Healing Words

As we grieve , we oftentimes wait for that special word , a special moment , a special memory that will ease today's pain in our hearts . And so I find myself glancing through old books looking for a word of solace . I go back and forth again to various scriptures , be it Psalms or , most often , Jeremiah .

These words bring me comfort . So today , I hope to offer some words of encouragement from some of my favorite authors . Some you may have heard of , some you may not . The first is Meister Eckhart-- It is your destiny to see as God sees , to know as God knows , to feel as God feels . How is this possible ? How ? Because divine love cannot defy its very self .

Divine love will be eternally true to its own being , and its being is giving all it can at the perfect moment . And the greatest gift that God can give is his own experience .

Every object , every creature , every man , woman and child has a soul , and it is the destiny of all to see as God sees , to know as God knows , to feel as God feels , to be as God is . -- This one is from St John of the Cross . --I was sad one day and went for a walk . I sat in a field . A rabbit noticed my condition and came near .

It often does not take more than that to help at times , to just be close to creatures who are so full of knowing , so full of love , that they don't chat , they just gaze with their marvelous understanding-- . This is from an Indian mystic named Lala . --Life is given , nothing is earned . So learn to serve others , not your own desire and greed and ego .

They steal your energies , whereas devotion builds your strength and protects the intelligent flame that leads to the truth within-- .

Another from John of the Cross-- the weight of arrogance is such that no bird can fly carrying it , and the man who feels superior to others , that man cannot dance the real dance when the soul takes God into its arms and you both fall onto your knees in gratitude . A blessed gratitude for life , a blessed gratitude for life-- .

These next words are from an anonymous Navajo . --I ask all blessings . I ask them with reverence of my Mother Earth , of the sky , moon and sun , my Father , I am old age , the essence of life . I am the source of all happiness . All is peace , all in beauty , all in harmony , all in joy-- . These words are from the Persian poet Hafiz .

--Children can easily open the drawer that lets the spirit rise up and wear its favorite costume of mirth and laughter . When the mind is consumed with remembrance of him , something divine happens to the heart that shapes the hand and tongue and eye into the word love-- . These next words are from the Queen of Sheba in Ethiopia . --Wisdom is sweeter than honey .

Brings more joy than wine . Illumine more than the sun , is more precious than jewels . She causes the ears to hear and the heart to comprehend . I love her like a mother and she embraces me as her own child . I will follow her footprints and she will not cast me away-- . These words are from the Persian poet Rumi .

--To place you in my heart may turn you into thought . I will not do that . To hold you with my eyes may turn you into thorn , I will not do that . I will set you on my breath , so you will become my life-- . More words from the Persian poet Hafiz .

--When the words stop and you can endure the silence that reveals your heart's pain of emptiness , or that great , wrenching , sweet longing , that is the time to try and listen to what the beloved's eyes most want to say-- . These next words are from an Inuit poet called Uvavnuk .

---The great sea has set me in motion , set me adrift , moving like a weed in a river . The sky and the strong wind have moved the spirit inside me till I am carried away , trembling with joy-- . These words are from St Catherine of Siena --we know nothing until we know everything . I have no object to defend , for all is of equal value to me .

I cannot lose anything in this place of abundance . If something my heart cherishes is taken away , I just say Lord , what happened ? And a hundred more appear-- . From St Francis of Assisi . --Our hands imbibe like roots , so I place them on what is beautiful in this world , I fold them in prayer and they draw from the heavens light -- .

From the Persian poet Rabia . --I know how it will be when I die . My beauty will be so extraordinary that God will worship me . He will not worship me from distance , for our minds will have wed , our souls will have flowed into each other . How to say this ? God and I will forever cherish myself-- . Words from Dante .

--The love of God , unutterable and perfect , flows into a pure soul . The way the light rushes into a transparent object , the more love that it finds , the more it opens itself . So that as we grow clear and open , the more complete the joy of heaven is . And the more souls who resonate together , the greater the intensity of their love .

And , mirror-like , each soul reflects the other-- . What I like about these poems and verses is that they continue to reflect God's surrounding , enveloping love for us . In times of trial especially , he is available to us .

So I would hope you would take some of these words , the ones that appeal to you , the ones who sound like jewels in your heart , repeat them , write them down , meditate upon them , breathe with them . 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 i n 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 .