Persons who have spent years attending to persons at the end of life share amazing patterns and experiences about death and dying. While the medical and physical dimensions require attention, towards the end of life and ‘when the veil is parting,’ soul work, no matter what a person believes, often becomes the most profound dimension in the final transition. Dr. Dieter shares years of what he and other hospice workers have observed about the end of life. Rather than focusing on the medicalization of death, most dying persons report remarkable visions and experiences that transcend fear offer comfort to families and friends.

When we consider the question, What is the best possible death? We can draw from the wisdom of our ancestors who developed remarkable practices about supporting persons in their suffering. Dr. Dieter shares insights from the Celtic Tradition that believed ‘leaning into suffering’ is ironically the key to transforming existential suffering. The Celts invented the term, BAS SONA (a happy death) to describe how the art of living and dying are truly one and the same.

Our culture has begun to break down some barriers of fear about the end of life. The part that continues to be missing in mainstream medicine is the dimension of soul. Dr. Dieter shares how his medical practice was enhanced by the sacred art of dying. His experience offers a way to pay attention to how soul pain can be better recognized and addressed.

FACING OUR FEARS:

In our culture talking about a good death seems like an oxymoron. Like, what could possibly be good about dying? Kevin Dieter has spent much of his life working in hospice where that question cannot be sidestepped. Dr. Dieter experiences and real life stories are compelling and inspiring. In this podcast series we look forward to four intimate and powerful conversations about something that everyone of us will eventually have to deal with.

Authentic Spiritual Direction ultimately will lead us into compassionate right action for others. Jack Kennedy concludes his series on Spiritual Discernment by challenging us to consider how our spiritual practices and beliefs get translated into practical ways of being in the world with others. How we are fully human is the only starting point for supporting others in search of the Divine. Ultimately, trusting rather than denying our naked experiences is the basis of spiritual direction that can transform life’s deepest challenges.

Discernment is another word for deciding. It is our human endeavor for decision making. The Spiritual Exercises offer a trustworthy set of ‘rules’ that we can trust when facing life’s most important realities. This talk is an invitation to get our spiritual world larger!

Spiritual Director, Jack Kennedy, explores a distinction from the Spiritual Exercises between whether we believe that we are part of God’s Plan vs. participants in a Divine Project. In the Ignatian tradition, it is a relief to discover that ‘we are being momently being created’ and that our deepest hopes should be the anchor of how we make important decisions.

Spiritual Director, Jack Kennedy, brings real life and belief together in this insightful episode. Most religious people have not been taught to trust that their deepest longings have a sacred source. Through the wisdom of The Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, Kennedy offers a liberating shift of perspectives about trusting our own deepest feelings and desires. This episode was recorded at an interfaith training series for prospective spiritual directors.