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
Sorrowing: A Grief Path
Grief transforms from a static condition to an active process through the concept of "sorrowing"—a verb form shared by a friend also grieving the loss of parents. This perspective honors grief as a journey rather than a problem to solve, connecting us to spiritual traditions that recognize sorrow as a pathway to deeper wisdom.
• Ancient poetic texts illustrate how the soul might "take wings" even amid profound loss
• Biblical images of Mary at the cross demonstrate faithful presence in unbearable suffering
• Passages from Corinthians highlight how our experiences of affliction enable us to console others
• Modern grief understanding has evolved beyond linear models to recognize its complex, oscillating nature
• The concept of "sorrowing" gives permission to experience the full range of grief emotions without judgment or timeline
Remember I'm always available for spiritual direction by Zoom to those who are grieving.
Listen every Friday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music for spiritual direction, art, and workshops shared through Santa Clara University, https://events.scu.edu/markey-center/event/332001-spiritual-accompaniment
You can reach us 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 + Grief. I'm glad you're joining us today. When we started this podcast four years ago, its purpose was to assist those who are grieving a loss-- really any kind of loss deeply or over a period of time. These podcasts are designed to be revisited for various topics, on various subjects. Today, I want to talk about "sorrowing, a verb from the word sorrow that was offered to me by a friend named Terry Allen. As we are both grieving the loss of our parents, we share some commonalities in the grief process, and so I thought I would offer you some thoughts about Sorrowing today.
Candee:How should the soul not take wings when from the glory of God it hears a sweet, kindly call-- why are you here, soul Arise? How should a fish not leap fast into the sea from dry land when from the ocean so cool the sound of the waves reaches it? How should the falcon not fly back to his king from the hunt when from the falconer's drum it hears to call O, come back. Why should not every Sufi begin to dance atom-like around the sun of duration that gives from impermanence? What graciousness and what beauty. What life bestowing. What grace, if anyone does without that --whoa, what air. What suffering. Oh fly, oh fly, oh, my soul bird, fly to your primordial home. You have escaped from the cage. Now your wings are spread in the air. O travel from brackish water now to the fountain of life. Return from the place of the sandals now to the high seat of souls. Go on, go on, we are coming, we are coming. O soul, go on, go on, we are going and we are coming, o soul, from this world of separation to union a world beyond worlds. How long shall we be here? How long shall we here in the dust world, like children, fill our skirts with earth and stones; without value and broken shards without worth? Let's take our hand from the dust grove. Let's fly to the heavens high. Let's fly from our childish behavior and join the banquet of men. Call out, o soul, to proclaim now that you are rules and kings. You have the grace of the answer and you know the question well.
Candee:In that book there is a moment that talks about faithful love in suffering. It asks us to learn from Mary's place in Jesus' life and death. It asks us to pray for the gift of being able to feel sorrow, with Jesus in sorrow, to be anguished with Jesus' anguish, and even to experience tears and deep grief because of all the afflictions which Jesus endures. For me, meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus, were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary, the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple, whom he loved, standing beside her, he said to his mother --Woman, here is your son. Then he said to the disciple here is your mother--. And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. That's a story from John 19, verse 25 to 27.
Candee:Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with consolation with which we ourselves consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation. If we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation. This is from 2 Corinthians, verse 1, 3-7. As we become aware of our need of a particular grace in order to be more faithful to God's invitation, ask Mary to join you in asking God for that grace.
Candee:The source material is a book called Moment by Moment by Carol Ann Smith and Eugene F Mertz SJ. That concludes this week's episode. You can find us on Apple, Spotify or Amazon. 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.
