"Every moment and every event of every man’s life on earth plants something in his soul . . ." (Thomas Merton)

Celebrating Life’s Moments

In youth ministry, as in life, we often spend a great deal of energy planning for the big moments. We prepare for big church moments including confirmation, Christmas, and Easter. We celebrate big life moments including birthdays, earning a driver license, college acceptance letters, and graduations.

It is tempting to let ordinary time slip by; lost, often unintentionally, in the pre-planning and post-event processing of the big moments. While we all love the mountaintop moments, Thomas Merton challenges us to remember that what we do with each moment has a deep and lasting meaning.

Recognizing and Celebrating Ordinary Time

During ordinary time, we are challenged to slow down and work to order our lives around Jesus Christ.

• Where do we notice the presence of God in the ordinary of our everyday lives—in the spontaneous moment which could never have been planned or programmed?
• What practices do we engage in which make us mindful of the kingdom here and now ?
• How are we inviting the young people in our ministry to stop multitasking and to be present to this moment?

There has been a great deal of interest in recent years on the reclaiming of ancient Christian practices. Praying the rosary, lectio divina, Liturgy of the Hours, pilgrimage, Sabbath, and fasting are just a few of the many practices which we can explore with members of the young church.

We know from research and from our own experiences that the practices we engage in shape us. They create space in our lives for God to enter and transform us.

This year during ordinary time, maybe we can ask ourselves, what are we planting?