I feel discouraged and fear my spiritual connection is 'dead'. How does the text describe the nature of saints like Baba in a way that might offer comfort?

It is understandable to feel discouraged, but Chapter 43 offers a powerful and comforting perspective. It teaches that for saints, death is an illusion, comparing it to a solar eclipse which is merely a defect of vision. Sai Samarth, for instance, did not truly die but merged himself into the unmanifest, continuing to stay in the hearts of his devotees. As detailed in Chapter 43, by merely remembering his name, no news of birth or death remains. He who was imprinted in the hearts of devotees cannot be said to have perished, and he always keeps his devotees spiritually awake.