Dying at home with hope

In his homily, the Pope comments on the first reading of the day which recounts the death of David, after a life spent in the service of his people. He underlines three things: the first is that David dies "among his people". He lives until the end "his belonging to the People of God. He had sinned: he himself is called 'sinner', but he never left the People of God!":

 «Sinner yes, traitor no! And this is a grace: remaining in the People of God until the end. Having the grace to die within the Church, within the People of God. And this is the first point that I would like to underline. For us too, ask for the grace to die at home. Dying at home, in the Church. And this is a grace! You can't buy this! It is a gift from God and we must ask for it: 'Lord, give me the gift of dying at home, in the Church!'. Yes, we are all sinners, we all are! But no traitors! Corrupt not! Always inside! And the Church is such a mother that she wants us even like this, often dirty, but the Church cleans us: she is a mother."

Second reflection: Davide dies "quiet, at peace, serene" in the certainty of going "to the other side with his" fathers. «This – says Pope Francis – is another grace: the grace of dying in hope, in the awareness» that «they await us on the other side; on the other hand, the house continues, the family continues", we will not be alone. «And this is a grace that we must ask for – he observes – because in the last moments of life we ​​know that life is a struggle and the spirit of evil wants the spoils».

«Saint Therese of the Child Jesus said that, in her final times, there was a struggle in her soul and when she thought about the future, about what awaited her after death, in heaven, she heard something like a voice saying: ' But no, don't be silly, darkness awaits you. Only the darkness of nothing awaits you!'. So she says. it is the voice of the devil, of the devil, who did not want her to entrust herself to God. To die in hope and to die entrusting herself to God! And ask for this grace. But trusting in God begins now, in the small things of life, even in big problems: always trusting in the Lord and so one takes this habit of trusting in the Lord and hope grows. Dying at home, dying in hope."

The third reflection is on the legacy that Davide leaves. There are "many scandals regarding inheritance" - the Pope recalled - "scandals in families, which divide". Davide, on the other hand, "leaves the legacy of 40 years of government" and "a consolidated, strong people". «A popular saying – he continued – says that every man must leave a child in life, he must plant a tree and he must write a book: this is the best legacy!». So he invited us to ask ourselves: «What legacy do I leave to those who come after me? A legacy of life? Have I done so much good that people want me as a father or mother? Did I plant a tree? Did I give my life, wisdom? Have I written a book?". David leaves this inheritance to his son, saying to him: «Be strong and show yourself a man. Observe the law of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and following his laws."

«This is the legacy: our testimony as Christians left to others. And some of us leave a great legacy: let's think of the Saints who lived the Gospel with such strength, who leave us a path of life and a way of living as a legacy. Here are the three things that come to my heart when reading this passage on David's death: asking for the grace to die at home, to die in the Church; ask for the grace to die in hope, with hope; and ask for the grace to leave a beautiful legacy, a human legacy, a legacy made with the testimony of our Christian life. May Saint David grant us all these three graces!