To watch Fr. Joe’s homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time: CLICK HERE!
This past week many people, maybe even ourselves had to lower our expectations when we did not win the $1.6 Billion Mega Drawing.
Now they hope and dream and pray for a miracle: winning a paltry Powerball prize of $750 million. Good luck!
Speaking of miracles, I think that most of us would say that the healing of the blind man, in today’s Gospel by Jesus, was a miracle, or put another way, a Holy Moment. (And Jesus had lots of these)
What’s a Holy Moment???
A Holy Moment is a moment when we open ourselves to God; when we make ourselves available to God. We set aside what we feel like doing in that moment, we set aside self-interest and for one moment we simply do what we prayerfully believe God is calling us to do in that moment. That’s a Holy Moment…
Every day can be filled with many Holy Moments, if we wish. There is no limit to the Holy Moments we can create, each day.
- Being more agreeable with people
- Thanking God in prayer for today
- Being in the moment
- Doing what is expected of us at home, work, school or church
- Encouraging another
- Assisting someone with their chores or work
- Recycling
- Generosity
Holiness is possible for everyone…
I hear people sharing their not so perfect choices of life but every moment of the day, THIS moment, is the moment to choose to live, to share a Holy Moment.
Holy Moments are, if you will, making a choice for good, for God… Holy Moments that make God’s presence more real to others and even ourselves.
I am sure we all live Holy Moments every day and maybe we don’t realize it but imagine if we made a more conscious effort to live Holy Moments, every day. How much better the lives of people around us would be, how much better the world could be…
Let me share one Holy Moment that I was a part of yesterday at BJ’s in Latham. Two high school students were collecting money to assist Wounded Warriors. As I approached the two students, I began a conversation with them, finding out they attended CBA (Christian Brothers’ Academy); finding out that one was a Junior and one a Sophomore; finding out that their Principal, Dr. Jim Schlegel, would be starting a Theology Class. Then one of the two adults, upon hearing my last name, asked if I grew up on 24th Street in Watervliet and thus another conversation began. I did not know the person, but he was very familiar with my two brothers and then a conversation ensured with the other adult, who shared how she began this effort to assist Wound Warriors some years back. I went inside to get something and upon departing, I shared with the two CBA students a Theological statement: “God’s Operation – Man’s Cooperation.” (Which one of the students, put into his phone so he could remember it for his Theology Class.)
Oh, Father Joe… You never mentioned putting anything into the collection container for the Wounded Warriors. Be assured I did. (Another Holy Moment)
To repeat the quote on the cover of today’s bulletin: “We shouldn’t need to tell people we are Christian (Catholic). It should be obvious, not by how we label ourselves, but by the lives we live.”
May we never be blinded to the Holy Moments that come our way daily and may we never be blinded to the limitless opportunities to touch the lives of others with Holy Moments.