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© 2025 SOLACE: Soul + Grief
Description
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.
198 Episodes
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Send us a text A mother’s cry, a father’s silence, and a play that turned private loss into words the world still leans on—we trace the tender line from Hamnet to Hamlet and what it reveals about how we grieve. We open with the film’s intimate portrait of marriage under strain, childbirth risk, and a family reshaped by the death of a son. From a boy’s heartbreaking plea to save his sister to a mother’s raw lament, the story refuses neat answers and invites us to feel the full weight of love. ...
Send us a text What miracle are we waiting for when the holidays feel heavier than ever? We open the door to that question and follow it through Advent’s candles and into the honest landscape of grief—where tears, memory, and hope share the same table. Guided by Isaiah 55, we explore how God meets thirsty hearts with real nourishment, how love takes on flesh in fragile places, and how the Advent wreath holds darkness and light together without rushing us to feel better. The promise of script...
Send us a text Holiday glitter can sting when the heart is tender, so we slow down and name what’s real: Advent and grief both teach us how to wait. Remember the courage it takes to admit our limits, the grace of beginning with Jesus, and the honest paradox of holding sorrow and joy in the same hands. And a hopeful way forward for anyone who feels out of sync with the season. We explore the tension between cultural pressure to “make it magical” and the gospel’s invitation to place our ...
Send us a text A simple question can close a door—or open a life. After Lynn’s husband, Jim, died without warning, I thought giving space was kindness. I watched her carry herself with strength, and I told myself she’d ask if she needed me. What I missed were the quieter signs: a new sadness behind her eyes. If you’re walking with someone widowed or grieving—whether it’s been weeks or years—this conversation gives you language, courage, and a way back to presence. Listen for practical grief s...
Send us a text Grief doesn’t follow rules, and it rarely shows up quietly. We open a conversation about the last moments of life—what we witness in hospice rooms, what we fear in sudden or violent deaths, and the heavy shadow of suicide—and we offer an audacious hope: that God meets every soul at the threshold. Not as an abstract idea, but as a presence that brings a softening, a peace that settles over the body and face, a love that refuses to arrive late. From years of bedside chapla...
Send us a text We trace how fall’s shifts mirror grief, moving from the first sting of emptiness to practical safety steps, group support, and spiritual care. Poems by Paula Porter and a closing meditation widen hope, and we share ways to plan for the holidays with honesty and rest. • honoring the rawness of early grief and the image of autumn’s balance • fear named as part of grief and steps to face it • practical safety ideas for living alone and learning new tasks • asking friends and fam...
Send us a text We trace Rachel’s caregiving through COVID barriers, hospital chaos, and a rare moment of blessing from her father, who tried to dance in a neck brace on the day he came home. Fear, advocacy, and dignity shape a story that turns separation into a deeper kind of love. • Rachel’s layered losses and why she chose to share • COVID-era separation and window visits with her father • the work of advocacy • comfort versus intervention that reframed caregiving Please support us b...
Send us a text We explore grief’s gray spaces, where love does not disappear but changes form, and we practice seeing God’s presence in simple, daily ways. Thich Nhat Hanh’s cloud-to-rain teaching helps us notice our beloved in new forms while faith widens the heart that holds them. • grief as gray rather than black and white • shock, aftershocks, and anniversaries as normal rhythms • love as the other side of grief that endures • energy of love dispersing and widening beyond one person • Th...
Send us a text We share a gentle guide to facing holidays and anniversaries after loss, with practical tools that reduce pressure and honor love. We explain why grief isn’t linear, how waves return, and how faith, ritual, and support help you endure and heal. (See: hospicefoundation.org) • choosing plans and rituals that fit your energy • communicating needs and setting expectations with family • compromising so different grief styles can coexist • understanding anticipatory grief and ...
