Rule 3: Choose a Book of Scriptures and Read Through It. It must be remembered that the Scriptures is not just one book but a library of books and collections of books, each having a particular weight in respect to the mystery of salvation, the main content of which is the mystery of Christ. The Church prioritizes the books of the New Testament over the Old Testament without disregarding the importance of this latter. Among the books of the New Testament, importance is given to the Gospels. In the choice of a book to be read, it is not always advisable to begin with Genesis in order to end with the Apocalypse. The more advanced reader of Scriptures can choose whichever book to start with, but for beginners, the best starting point would be the Gospels. Second, it is most in keeping with the spirit of the lectio that the book chosen coincides with what is being used during a particular liturgical season. Thus, if the Sunday Cycle of Readings favors the Gospel of Luke, the practitioner would do well to read the Gospel of Luke. Third, once the book has been chosen, the reader should read it through until the end, not in one sitting, but continuously through successive sittings. The Gospel of Mark, for example, can be read through in ten sittings of 30 minutes each. The important thing is that the practitioner reads through the whole book continuously.
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