This was an exhortation I gave last March 1st, 2020 in a Christian community where I led a prayer meeting session, some portion were edited and revised for the purpose of this blog.
The very 1st Christian community I had been with was back in High school. It was in a group called Opus Dei (perhaps some of you might have heard of it or familiar with it. It was even mocked and fictionalized in the popular book and movie by Dan Brown years ago called the DaVinci Code).
Opus Dei was founded by St. Josemaria Escriva and it is a Latin phrase which means "Work of God". The basic precept of Opus Dei is for laypeople like you & me to foster and aspire for holiness in our everyday ordinary circumstances and profession. Wherever you are or whatever you do, whether you are in school, at work, at home, washing dishes, doing the laundry, even doing number 2 (jokingly speaking, but you get the point: Everything you do), all of our activities are opportunities for sanctification or holiness in drawing close to and imitating Jesus.
Opus Dei's vision really resonated with me and for the 1st time, it was in that community that I began to make proper sense of what it means to be a Christian and live out the faith in a more practical way. Because prior to that, I thought at that time, holiness was only for priests and nuns. Never occur that holiness is for everybody. That idea of sanctifying your ordinary day-to-day was indeed a fresh look and a dynamic take of practicing the faith especially me growing up only as a cultural, nominal Christian.
Fast forward to the present day, I recently read a book that reminded me of that Opus Dei flair. The author termed it a bit differently but the idea or aim is similar, he coined it "Holy Moments." A Holy Moment, he said, is a moment when you open yourself to God. You make yourself available to him. You set aside what you feel like doing or would rather be doing at that moment, and you set aside self-interest, personal desire, and for one moment you simply do what you prayerfully believe God is calling you to do at that moment. That is a Holy Moment.
The very 1st Christian community I had been with was back in High school. It was in a group called Opus Dei (perhaps some of you might have heard of it or familiar with it. It was even mocked and fictionalized in the popular book and movie by Dan Brown years ago called the DaVinci Code).
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Opus Dei was founded by St. Josemaria Escriva and it is a Latin phrase which means "Work of God". The basic precept of Opus Dei is for laypeople like you & me to foster and aspire for holiness in our everyday ordinary circumstances and profession. Wherever you are or whatever you do, whether you are in school, at work, at home, washing dishes, doing the laundry, even doing number 2 (jokingly speaking, but you get the point: Everything you do), all of our activities are opportunities for sanctification or holiness in drawing close to and imitating Jesus.
Opus Dei's vision really resonated with me and for the 1st time, it was in that community that I began to make proper sense of what it means to be a Christian and live out the faith in a more practical way. Because prior to that, I thought at that time, holiness was only for priests and nuns. Never occur that holiness is for everybody. That idea of sanctifying your ordinary day-to-day was indeed a fresh look and a dynamic take of practicing the faith especially me growing up only as a cultural, nominal Christian.
Fast forward to the present day, I recently read a book that reminded me of that Opus Dei flair. The author termed it a bit differently but the idea or aim is similar, he coined it "Holy Moments." A Holy Moment, he said, is a moment when you open yourself to God. You make yourself available to him. You set aside what you feel like doing or would rather be doing at that moment, and you set aside self-interest, personal desire, and for one moment you simply do what you prayerfully believe God is calling you to do at that moment. That is a Holy Moment.
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- Doing someone else's chores. That's a holy moment.
- Making a healthy eating choice. That's a holy moment.
- Being patient with a person who drives you crazy. That's a holy moment.
- Giving someone in front of you your full attention. That's a holy moment.
- Giving someone a life-changing book. That's a holy moment.
- Teaching someone how to pray. That's a holy moment.
- Recycling. That's a holy moment.
- Giving up your favorite whatever this Lent. That's a holy moment.
- Reading the scriptures. That's a holy moment.
- Jesus coming out in the desert victorious is indeed a holy moment.
My connecting point in sharing this to you is in the hope of exhorting you and encouraging you that you coming here on Sundays (to spend your time worshiping and praising the Lord as a community) is never in vain, it is never wasted in the sight of our Lord when it is done for the Lord. In other words, by coming here tonight, you have just made a "Holy Moment." Perhaps we feel we rather stay at home and binge watch Netflix or you would rather do some gardening or fix something around the house, or we rather go shopping or take a nap after a long week at work, but instead, you chose to spend your time to glorify God. Now that's a Holy Moment.
So as we offer our praise to the Lord, this holy moment is another gift to thank God for; to thank Him for the grace of a holy moment of being here for Him instead of doing something else. Because Holy Moments develop Holiness. And Holiness means to be set apart. To be set apart for something sacred. As Robin Williams' character in Dead Poet Society would say "Carpe diem". Seize the day! So let us seize this moment for God.
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