Extraordinary Grace/Ordinary Moments

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This episode invites you to explore how grief intertwines with daily routines and how God can be found in every moment of our lives. We share insights and practices to transform ordinary life into a spiritual journey.

• Understand the pervasive presence of grief in daily life 
• Explore Karl Rahner's teachings on the intersection of routine and spirituality 
• Practical steps to engage with God through everyday tasks 

Feel free to send any questions you might have about grieving to my email.

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: [e-mail] to arrange personal spiritual direction and for questions and concerns.
Music and sound effects today by:   via Pixabay

Episode Transcript

I welcome you to Solace (00:27):
Soul + Grief.
My name's Candee Lucas and I'ma grief chaplain.
I accompany those who aregrieving any kind of loss, and I
ask that you let me accompanyyou today.
You're always welcome in thiscircle of healing, love and

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support.
Remember, we are all on thisjourney together.
Some days there is grief inevery corner of the room.
You can move to another room,but you can spot grief in those

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corners too.
So there's not a room, a saferoom.
And when I find myself at sixesand sevens, on those days when
I can't escape those corners, Ilook to some of my favorite
authors, including the JesuitKarl Rahner, who was largely the

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greatest influence at VaticanII, and so today I want to share
some of his words with you.
"O God, it seems we can losesight of you in anything we do.

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It seems we can lose sight ofyou in anything we do.
Not even prayer or the holysacrifice, or the quiet of the
cloister, and even the greatdisillusion with life itself can
fully safeguard us from thisdanger, and thus it's clear that
even these sacred, non-routinethings belong ultimately to our

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routine.
It's evident that routine isnot just part of my life, not
even just the greatest part, butthe whole.
Every day is every day.
Everything I do is routine,because everything can rob me of

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the one and only thing I reallyneed, which is you, my God.
Rahner tells us that God comesto us continually, both directly
and indirectly.
He demands of us both work andpleasure, and wills that each
should not be hindered butrather strengthened by the other

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.
Thus the interior man possesseshis life in both these ways, in
activity and in rest, and he iswhole and undivided in each of
them.
For he is entirely in God whenhe joyfully rests and he is
entirely in himself when heactively loves.

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This interior man is constantlybeing challenged and admonished
by God to renew both his restand his work.
Thus he finds justice, thus hemakes his way to God with
sincere love and everlastingworks.
He enters into God by means ofthis pleasure-giving tendency to

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eternal rest, and while heabides in God, still he goes out
to all creatures in anall-embracing love, in virtue
and justice, and that is thehighest stage of the interior
life.
Since we do much of ourgrieving and much of our

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mourning in our interior life,it is important to pay attention
to the movement of God insideof us.
And Rahner goes on.
--Those who do not possess bothrest and work in one and the

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same exercise have not yetattained this kind of justice.
No, just man can be hindered inhis interior recollection, for
he recollects himself as much inpleasure as in activity.
He is like a double mirrorreflecting images on both sides.

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In the higher part of hisspirit, he receives God together
with all his gifts.
In the lower, he takes incorporeal images through his
senses and he closes Before you.
All multiplicity becomes one Inyou.

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All that has been scattered isreunited In your love.
All that has been merelyexternal is made again true and
genuine In your love.
All the diffusion of the day'schores comes home again to the
evening of your unity, which iseternal life.

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This love which can allow mydaily routine to remain routine
and still transform it into ahomecoming to you, this love
only you can give.
So what should I form it into Ahomecoming to you?
This love, only you can give.
So what should I form it into Ahomecoming to you?
This love only you can give.
So what should I say to you now, as I come to lay my everyday

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routine before you?
There is only one thing I canbeg for, and that is your most
ordinary and most.
Touch my heart with this grace,o Lord, and when I reach out in
joy or in sorrow for the thingsof this world, grant that

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through them I may know and loveyou, their maker and final home
, you who are love itself, giveme the grace of love, give me
yourself, so that all my days befinally empty into the one day
of your eternal life.

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--And at the close, Rahner asks
questions of us.
He asks us to offer our dailyroutines to God.
We could do this by prayingover our daily appointment book

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or calendar as a sign of dailyroutine, or in any other way.
We can write a description ofthe big picture life task that
we're reaching for.
Is this the way of practicingthe discipline of service?
Make a list of the mostunremarkable, ordinary, boring
things that happened today.

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Was this unremarkable dayrather typical of your daily
routine?
And Rahner closes with thisdirect prayer to God: "Before

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you, all multiplicity becomesone In you.
All that has been scattered isreunited In your love.
All that has been merelyexternal is made again true and
genuine.
In your love, all the diffusionof the day's chores comes home

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again to the evening of yourunity, which is eternal life.
This love which can allow mydaily routine to remain routine
and still transform it into ahomecoming to you, this love
only you can give.
So what should I say to you nowas I come to lay my evening

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routine before you?
There is only one thing I canbeg for, and that is your most
ordinary and most exalted giftthe grace of your love.
Touch my heart with this grace,o Lord.
Touch my heart with this grace,o Lord, when I reach out, in

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joy or in sorrow, for the thingsof this world.
Grant that through them I mayknow and love you, their Maker
and final home.
You who are love itself.
Give me the grace of love, giveme yourself, so that all my
days may finally empty into theone day of your eternal life.

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That concludes this week'sepisode.
You can find us on Apple,Spotify or Amazon.
Feel free to send any questionsyou might have about grieving
to my email.
In the show notes I'll try toanswer any questions you have in
the future.
Remember I'm always availablefor spiritual direction by Zoom

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to those who are grieving.
Please reach out to me.
If you have this need, be safe.
Travel with God always at yourside.
Vaya con Dios.