The Value of Holy Moments

Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur reviews Matthew Kelly's book about opportunities to choose the good and make a difference in the lives of others.

There is a time and place for heavy theological tomes, but sometimes it is good to read a simple book that reminds you of the value of the choices you make each day. In Holy Moments, Matthew Kelly explains how our lives are made up of moments, moments in which we have the opportunity to choose the good and to make a difference in the lives of those around us. 

Kelly speaks to the universal human desire for meaning. We’ve all had that experience of life of feeling restless, of wondering what we were made for, and of yearning for something more. “Each of these yearnings is a summons to live a more meaningful life” (14). We find that meaning in living for God. “The more disconnected from God our lives become the more meaningless life becomes” (21). Holy moments are the key to living our lives for God.  

What are “holy moments”?

A Holy Moment is a single moment in which you open yourself to God. You make yourself available to Him. You set aside personal preference and self-interest, and for one moment you do what prayerfully believe God is calling you to do. (23)

A lifetime of choosing to do what God wants, one moment at a time, can lead to a lifetime of holiness.  

It’s easy to become intimidated by the thought of needing to live a holy life day in and day out for years and years until we are called home to be with God, but each of us can make a holy choice for a moment. And if we screw up and make a poor choice, we can turn around and make a better choice in the next moment. These holy moments don’t always have to be a big choice. They can be as simple as smiling at someone we pass by or putting down our work and giving our complete attention to a child who needs us at that moment.

No act infused with goodness can ever be considered small. Every act of goodness triggers more goodness. 

The idea of holy moments is one that can be shared with our children as well. We can invite them to create their own holy moments and perhaps review them at the end of the day with a simple question: “Where did you have a holy moment today?” The ideas contained in Holy Moments can help both us and our children live with more intentionality and make a positive impact on the world. It is a simple book with a powerful message.  

Holy Moments is available on Amazon, but for those who would like to share this book with others (perhaps through a book group), six free copies (shipping must be paid for) are available at HolyMomentsBook.com. 

Copyright 2023 Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
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