River of Grief

Today, we're taking a deep and reflective journey down a river to explore this profound comparison, as we examine the ebbs and flows of sorrow.
This episode contains  prayer from Peter Mayer, offering a comforting perspective on grief and God's omnipresence during such times. Embark on this spiritual journey with us,

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Our theme music is:  Gentle Breeze by Yeti Music from the album "Uppbeat".
Additional Music and sound effects today by:   via Pixabay

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:21

We welcome you to Salas. So, plus grief, I'm Candi Lucas, your host. When we started this ministry, we understood how difficult it was to lose a loved one, and we had hoped to create a space and a ministry that addressed these concerns and served as a source of comfort and wisdom for those who travel with God on their grief journey. This podcast is brought to you by Catholic Cemetery's Diocese of San Jose. We're glad you're here. You're always welcome in our circle of healing, love and support. Today, we have a river theme.

Speaker 1: 1:14

As I was thinking so often, grief is exactly like a river. Now, when you place a river in your mind, you see one flowing swiftly or meandering slowly. You see one, or imagine one, that's easy to cross, or one that would take some effort and a bridge to really cross it. The one thing that is a constant with rivers and grief is that they flow on. They flow on from a source to a source. They flow on from a broken heart down to the sea. That is God's heart. Some days they flow swiftly, some days it's barely a trickle, but that river never leaves us, or we never leave it, or if we've lost someone who's dear, then our hearts have dipped into the river and will never really leave One day we are sitting on a rock in the middle of the river, knowing that we can slip off and rest there as the current flows around us.

Speaker 1: 3:07

Today, our body is free, which feels like a rare thing. But to be willing to let go of the rock and see where it takes us requires some courage. We were not ready yet On the day I come to you, god, I will gladly, surely, do so. Until that time, I cling to my life here on the earth. You gave us In this life. You gave us with the love created by you and by all. Any Dignitious tells us to say yes to you at all times, unqualified yes, open-hearted yes, no reservations. But I and others cling to this life because of your gifts, not in spite of them. Why would we or could we give up something so beautiful? You gave us this world, the gift of this world, and I want to receive all of it. I can. I'm not taking it to Spain. I bring Spain with me every day in my heart. Keep it there, share it when I can. God is a river we can only dip in while we breathe here. When the time comes, we will be swept away, engulfed, lifting and letting go, sweeping us into that next life, right past the bardo, unconfused, free in radical love, in full radical love in purpose, in divine purpose. Amen.

Speaker 1: 5:51

This is a prayer by Peter Mayer. In the ever-shifting water of the river of this life, I found an anchor, a blessed resting place, a trusty rock. I called my savior, for there I would be safe From the river and its dangers, and I proclaimed my rock divine and I prayed it to protect me. And the rock replied God is a river, not just a stone. God is wild, raging rapids and a slow, meandering flow. God is a deep and narrow passage and a peaceful sandy shoal. So I'm going with a flow now, these relentless twists and bends, acclimating to the motion and a sense of being led. And this river's like my body now. It carries me along through ever-changing scenes and by the rocks that sing this song God is a river not just a stone.

Speaker 2: 7:35

Amen.

Speaker 1: 7:45

So today I will take it to God and leave it in God's heart and God's hands and trust that he will be beside me in the river, either I cling to a rock, I'm drifting on a raft or rowing in a boat with purpose. His grace surrounds me, holds me up, reflects the love I have for my loved ones and the love I have for Him, and we travel on together. That concludes another episode. Please support us by subscribing on Spotify, amazon Music, apple Podcasts or Google Podcast. We always welcome your comments and feedback. Remember, spiritual direction is always available through Catholic Cemetery. I'm Candi Lucas, chaplain, aftercare coordinator and spiritual director at Catholic Cemetery. You can reach us through the email or telephone number in the show notes. Be gentle with yourselves. Travel safely with God. Bye for now.