunity is the Week of Guided Prayer. During this week, those interested will meet up on an individual basis, with a Jesuit or lay person (trained in spiritual direction). The latter guides the person on a journey towards God using scripture passages and daily life experiences. It is open to all - those who are new to the world of prayer, those who want to discover other methods of prayer or those who would like to rekindle their friendship with Him. The only requirements are - an open heart and a desire for God! This experience could be the start of a real meaning in life - an experience through which you will start to flower again! The week will start on Wednesday 14th December with an introductory meeting at 6.30pm at Dar Manwel Magri and will end with a similar meeting on the 22nd December. Those interested are required to fill in an application form not later than the 12th December from the chaplaincy offices or by contacting the Chaplaincy on the details below.

For more information about these two opportunities contact Fr. Jimmy Bartolo sj by writing to the chaplaincy@um.edu.mt or phone 2340 2341.