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
A Day in the Life of Grief
What role does God play in our journeys through loss and life transitions? Today, we delve into the power of opening our hearts to both our own brokenness and the brokenness of others, allowing God's healing love to flow through us. Through scriptural reflections on Matthew 25 and Mark 10, we explore how love, radical honesty, and surrender can guide us toward freedom and spiritual growth.
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
Gentle companions along the way. We welcome you to this week's episode of Solace: Soul + Grief. We all suffer losses and life transitions and we found it helpful to remind ourselves what place God has in that journey. Each week we try to become in touch with our ability to open our hearts in all our brokenness, to be able to receive the brokenness in others, participate in the healing love that God brings us all.
Candee:My name is Candee Lucas. I'm the chaplain and aftercare coordinator at Catholic Cemeteries for the Diocese of San Jose. We're glad you're here. You're always welcome in our circle of love and healing support. Peace be upon you all. Peace be upon us all, for although my heart is rising, it still has darkness which praying will not cure, because to surrender is to be free, surrender done freely for love.
Candee:Sin is failing to bother to love. Sin is breaking the relationship with God, with Jesus, with one another. We are loved to wonder. Where are these relationships suffering? Matthew 25 talks about the failure to love-- wonders who we are becoming, who are you becoming? We become, what or whom we choose? We do not succumb to confusion.
Candee:In Mark 10, we hear the story of the rich young man, Jesus looked at him and loved him. Jesus loves the woman at the well into freedom. Or as in the story of St Paul getting knocked off his horse --when there is no horse in the Gospels. Caravaggio knew that. Jesus knew that our hearts had been broken and can turn inward and hard. Or, in this instance, does it have room to expand? Becoming free requires radical honesty. Name the disordered attachments. Name your unfreedom. Name your fears. Name your default settings. Name the lies we tell ourselves. But we are always the sinner.
Candee:Thomas Merton once said all I have to do is stay found. Isaiah said Father, I put my life in your hands. In Hebrews let us hold fast to our confession. Be obedient to the point of death. I am diminished. My energy, my hopefulness, I am dismantled. My creativity is low. Even ideas are flat. Should I return to past projects? A Jesus sculpture? Why did I say I called my baby Abby? Why did that name fall out of my mouth? Is hope that low?
Candee:I turn this over to you because I can barely describe, let alone find, a path forward. Lord, I am not worthy. Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed. That concludes another episode. Please follow us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or Spotify, or you can follow us on the Facebook pages of Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Los Altos, California, or Calvary Cemetery in San Jose, California. I am also available for spiritual direction for those who are grieving. You can contact us at the telephone number or email address in the show notes. Be gentle with yourselves. Remember you are traveling with God and he is traveling with you. Vaya con Dios.