Send us a text We explore the raw, tender reality of losing a family pet and how everyday rituals make their absence feel vast. We unpack disenfranchised grief, memorials, and how surviving pets can mourn too. • why pet loss can feel as deep as any bereavement • daily bonds that make absence hit hard • urgent choices, and easing suffering • parenting while grieving and holding space for kids • coming home to an empty house and grief pangs • disenfranchised grief and finding safe listen...
Send us a text Keeping vigil, reflecting on the gap between a rich life and a plain death, and wondering how faith, science, and ritual help us hold loss without letting it define us. The dead may be invisible, but we explore how their presence can still affect us. • why stories of death need telling and retelling • readings on the nearness of the dead and what comfort means • the vigil: hospice, timelines, and private moments of farewell • different grief responses within a family • finding...
Send us a text We share Rachel’s story of layered loss during 2020 and how a simple breeze became a faithful sign that love endures. We explore last words, waves of grief, and practical rituals to feel presence without denying absence. • why naming love before goodbye brings peace • how grief arrives in waves and why that is normal • the role of nature and sensory cues in healing • continuing bonds as a healthy way to stay connected • building simple rituals to steady daily If you have...
Send us a text Today we explore a traditional Rosh Hashanah reading from 1 Samuel about Jonathan's loyal friendship with King David, and; extracts powerful lessons for those on a grief journey. The biblical story demonstrates how love transcends hatred, and ultimately has the healing power to mend our deepest wounds. Especially grief. • Examination of the biblical story of Jonathan protecting King David from King Saul • Love is greater than hate, physical harm, and can heal all wounds • Love...
Send us a text Today we explore how our attachments to physical objects transform during grief. Loss requires us to reconsider what we hold onto and why, as we weave grief into the fabric of our lives rather than trying to overcome it. • Grief isn't something to "get over" but something we integrate into our lives • Moving to a new home revealed how many things I was willing to let go • St. Ignatius teaches about "disordered attachments" that keep us from being closer to God • Examining our ...
Send us a text When we're grieving, our culture of rugged individualism often tells us to face losses alone, but healing requires the presence of others. This episode explores why seeking support during grief isn't weakness but essential wisdom for moving forward. • Grief and loss are inevitable in life but nearly impossible to manage alone • Many avoid seeking help due to fear of appearing weak, being vulnerable, or being judged • Past experiences with grief can provide strength for facing ...
Send us a text Today we explore how to walk with God during grief when prayer feels impossible and faith seems distant. Grief creates natural spiritual questions as we navigate the physical, emotional, and psychological shifts that come with significant loss. • Picture God on your side rather than as the cause of suffering • God's compassionate presence walks with us through our pain • Trust God's nearness even when feelings suggest otherwise • Call on good memories to help navigate present ...
Send us a text Today explore the delicate subject of experiencing happiness in the midst of grief, examining how these seemingly contradictory emotions can coexist. • Life continues moving forward regardless of our personal grief, which can feel jarring and isolating • Happiness can emerge unexpectedly during grief through events like births, engagements, or achievements • Biblical passages often describe joy and sorrow as concurrent experiences rather than opposing emotions • Pain and...
Send us a text Journaling serves as both a memorial and milestone marker on our grief journeys, allowing us to process complex emotions and track our healing progress over time. Journal entries spanning several years document my experiences with various losses and the spiritual dimensions of grief. • Grief journaling helps memorialize our journey and provides perspective on how far we've come • Personal journal entries reveal the complex, non-linear nature of grief processing • Spiritu...
Send us a text 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 con...
Send us a text We explore Karl Rahner's profound spiritual insights from "Encounters with Silence," focusing on finding God within the ordinary routines of daily life. Rahner, a Jesuit priest and influential 20th century theologian who helped shape Vatican II, offers wisdom particularly relevant to those experiencing grief. • Karl Rahner entered the Society of Jesus in 1922 and was ordained in 1932 • Rahner's vision provided theological support for openness and dialogue between Christians • ...
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