Know Which Way to Go

Knowing which way to go

 And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”— Isaiah 30:21.

Fork in the road

How do we hear the voice of God telling us what to do and where to go? There is a multitude of possibilities, perhaps more than the stars. The purpose of all of our spiritual practices is to put us in a position to connect to the God of our understanding and hear God’s voice.

Many believe God is the dream maker who speaks to us in the language of dreams at night. However, my experience is that only in a dream group can I find meaning. Looking back on what I thought this dream meant, the answer was obvious, but only other people could see it.

There are many discernment processes to help decide the next path. The one I use the most is Ignatian discernment, where we visualize or imagine our lives in one situation and then in the other. Ignatius suggests we can discern our path by evaluating how we felt after imagining being in each situation instead of how we felt while imagining living in it.

Many use spiritual direction from another person to guide them. The director is there to help the person connect to their soul within where answers come from.

My experience is that the hours just after waking in the morning are often when situations become clearer. So I try to be silent and wait to see if answers come.

This reading from Isaiah also reminds me of Benedict’s direction in the prologue to his Rule: “Listen with the ear of your heart.”

Joanna Seibert https://www.joannaseibert.com/

Image Gently

Image Gently

“Relationship is not a project, it is a grace.”—Thomas Moore in Soul Mates: Honoring the Mysteries of Love and Relationship (HarperCollins, 1994), p. 256.

My friend, Marilyn Goske, also a pediatric radiologist, spearheaded Image Gently’s campaign to decrease radiation to children in diagnostic radiology. This organization encourages physicians to use the least radiation when performing tests on children. It applies to conventional X-rays, fluoroscopy, interventional radiology, nuclear medicine, computed tomography, dentistry, cardiac imaging, and imaging in the setting of minor head trauma.

In addition, the organization aims to make physicians, technologists, and nurses aware of the amount of radiation used and the importance of reassuring parents about their concerns. This educational program involves communication with all those directly involved in these studies and all medical organizations that support them. It has had overwhelming success, with over 1.9 million pledges participating in this program.

Marilyn shows us how to change the world by communicating and dialoguing with all people who share a particular interest. It involves trying to solve a problem, talking together, working together, celebrating when answers come, and honoring those bringing the vision to reality. In this way, we see the power of community.

I realize how important this could be in our spiritual lives. We find more answers to our spiritual questions in community, whereas often, we cannot understand our concerns by ourselves.

 I remember meeting with my spiritual director, who helped me understand a dream that had baffled me for days. Each day in the early morning, I return to the dream and uncover another insight, as though she, and all those who have taught me about dream work, are still guiding me.

We also have many parts of ourselves: inner masculine, inner feminine, the child within, and so many more. They reveal answers when we see them as helpful voices, rather than unwanted adversaries, especially coming from the weaker parts of ourselves. It is in our weakness, in our vulnerability, especially in community, that God the Holy Spirit creeps in and helps us discern a path—where before we saw only a jungle.

In community, we image gently.

Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/

Visio Divina

Visio Divina

“The experience of praying with icons and other images is quite different than praying with words.”—Christine Valters Paintner in Illuminating Mystery: Creativity as a Spiritual Practice, Reflections in Word and Image (Abbey of the Arts Press, 2009).

Return of the Prodigal Son, Rembrandt

God speaks to us in many ways—through relationships, our experiences, sacred texts such as the Bible, and other avenues. Visio divina, Latin for divine seeing, is praying with images to listen to God’s words. It is similar to Lectio divina, Latin for divine reading, in which we pray using sacred reading such as Holy Scripture. There are four steps we can follow to practice Visio divina:

1. Sit quietly, close your eyes, and be aware of your breathing. Practice a body scan. Open your eyes and look at the image of art slowly, seeing colors, people, places, and things. Stay with the image for one to two minutes. You may want to jot down a few words about the image.

2. Close your eyes and breathe. Open your eyes. Take another, deeper look. Is there movement? Are there relationships? Use your imagination. What is the story? Can you place yourself in the story and in the image? Do you see deeper meanings than what is on the surface?

3.  Respond to the image with prayer. Does the image take you to an experience or remind you of a person or issue for which you want to offer thanksgiving or intercession? Then, offer that prayer to God.

4. Find your quiet heart center. Stay connected to your body. Breathe deeply. Relax your shoulders, arms, and legs. Rest in this quiet. Imagine God praying in you. God prays beyond words.

Nouwen has written about his incredible experience praying and meditating on this painting by Rembrandt of the Return of the Prodigal Son. This image is an excellent place to start. Then read what Henri Nouwen has written in The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming.

—From Kathyrn Shirey, “How to Pray with ‘Eyes of the Heart’ Using Visio Divina” at www.KathrynShirey.com.

Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/