Legacy of Love

Embarking on a journey through memory's garden, we embrace the profound impact of spiritual legacies left by those we've loved and lost. This intimate encounter with a prayerful melody exemplifies the powerful resonance of personal faith in the midst of grief.   Realize the significance of being eternally treasured by God.   Discover the indelible mark of faith and love that endures beyond the veil.

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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 or in the Public Domain.

Transcript

Candee Lucas: 0:25

Welcome to this week's episode of Solace: Soul+ Grief. I'm Candee Lucas. We're glad you're here. This podcast is sponsored by Catholic Cemeteries and 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. There are many lessons we learn as we grow in God, grow in our faith and continue our grief journeys. We remember those who are gone, their place in our lives and the gifts they gave us. Today I want to talk about a prayer gift my grandmother gave me long, long ago, before I knew what it meant, before I knew God, before I knew that He knew me, and that just came upon me this profound memory during Lent. There are many lessons we learn as we grow in God, grow in our faith and continue our grief journeys. We remember those who are gone, their place in our lives and the gifts they gave us. Before I knew what it meant, before I knew God, before I knew that he knew me and that just came upon me, this profound memory. I was trying to remember the other day what the first prayer I learned was.

Candee Lucas: 3:10

I was not raised Catholic but converted later in life and had a spotty relationship with various faiths Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist. Nothing really stuck with me and then I remembered my grandmother. My mother's mother was the one person in the family who seemed to have a relationship with God. As I look back on it now, she was a Methodist and walked to the nearby church on Sundays. Sometimes she took us with her. But I don't remember much about that experience other than that she wore a hat and gloves to church. But when she died in 1999, there was no doubt in my mind which hymn we should play at her funeral services because it was her favorite --In the garden-- and I thought of those words and I learned that song and I used to sing it with her and with my mother because she liked to harmonize on that song and most of you know it.

Candee Lucas: 4:46

It goes. "I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses and the voice I hear calling in my ear the son of God discloses and he walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his own and the joy we share. And he talks with me and he tells me I am his own and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known. I don't know how young I was when I learned that song, but because my grandmother was an avid gardener, that song seems so appropriate. She spent hours and hours in her greenhouse coaxing plants into verdant growth and although that was always her quiet time, you didn't disturb her while she was in her greenhouse.

Candee Lucas: 6:03

I imagine now that was her time with God and she had illustrated for me, without even thinking, how to spend time with God. And the song itself-- I Come to the Garden Alone-- carries that significance of going there with some deliberation, going there without companion, without a companion other than God, and that the determination is to meet him there and walk with him and talk with him. And what is his message? As I stop to think of it now, he tells me I am his own. He tells me I am his own.

Candee Lucas: 7:49

This little song was such a profound message. So I think this was her greatest gift to me, although there are so many, being the first grandchild, I was her golden one and she always made me feel this way and I think through this song, she was letting me know that God felt that way too. I sang it without really thinking about the words, without really thinking about what it meant to her or to me or to my mother who joined in harmony. But it's so right, for today I am his own, he walks with me, he talks with me. All those things are true right now, and the miracle is that it was true then, the very first time she sang it. True then, truer now. Thanks, Deed.

Candee Lucas: 10:00

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, Aftercare Coordinator, Chaplain and Spiritual Director at Catholic Cemeteries 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. Vaya con Dios.