SOLACE: Soul + Grief
This podcast is sponsored by SOULPLUSGRACE serving the San José area, offering grief support and grief journeying with spirituality. I hope to help you travel through grief with God at your side.
"I am a trained Spiritual Director for those who seek to complete the 19th Annotation of St. Igantius’ spiritual exercises OR seek spiritual direction while grieving. I have also worked as a hospital/cemetery chaplain and grief doula. I believe all paths lead to God and that all traditions are due respect and honour. I take my sacred inspiration from all of my patients and companions–past, present and future; the Dalai Lama, James Tissot, St. John of the Cross, the Buddha, Saint Teresa of Ávila, and, of course, Íñigo who became known as St. Ignatius. I utilize art, poetry, music, aromatherapy, yoga, lectio divina, prayer and meditation in my self-work and work with others. I believe in creating a sacred space for listening; even in the most incongruous of surroundings."
BACKGROUND
- Jesuit Retreat Center, Los Altos, CA -- Pierre Favre Program, 3 year training to give the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius
- Centro de Espiritualidad de Loyola, Spain -- The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola -- 30 Day Silent Retreat/
- Center for Loss & Life Transition – Comprehensive Bereavement Skills Training (30 hrs) Ft. Collins, CO
- California State University Institute for Palliative Care--Palliative Care Chaplaincy Specialty Cert. (90 hrs)
- Sequoia Hospital, Redwood City, CA -- Clinical Pastoral Education
- 19th Annotation with Fumiaki Tosu, San Jose, CA, Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
- Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA M.A. – Pastoral Ministries
CONTACT ME: candeelucas@soulplusgrace.com with questions to be answered in future episodes.
SOLACE: Soul + Grief
Grief and Anger
Have you ever wondered how to navigate the treacherous waters of grief with grace and faith? Today, we acknowledge our anger and seek solace in the protective shield of God's love. As we walk through this valley of shadows, we remind ourselves that divine love heals and reassures us of His presence in our pain. And amidst all this darkness, we echo a gentle reminder - be kind to yourself. In this journey of a thousand steps, remember, you are not alone. So, join us in this episode as we find comfort and begin our healing journey together, enveloped in God's love.
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 today by: via Pixabay
Welcome to Solace Soul + Grief. I'm your host, Candee Lucas. We, Catholic Cemeteries know that the loss of a loved one has a profound effect on our lives and we would like to help you deepen your faith, pay attention to where God is moving in your life as you grieve, and call upon the love of God to accompany you. Each week, we take a different text or scripture or poem, or maybe an idea from the Holy Spirit, and we use that idea or poem or song to help us reflect more deeply on our grief and God's place in our life and God's place next to us as we grieve. Please remember you're always welcome in our circle of healing, love and support.
Candee Lucas:To be angry at God, to be angry with God, to be angry at God --Sometimes you just want to say something hard. You want to be hard, you want to feel hardened, you want to feel as if your protective cover is in place securely and you don't want to let people in All perfectly normal, along the grief trail. There are days and times when we should just give in to our anger at the person we lost, at the situation, at other people who are not suffering through what we are suffering through. We just want to feel that there's no pain in the next second, that we are protected from it, immune to it. Through with it. Put it away and go out with a protective shield so that words from other people won't hurt us, the sight of happy people won't hurt us, the sight of happy couples or happy children or people in the normal world will stop intruding. Leave us in our grief. We say, leave us. Don't hold my hand, don't say kind words, don't put your arms around me. Just let me turn my cold, hard cover to the wind and the sun in the rain and I'll be safe here in my protective cover. Go ahead and spend some time doing that. Sometimes it's cathartic, but if you do bring somebody along with you, bring the love of God along with you. Bring the love of God along with you. Remember you are not going through this alone. He suffered every bit as you suffer. His friends could not save him, his mother could not save him, his father could not save him.
Candee Lucas:Of course, the loss of our loved one isn't like the loss Mary suffered when she lost her son, or that the disciples felt when they lost their kinsmen, their leader, their hope, whom they thought was the Messiah. The Jewish Bible tells of that. The prophets exclaim. T ake him with you as you put your hard cover on out into the world. Let him be by your side-- as close as close can be-- and whisper in your ear how loved you are and that your pain is acknowledged and real and burning as the noonday sun. Because all those things are true. But it's also true that his love is always there and part of the purpose of his love being there is to demonstrate healing, is to embody what healing love can be, what healing love is. So take an angry day or hour or a few minutes, but take him with you, because he remembers the love and he'll let you have your time and space for all the mixed up emotions that you have. And he'll sit by your side and he'll put his arm around you and he'll cry with you because he knows what it is to be human. He suffered that humanity with us and for us. That brings to a close another episode.
Candee Lucas:I'm Candee Lucas, your host, Aftercare Coordinator for Catholic Cemeteries in San Jose, Chaplain and Spiritual Director. Please support us by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or Spotify. You can contact us through the telephone number or email on the show notes. We always welcome your comments and suggestions for future episodes. Spiritual direction is always available for those who are grieving through Catholic cemeteries. Be gentle with yourselves. Travel with God.
