By Karen Vance
Enquirer contributor

DELHI TOWNSHIP - Sister Mary Ann Humbert has created a new guide to being closer to God - a prayer journal.

Humbert, 58, a Sister of Charity who works with individuals looking for spiritual direction, wrote the journal over the summer.

"I kept hearing from a lot of people who want a prayer that brings them closer to God," she said. "Their prayers were all 'Please God give me this, thank you for that, take care of this person.' - the 911 prayers. I thought: 'There has to be more to prayer than this.' "

So she began teaching Lectio Divina, which means "sacred reading" in Latin, a method of reading scripture and praying on it.

The journal, "A Listening Heart," has 200 short scriptural readings with spaces to respond in the Lectio Divina format. The format has four steps:

• Read the Scripture.

• Meditate on its meaning.

• Give a personal response about your feelings on the reading to God.

• Listen to God.

Humbert said it's a personal and powerful way to pray.

"It's like listening to the Word as if God is speaking directly to you, as he is, and you speaking directly back to him," she said.

The journal, $10, is available in the gift shop of the Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity in Delhi Township or by contacting Humbert at 347-0346 or mahumbertsc@juno.com.

Prayer over the city

Holy Cross-Immaculata Catholic Church in Mount Adams will host a multichurch "Prayer Over Cincinnati" service at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Parishioners from at least 10 churches from Greater Cincinnati will participate. The service will be at the church, located at Pavilion and Guido, with parking available in the monastery parking lot next door.

To submit religion news, e-mail kvance@fuse.net or fax 755-4150.