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
A Medieval Prayer Manual Speaking to Modern Grief
Grief creates a profound rupture in our lives, affecting us spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, and physically. The 14th century spiritual classic "The Cloud of Unknowing" offers wisdom for navigating the darkness of grief through contemplative prayer.
• Focuses on prayer as an act of will and love rather than intellect
• Offers practical guidance for being fully present in prayer during difficult times
• Emphasizes that even short, simple prayers are sufficient for connecting with God
• Encourages embracing "the proper awe of the Lord" as foundation for wisdom
• Provides comfort in knowing that souls aligned with God "are immediately heard"
• Parallels between the "unknowing" in contemplative practice and grief journeys
Consider what helps you approach prayer with a willing attitude during your grief journey.
You can reach me at: candeelucas@soulplusgrace.com.
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION WHILE GRIEVING IS AVAILABLE
Art: https://www.etsy.com/shop/vasonaArts?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
and https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/candee-lucas
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2SFH4Z6
Music and sound effects today by: via Pixabay
Welcome to Solace. Soul Plus Grief. I'm glad you're here. My name is Candy Lucas. I'm a grief chaplain and spiritual director. I was trained by the Jesuits at Santa Clara University and El Retiro Jesuit Retreat Center in Los Altos, california, california. When I started this podcast over four years ago, I wanted to have a place people could go while they're on their grief journeys, either to deal with specific aspects of grief that they were struggling with or to be available for gentle accompaniment. Most of these episodes concern Ignatian spirituality, because it is the basis of my training. The loss of a loved one is a huge rupture in our lives. It brings on changes spiritually, psychologically. Loss of a loved one is a huge rupture in our lives. It brings on changes spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, physically, and we need to learn to tend to our needs in all of these areas as we grieve.
Speaker 1:The Cloud of Unknowing is generally considered the greatest spiritual classic to issue from the 14th century English contemplative movement. The author's identity is unknown, but a number of things about him can be deduced from the text. It is written in East Midlands dialect. It's easy to suppose that he was a spiritual director, probably a priest and a theologian. The work is written for the instruction of a spiritual disciple who has passed through the beginning stages of prayer and now finds himself in a patch of unknowing or darkness. This is a season that is similar to our grief journeys. The author of the Cloud is clearly skilled in patristics and later theology, familiar with the prayer controversies of his own time, and takes the point of view that prayer is a matter of the will of love rather than thought or intellect. The author is also deeply conversant with Scripture and uses biblical language and imagery in an easygoing and forceful way. His style is fresh and original. No doubt this is one reason why the work continues, even today, to be a very popular work on prayer.
Speaker 1:First, the author offers down-to-earth advice on how to pray in the present moment, being fully attentive to the prayer at hand. And it goes like this my dear spiritual friend and God, since you have asked me how you can control your feelings when you are praying, let me give you the best answer. I can Concentrate your mind wonderfully on the proper awe of the Lord. You will find this feeling taking real hold of your heart and, fully attentive to the prayer at hand, it well may be that you are going to live beyond the time of your prayer. It well may be that you are going to live beyond the time of your prayer, but it is always false comfort to promise yourself that this will be the case and to persuade your heart to rely on it. This is because only God can know the truth and all you can do is rely blindly on His will without having any certainty beyond this moment. And all you can do is rely blindly on His will, without having any certainty beyond this moment, for the time it takes to blink an eye If you want to pray wisely or sing psalms with all of your heart, as in Psalm 47. Make sure you work your mind into embracing this proper awe of the Lord which, as the same psalmist tells you later on, is the beginning of wisdom.
Speaker 1:That's Psalm 111, verse 10. What I mean is this Provided that you have previously, to the best of your ability and following the dictates of your conscience, confess your faults, as the church requires, then this short prayer, however little thing it may be, will be sufficient for God to bring you salvation and love and light, and it will be a great increase of merit to you. The eternity of God is His length, his love is His breadth, his power is His height and His wisdom is His depth, that the soul which is so nearly conformed by grace to the image and likeness of God, his maker, is immediately heard by God. After this podcast today, consider the question what can help me plunge into prayer with a willing attitude? Remember a soul which is so nearly conformed by grace to the image and likeness of God, his maker, is immediately heard by God.
Speaker 1:That concludes another episode. A new one drops every Friday morning. You can find us on Apple Music, amazon Music and Spotify. My name is Candy Lucas. I'm always available for questions you may have about grieving or grief groups or spiritual direction. My contact number is in the show notes. Remember be gentle with yourself. Travel with God. Vaya con Dios, thank you.
