SOLACE: Soul + Grief
This podcast is sponsored by SOULPLUSGRACE serving the San José area, offering grief support and grief journeying with spirituality. We hope to help you travel through grief with God at your side. Candee Lucas, your host, is a Jesuit-trained-and-inspired spiritual companion to the dying and their families, friends and caretakers.
"I am a trained Spiritual Director for those who seek to complete the 19th Annotation of St. Igantius’ spiritual exercises. 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
SOLACE: Soul + Grief
Bardo: The Waiting Room for Souls
Join us in a weekly exploration of healing. This week's spiritual quest delves into the bardo, an Eastern concept of the transitional space souls may inhabit, examined through a Christian lens. We unveil the spiritual concept of the bardo--a transitional state where souls may find themselves in a moment of hesitation or confusion. We contemplate how God's presence offers solace and guidance even in these liminal spaces. We hope to reconnect with the core of our being. Whether you're mourning, seeking spiritual insight, or simply drawn to the mysteries of the afterlife, join us for an episode we hope will be a beacon of hope and a testament to the enduring connection we share with the Divine.
Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, 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
Welcome to Solace: Soul + Grief.
Candee:We're brought to you by Catholic Cemeteries in San Jose, California. My name is Candee Lucas. The death of a loved one is a huge life transition and we are learning it creates and affects so many other losses in our lives. So we at Catholic Cemeteries want to offer you this place to grieve and find where God's moving in your life as you grieve. Each week we take a new scripture or reflection and seek to find a quiet place in our hearts, together to contemplate our losses, honor our loved ones, remember God's place in our hearts and seek to make a continuing connection with those we've lost. We want to find that space where God is moving with us in our grief, that space where mourning can be transformed to comfort, a place where our hearts might be reopened and begin to mend, a place where tears can flow. For it is when we open our hearts that we realize that we've made a new space for more love and more compassion and for more humanity and more space for God in our lives. This is a space that we hope Solace will begin to fill for you. Please join us if you are suffering or just want to spend more time having God move with you in your grief. You are always welcome here in our circle of healing, love and support. Many of us believe that after the temporal death, the soul may remain with the body or nearby, hesitant to move forward. The Buddhists have a name for this place, this place where souls linger. It's not at all like the Catholic idea of purgatory, where souls are waiting to be saved and moved on. Rather, this is a place the soul chooses-- whether in confusion, hesitancy or regret-- to move on. So what follows are a series of descriptions about where that soul lies, how that soul is accompanied, and I only use that reference of the bardo as a description of that space where souls may pause, taking nothing from our Christian faith, because God accompanies us in all spaces, in all times. Think of it a little bit like a waiting room. Someone who dies suddenly may have confusion. That soul might have confusion. Bardo: I am the in-between, the space between breaths, the moment before thought. I am the unknowable, the mystery that lies beyond words, the silence that surrounds sound. I am the potential, the possibility of all that could be the seed of the future. But I am also the void, the emptiness that contains everything, the womb of all creation. I am the Bardo, the state of all creation. I am the Bardo, the state of being between lives, the journey of the soul. I am the bridge between worlds, the gateway to the infinite, the key to enlightenment. I am the Bardo and I am here to help you find your way. I will guide you through the darkness, I will show you the light, I will help you remember every step of the way. Trust in me and let me help you to find your way home.
Candee:Bardo 2: I am the space between worlds, the bridge between life and death. I am the place where souls are reborn and where karma is resolved. I am the Bardo and I am here to help you find your way. I will guide you through the darkness, I will show you the light. I will help you to remember who you are. You are not alone in this journey. I am with you every step of the way. Trust in me and let me help you to find your way home. I am the Bardo, the state of being between lives. I am the place where all things are possible and where anything can happen. I am the space of potentiality, the womb of all creation. I am the place where dreams come true and where nightmares can be born. I am the Bardo, and I'm here to help you find your way. Bardo, and I'm here to help you find your way. I will guide you through the darkness, I will show you the light. I will help you to remember who you are. You are not alone in this journey. I am with you every step of the way. Trust in me and let me help you to find your way home.
Candee:A prayer about the Bardo: O, great Spirit, we pray for guidance and protection during the Bardo Spirit. We pray for guidance and protection during the Bardo. Help us to remember our true nature and to let go of all attachments. Help us to see clearly the illusions of this world and to find our way to the true light. We pray for all beings who are in the Bardo. May they find peace and happiness and may they be free from suffering. May they find their way to the enlightenment. In the name of the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, we pray, Amen. That concludes another episode. Please support us by subscribing on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts or Google. 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 God. Vaya con Dios.
