My birthday was not that long ago and on that day, I received a package in the mail which contained a few little spiritual handbooks that I had ordered to add to my ‘collection’. I own several and love them all. You have probably seen these little gems here or there, perhaps even a parent or a grandparent used to have one lying around. They look something like the one in this photograph. There are many available through the Catholic Book Publishing Company, which you can visit by clicking HERE.
Now, I really enjoy these. They help keep me grounded and are great aides when I feel that I have gotten off track spiritually. If you have never seen one, inside, there is a bit of text to meditate on or ponder for each day. These books have themes, so maybe all of the text will relate to the psalms, or perhaps to Mary, the Mother of God, or maybe even the various popes. You will probably find a bit of scripture, a small reflection, and a short prayer. This is what makes them great. Small chunks to read, absorb, then ponder throughout the day. Some are very enlightening. Some make you smile. Others give you that great AH-HAH moment of insight into yourself, others, or something about the Faith. But oddly enough, on my birthday, I found this:
If You Have a Joyful Heart, Please Notify Your Face.
I literally laughed out loud. Not only did I find it absolutely funny and unexpected in a spiritual book of reflections, but I found it completely accurate! I need to smile more. I need to be thankful so much more. And I need to make an effort to remember what the words following that heading shared with me (which is part of the reason why I am writing them down here – the other part being to share this bit of wisdom with YOU). Here is what followed …
“Sometimes the emotional connection between our brain and our body is dull. We know intellectually that God loves us at every moment of the day, but we still remain listless. St. Paul said, ‘Rejoice always’ (Phil 4:4). Just do it, and don’t ask so many questions.”
A perfect bit of spiritual advice so entirely fit for me, on what better day than my birthday.