THE SACRAMENTS IN SCRIPTURE: LECTIO DIVINA BIBLE STUDY. Stephen J. Binz; Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division. Our Sunday Visitor Inc. Huntington, IN. USA 2011.
Reviewed by Barbara Flynn
“OVERWHELMING religious illiteracy… revealed by people’s incomprehension of the place of the Church and the seven sacraments in making Christ’s work of salvation present and accessible today” was reported in The Catholic Leader on June 1 as a real concern of bishops attending the recently convened Assembly of the Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Oceania.
Lectio divina, recommended by three popes in recent years, of involving people in exploring Scripture particularly in small groups is the pastoral tool Stephen Binz offers in several of his books as a means of helping people become literate in Christian religion and faith practices.
Binz is a biblical scholar and prolific author on the Bible, biblical spirituality and Christian spirituality.
He is well equipped through his pastoral experience to assist adults to grow their faith using materials, which employ strategies, which make learning attractive to adults.
In “The Sacraments in Scripture”, Binz again models the steps of “lectio divina” as he has done in other books.
Applying this five-step process, readers are led to discover the riches of God’s grace available to them through active participation in the sacraments.
Their encounter in faith with God, Binz asserts, “slowly transforms them to be effective as members of the body of Christ in the world, thus contributing to Christ’s work of salvation.
Binz is experienced in psycho-social personal development and in adult learning. His extensively researched material is user-friendly.
He provides clear instructions and engaging explanations. His discussions on the theology of the seven sacraments in their biblical and historical contexts, taken from both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, are free of any complexities and capable of holding continuous interest.
Binz encourages an attitude of prayer and openness to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for those engaging lectio divina to explore the sacred mysteries of the Christian faith. He outlines the steps sequentially that are to be used in lectio divina illustrating their application to personal study and to group discussion in a faith community. The steps involve listening to the Word (passage of Scripture), seeking to comprehend the meaning of the text, reflecting on this meaning in relation to experiences of faith, dialoguing with God in prayer, and taking action in the way that we live our faith in the world.
This book is a valuable resource for parish adult education providing an achievable action plan for active participation in the sacraments and in the mission of the Church in the world.
The book is obtainable from Garratt Publishing at sales@garrattpublishing.com.au.
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