If you are like me, most mornings when you wake up you have high hopes for the day. It’s a fresh start and you haven’t messed anything up yet. Of course, if you are also like me, those hopes often come crashing down in a matter of moments when I lose my cool, remember the stresses in my life, feel overwhelmed, or encounter resistance within myself to doing the things that I know need to be done. It’s easy to think that once we have messed up that there is no hope for the day.

Chapter 37: The Holy Moment

I think that most of the time we are so hyper-focused on our worries and obligations that we allow much of our day to pass by us without squeezing in time for God. Sure we may mumble a prayer for help, but how many of us set aside time to pray, to offer praise, or to simply be with God? I don’t think it’s out of disrespect that this happens, but I think we are simply so busy and other things have our time and attention. Maybe it’s also that we’ve never been taught to take the time. I know for me it was something I had to teach myself to do.

Matthew Kelly tells us that we often worry about having enough time to give to prayer or that we feel we can’t live a holy life because well, that just takes too much effort. This chapter reminds us that we simply need to start with a holy moment; that is, a moment where we are being who God created us to be, doing the things that that he is asking us to do in that particular moment. A single, simple moment.

Maybe that holy moment is to control your temper, to offer a hello and a smile to a stranger, to give your spare change (or more!) to someone who is homeless, to pray for a wreck as you pass by, to hold open the door for someone behind you, to have patience with your child, to tell your spouse thank you or to do something nice for him or her. The possibilities are endless!

Each and every moment of our lives is an opportunity for a holy moment. We simply have to change our way of thinking to see how God is calling us to transform our thoughts and actions, no matter how simple, into a prayer.

Point to Ponder: Holiness is possible for you.

Holiness is possible for each and every one of us. We often think that it is only certain people who are not only called to holiness but who also are able to achieve holiness. But this is wrong. Each and every person can be holy. It is a matter of whether we make the choice to try to live a holy life. It simply takes a single moment to start us on that path.

Verse to Live: “God’s will is for you to be holy.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3

It is only when we unite our will to God’s that we can achieve holiness. When we live to fulfill God’s will we have the ability to make each and every moment of our lives holy. It is possible with God’s grace and his love. He wants to pour out his grace upon us. Why do we wait when we know that joy will follow? If we want to be joyful, if we want to be holy, we have to desire God’s will and unite our will to his. There is no other way. We can do this with a simple holy moment that will blossom and grow throughout all areas of our lives.

Question to Consider: Before now, did you ever believe holiness was possible for you?

This is a repeat question from yesterday and my answer is still the same. While I never thought about it as a child (and no one ever told me that we should strive to be holy) as an adult, especially since I fell in love with Christ, it occupies my mind all the time. I want to be holy and I know it is possible. And I know that every time I fail to be holy that there will always be opportunities all day long to be holy once again. I can keep trying.

Your Turn: How hard is it to carve out time to pray? Do you think of holy moments as prayers? Have you ever heard of offering up your sufferings for others? Do you think doing so can be a holy moment?

Prayer: Lord never let me forget that holiness is possible.

Inspire in me the hope and the desire for holiness. Help me to unite my will to yours so that all I say and do will be what you ask of me. Please allow your light to shine through me so that others are drawn to holiness and to your everlasting love.