Do you often find yourself yearning for a deeper connection with the Divine, especially in periods of grief? This episode takes you to the silent void of your mind, where a spiritual listening awaits, a place not anticipating a specific message, but a space open to receiving the transformative word of God.
In the midst of our grief, we often find comfort and solace in the dark, patiently awaiting divine intervention. It's in this quietude that we feel the lingering love of those we've lost and their unique qualities persisting even after their departure. Despite our flaws, God comes for us. Psalm 40's verses that resonate; shedding light on the essence of our discussion. With thanks to Thomas Merton.
Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on Google Podcasts, Apple, Amazon Music, Spotify, or follow us on the Facebook pages of Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Los Altos, California, or Calvary Cemetery in San Jose, California. SPIRITUAL DIRECTION WHILE GRIEVING IS AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE
You can reach us at: ccoutreach@dsj.org To arrange personal spiritual direction: 408-359-5542
Our theme music is: Gentle Breeze by Yeti Music from the album "Uppbeat". Additional Music and sound effects today by: via Pixabay
Do you often find yourself yearning for a deeper connection with the Divine, especially in periods of grief? This episode takes you to the silent void of your mind, where a spiritual listening awaits, a place not anticipating a specific message, but a space open to receiving the transformative word of God.
In the midst of our grief, we often find comfort and solace in the dark, patiently awaiting divine intervention. It's in this quietude that we feel the lingering love of those we've lost and their unique qualities persisting even after their departure. Despite our flaws, God comes for us. Psalm 40's verses that resonate; shedding light on the essence of our discussion. With thanks to Thomas Merton.
Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on Google Podcasts, Apple, Amazon Music, Spotify, or follow us on the Facebook pages of Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Los Altos, California, or Calvary Cemetery in San Jose, California. SPIRITUAL DIRECTION WHILE GRIEVING IS AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE
You can reach us at: ccoutreach@dsj.org To arrange personal spiritual direction: 408-359-5542
Our theme music is: Gentle Breeze by Yeti Music from the album "Uppbeat". Additional Music and sound effects today by: via Pixabay
Candee Lucas:
We welcome you to Solace: Soul +Grief. I'm Candee Lucas, your host. When we started this ministry, we understood how difficult it was to lose a loved one, and we had hoped to create a space and a ministry that addressed these concerns and served as a source of comfort and wisdom for those who travel with God on their grief journey. This podcast is brought to you by Catholic Cemeteries Diocese of San Jose. We're glad you're here. You're always welcome in our circle of healing, love and support.
Candee Lucas:
Contemplation is essentially a listening in silence, an expectancy, and yet, in a certain sense, we truly begin to hear God when we have ceased to listen. What is the explanation of this paradox? Perhaps only that there is a higher kind of listening, which is not an attentiveness to some special wavelength, a receptivity to a certain kind of message, but rather a general emptiness that waits to realize the fullness of the message of God within its own apparent void. In other words, when we are in contemplative prayer, we do not prepare our minds for a particular message that we want or expect to hear, but rather our mind remains empty, because we know that he can never expect to anticipate the word that will transform our darkness into light. We do not demand light instead of darkness. We wait on the word of God in silence. And when he is answering, it is not so much by a word that bursts into silence, it is by his silence itself, suddenly and explicitly reeling himself to us as a word of great power, full of the voice of God. It is in this listening place, as we sit, surrounded by God's love, that we can most experience the love of our loved one. Remember its specialness, remember how it felt, how it sounded, how it smelled, how it pervaded our lives and that, once our loved one had moved on to the next plane, the sight, the sound, the taste, the feel of that love remained and remains.
Candee Lucas:
It is in that silent place, where God comes to gentle your heart, that you can observe all the jewels of your love: the tenderness, impermeability, unendingness, ceaselessness, timelessness, permanence. The sweep, the plane, the angles, the songs and sights. Rest there. Salvation comes to us who are grieving in the dark, unbidden, we wait there safely, knowing he is coming, will come, holding ourselves still, so we won't miss him. H olding ourselves dear, so we won't disappoint. He knows our woes, our many flaws. Yet he comes for us and if we are bitten, we come to where he is, in the depths of our heart, in the soul chamber. We hold each other dear, he and us as fast as any fast friends known, dearly, treasured. Really, how can we love each other more? What can this waiting mean to both of us? We will speak with the Holy. Wait, and they will advise at our hearts open.
Candee Lucas:
From Psalm 40: I waited. I waited for the Lord and he stooped down to me, heard my cry. He put a new song into my mouth praise of our God. You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings, but an open ear. In the scroll of the book it stands written that I should do your will, my God. I delight in your law in the depth of my heart. That concludes another episode. Please support us by subscribing on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcast. We always welcome your comments and feedback. Remember, spiritual direction is always available through Catholic Cemeteries. I'm Candee Lucas, Chaplain, aftercare Coordinator and Spiritual Director at Catholic Cemeteries. You can reach us through the email or telephone number in the show notes. Be gentle with yourselves. Travel safely with Vaya con Dios.