In the Wilderness of Grief

As we wander through the desert of our sorrows during Lent, how do we find our way to the oasis of peace?  Together, let's carry our grief as a testament to love's enduring flame, staying present with Jesus in the wilderness.

Self-compassion is our compass in this terrain; it's through our collective narratives and steadfast faith that solace is found.

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SPIRITUAL DIRECTION WHILE GRIEVING IS AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE

You can reach us at: ccoutreach@dsj.org
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Our theme music is:  Gentle Breeze by Yeti Music from the album "Uppbeat".
Additional Music and sound effects today by:   via Pixabay

Transcript

Candee Lucas: 0:36

Welcome to this week's episode Solace: Soul + Grief. I'm Candee Lucas. We're glad you're here. This podcast is sponsored by Catholic Cemeteries in the Diocese of San Jose. The death of a loved one is a very difficult life transition and we hope we can answer some of your questions, help you find where God is moving in your life as you continue your grief journey, and remind you of the power of your faith and love for God. You're always welcome in our circle of healing, love and care.

Candee Lucas: 1:20

Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. There's nothing tricky about prayer. It's simply tuning into God's presence, and God is always present, not simply alongside us, but within us, at the deepest part of who we are. We never have to get God's attention. We have God's total attention, always, everywhere, as we take our grief through Lent. We never have to make an appointment with God. We're always first on the list. Our appointment is always right now when we call God. We never get a voicemail. It's direct To draw near to God. We don't have to travel anywhere. God does all the traveling. We don't have to figure out the right words to get started. God's already speaking to us. All we have to do is turn off the mute button.

Candee Lucas: 2:33

The reason we pray in Lent and in grief is to become more of who we are. We are made in the image and likeness of God. When we pray, we become more and more like God. Try it. You can use words if you wish, but you can also just sit quietly with God. It's a fine way to spend a few minutes While the church no longer attempts to prescribe Lenten practices in detail. Fasting, abstinence and almsgiving simply highlight Ash Wednesday, good Friday and the other Fridays of Lent. The more fundamental obligation is to make Lent a penitent season, choosing practices that are adapted to one's own circumstances. It can be particularly meaningful, as we grieve our lost loved ones, to remember them at this time, with sadness, with hope, with gratitude. As Luke reminds us, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God. People have always wanted to talk with God.

Candee Lucas: 4:18

Archaeological evidence shows that early Christians gathered around the martyrs' tombs to pray on the anniversaries of their death. They also engraved inscriptions on their homes' doors or on tombs praying to Mary or invoking the intercession of saints. Since the Mass was celebrated in their language during the early centuries, people felt that they talked with God through this formalized ritual. With the barbarian invasions in the fifth and sixth centuries, however, the mass remained in Latin to keep it pure, rather than being translated into Northern Europe's many languages Unable to understand Latin. The new converts created their own prayers for speaking with God, what have come to be known as devotions.

Candee Lucas: 5:18

The Middle Ages inspired many of today's devotions, including the Rosary, sacred heart devotions and devotions emphasizing Christ's humanity, his suffering and death. As we prepare to accompany Jesus into the desert for the next 40 days, some of us may take our grief along. We may keep it wrapped up in a cloth in our pocket, or we may wear it around our necks as an icon. However we carry it, we are present to Jesus whenever he needs us to be. Many times we just walk behind him, following his footsteps in the sand and sitting down on a rock near him when he sits down, and then we take our grief out, either out of our pocket or touch the icon around our neck, and we remember our loved one and we note that here in the desert we are far away from them and their love, but that it waits for us on the other side. We are reminded that this annual journey of reconciliation and examination of our own hearts and conscious may feel difficult at times, but it is God's love and the love of our lost loved ones that sustain us.

Candee Lucas: 8:01

That concludes another episode of Solace. A new one drops every Friday. Please subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon or find us on Google. I'm Candee Lucas, your host, after care coordinator, chaplain and spiritual director at Catholic Cemetery at Gate of Heaven in Los Altos, California. Please contact us if you have questions or seek spiritual direction. Our contact information is in the show notes. Be gentle with yourselves. Travel with God.