A Thread of Grace in the Tapestry of Loss

An unexpected encounter with a homeless man during Lent became a canvas for exploring the depths of grief and the promise of redemption. This episode of Solace lays bare the soul's journey through sorrow and the search for divine love. With Lent as our backdrop, we unravel the threads of self-punishment and the profound realization that we are eternally cherished by God.  Jan Richardson's "Beloved is Where We Begin," offers a beacon of hope that assures us we are not alone in our darkest hours.

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Chapters

• 0:34 Navigating Grief With Faith and Love
• 8:03 Solace Podcast Subscription Information

Transcript

Candee: 0:34

Welcome to this 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. This happened one one Lent between Sunday masses. As the Vietnamese speakers left and the Spanish speakers arrived.

Candee: 1:37

A man who had spent many days sleeping in the mud came into the vestibule. I had barely missed hitting him with my car in the driveway as I came to this event and he walked down the center of the driveway amongst the cars. He went into the women's restroom but did not linger. A woman handed him money-- Was it to leave? But then he did linger near the door to the sanctuary. He was probably more than six feet tall, but his head was perpetually bowed, as if in prayer, and that made him seem shorter. He was shaven. His clothes were new but very soiled by both wet and drying mud from sleeping in the outside, mud and dirt. He wore expensive sturdy boots caked in mud and dirt--w here the mud had dried. H e would not go into the sanctuary but stood at the entrance His hands folded in front of him. He would sometimes raise his coat with his left hand, hiding from observers, and slap his face several times with his right hand, hiding this, but not very well. He did this five or six times during the mass. Standing in the vestibule, I thought of how we strike our chest three times when we do mea culpa and I wondered why this stranger in the doorway, this man in the vestibule, felt not only that he needed to punish himself, but he needed to do it in this public and private way. I could not erase from my mind the idea that that was Jesus standing there, unapproachable, un-displayed, in private, praying, yet tortured.

Candee: 5:11

Standing in the Lenten season as we grieve might seem especially poignant to you. We are in a season of sorrow that taps our sorrow, that recognizes our sorrow and sometimes seems to demand our sorrow. But I would give you this poem from Jan Richardson's Circle of Grace, entitled Beloved is when we Begin. If you would enter into the wilderness, do not begin without a blessing, do not leave without hearing who you are Beloved, named by the one who has traveled this path before you. Do not go without letting it echo in your eyes, echo in your ears, and if you find it is hard to let it into your heart, do not despair. This is what this journey is for. I cannot promise this blessing will free you from danger, from fear, from hunger or thirst, from the scorching of sun or the fall of the night, but I can tell you that on this path there will be help. I can tell you that on this way there will be rest. I can tell you that you will know the strange graces that come to our aid only on a road such as this. Let's fly to meet us bearing comfort and strength, and come alongside us for no other cause than to lean themselves toward our ear and, with their curious insistence, whisper our name Beloved, beloved, beloved.

Candee: 8:03

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 Candi Lucas, your host, aftercare 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 and go with God you.