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
Grieving Through Spiritual Consolation and Desolation
The episode focuses on navigating the spiritual aspects of grief through the concepts of consolation and desolation as taught by St. Ignatius. Listeners gain insights on how love persists even amid loss while recognizing the importance of addressing desolation to foster healing.
• Understanding spiritual consolation and its role in grief
• The significance of love in remembering lost loved ones
• Recognizing the nature of spiritual desolation
• Emphasizing love as a counter to feelings of despair
• Encouragement for seeking support throughout the grieving journey
As you listen, consider sending me your thoughts and questions on grief, both spiritual and practical, so we can walk this path together.
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION WHILE GRIEVING IS AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE
You can reach us at: candeelucas@soulplusgrace.com to arrange personal spiritual direction and for questions and concerns.
Music and sound effects today by: via Pixabay
I welcome you to Solace: Soul + Grief. My name's Candee Lucas and I'm a grief chaplain. I accompany those who are grieving any kind of loss and I ask that you let me accompany you today. You're always welcome in this circle of healing, love and support. Remember, we are all on this journey together.
Candee:St Ignatius taught us the concept of spiritual consolation and desolation, so let's talk a minute today about those and how they affect our grieving process. Any interior movement in the soul which leads her, the soul, to become inflamed with the love, the love of her creator and God, and when, as a consequence, there is nothing in the universe that the person can love in itself, but they love it, as in the creator and God of all things. Similarly, consolation refers to times when a person sheds tears which lead to the love of God, christ and or the Spirit, whether they arise from grief over sins, over the passions of Jesus, from grief over sins over the passions of Jesus or because of other reasons immediately directed toward Jesus' service and praise. Lastly, consolation refers to every increase, however small, of hope and faith in love, to all interior joy which calls and attracts to eternal things and to the salvation freedom of one's soul, leaving the soul quiet and at peace in her Creator and God. How does spiritual consolation come about while grieving? How does spiritual consolation come about while grieving? In the days when we remember our loved ones with kindness and love and remember how much they brought into our lives? That is the time we will most often experience spiritual consolation, the one that Ignatius spoke about, because the love that we created with that person while they were with us on this earth continues. It has nowhere to go, but stays deeply in our heart. The regard of that love can only increase the love we experience, understand, remember and retain.
Candee:Likewiswe, Ignatius spoke about spiritual desolation, something we are also likely to experience while grieving. What is spiritual desolation? Anything contrary to the consolation we spoke of earlier. For example, darkness and disturbance in the soul, attachments that seem paralyzing, disquiet arising from various agitations and temptations. All this leads to a lack of confidence in which one feels oneself to be without hope and without love. One finds oneself thoroughly lazy, lukewarm, sad and as though cut off from one's creator in God. For just as consolation is contrary to desolation, in the same way the thoughts that spring from consolation are contrary to the thoughts that spring from desolation. That's why we focus first on the love when we are grieving, on the love when we are grieving. It is tempting, and some days fulfilling, to be attached to the sadness, to the tears, to the simple lack of our loved ones in our daily lives. But it is on those days of spiritual desolation that it is important to remember the love, even if it is a tiny, tiny ember in that dark cloud.
Candee:That concludes this week's episode. You can find us on Apple, spotify or Amazon. Please feel free to send any questions you might have about grieving to my email. In the show notes I'll try to answer any questions you have in the future. Remember I'm always available for spiritual direction by Zoom to those who are grieving. Please reach out to me if you have this need. Be safe, Travel with God always at your side. Vaya con Dios.
