Silvia Ledon

This is another ancient practice on how to read the Bible with your heart. Pick a short passage of Scripture (no more than 10-15 verses) Read it slowly. Resist the need to analyze it. Instead, notice the words or phrases that jump at you. Read it again a second time. This time use your imagination. Put yourself in the scene. For example, in the passage of Jesus and his disciples in the storm, imagine yourself to be one of the disciples, imagine what the weather felt like on your skin, what...

This is an Ignatian practice to help you position your heart as a listener (shema) in prayer. The example below takes about 10-12 minutes, but you can adapt it to be a longer time of reflection or a shorter one (I’ve often done the Examen in 5 minutes.) I suggest you do this at night before you go to sleep, if it works with you. Of course, you can do it at any other time of the day as well. Follow these steps: Begin by taking a couple of deep breaths and asking the Holy Spirit to be...

What else is here? This is the question I’ve been asking as a spiritual practice during a very trying time. It’s a simple one, with transformational implications. I’ve been living under plenty of stress during the last few weeks. Life has felt hard: Pain, sadness, loss, grief, regret, and fear, for starters. My face has carved a couple of new ridges and my body has felt heavy. The choice has been to sink into despair or to believe that God is with me. If God is truly with me, then I can drink...