SPIRITUAL APPROACH TO GRIEVING
Life and Death and the Communion of Saints

What is grief to you? Ms. Dinneen gives definitions of - loss — grief - mourning — bereavement, etc. The task of grieving is necessary for healing; in grieving we bond — we communicate and we love.
Grief work brings energy and positive growth to a person’s life but sadly people avoid grief work. Those who do not deal with the grief usually eventually turn to some deviate behavior — neurotic. Grief will not go away, it is in the gut, moves to the heart, then to the head. Is there a schedule to the grief process? No!
Loss can lead to growth but refusing to deal with it can also lead to disaster. Men and women grieve differently, there are many styles, and Ms. Dinneen includes a short grief exercise on loss by construction of a time line.
Ms. Dinneen’s favorite part is the communion of saints, awakening to life and death. Our loved ones are still with us! What do you dream for? When do you dream? — What is the hope of your dreams? What is the meaning of our lives? How can we carry on the message of Jesus as well as our loved ones who have died? We who have loved never really lose our connection to the other.

Produced in collaboration with the National Institute for Clergy Formation of Seton Hall University.