3 Feb 2022
Final Words of Wisdom
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For 3 February 2022, Memorial of Saint Blaise, Bishop, Martyr, based on 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12
When David’s time to die drew near, he charged his son Solomon, saying: ‘I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, be courageous, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn. Then the Lord will establish his word that he spoke concerning me: “If your heirs take heed to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a successor on the throne of Israel.â€
Then David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David. The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned for seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.
Scripture passage from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
04 February 2022 @ 1:22 am
Thank you, Jimmy, for these words of wisdom, a reminder of what is most important – to love, give thanks, and live in the Ground of our Being. Blessings!
Megan
04 February 2022 @ 6:54 am
“Hasn’t Jesus been good to us, have we thanked him enough?”
Thank you Jimmy for sharing these final words of your mother, I will never forget them along with everything you shared in these words of wisdom.
04 February 2022 @ 10:53 am
Thanks for the invitation to think about death, Jimmy. I have been doing the thinking, not about others bust about myself! I wasn’t ever looking forward to ministering to they dying, because I had no experience and truth be told was afraid of death. But I found that it was when I was closest to people. A great friend, Barbara was dying and I used to visit her. One day she asked me to tell her what would heaven be like? We spend so much time making people fear death, we never think of the “wonderful things God has prepared for those who love God.†I wrote out what I wanted to say to her, we had a wonderful conversation. And now that I need to prepare for death, I find myself dwelling on those thoughts – “Being welcomed into the arms of God.†We all need to think of this, and the preachers among us help people to welcome death!! Thanks Jimmy!!
05 February 2022 @ 10:16 am
Jimmy, thank you for sharing two beautiful stories, one of your dad, the other of your mom. They were very moving. I have never had the experience of being with someone as they are dying or is about to die, to hear their last words. I was with one of my Franciscan sisters who was about to transition to heaven and I rostered to stay with her for one whole night. However, she was in a coma, and unresponsive. I spoke to her anyway and assured her of my love and support as she made this leap of faith. She died a day later. Thank you!