Review: Holy Moments

Matthew Kelly’s books are basic Christianity, some more basic than others.  He always, however, writes with a simple vocabulary, and uses simple examples.  He rarely gets into any deep theology or controversial topics.  This book is no different than his rest, except …

I liked the opening parable he created.  It was thought provoking, at least to me.  He then went on to ask some questions non-Christians and young people may find intriguing:

·         So, what are you going to do with the rest of your life?  More of the same?  Keep dreaming about a change you know you’ll never make?

·         We all have one short life.  We all waste some of it.  How much are you wasting?

·         It takes just one “Holy Moment” to shift the momentum of your life.

Mr. Kelly then goes on to write a number of examples, simple things which will really only take you a moment.  Reading them, they all seem like “nice” things to do, although you probably wouldn’t call them “holy moments”.  What he doesn’t emphasize, but is there to see, is that all his examples have one thing in common:  They have you doing a nice thing for someone else. For one moment, you put aside whatever distractions or “fun” you are used to and doing something for someone else.  It only takes a moment.

But what will create a new distraction for you is that you will feel “good” about that moment; someone may even thank you.  You may be noticed, REALLY noticed.  And you will find that feeling, that feeling of joy, can become addictive.  And your life can really take on meaning.  You can see you can make a difference.

With so many young people rambling around in depression and thoughts of suicide (almost half according to many surveys), this book provides some simple ways to increase your feelings of self-worth. 

This book is worth a read, even for people much more advanced in age and in holiness.  It will make you smile.  And, it says you can go to HolyMomentsBook.com and order a half dozen more copies --- for free.  Mr. Kelly is a firm believer in changing the world, one person at a time.  If one person reads this review and gets the book, I’ve started.

 

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Different subject.  I read a sermon titled “On Pastors”, by St. Augustine, in my daily readings.  He is telling pastors to get their flocks ready to face the world, and suffering.  This is kind of a next step discussion beyond “Holy Moments”, for it is good to find joy in your life, but you will undoubtedly face sufferings too.  His sermon notes that this too, if you prepare and understand, can also be a great joy:

(Pastors:)“Christians must imitate Christ’s sufferings, not set their hearts on pleasures. … But, what sort of shepherds are they who, for fear of giving offense, not only fail to prepare the sheep for the temptations that threaten, but even promise them worldly happiness?  God Himself made no such promise to this world.  On the contrary, God foretold hardship upon hardship in this world until the end of time.  And you want the Christian to be exempt from these troubles?  Precisely because he is a Christian, he is destined to suffer more in this world.

For the Apostle says, all who desire to have a holy life in Christ will suffer persecution. … (But) you say instead: “If you live a holy life in Christ, all good things will be yours in abundance.”  Is this the way you build up the believer?  Take note of what you are doing and where you are placing him.  You have built him on sand.

Lift him up from the sand and put him on the rock.  Let him be in Christ, if you wish him to be a Christian.  Let him turn his thought to sufferings, however unworthy they may be in comparison to Christ’s.  Let him center his attention on Christ, who was without sin, and yet made restitution for what He had not done.  Let him consider Scripture, which says to him: He chastises every son whom He acknowledges.  Let him prepare to be chastised, or else not seek to be acknowledged as a son.”

 

I thought of this Augustine sermon because this morning at Sunday mass, our pastor spoke something similar.  He was blunt in saying that things are getting worse for Christians, and we need to be prepared for suffering.  AND, we need to go out and live and preach what we believe.  This is not a time to hide, but to make a difference in souls, and in our country.  Augustine was chastising his pastors; our pastor was chastising his flock.  We need to be active, be seen, and stand up to the evils surrounding us.  And, “Let him prepare to be chastised, or else not seek to be acknowledged as a son.”