Praying with the Bible during Lent
Praying with the Bible during Lent  
Podcast: The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J.
Published On: Tue Feb 17 2026
Description: How can Scripture help deepen our prayer lives this Lent? The New Testament scholar Ben Witherington III joins host James Martin, S.J., to share his own paths of prayer- through scripture, music and poetry.  Timecodes: 0:00 Who is Ben Witherington III? 3:40 What do scholars mean by the ‘historical Jesus’? 6:33 The last 7 words of Christ 7:57 Biblical roots of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving 11:10 Ben reclaims his faith and is called by God 17:30 Praying with the Bible and grief 33:20 Where to start reading the Bible 34:55 Christianity is a historical religion 40:55 Why Catholics should read the Bible 44:58 Audience Question: How do I hear the readings at Mass with freshness?  Read Fr. Jim’s spiritual advice article on this episode Do you have a spiritual question for Fr. Jim? You can write to us at:  thespirituallife@americamedia.org Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices