Parishioners of St. Joseph, Devils Lake, kick off Lent in a unique way

On Mar. 10, parishioners of St. Joseph Church in Devils Lake gathered together to learn and experience Visio Divina with Deacon Ken Severinson and artistic instructor Shari Frith from St. Joseph parish. 

Visio Divina is Latin for “divine seeing.” By incorporating art into prayer, Visio Divina invites us to bring our sense of sight as well as our imagination into our relationship with God. Visio Divina takes us on an incarnational nature, affirming the goodness of how we visually encounter the world and inviting us to a similar encounter in our spiritual life. 

Visio Divina uses the acronym of PAINT, P= Pause, slowly examine the image. A= Ask God to help you. I= Imagine you are present in the image. N=Notice the movements of your heart. T= Thank God and note what he taught you. Parishioners than created their own piece of artwork to pray and journal with during the season of Lent. The beauty we encounter through sacred art and images can be especially powerful in our prayer lives, and Visio Divina is designed to facilitate this encounter.