Death. It's not a popular topic in our culture. Most of us prefer just to ignore it and act as though we're going to live forever. But as Matthew Kelly writes in his introduction to this final testament of Father Richard J. Hauser, "Knowing you are going to die is in many ways a great blessing and a rare grace." It shows us what's truly important and clarifies what we really want to say to the world.

In The Last Homily, Fr. Hauser provides us with the fruits of his own courageous encounter with death. Delivered while he was in hospice care, here is the message this beloved priest shared with his family and friends as he celebrated his final Mass.

In it, he reiterates many of the familiar themes of his life's work—recognizing God's Spirit in prayer, following the Spirit's guidance in life, and clinging to him especially in times of suffering. More importantly, Fr. Hauser shows us what that looks like through his own example. Full of the urgency that only imminent death can bring, The Last Homily imparts priceless wisdom about what matters most and what matters least in this world.