MINI REVIEW: HOLY MOMENTS

The Power of a Moment

I' believe I received this book as a gift from church. I've read other books by Matthew Kelly before which have referenced this one, so I was excited to finally dive in. 

HOW I RATED IT 

5/5 I expect that not everyone will be wildly impressed by this, but for me, I found it to be a meaningful and impactful source of daily reflection and prayer. 

CONTENT

The premise of this book is quite simple: it suggests that a single moment has the capacity to be either holy or unholy (or perhaps nothing at all) and the choice is up to us. How we respond to situations, whether or not we choose to help someone in a small way, or even the way we greet someone could all lend themselves to such a moment. One would be forgiven for wondering why a whole book, however short, needed to be written about such a basic concept. "Isn't this just common sense?" you might ask. Perhaps it is, but I all too often find that common sense isn't that common and I have to wonder if the folks who will criticize this book's modest ideas to be the ones that are actually most in need of what this book has to say. Kelly details what Holy Moments are, how to have them, and what they can ultimately mean to those around you with some tangible examples and quick testimonies. I think that in a society that has become deeply material and quite lavish, reflecting on such fundamental principles has a lot of power to remind us of what we are capable of, for good or for ill, and perhaps inspire us to make our small corner of the world a better place to live in with impacts that may reach well beyond it. I have to agree that living a good live isn't about one single grand gesture that will be remembered throughout the world, but rather a lifetime of moments where we chose to do something good and I hope that others will find this message as meaningful as I did. 

This book is split up into four parts and within each part is a main heading which splits up that part into different ideas and themes. I'm not really sure how best to go about reading this. The fastest is certainly to read one entire part at a time or even consume the whole thing in one sitting since this book is so short. I elected to actually just read one section per day. This way it served as a source of daily meditation and reflection for me that lasted the better part of a month. Some might find that to be a ridiculous way to read a book, but I quite liked getting through it in this manner and I feel that doing so gave me a little more time to think more deeply on what each section had to say. 

PAPERBACK QUALITY

This teeny little book is quite cute in a lot of ways. The simple cover and lovingly formatted interior are complimented by a compact, yet solid book construction. I think this is a book that is absolutely worth having as part of your physical collection and one that won't take up much space on the shelf at all. 

CONCLUSION

I would absolutely recommend this book who's looking for some light spiritual reading. This book probably won't blow your mind or move you to tears or anything, but I think it can be somewhat life altering all the same for the right person in the right state of mind. Even if you are already trying to live your life in a way that is similar to what Kelly outlines, I think there might still be some nice validation and encouragement to be found here. 

(+) Simple, yet beautiful message that can serve for an excellent source of reflection

(+) An adorable little paperback that will certainly fit into any collection

(+) The book is split up such that it can be read in different doses.