Where God is already present: Faith, family and the ordinary moments that shape us

Andy Cassidy, Pastoral Associate at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Edinburgh, spends much of his time at work and at home nurturing others, so where does his own spiritual nourishment come from? He tells the Things I Wish I Knew podcast about how he has come to learn that ‘the challenge is not so much to bring God into our lives as to recognise that God is already there’.

Many people imagine spiritual experiences as dramatic moments: a retreat, a pilgrimage, or a sudden revelation. Yet for many Christians, faith grows not through extraordinary events but through the quiet rhythms of ordinary life. It is discovered in family relationships, moments of vulnerability and an increasing awareness of God's presence in places we might otherwise overlook.

These themes emerged in a recent conversation on the Things I Wish I Knew podcast between Julia Corcoran and Andy Cassidy, whose journey into the Catholic Church offers a reflection on how God often works patiently and unexpectedly in our lives.

Andy grew up in Scotland with little exposure to Catholicism. Faith did not play a significant role in his early years, and becoming Catholic was certainly not part of any long-term plan. Yet looking back, he can see how God was gradually at work through a series of experiences that invited him to ask deeper questions about meaning, belonging and purpose.

One significant moment came during a visit to Carfin Grotto in North Lanarkshire. Known for its devotional shrines and peaceful surroundings, the site has long been a place of prayer for pilgrims. For Andy, it became the setting for a profound encounter. He recalls being struck by an overwhelming sense of peace, unlike anything he had previously experienced. While such moments can be difficult to describe, they often become important landmarks in a person's spiritual journey, not because they provide all the answers, but because they open the possibility that God is present and active.

At the same time, Andy's path towards faith was shaped by experiences that many people will recognise. The illness of his father prompted reflection on life's fragility and on questions that can easily be pushed aside amid the demands of everyday living. His wife's support and witness also played an important role. Faith rarely develops in isolation. More often, it is nurtured through relationships and through the example of people whose lives reveal something of God's love.

What is particularly striking about Andy's story is not simply his eventual reception into the Catholic Church, but the way he has learned to recognise God in ordinary moments. Christian spirituality has long emphasised that God is not confined to churches, shrines, or explicitly religious activities. The God who became human in Jesus Christ is present within the realities of everyday life.

This conviction can be easy to affirm in theory but harder to recognise in practice. Modern life often leaves little room for attentiveness. Work, family responsibilities and constant distractions can make prayer feel like one more task on an already crowded list. Yet Andy speaks of discovering that God's presence is often revealed precisely within these ordinary circumstances.

Family life has been especially important in this regard. Reflecting on his relationship with his children, he describes moments of affection, trust and vulnerability that have deepened his understanding of God's love. Experiences that might seem small or routine can become occasions of grace when viewed through the eyes of faith.

This insight resonates strongly with the Ignatian tradition, which encourages believers to seek and find God in all things. Rather than separating spiritual life from ordinary life, Ignatian spirituality invites us to become more attentive to God's presence within our daily experiences. Joy, sorrow, success, disappointment, relationships and responsibilities can all become vehicles of encounter with God.

Such an approach can be liberating. Many people feel that they are failing spiritually because they struggle to maintain lengthy periods of prayer or because their lives feel too busy to sustain a rich devotional practice. Yet spiritual growth is not measured solely by the amount of time we spend in explicitly religious activities. It is also shaped by the quality of our attention and our willingness to notice where God may already be at work. (Ruth Holgate, Director of St Beuno’s Jesuit Spirituality Centre, has spoken about this on a previous episode of Things I Wish I Knew – listen here.)

This does not make dedicated prayer any less important. Andy speaks about the value of setting aside time for reflection and finding practical ways to remain connected to God throughout the day. Resources such as Pray As You Go can help people weave prayer into busy schedules. At its heart, though, his experience suggests that prayer is not only something we do at set times; it is a way of becoming more aware of the God who is already present.

In a culture that often prizes achievement, productivity and constant activity, there is something deeply countercultural about this perspective. It reminds us that God's presence is not restricted to moments of obvious spiritual significance. We may notice it in a conversation with a loved one, a walk in nature, an act of care, or a brief moment of stillness amid a demanding day.

Faith often grows in these small and seemingly insignificant moments. The challenge is not so much to bring God into our lives as to recognise that God is already there.

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