If there is a small wish: he wants to enjoy life a little bit more rather than lamenting the passage of time. Somethings in life we can't change and must learn to respond wisely but other things we can change and on these, we need to focus.
Pleasures in life are mainly related to the senses. It's pleasing to the eyes to see, ears to hear, the mouth to eat, pleasant the sense of touch and smell. But sadly, in this heartless capitalist era, the pleasures of many of the senses and desires demand money and time. People who don't have money and can't afford time don't enjoy these pleasures to the same degree.
However, true pleasure is not the pleasure that arises from material consumption that satisfies the senses and desires, but the pleasure of the act itself. Studying and walking are things we can enjoy without cost and without much time. All you need is a willingness to learn and an open mind. Studying can be done at any age.
Studying at a young age usually seeks achievement, recognition, and power. Studying when old can be aimed more at the enjoyment of learning itself. The older you get, the more you need to study. For the pure pleasure of knowledge, and for a humble and rewarding old age. Many are the reasons studying in old age is good, inquiry and curiosity always keep us young. The ideal is to study life until the moment of death. Studying life in youth and middle age also makes people mature, but studying life in old age moves us towards wisdom.
All studies are done to know correctly and understand deeply. You do not study to judge, criticize, or use it as power. The act of studying is reading, thinking, and writing. Reading various books, thinking from various angles through the medium of reading, and translating one's thoughts and words into writing. The act of studying contains the joy of reading other people's various thoughts, the pleasure of forging one's own thoughts, and the joy of being a writer using one's own words. Of course, thinking and writing are often painful labors. The act of studying includes listening and talking. Studying is not one-way. Studying takes place through conversations with books and candid conversations with others.
The joy and pleasure of studying are not the results of achievement, but rather come naturally from the process. True study penetrates the head, mind, and body. True study always aims at life. The joy of knowing itself is great. But the real study is to do it with the body. Studying by moving your body touches your heart and changes your life. The journey of study is the process of knowing with the head, realizing with the heart, and realizing it with the body. Studying with the head, mind, body, and life transforms, matures, and humbles us. The more you study, the more you will confess: "There are so many things I don't know."
Our Faith also needs study. Theology is the academic study of faith, the reflection of the church, and the reading of the signs of the times. Theology is 'wisdom', 'rational knowledge', and 'critical reflection on Christian religious practice'. The study of theology should not be limited to a few experts. Studying theology is something that all believers can do. "Every act of a Christian, either explicitly or implicitly, already expresses theology. In other words, called by God to grapple with the ultimate questions of human existence and the fate of the world."
The study of faith is also the study of the Bible and doctrine. Today's Bible study is not just a historical-critical approach to studying the biblical texts and contexts. Rather, it values the life of the Bible reader as much as the author of the Bible. For the Bible to become a living word for us today, we must study today's life. It is a humanistic bible study in a broad sense. Reading the world in the light of faith and in the light of the Bible is an element of the study of faith.
A study of faith, a living faith, a faith that shakes and transforms lives, Pope Francis makes clear. (Speech on December 21, 2017) "A faith that does not make us grow is a faith that needs to grow. A faith that does not raise questions is a faith that has to be questioned. A faith that does not rouse us is a faith that needs to be roused. A faith that does not shake us is a faith that needs to be shaken. Indeed, a faith that is only intellectual or lukewarm is only a notion of faith. It can become real once it touches our heart, our soul, our spirit, and our whole being. Once it allows God to be born and reborn in the manger of our heart. Once we let the star of Bethlehem guide us to the place where the Son of God lies, not among Kings and riches, but among the poor and humble."
Our Blessed Mother exemplifies the study of the faith. Studying the faith is learning and putting into practice the way of Jesus with an attitude of asking questions and pondering (Luke 1:29.34) and with a delicate gaze that seeks God’s will in everything (Luke 2:19.51).
