Sorrowing: A Grief Path

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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: [e-mail].
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION WHILE GRIEVING IS AVAILABLE

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Music and sound effects today by:   via Pixabay

Episode Transcript

Welcome to Solace (00:18):
Soul + Grief .

(00:38):
I'm glad you're joining ustoday.
When we started this podcastfour years ago, its purpose was
to assist those who are grievinga loss-- really any kind of
loss deeply or over a period oftime.

(01:00):
These podcasts are designed tobe revisited for various topics,
on various subjects.
Today, I want to talk about"sorrowing, a verb from the word
sorrow that was offered to meby a friend named Terry Allen.

(01:23):
As we are both grieving theloss of our parents, we share
some commonalities in the griefprocess, and so I thought I

(01:54):
would offer you some thoughtsabout Sorrowing today.
How should the soul not takewings when from the glory of God
it hears a sweet, kindly call--why are you here, soul Arise?
How should a fish not leap fastinto the sea from dry land when

(02:15):
from the ocean so cool thesound of the waves reaches it?
How should the falcon not flyback to his king from the hunt
when from the falconer's drum ithears to call O, come back.
Why should not every Sufi beginto dance atom-like around the

(02:37):
sun of duration that gives fromimpermanence?
What graciousness and whatbeauty.
What life bestowing.
What grace, if anyone doeswithout that --whoa, what air.
What suffering.
Oh fly, oh fly, oh, my soulbird, fly to your primordial

(02:59):
home.
You have escaped from the cage.
Now your wings are spread inthe air.
O travel from brackish waternow to the fountain of life.
Return from the place of thesandals now to the high seat of
souls.
Go on, go on, we are coming, weare coming.

(03:23):
O soul, go on, go on, we aregoing and we are coming, o soul,
from this world of separationto union a world beyond worlds.
How long shall we be here?
How long shall we here in thedust world, like children, fill

(03:45):
our skirts with earth andstones; without value and broken
shards without worth?
Let's take our hand from thedust grove.
Let's fly to the heavens high.
Let's fly from our childishbehavior and join the banquet of
men.

(04:05):
Call out, o soul, to proclaimnow that you are rules and kings
.
You have the grace of theanswer and you know the question
well.
In that book there is a momentthat talks about faithful love

(04:36):
in suffering.
It asks us to learn from Mary'splace in Jesus' life and death.
It asks us to pray for the giftof being able to feel sorrow,
with Jesus in sorrow, to beanguished with Jesus' anguish,

(05:02):
and even to experience tears anddeep grief because of all the
afflictions which Jesus endures.
For me, meanwhile, standingnear the cross of Jesus, were
his mother and his mother'ssister, Mary, the wife of Clopas
and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother andthe disciple, whom he loved,
standing beside her, he said tohis mother --Woman, here is your

(05:27):
son.
Then he said to the disciplehere is your mother--.
And from that hour the discipletook her into his own home.
That's a story from John 19,verse 25 to 27.
Blessed be the God and Father ofour Lord, Jesus Christ, the

(05:51):
Father of mercies and the God ofall consolation, who consoles
us in all our affliction, sothat we may be able to console
those who are in any afflictionwith consolation with which we
ourselves consoled by God.
For just as the sufferings ofChrist are abundant for us, so

(06:17):
also our consolation is abundantthrough Christ.
If we are being afflicted, itis for your consolation and
salvation.
If we are being consoled, it isfor your consolation, which you
experience when you patientlyendure the same sufferings that
we are also suffering.
Our hope for you is unshaken,for we know that as you share in

(06:41):
our sufferings, so also youshare in our consolation.
This is from 2 Corinthians,verse 1, 3-7.
As we become aware of our needof a particular grace in order

(07:05):
to be more faithful to God'sinvitation, ask Mary to join you
in asking God for that grace.
The source material is a bookcalled Moment by Moment by Carol
Ann Smith and Eugene F Mertz SJ.

(07:34):
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 notesI'll try to answer any questions
you have in the future.
Remember I'm always availablefor spiritual direction by Zoom

(07:58):
to those who are grieving.
Please reach out to me if youhave this need.
Be safe.
Travel with God always at yourside.
Vaya con Dios.