Book Review: “Holy Moments: A Handbook for the Rest of Your Life”

“Holy Moments: A Handbook for the Rest of Your Life” is a short book, only 116 pages, packed with simple yet powerful ideas and tips for personal spiritual growth. The author, Matthew Kelly, has done a magnificent job of writing this practical book as a guide for us to progress along the journey of “living life to its fullest.” The book is based on the “truth that we have so much more to offer and on the idea that holy moments can help us make good decisions that lead to a more meaningful life.”

Kelly, an author, speaker, spiritual leader and entrepreneur, writes with a style that is easy to read and engaging. He does a wonderful job of blending practical stories, examples and tips throughout the book. And having read his book, “I Heard God Laugh,” a few years ago, I was excited and eager to read what he might have to offer in “Holy Moments.”

As I began reading the book, I was curious about the question of, “What is a Holy Moment?” Fighting off the temptation to know the answer to this question, I decided to delay gratification and jump right into reading Kelly’s prologue. 

In the prologue, Kelly recounts an interesting story about a group of monks experiencing a holy moment that led to the positive transformation of their monastery. This story seemed to set the stage for the wisdom shared in the remainder of the book.
The main content of this handbook is divided into four sequential parts. 

In part one, “The Awakening,” Kelly proposes we accept the truth that we each have more to offer, and with each moment we are faced with making a choice. We can choose to make the moment “holy” or “unholy,” and “it is our choices that give meaning to life.” Also, it is here in part one that Kelly provides his answer to the question of “What is a Holy Moment?” 

Part two, “Holy Moments Explained,” begins with the story of the Good Samaritan who provides us with a clear, real-life example of a holy moment. Kelly also shares several everyday real-life examples of holy moments. For example, pausing to pray, giving our full attention to those speaking to us and going out of your way to make a new person feel welcome.
 
In part three, “The Divine Plan,” Kelly suggests that instead of relying upon others or material things to make our present and future lives better, we can strive to make each moment a holy moment. And according to Kelly, “our ability to recognize the opportunities for Holy Moments coupled with our spiritual intelligence can lead to meaningful lives, enriched relationships and a better world for everyone.” 

It is in part four, “The Power of One Idea,” that Kelly strongly suggests that a “Holy Moments” is a powerful idea that can help us become more fully who we are created to be and can help make the world a better place to live. He encourages us to “be bold” and adopt a can-do attitude to make each moment a holy moment. 

If you believe you have more to offer, and you want to do something about it, I highly recommend you read “Holy Moments: A Handbook for the Rest of Your Life.”

John H. Dolezal is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.